The New SEI CMMI v1.3 Quick Reference Guide.....Here is is!

Hey CMMI Fans! It's here!!!!!!

Here is your very own BRAND NEW CMMI-DEV v1.3 Quick Reference Guide from the SEI!

Sorry for the long post - but it's worth the read so scroll down!

CAUSAL ANALYSIS AND RESOLUTION Support (ML5)

The purpose of Causal Analysis and Resolution (CAR) is to identify causes of selected outcomes and take action to improve process performance.

SG 1 Root causes of selected outcomes are systematically determined.

SP 1.1 Select outcomes for analysis.

SP 1.2 Perform causal analysis of selelcted outcomes and propose actions to address them.

SG 2 Root causes of selected outcomes are systematically addressed.

SP 2.1 Implement selected action proposals developed in causal analysis.

SP 2.2 Evaluate the effect of implemented actions on process performance.

SP 2.3 Record causal analysis and resolution data for use across projects and the organization.

CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT Support (ML2)

The purpose of Configuration Management (CM) is to establish and maintain the integrity of work products using configuration identification, configuration control, configuration status accounting, and configuration audits.

SG 1 Baselines of identified work products are established.

SP 1.1 Identify configuration items, components, and related work products to be placed under configuration management.

SP 1.2 Establish and maintain a configuration management and change management system for controlling work products.

SP 1.3 Create or release baselines for internal use and for delivery to the customer.

SG 2 Changes to the work products under configuration management are tracked and controlled.

SP 2.1 Track change requests for configuration items.

SP 2.2 Control changes to configuration items.

SG 3 Integrity of baselines is established and maintained.

SP 3.1 Established and maintain records describing configuration items.

SP 3.2 Perform configuration audits to maintain the integrity of configuration baselines.

Decision Analysis and Resolution Support (ML3)

The purpose of Decision Analysis and Resolution (DAR) is to analyze possible decisions using a formal evaluation process that evaluates identified alternatives against established criteria.

SG 1 Decisions are based on an evaluation of alternatives using established criteria.

SP 1.1 Establish and maintain guidelines to determine which issues are subject to a formal evaluation process.

SP 1.2 Establish and maintain criteria for evaluating alternatives and the relative ranking of these criteria.

SP 1.3 Identify alternative solutions to address issues.

SP 1.4 Select evaluation methods.

SP 1.5 Evaluate alternative solutions using established criteria and methods.

SP 1.6 Select solutions from alternatives based on evaluation criteria.

Integrated Project Management Project Management (ML3)

The purpose of Integrated Project Management (IPM) is to establish and manage the project and the involvement of relevant stakeholders according to an integrated and defined process that is tailored from the organization’s set of standard processes.

SG 1 The project is conducted using a defined process tailored from the organization’s set of standard processes.

SP 1.1 Establish and maintain the project’s defined process from project startup through the life of the project.

SP 1.2 Use organizational process assets and the measurement repository for estimating and planning project activities.

SP 1.3 Establish and maintain the project’s work environment based on the organization’s work environment standards.

SP 1.4 Integrate the project plan and other plans that affect the project to describe the project’s defined process.

SP 1.5 Manage the project using the project plan, other plans that affect the project, and the project’s defined process.

SP 1.6 Establish and maintain teams.

SP 1.7 Contribute process-related experiences to organizational process assets.

SG 2 Coordination and collaboration between the project and relevant stakeholders is conducted.

SP 2.1 Manage the involvement of relevant stakeholders in the project

SP 2.2 Participate with relevant stakeholders to identify, negotiate, and track critical dependencies.

SP 2.3 Resolve issues with relevant stakeholders.

Measurement and Analysis Support (ML2)

The purpose of Measurement and Analysis (MA) is to develop and sustain a measurement capability used to support management information needs.

SG 1 Measurement objectives and activities are aligned with identified information needs and objectives.

SP 1.1 Establish and maintain measurement objectives derived from identified information needs and objectives.

SP 1.2 Specify measures to address measurement objectives.

SP 1.3 Specify how measurement data are obtained and stored.

SP 1.4 Specify how measurement data are analyzed and communicated.

SG 2 Measurement results, which address identified information needs and objectives, are provided.

SP 2.1 Obtain specified measurement data.

SP 2.2 Analyze and interpret measurement data.

SP 2.3 Manage and store measurement data, measurement specifications, and analysis results.

SP 2.4 Communicate results of measurement and analysis activities to all relevant stakeholders.

Organizational Process Definition Process management (ML3)

The purpose of Organizational Process Definition (OPD) is to establish and maintain a usable set of organizational process assets, work environment standards, and rules and guidelines for teams.

SG 1 A set of organizational process assets is established and maintained.

SP 1.1 Establish and maintain the organization’s set of standard processes.

SP 1.2 Establish and maintain descriptions of lifecycle models approved for use in the organization.

SP 1.3 Establish and maintain tailoring criteria and guidelines for the organization’s set of standard processes.

SP 1.4 Establish and maintain the organization’s measurement repository.

SP 1.5 Establish and maintain the organization’s process asset library.

SP 1.6 Establish and maintain work environment standards.

SP 1.7 Establish and maintain organizational rules and guidelines for the structure, formation, and operation of teams.

