Generic goals are called “generic” because the same goal statement applies to multiple process areas. A generic goal describes the characteristics that must be present to institutionalize the processes that implement a process area. A generic goal is a required model component and is used in appraisals to determine whether a process area is satisfied. (See the Generic Goals and Generic Practices section on page 75 for a more detailed description of generic goals.)

An example of a generic goal is “The process is institutionalized as a defined process.”

Only the statement of the generic goal is a required model component. The title of a generic goal (preceded by the goal number) and any notes associated with the goal are considered informative model components.