IEEE/IEC P26512

Revision Standard - Active - Draft.
This document was developed to assist users of ISO/IEC/IEEE 15288:2023 or ISO/IEC/IEEE 12207 to acquire or supply information for users as part of the system or life cycle processes. It defines the documentation
process from the acquirers standpoint and the supplier's standpoint. This document covers the requirements for information items used in the acquisition of user documentation products: the acquisition plan, information product specification, statement of work, request for proposals, and the proposal. It provides an overview of the information management processes which may require acquisition and supply of system or software user documentation products and services. It addresses the preparation of requirements for user documentation. These requirements are central to the user documentation specification and statement of work. It includes requirements for primary document outputs of the acquisition and supply process: the request for proposal and the proposal for user documentation products and services.
This document is independent of the software tools that may be used to produce documentation, and applies to both printed documentation and onscreen documentation. Its guidance is applicable to user documentation for systems including hardware as well as software.

This document supports the interest of system users in having consistent, complete, accurate, and usable information. It addresses both available approaches to standardization: a) process standards, which specify the way that information products are to be acquired and supplied; and b) information product standards, which specify the characteristics and functional requirements of the information. The acquisition and supply activities make up the agreement processes of the software or system life cycle. Acquisition and supply of information for users and related services are specializations of those processes. Such services can be acquired and supplied for any part of the information management process, such as the following: information management; information design and development; information editing and review coordination; information testing, particularly usability testing; information production and packaging; information distribution and delivery; advice on the selection and implementation of information development tools and supporting systems; and information development process improvement.
This document provides an overview of the information management processes that are relevant to the acquisition and supply of information for users. It applies the agreement processes (acquisition and supply) to information for users, and addresses the preparation of requirements for this information. These requirements are central to the information specification and statement of work discussed in this document. This document also addresses requirements for primary document outputs of the acquisition and supply process: the request for proposal and the proposal for information products and services.