Organizational Process Focus PROCESS Management (ML3)

The purpose of Organizational Process Focus (OPF) is to plan, implement, and deploy organizational process improvements based on a thorough understanding of current strengths and weaknesses of the organization’s processes and process assets.

SG 1 Strengths, weaknesses, and improvement opportunities for the organization’s processes are identified periodically and as needed.

SP 1.1 Establish and maintain the description of process needs and objectives for the organization.

SP 1.2 Appraise the organization’s processes periodically and as needed to maintain an understanding of their strengths and weaknesses.

SP 1.3 Identify improvements to the organization’s processes and process assets.

SG 2 Process actions that address improvements to the organization’s processes and process assets are planned and implemented.

SP 2.1 Establish and maintain process action plans to address improvements to the organization’s processes and process assets.

SP 2.2 Implement process action plans.

SG 3 Organizational process assets are deployed across the organization and process-related experiences are incorporated into organizational process assets.

SP 3.1 Deploy organizational process assets across the organization.

SP 3.2 Deploy the organization’s set of standard processes to projects at their startup and deploy changes to them as appropriate throughout the life of each project.

SP 3.3 Monitor the implementation of the organization’s set of standard processes and use of process assets on all projects.

SP 3.4 Incorporate process-related experiences derived from planning and performing the process into organizational process assets.

Organizational Performance management Process management (ML5)

The purpose of Organizational Performance Management (OPM) is to proactively manage the organization’s performance to meet its business objectives.

SG 1 Manage the organization’s business performance using statistical and other quantitative techniques to understand process-performance shortfalls and identify areas for process improvement.

SP 1.1 Maintain business objectives based on an understanding of business strategies and actual performance results.

SP 1.2 Analyze process-performance data to determine the organization’s ability to meet identified business objectives.

SP 1.3 Identify potential areas for improvement that could contribute to meeting business objectives.

SG 2 Improvements are proactively identified, evaluated using statistical and other quantitative techniques, and selected for deployment based on their contribution to meeting quality and process-performance objectives.

SP 2.1 Elicit and categorize suggested improvements

SP 2.2 Analyze suggested improvements for their possible impact on achieving the organization’s quality and process-performance objectives.

SP 2.3 Validate selected improvements.

SP 2.4 Select and implement improvements for deployment throughout the organization based on an evaluation of costs, benefits and other factors.

SG 3 Measurable improvements to the organization’s processes and technologies are deployed and evaluated using statistical and other quantitative techniques.

SP 3.1 Establish and maintain plans for deploying selected improvements.

SP 3.2 Manage the deployment of selected improvements.

SP 3.3 Evaluate the effects of deployed improvements on quality and process performance using statistical and other quantitative techniques.

Organizational Process Performance Process Management (ML4)

The purpose of Organizational Process Performance (OPP) is to establish and maintain a quantitative understanding of the performance of selected processes in the organization’s set of standard processes in support of achieving quality and process performance objectives, and to provide process-performance data, baselines, and models to quantitatively manage the organization’s projects.

SG 1 Baselines and models, which characterize the expected process performance of the organization’s set of standard processes, are established and maintained.

SP 1.1 Establish and maintain the organization’s quantitative objectives for quality and process performance, which are traceable to business objectives.

SP 1.2 Select processes or subprocesses in the organization’s set of standard processes to be included in the organization’s process performance analyses and maintain traceability to business objectives.

SP 1.3 Establish and maintain definitions of measures to be included in the organization’s process performance analyses.

SP 1.4 Analyze the performance of the selected processes, and establish and maintain the process performance baselines.

SP 1.5 Establish and maintain process-performance models for the organization’s set of standard processes.

ORGANIZATIONAL TRAINING PROCESS Management (ML3)

The purpose of Organizational Training (OT) is to develop skills and knowledge of people so they can perform their roles effectively and efficiently.

SG 1 A training capability, which supports the roles in the organization, is established and maintained.

SP 1.1 Establish and maintain strategic training needs of the organization.

SP 1.2 Determine which training needs are the responsibility of the organization and which are left to the individual project or support group.

SP 1.3 Establish and maintain an organizational training tactical plan.

SP 1.4 Establish and maintain a training capability to address organizational training needs.

SG 2 Training for individuals to perform their roles effectively is provided.

SP 2.1 Deliver training following the organizational training tactical plan.

SP 2.2 Establish and maintain records of organizational training.

SP 2.3 Assess the effectiveness of the organization’s training program.

Product Integration Engineering (ML3)

The purpose of Product Integration (PI) is to assemble the product from the product components, ensure that the product, as integrated, behaves properly (i.e., possesses the required functionality and quality attributes), and deliver the product.

SG 1 Preparation for product integration is conducted.

SP 1.1 Establish and maintain a product integration strategy.

SP 1.2 Establish and maintain the environment needed to support the integration of the product components.

SP 1.3 Establish and maintain procedures and criteria for integration of the product components.

SG 2 The product component interfaces, both internal and external, are compatible.

SP 2.1 Review interface descriptions for coverage and completeness.

SP 2.2 Manage internal and external interface definitions, designs and changes for products and product components.

SG 3 Verified product components are assembled and the integrated, verified and validated product is delivered.

