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Appraisal Primer
A CMMI-based appraisal is a collaborative analysis of the organization's current engineering and project management practices using the Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) as a reference model.
The objectives for a given appraisal are established by senior management, and typically include:
- Formal recognition (and pride!) of our organizational process strengths.
- Collaborative identification of additional improvement opportunities that will make us even better than we already are.
In addition, business-related objectives are also identified by the sponsor. Whether your business strategy is to be the high-quality provider of goods and services, or the low-cost provider, or the innovative provider, etc., a CMMI-based appraisal can identify impediments to your success as well as ways to address these challenges.
Appraisal Benefits
By recognizing organizational strengths, an appraisal re-invigorates the process improvement program by demonstrating just how far the organization has already come on their process improvement journey. The appraisal results motivate continuous improvement by achieving consensus on high-leverage opportunities for ongoing improvement.
Appraisals are also used to develop a deeper understanding of the CMMI, especially as it applies within the context of your organization. By utilizing an SEI-certified SCAMPI lead appraiser with industry-wide experience in organizations at all levels of process maturity, you receive invaluable insight into how your engineering and project management practices might improve, and how the CMMI can be used as a process improvement guidebook to achieve that end. For organizations that are experienced in using the CMMI for process improvement, an appraisal led by an outside expert provides an opportunity to calibrate their own interpretations of the model and self-appraised ratings.
Appraisal Types
Another consideration is identifying the specific type of appraisal that best meets your needs. The Software Engineering Institute's (SEI's) "Appraisal Requirements for CMMI," or ARC, defines three classes of appraisals, affectionately known as "class A, B, and C." Rather than bore you with the class distinction details, the appropriate appraisal class for baseline, progress, and certification appraisals are indicated below. (Note that the terms "baseline," "progress," and "certification" appraisal are not industry-standard terms. Rather, they represent the various "appraisal modes" that PACT typically encounters when performing appraisals for our clients).
A baseline appraisal is appropriate for organizations that have just initiated their process improvement program, or those whose program is emerging from a period of "hibernation." Like a health check , a baseline appraisal identifies the highest leverage process improvement opportunities, and helps the organization prioritize their process improvement needs. The sponsor of a baseline appraisal has no expectations that a particular level has been achieved - they are simply gathering information to plot their improvement journey. Typically, ARC class C appraisals, or PACT's Mentored Self Appraisal method, are appropriate to establish such a baseline.
A progress appraisal is appropriate for organizations that have been on the improvement path for some time, and believe they are nearing the next major milestone - typically, the next CMMI maturity level. Progress appraisals verify that former weaknesses have indeed been addressed, and identify any remaining goal-threatening weaknesses that may prevent them from achieving their target level. PACT always recommends conducting at least one progress appraisal prior to conducting a certification appraisal. Typically, ARC class B appraisals are used to gauge progress.
A certification appraisal is required for an organization to be recognized as performing at a specific maturity level. Note that the SEI winces whenever one uses the term "certification," but if it looks like a duck, and walks like a duck. The SCAMPI class A method is the only appraisal method that can result in a formal maturity level ratings. PACT is certified to conduct SCAMPI class A appraisals, including those for high maturity (ML4 and ML5) organizations.