How would a CMMI Consultant handle the requirements for CMMI Target Maturity Level 4 (L4) implementation and Appraisal Program?

CMMI FAQ 0

26th August, 2014

A CMMI Consultant has to note that the Critical Issues for High Maturity Implementation at CMMI Target Maturity Level 4 observed are: (a) Organization Level Baselines are missing (b) Evidence of Statistical Management of Sub-Process is missing (c) PPM Development, Deployment, Validation, Maintenance and Use of PPM for Prediction is missing. There are two process areas (PAs) at Maturity Level 4 – QPM and OPP.

The CMMI Specific Practices (SPs) for QPM which require special focus from a CMMI Consultant are: SP 1.3: Select the sub processes of the project’s defined process that will be statistically managed, SP 1.4: Monitor the project to determine whether the project’s objectives for quality and process performance will be satisfied, and identify corrective action as appropriate, SP 2.: Select the measures and analytic techniques to be used in statistically managing the selected sub processes, SP 2.2: Establish and maintain an understanding of the variation of the selected sub processes using the selected measures and analytic techniques.

The CMMI Specific Practices (SPs) for OPP which require special focus from CMMI Consultants are: SP 1.4: Establish and maintain the organization’s process performance baselines, SP 1.5: Establish and maintain the process performance models for the organization’s set of standard processes.

For the practical implementation for these Process Areas QPM and OPP, the CMMI Consultants will have to facilitate the following actions at the client’s end:

(a) Identify Attributes and Prepare Organization Level Process Performance Baselines for key attributes (measurements, metrics) of the processes. Examples could be: Effort Variance, Productivity, Defect Removal Efficiency, etc.

(b) Identify the statistical sub-processes for statistical control. Examples could be: Effort Variance sub-process, Productivity sub-process, Defect Removal Efficiency sub-process, etc. (c) Demonstrate the statistical sub-process control for the identified statistical sub-processes at organizational level (for example by using control-charts)

(d) Develop PPMs for the following key results (outcomes, predictors) Examples could be: Effort Variance, Productivity, Defect Removal Efficiency, etc.

(e) Test the PPMs for the Acceptance Criteria. Examples could be that the PPMs should be Statistical, probabilistic or simulation in nature, PPMs should predict interim and or final project outcomes, etc.

(f) Validate the PPMs by using past project data by comparing real values of past projects and predicted values for these projects

(g) Review PPMs, if required

(h) Use PPMs for predicting in the new Projects and taking corrective action

(i) Continue to validate and maintain PPMs

(j) Establish relationship with OPM and CAR, if working for Target Maturity Level 5.