SP 3.1 Confirm, prior to assembly, that each product component required to assemble the product has been properly identified, behaves according to its description, and that the product component interfaces comply with the interface descriptions.

SP 3.2 Assemble product components according to the product integration strategy and procedures.

SP 3.2 Evaluate assembled product components for interface compatibility.

SP 3.2 Package the assembled product or product component and deliver it to the customer.

Project Monitoring and Control Project Management (ML2)

The purpose of Project Monitoring and Control (PMC) is to provide an understanding of the project’s progress so that appropriate corrective actions can be taken when the project’s performance deviates significantly from the plan.

SG 1 Actual project performance and progress are monitored against the project plan.

SP 1.1 Monitor actual values of project planning parameters against the project plan.

SP 1.2 Monitor commitments against those identified in the project plan.

SP 1.3 Monitor risks against those risks identified in the project plan.

SP 1.4 Monitor the management of project data against the project plan.

SP 1.5 Monitor stakeholder involvement against the project plan.

SP 1.6 Periodically review the project’s progress, performance, and issues.

SP 1.7 Review the project’s accomplishments and results at selected project milestones.

SG 2 Corrective actions are managed to closure when the project’s performance or results deviate significantly from the plan.

SP 2.1 Collect and analyze issues and determine corrective actions to address them.

SP 2.2 Take corrective action on identified issues.

SP 2.3 Manage corrective actions to closure.

Project Planning Project management (ML2)

The purpose of Project Planning (PP) is to establish and maintain plans that define project activities.

SG 1 Estimates of project planning parameters are established and maintained.

SP 1.1 Establish a top-level work breakdown structure (WBS) to estimate the scope of the project.

SP 1.2 Establish and maintain estimates of work product and task attributes.

SP 1.3 Define project lifecycle phases on which to scope the planning effort.

SP 1.4 Estimate the project’s effort and cost for work products and tasks based on estimation rationale.

SG 2 A project plan is established and maintained as the basis for managing the project.

SP 2.1 Establish and maintain the project’s budget and schedule.

SP 2.2 Identify and analyze project risks.

SP 2.3 Plan for the management of project data.

SP 2.4 Plan for resources to perform the project.

SP 2.5 Plan for knowledge and skills needed to perform the project.

SP 2.6 Plan the involvement of identified stakeholders.

SP 2.7 Establish and maintain the overall project plan.

SG 3 Commitments to the project plan are established and maintained.

SP 3.1 Review all plans that affect the project to understand project commitments.

SP 3.2 Adjust the project plan to reconcile available and estimated resources.

SP 3.3 Obtain commitment from relevant stakeholders responsible for performing and supporting plan execution.

Process and Product Quality Assurance Support (ML2)

The purpose of Process and Product Quality Assurance (PPQA) is to provide staff and management with objective insight into processes and associated work products.

SG 1 Adherence of the performed process and associated work products to applicable process descriptions, standards, and procedures is objectively evaluated.

SP 1.1 Objectively evaluate selected performed processes against applicable process descriptions, standards, and procedures.

SP 1.2 Objectively evaluate selected work products against applicable process descriptions, standards, and procedures.

SG 2 Noncompliance issues are objectively tracked and communicated, and resolution is ensured.

SP 2.1 Communicate quality issues and ensure the resolution of noncompliance issues with the staff and managers.

SP 2.2 Establish and maintain records of quality assurance activities.

Quantitative Project Management Project Management (ML4)

The purpose of Quantitative Project Management (QPM) is to quantitatively manage the project to achieve the project’s established quality and process performance objectives.

SG 1 Preparation for quantitative management is conducted.

SP 1.1 Establish and maintain the project’s quality and process performance objectives.

SP 1.2 Using statistical and other quantitative techniques, compose a defined process that enables the project to achieve its quality and process performance objectives .

SP 1.3 Select subprocesses and attributes critical to evaluating performance and that help to achieve the project’s quality and process performance objectives.

SP 1.4 Select measures and analytic techniques to be used in quantitative management.

SG 2 The project is quantitatively managed.

SP 2.1 Monitor the performance of selected subprocesses using statistical and other quantitative techniques.

SP 2.2 Manage the project using statistical and other quantitative techniques to determine whether or not the project’s objectives for quality and process performance are being satisfied.

SP 2.3 Perform root cause analysis of selected issues to address deficiencies in achieving the project’s quality and process performance objectives.

Requirements Development Engineering (ML3)

The purpose of requirements Development (RD) is to elicit, analyze, and establish customer, product, and product component requirements.

SG 1 Stakeholder needs, expectations, constraints, and interfaces are collected and translated into customer requirements.

SP 1.1 Elicit stakeholder needs, expectations, constraints and interfaces for all phases of the product lifecycle.

SP 1.2 Transform stakeholder needs, expectations, constraints and interfaces into prioritized customer requirements.

SG 2 Customer requirements are refined and elaborated to develop product and product component requirements.

SP 2.1 Establish and maintain product and product component requirements, which are based on the customer requirements.

SP 2.2 Allocate the requirements for each product component.

SP 2.3 Identify interface requirements.

SG 3 The requirements are analyzed and validated.

