Select a model or standard to be used as reference in order to deploy the processes used in software development is a complex task. People with skills and knowledge in order to compare the contents of the model and / or standard taking into account the variety of models structures and descriptions is required. The purpose of this paper is to describe a method for selecting a reference model for software process deployment, based on the organizations needs. The organizations needs are translated into criteria related to the critical success factors of an improvement initiative. The method has been applied to select the reference model to be used in designing a deployment strategy processes with greater assurance of success. © 2012 AISTI.