The process reference model and ISO/IEC 33004
A process reference model describes processes by purpose and outcomes, so the work can be seen as a system and assessed for capability separately from conformity.
Basis: The public scope states that the document provides a process reference model and will meet ISO/IEC 33004. ISO/IEC 33004 is not held, so its content is named and not stated. The draft text is not public. This page reads the public scope and the held ISO 22301:2019 clause set, and does not quote either as draft text.
01What applies
The public scope says the draft provides a process reference model for a BCMS and that the model will meet the criteria defined in ISO/IEC 33004. A process reference model is a description of processes at the level of purpose and outcomes, with the relationships between them. It is not a requirements list: it tells a reader what a process is for and what it should achieve, so the organization can decide how to implement it and how to judge its capability. ISO/IEC 33004 sets criteria for such models. That standard is not held here and its content is not stated.
02Why it matters
The distinction matters to a BCMS owner because it changes the question from did we do the clause to does this process deliver its outcome. That is a better question for a board and a harder one for an audit. It also explains why the draft can be guidance and still be useful: a model can be adopted without becoming a certification requirement.
03What good looks like
Describe each core process with a purpose, a set of outcomes, an owner and the evidence that the outcome was achieved. Do not copy the ISO 22301 clause headings as outcomes; a clause heading is a topic, not a result. Test the description by asking whether the outcome could be observed in a record.
04Evidence an auditor asks for
Read a process description aloud. If it lists activities rather than outcomes, it is a procedure, not a reference model entry.
| Evidence | The record |
|---|---|
| Process descriptions | Purpose, outcomes, owner and outcome evidence for each core process |
| Capability view | A separate judgement of process capability, not mixed with conformity |
05Where it commonly fails
- Copying the clause headings and calling them process outcomes
- Treating a process model as a new set of requirements
- Stating ISO/IEC 33004 criteria without holding the standard
06What to do before the estimate
Take three core processes and write one outcome each that could be observed in a record.