SP 3.1 Establish and maintain operational concepts and associated scenarios.

SP 3.2 Establish and maintain a definition of required functionality and quality attributes.

SP 3.3 Analyze requirements to ensure that they are necessary and sufficient.

SP 3.4 Analyze requirements to balance stakeholder needs and constraints.

SP 3.4 Validate requirements to ensure the resulting product will perform as intended in the user’s environment.

Requirements Management Project Management (ML2)

The purpose of Requirements Management (REQM) is to manage requirements of the project’s products and product components and to ensure alignment between those requirements and the project’s plans and work products.

SG 1 Requirements are managed and inconsistencies with plans and work products are identified.

SP 1.1 Develop an understanding with the requirements providers on the meaning of the requirements.

SP 1.2 Obtain commitment to requirements from project participants.

SP 1.3 Manage changes to requirements as they evolve during the project.

SP 1.4 Maintain bidirectional traceability among requirements and work products.

SP 1.5 Ensure that project plans and work products remain aligned with the requirements.

Risk Management Project Management (ML3)

The purpose of Risk Management (RSKM) is to identify potential problems before they occur so that risk handling activities can be planned and invoked as needed across the life of the product or project to mitigate adverse impacts on achieving objectives.

SG 1 Preparation for risk management is conducted.

SP 1.1 Determine risk sources and categories.

SP 1.2 Define parameters used to analyze and categorize risks and to control the risk management effort.

SP 1.3 Establish and maintain the strategy to be used for risk management.

SG 2 Risks are identified and analyzed to determine their relative importance.

SP 2.1 Identify and document risks.

SP 2.2 Evaluate and categorize each identified risk using defined risk categories and parameters, and determine its relative priority.

SG 3 Risks are handled and mitigated as appropriate to reduce adverse impacts on achieving objectives.

SP 3.1 Develop a risk mitigation plan in accordance with the risk management strategy.

SP 3.2 Monitor the status of each risk periodically and implement the risk mitigation plan as appropriate.

Supplier Agreement Manager Project Management (ML2)

The purpose of Supplier Agreement Management (SAM) is to manage the acquisition of products and services from suppliers.

SG 1 Agreements with the suppliers are established and maintained.

SP 1.1 Determine the type of acquisition for each product or product component to be acquired.

SP 1.2 Select suppliers based on an evaluation of their ability to meet the specified requirements and established criteria.

SP 1.3 Establish and maintain supplier agreements.

SG 2 Agreements with suppliers are satisfied by both the project and the supplier.

SP 2.1 Perform activities with the supplier as specified in the supplier agreement.

SP 2.2 Ensure that the supplier agreement is satisfied before accepting the acquired product.

SP 2.3 Ensure the transition of acquired products from the supplier.

Technical Solution Engineering (ML3)

The purpose of Technical Solution (TS) is to select, design, develop, and implement solutions to requirements. Solutions, designs, and implementations encompass products, product components, and product related lifecycle processes either singly or in combination as appropriate.

SG 1 Product or product component solutions are selected from alternative solutions.

SP 1.1 Develop alternative solutions and selection criteria.

SP 1.2 Select the product component solutions based on selection criteria.

SG 2 Product or product component designs are developed.

SP 2.1 Develop a design for the product or product component.

SP 2.2 Establish and maintain a technical data package.

SP 2.3 Design product component interfaces using established criteria.

SP 2.4 Evaluate whether the product components should be developed, purchased, or reused based on established criteria.

SG 3 Product components, and associated support documentation, are implemented form their designs.

SP 3.1 Implement the designs of the product components.

SP 3.2 Develop and maintain the end-use documentation.

Validation Engineering (ML3)

The purpose of Validation (VAL) is to demonstrate that a product or product component fulfills its intended use when placed in its intended environment.

SG 1 Preparation for validation is conducted.

SP 1.1 Select products and product components to be validated and validation methods to be used.

SP 1.2 Establish and maintain the environment needed to support validation.

SP 1.3 Establish and maintain procedures and criteria for validation.

SG 2 The product or product components are validated to ensure they are suitable for use in their intended operating environment.

SP 2.1 Perform validation on selected products and product components.

SP 2.2 Analyze results of validation activities.

Verification Engineering (ML3)

The purpose of Verification (VER) is to ensure that selected work products meet their specified requirements.

SG 1 Preparation for verification is conducted.

SP 1.1 Select work products to be verified and verification methods to be used.

SP 1.2 Establish and maintain the environment needed to support verification.

SP 1.3 Establish and maintain verification procedures and criteria for the selected work products.

SG 2 Peer reviews are performed on selected work products.

SP 2.1 Prepare for peer reviews of selected work products.

SP 2.2 Conduct peer reviews of selected work products and identify issues resulting from these reviews.

SP 2.3 Analyze data about the preparation, conduct, and results of the peer reviews.

SG 3 Selected work products are verified against their specified requirements.

SP 3.1 Perform verification on selected work products.

SP 3.2 Analyze results of all verification activities.

Generic Goals

GG 1 Achieve Specific Goals

The specific goals of the process area are supported by the process of transforming identifiable input work products into identifiable output work products.

GP 1.1 Perform the specific practices of the process area to develop work products and provide services to achieve the specific goals of the process area.

