TheDebugging-oriented phasefrom Gelperin and Hetzel's evolutionary testing model is associated withMaturity Level 1 "Initial"of TMMi. At this maturity level, testing is not yet a distinct and well-defined process but is often interleaved with debugging. Organizations at this level have chaotic and ad-hoc testing activities, with no separation between testing and debugging.

Maturity Level 1organizations lack formal processes, and testing is often reactive, performed alongside fixing bugs in the code. This is in line with the debugging-oriented phase, where testing and debugging are seen as part of the same activity.

TMMi References:

TheTMMi frameworkdraws directly from the evolutionary model of Gelperin and Hetzel, associating theDebugging-oriented phasewith Level 1, which describes a chaotic, unmanaged testing environment​​.