Chapter 3 The Structure of the CMM

1. Chapter 3 The Structure of the CMM • The CMM is a framework representing a path of improvements recommended for software organizations that want to increase their software process capability. • The CMM is fairly abstract so that it will not unduly constrain how the software process is implemented by an organization.

2. The Operational Elaboration of the CMM • Assessment teams will use the CMM to identify strengths and weaknesses in the organization. • Evaluation teams will use CMM to identify the risks of selecting among different contractors for awarding business and to monitor contracts. • Appraisal method developers will use the CMM to develop other CMM-based appraisal methods that meet specific needs (e.g. the interim profile method – IPM) • Upper management will use the CMM to understand the activities necessary to launch a software process improvement program in their organization. • Technical staff and process improvement groups, such as SEPG, will use CMM as a guide to help them define and improve the software process in their organization.

3. Internal Structure of the Maturity Levels • Each maturity level is composed of several key process areas (KPA). • Each key process area is organized into five sections called common features. • The common feature contain the key practices that, when collectively addressed, accomplish the goals of the key process area.

4. The CMM Structure 5 4 3 2 Maturity Levels RM PP PT SM QA CM KeyProcess Areas (18) Goals (52) Common Features Activities Performed Commitment to Perform Ability to Perform Measurement and Analysis Verifying Implementation Key Practices (300)

5. Maturity levels Indicate Contain Process capability Key process areas Achieve Organized by Goals Common features Address Contain Implementation or institutionalization Key Practices Describe Activities or infrastructure

6. Key Process Area (KPA) • A key process area describes a fully implemented and institutionalized process. • Each KPA identifies a cluster of related activities that, when performed collectively, achieve a set of goals considered important for enhancing process capability. • The CMM does not describe all the process area that are involved with developing and maintaining software. Only those process areas identified as key determinants of process capability in CMM. • The goals of each key process area summarize its key practices and can be used in determining whether an organization or product has effectively implemented the key process area. The goals signify the scope, boundaries, and intent of each key process area.

7. Key Actions in 1987

8. Key Challenges in 1988

9. Chapters in 1989

10. CMM v0.2 in 1990

11. CMM v0.6 in 1990

12. CMM v1.0 in 1991

13. CMM v1.1 in 1993

14. Levels/ Process Categories Management Organizational Engineering 5 Optimizing Technology Change Management Process Change Management Defect Prevention 4 Managed Software Quality Management Quantitative Software Management Organization Process Focus Organization Process Definition Training Program 3 Defined Integrated Software Management Intergroup Coordination Software Product Engineering Peer Reviews 2 Repeatable Requirements Management Software Project Planning Software Project Tracking and Oversight Software Subcontract Management Software Quality Assurance Software Configuration Management 1 Initial Ad Hoc Processes

15. Level 1:Just do it. to produce Activity Results Level 2:Think before you act,and think after you act, just to make sure you did it right. Planning to produce Activity Results input to Evaluation to improve

16. Level 3 Planning input to to produce Activity Standards Results input to input to Evaluation to improve Use your lessons learned.

17. Level 4 Planning input to to forecast to produce Activity Standards Results input to input to Evaluation to improve Predict the results you need and expect and then create opportunities to get those results

18. Level 5 Planning input to to forecast to produce Activity Standards Results input to input to Evaluation to improve to improve Create lessons learned,and use lessons learned to create more lessons learned, and use more lessons learned to create even more lessons learned, and use even more lessons learned to create... etc.

19. Key Process Areas at Level 2

20. Key Process Areas at Level 3

21. Key Process Areas at Level 4

22. Key Process Areas at Level 5

23. Key Practices • Each key process area is described in terms of key practices. • The key practices describe the activities and infrastructure that contribute most to the effective implementation and institutionalization of the key process area. • Each key practice consists of a single sentence, often followed by a more detail description, which may include examples and elaboration.

24. “What” Versus “How to” The CMM is intended to be • descriptive of software engineering and management practices • prescriptive for process improvement priorities Key Process Area describe “what” not “how” • Ignorance of “how” to implement processes can lead to “ticking off” CMM key practices. • The key practices describe “what” is to be done, but they should not be interpreted as mandating “how” the process should be implemented.

25. Common Features: Factors in Implementation and Institutionalization • Commitment to Perform: InstitutionalizationAre the activities supported by the organization through documented policies, processes, or procedures? • Ability to Perform: InstitutionalizationAre the activities supported by adequate training and resources? • Activities Performed: ImplementationAre effective activities performed to satisfy the goals? • Measurement and Analysis: InstitutionalizationAre measurements used to determine the status of activities, and can those measurements be used to analyze the process for improvement? • Verifying Implementation: InstitutionalizationAre there processes or mechanisms for verifying that the activities are being performed?

26. Common Features

27. Key Points • The CMM is a Framework of Software Process Improvement • The CMM provides a framework for organizing these • evolutionary steps into five maturity levels that lay successive • foundations for continuous process improvement. • (1) Initial (2) Repeatable (3) Defined (4) Managed (5) Optimizing • Except for Level 1, each maturity level is decomposed into • several key process areas that indicate where an organization • should focus to improve its software process. • Each key process area is described in terms of key practices. • The key practices describe “what” is to be done, but they • should not be interpreted as mandating “how” the process • should be implemented.

28. Acknowledgement • Part of contents in the presentation comes from the following references: > SEI Mark’s presentations on CMM > CMM Implementation Guide, by Kim Caputo, Addison-Wesley, 1998