GG 2 Institutionalize a Managed Process

The process is institutionalized as a managed process.

GP 2.1 Establish and maintain an organizational policy for planning and performing the process.

GP 2.2 Establish and maintain the plan for performing the process.

GP 2.3 Provide adequate resources for performing the process, developing the work products, and providing the services of the process.

GP 2.4 Assign responsibility and authority for performing the process, developing the work products, and providing the services of the process.

GP 2.5 Train the people performing or supporting the process as needed.

GP 2.6 Place selected work products of the process under appropriate levels of control.

GP 2.7 Identify and involve the relevant stakeholders of the process as planned.

GP 2.8 Monitor and control the process against the plan for performing the process and take appropriate corrective action.

GP 2.9 Objectively evaluate adherence of the process and selected work products against the process description, standards, and procedures, and address noncompliance.

GP 2.10 Review the activities, status, and results of the process with higher level management with the appropriate visibility into the process.

GG 3 Institutionalize a Defined Process

The process is institutionalized as a defined process.

GP 3.1 Establish and maintain the description of a defined process.

GP 3.2 Collect process-related experiences derived from planning and performing the process to support the future use and improvement of the organization’s processes and process assets.

Copyright (c) 2010 Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon University

How do I become a SCAMPI Lead Appraiser

Hi Jeff!

I want to foray into the field of CMMI. I want to be come a SCAMPI Lead appraiser. I have a few questions:

- What pre-requisite experience do I need?

Lead Appraisers must demonstrate significant industry experience in engineering, software, or project management, must have earned an advanced degree in a related field, and must complete all required SEI coursework and observations. In my opinion, the best LAs are those who have been engineers, project managers, AND line managers - giving them a broad understanding of the processes that drive the business

- Can an LA be independent, or must they work for a company?

An LA must be sponsored by and work for a licensed SEI Partner. The SEI Partner goes through a qualification process that is independent of the LA appraiser qualification process.

- What classes and other requirements are there?

In addition to the pre-requisites described above, a candidate must: complete the "Introduction to CMMI" class, complete the "Intermediate Concepts of CMMI" class (and pass the exam), become sponsored by an SEI Partner, take the "SCAMPI Lead Appraiser Training" class (and pass the exam), take the SCAMPI Lead Appraiser CMMI Certification Exam, and complete an observation by the SEI while conducting an appraisal.

The process will take several years from start to finish and can be costly - especially if you're funding it yourself.

Good luck!

www.broadswordsolutions.com

I don't get Continuous Representation and Capability Levels - help!

Hi Jeff

I have been following You blog for 2 weeks now & I know You would have got this compliment numerous times so far..but yes - Reading responses feels like You are the guy next door; just sitting next to us; talking to Us...not just guiding us remotely.

I understand Your time is precious n hence would like to quickly put 2 basic questions quickly:

- Is there a specific reason for the I which we find appended to CMM ? What would integrated mean exactly?

- I believe most of the companies go for staged; not continuous; thats what they have a Maturity Level rating; not capability level rating. But is there a specific sequence to follow when somebody likes to go for a Continuous presentation? How does the interaction between PAs go ?

Say for example if a typical level 1 company thinks it plans to follow Project Planning & VER / VAL , skip MA; go for Quantitative Project Management does it make sense ?Or there has to be a fixed set of PAs from Level 2 coupled with appropriate sets of PAs from Level 3 which need to be in place before one can even think of putting some PAs from level 4 in place?

And in this continuous style of implementation what kind of capability level rating the Org would manage to achieve? And if they do, how does it help their business?

Thanks for reading this post Jeff..I need to get rid of this initial confusion while i continue to enrich myself through Your blog.

Whew! A hard one!

Thanks for the compliment :) You're questions are not uncommon. Let's take one at a time.

- The "I" in CMMI was added after the decision to move away from the SW-CMM was made at the SEI, and it signifies a larger, broader, and more integrated model that covers not only the software components, but all of engineering including planning, requirements, design, build, test, and sustainment.

- Your question about the continuous representation is a regular one in my class. The SEI has done a pretty good job of grouping interdependent PAs together in ML2 and ML3. Even if you choose continuous, you would want to look into the relationships between the ML2 PAs while you're working on some of those. For instance, if you choose REQM, it makes sense to include CM, PPQA, and MA. If you choose PP, then PMC, CM, M&A, and PPQA all make sense too. So I would recommend you choose all of the ML2 PAs before moving on to any ML3 areas, with the possible exception of OPD and OPF, which I like to start earlier than the other ML3 areas.

In either case, if you JUST choose one PA, you can be appraised for a Capability Level from 1-5 (based on the Generic Goals that are applied). And I would NOT recommend going for an appraisal for OPP/QPM until you've got a few years of solid performance under your belt!

Good luck!

www.broadswordsolutions.com

How does Agile Planning and resource allocation fit into the CMMI?

We’re getting ready for a SCAMPI-A and we use an “agile” method for allocating work to an iteration. In my opinion allocating an iteration backlog based on resources, schedule, etc… from the main product backlog fulfills PP SP 3.2. I wondering if you agree or if I’m missing something?

Nope, you're not missing anything :)

PP.SP3.2 refers to the iterative process that occurs when a plan is reviewed, compared against available resources, and (potentially) revved to match the two things up. This happens on both Waterfall and Agile projects.

In some ways an iterative and incremental ("Agile") approach has the potential for doing this better than in a waterfall world. Since it is re-evaluated against the product backlog before it is place in the iteration (potentially every n-days), and it is done every time, this is is happening repeatably throughout the course of the project.

There is one difference between the two "camps" though. In an Agile world (ala Scrum, for instance) it's the scope (features or stories to be delivered) that are renegotiated, where in a waterfall we usually go back and ask for more money, time, or people.

So, as long as you can demonstrate that you are indeed behaving this way, and you're doing so with integrity, you should have no problem with this practice (PP.SP3.2).

Good luck!

www.broadswordsolutions.com

When should we engage with a CMMI Lead Appraiser?

Dear Jeff,

We have a few software processes in place and they are ISO compliant. Our company now wants to go for CMMi level3. Is it better that they first align their processes before involving a Lead Appraiser or CMMI consultant, or involve a Lead Appraiser or CMMI consultant now and let them help us?

Well, I guess that depends on how much re-work you want to complete :)

A good CMMI Consultant (who may also be a Lead Appraiser) can not only help you but can also point out a few hundred mistakes that you shouldn't make - making their cost almost zero when you consider the re-work involved.

The biggest problem is that people don't always understand the CMMI Model itself, so without a little guidance go off and create process monsters that will take years to fix.

Do yourself a favor and seek some professional help early - just make sure it's the right guy (or girl)!

Good Luck!

www.broadswordsolutions.com

We use Scrum and our Consultant says it not compatible with CMMI! Help!

Dear Appraiser,

Our consultant tells us that using Scrum is not compatible with CMMI because CMMI is all about paper and Scrum is about getting things done. We need to be ML2 this year! Can you help us?

Wow! Here is my advice:

Step 1: Fire Consultant.

Step 2: Embrace Scrum with integrity

Step 3: Dump (most of) the paper

As both a Lead Appraiser and a Scrum Master (not just a SM but a "certified" one at that ;)) I can tell you with complete surety that CMMI and Scrum are VERY compatible. The secret is to ignore the examples in the book, open your mind, and use your imagination.

Why is a product backlog and a sprint plan not a WBS? It is.

Why is a Product Backlog not scoping your project? It is.

Why is Planning Poker not estimating tasks? It is.

Scrum is VERY process focused (the job of a Scrum Master is more Process Coach than anything else) and if you use it with integrity it's as processes focused as any waterfall project - just different.

The CMMI has a reputation of being paper-based not because the model requires it, but because the original users treated it that way. Follow that up any number of US and Indian "consulting" firms that try to re-engineer the model by starting with the artifact examples in the book, and you get a convoluted mess that helps no one. Except the consultants.

What's wrong with pictures? Hand drawings? Story Cards? All are good "evidence" for an appraisal. And, most importantly, they're USEFUL!

Good luck!

www.broadswordsolutions.com

I have a question about Product Integration and "Determine Product Integration Sequence" - SP1.1

Greetings!!!

I have a question with respect to Product Integration (PI) – specifically with respect to “SP 1.1 Determine Integration Sequence”

I work in a software development company, One of the findings that we got when we did the GAP analysis was that that the projects have not documented the integration Sequence.

Now the question is when we say Integration sequence, do we mean the Integration sequence with respect how each functional module integrates with one another and the order in which they are developed or are we talking about the various layers say UI Layer, Business Layer and Database Layer ?

When we talk to the development team, they normally come back saying that all the modules are developed parallel and we do not have a sequence for integration . Actually we are following Waterfall model for development.

Can you please advise on how do we handle ‘Product Integration’ in this scenario as we are trying to CMMI ML 3 compliant.

In understand your pain! Sometimes the CMMI can be cryptic. In the SW world, sometimes this practice is simple and straightforward, and sometimes it's complicated. Sounds like yours is of the "simple" kind :)

Don't confuse "development" with "integration." The sequence by which you develop code is not what this practice is about. How you prioritize your development work is a function of project/sprint planning and is not usually part of the overall "integration effort."

I always ask myself "why does this practice exist?" It exists because, after a piece of development is done (either the whole program or a completed Sprint) it needs to be "integrated" into the environment. Sometimes that can be a multi-step process. If you are developing simple applications, and if you practice continuous builds, or daily builds, this is done, in part, by the scripts used to build the apps.

But in a more complex system, consider that there may be many things that have to happen. For instance:

1. Promote the code

2. Install module 1,3,5 on the server and run data conversion program

3. Install module 2,4 on the server, and register the objects with Windows Server

4. Install 32-bit thunking layer to ensure ten-year-old OLE objects still work (duh!)

5. Test all the interfaces after loading the 128-bit encrypted data layer

6. Replace that piece-of-crap MS JET Database Engine with a real one by Oracle

7. Run all the tests.

You see, at can get complicated, and determining the sequence CAN be very important!

Good luck!

www.broadswordsolutions.com

I have a question about SCAMPI Rules for evidence

Dear Appraiser:

I have a question on the two rules below.

For SCAMPI B, objective evidence must be sought for each individual practice and instantiation included in the scope of the appraisal. For each practice, at least one direct artifact or one oral affirmation must be obtained for each instantiation. In addition, for each practice within the scope of the appraisal, at least one oral affirmation and one direct artifact must be present when considering the set of instantiations for that practice.

I

s the point of the second rule to ensure that evidence from the set isn’t either all direct or all oral affirmation?

Some people interpret the “In addition” part of the rule to mean that any evidence used to satisfy the first rule cannot be used to satisfy the second. The two interpretations can sometimes lead to different conclusions.

For example:

Instantiation A	Instantiation B	Instantiation C	Instantiation D
Direct Artifact	Direct Artifact
		Oral Affirmation	Oral Affirmation

The first interpretation says this is ok. Each Instantiation has something and the set has a least one of each type. The second interpretation says it is not ok. The evidence used to satisfy the first rule cannot be used to satisfy the second. So they are looking for one more Direct Artifact and one more Oral Affirmation.

Either people holding to the second interpretation are reading way too much into the phrase “In addition” or the rules are not worded well.

Help!

As usual, the SEI speaks in foreign language!

“In addition, for each practice within the

scope of the appraisal, at least one oral affirmation and one direct

artifact must be present when considering the set of instantiations for

that practice.”

The key part of this sentence is the last part “… when considering the set of instantiations for that practice.” They’re referring to the aggregation practice of coming up with a Organizational Unit Characterization for the practice. There is a formula for that as you probably know.

The one characterization in the SCAMPI Method not given much discussion is “NY” or “not yet.” If you have five instantiations (projects) and four of the five are “Not Yet” then you have satisfied the “in addition” part. If all five are “not yet” you have not satisfied it. In many cased all five will have something other than “NY” but not always.

Instantiation A	Instantiation B	Instantiation C	Instantiation D	Organizational Unit
Direct Artifact	Direct Artifact			OK
		Oral Affirmation	Oral Affirmation	OK
NY	NY	NY	NY	NOT OK
NY	NY	Direct	NY	OK

Make sense?

www.broadswordsolutions.com

New CMMI Class

Hey Readers,

New CMMI Training Opportunity!

Check out our new registration site and info on the latest Introduction to CMMI v1.2 Class in our CMMI Road Tour!

http://broadsword-training.eventbrite.com/

How do I confirm someone is an SEI Certified Lead Appraiser like they say they are?

Dear Appraiser:



I've been talking to a consultant about helping us to understand the CMMI. He claims to be a "Certified Lead Appraiser." How can I confirm this?


LOL! Being "certifiable" is one of the pre-reqs for becoming a Lead Appraiser, so maybe he's on the level!


But seriously folks....


All SCAMPI Lead Appraisers (and CMMI Instructors) must be certified by the SEI and certification is a matter of public record.


To become certified all LA's need to have the pre-requisite experience and education, take the required training, successfully complete multiple exams, and be observed by the SEI conducting their first SCAMPI Appraisal. It's a rigorous process (as it should be) and can be costly.


To confirm an LA's certification you can go the the SEI's Partner site and search for them at: www.sei.cmu.edu/partners/directory/individuals.


In addition, a Lead Appraiser must be sponsored by a licensed SEI Partner.


http://www.broadswordsolutions.com/

Why did you change the name of this blog?

Dear Appraiser,

I see you've changed your blog name to add "(The Original and Authentic") to your name. I've always thought you were the ONLY person doing something like this - are there others?

Well, now that you bring it up.....

I was doing some Internet SEO research the other day and one of the searches I ran brought up a blog called "AskCMMIAppraiser." I thought this was curious, since I had not ever seen this before. I anxiously anticipated opening the page, always hoping to find new and interesting information about the CMMI.

But that's not what I found folks.....not at all.

I found a complete COPY of this website - not only in it's look and feel, but it's format, but with another authors name and photo. And the BIO of the "blogger" looked like mine with his name in it. WOW!

I won't publish his name here, but it's the lowest form of behavior I can imagine.

Can an individual person be CMMI Certified?

Dear Appraiser,

Can an individual person be CMMI level 1 and 2 certified?

Though it defies most logic, there really is no "Level 1" as it essentially means "has not been appraised." Other than sometimes being used as a way to describe a very immature organization (as in "their software is so bad they must be level 1") it's not really part of the vernacular. We usually start at Maturity Level Two.

CMMI is something that is applied to an organization - for instance a company, or part of a company. Individuals people per se are never the subject of an appraisal and therefore cannot be, themselves, a "level" of CMMI. However, if a single person makes up an entire company, such as an independent contractor that writes software, and they need/want to achieve a Maturity Level, they could potentially achieve a level of CMMI as an organization (albeit a one-person organization) - but it's extremely rare.

www.broadswordsolutions.com

New "Introduction to CMMI" Training Class in St. Louis, MO!

Hey Readers,

A new CMMI Training opportunity!

I'll be teaching a brand new "Introduction to CMMI" Training Class in St. Louis, MO September 15th-17th. If you're in the St. Louis, Chicago, or Indianapolis areas and need a CMMI class go to http://www.broadswordsolutions.com/ and sign up!

http://www.broadswordsolutions.com/

Jeff heading to Peru as Keynote Speaker at CMMI Peru!

Dear Readers,

I'll be heading to Lima, Peru next week to be the keynote speaker at the CMMI International Conference Peru Conference on July 23rd. If you're in Lima stop on by!

I'll blog a complete report when it's done!

www.broadswordsolutions.com

I have some general questions about the SCAMPI Appraisal "Final Review."

I frequently browse your blog and always get some real good insights. Thumbs up to you and your team! Further, I am an ATM team member in my company. My question is regarding the final review by the LA. I want to ask that...

1. What part do an ATM team member has to play in the final review? By final review, I assume you mean the "onsite" portion of the appraisal (also known as "Phase 2" in the SCAMPI Method). Every participant on an appraisal team plays an important role and will have responsibilities. Your role and responsibilities will be defined and explained to you during training and included in an Appraisal Plan. In general, you review the evidence, debate it's merit with the other ATMs, and agree upon a characterization (or "grade").

2. They say that our final review would be of 8 days. The first 3 days is some kind of training. is it right? Well that depends. You haven’t mentioned whether you have had any training up to this point. There are 2 types of training that are required before you can participate in an appraisal, the Introduction to CMMI v1.2 (typically a 3 day course) and SCAMPI Team Training V1.2 (typically 1 day). These training courses will answer your questions regarding CMMI and how the appraisal will be run. However, you should have taken these BEFORE the appraisal started. The appraisal team team training should last about two days.

3. if yes then What kind of training it is?

The Introduction to CMMI v1.2 is intended to expose you to the key components of CMMI. This class is required for anyone planning to participate on a SCAMPI Appraisal team.

The SCAMPI Team Training prepares you to be team members on an appraisal team. The course objectives include preparing students to effectively participate as team members, understanding how to support the appraisal plan goals and objectives, objective evidence data collection, data consolidation and ratings. This course includes portions of a guided case study to simulate activities in actual appraisal. The interactive lectures and exercises use a simulated appraisal and Appraisal Wizard® to further facilitate the learning experience.

4. For the rest of the 5 days, LA will interview and check the documents or the ATM will do this? The entire appraisal team is involved with interviews and checking documents. There are several different ways this could work depending on the size of the appraisal team. Typically the appraisal team is broken down into mini-teams that will address sets of project data during the appraisal either at the project level or by process area. Mini-teams are tasked with collection and verification of objective evidence, participating in interviews, and providing initial characterizations. As for interviews, as an ATM you will most likely participate in several but possibly not all interviews.

5. Do the LA interview the ATM team members? If yes then could you please give an idea that what areas we would be asked?

No, the LA will not interview the ATM’s. During an appraisal, interviews are conducted with the projects involved as well as Functional Area Representatives (FAR). Project interviews are for project managers (and any other team members if necessary) and specific questions are asked that focus on the project and all process areas under the appraisal. The specific responses are to verify process adaptation at the project level. FAR interviews are designed for a specific role, such as Project Manager, Line Manager, Sponsor, etc… These interviews include broad questions focused on roles and associated responsibilities. The general responses are not project specific, but are meant to verify process adaptation at the organizational level.

Good luck and have fun!

www.broadswordsolutions.com

If a supplier has achieved ML3 will they do ML3 work if we hire them?

Dear Appraiser,

I read this article written from a Navy expert and wanted to clarify the statement with you.

In the article, the author wrote "A supplier claiming to be Level 3 is no guarantee that the project within the supplier's organization is following the organization's processes. The only way an acquirer has to determine that the people actually doing the work are following mature process is to do a SCAMPI "B" or "C" assessment of the supplier. From the acquirer's perspective, SCAMPIs are used as a risk identification and mitigation tool, so they must be performed on the groups doing the acquirer's work."

So does this mean that just because an organization has a CMMI Level 3 certification does NOT necessarily mean they are doing CMMI Level 3 work. The SCAMPI process is to be an additional safeguard to ensure that they are?

Excellent question!

The answer is maybe….

I'll stick to the mechanics and ASSUME that any supplier is acting in good faith and embracing the processes they have demonstrated in their appraisal (with tongue firmly planted in my cheek.....).

When an appraisal is performed an “organizational unit,” or “OU” is defined. The OU is usually defined as a department, a location, a program, or some other logical (and credible) segmentation of the organization. The CMMI appraisal is conducted ONLY on the projects within the OU.

So, for example, if a company, in collaboration with the Lead Appraiser, defines their OU as the “Federal Government Business Unit” and they achieve ML3, it means that ONLY the projects who work in that business unit have achieved it, and any other projects outside of that OU have not.

In your scenario, if the supplier is claiming to be ML3, it’s only relevant to you if you are doing business with the same “OU” that was appraised, and only if that appraisal was conducted within the valid time period of three years.

There is often a lot of marketing hype around CMMI, with many offshore companies touting their ML5 credentials. Not that I would every question their credibility..... All I can say is “buyer beware.”

If you want CMMI ML3 performance, then you are entitled to insist that a current appraisal be performed against the actual team doing the work, especially if their OU differs from the one that achieved ML3.

A SCAMPI “B” would do nicely.

www.broadswordsolutions.com