Understanding reappearance of Practices in Practice Group 2 and Practice Group 3 in CMMI 2.0

All of you aware that with 2.0, CMMI institute has released CMMI framework with new architecture. The practices in each Practice Areas (PA) are organized in practice group levels, These are evolutionary level, for practices within a Practice Area to aid understanding and adoption; provides a path for performance improvement.

Many Appraisals team member raised question on how to interpret this repetition from process implementation perspectives as they observe same evidence during appraisal.

Let’s first understand about Practice Group,

Practice Group – within PAs, the practices are organized into a set of practice group levels labeled Level 1, Level 2, etc. which provide a path for performance improvement. Each practice group level builds on the previous levels by adding new functionality of sophistication resulting in increased capability.

So, while interpreting the evidence for such similar practices, one must understand that,

Each Practice Group level,

§?Builds on the practices at lower levels

§?Represents as increase in functionality and capability

§?May add new functionality

Characteristics of practice Group 2 and Practice group 3 are,

Practice Group Level 2

§?Processes are performed in accordance with a recorded project or work level process description

§?Simple but complete set of practice that address the full intent of the PA

§?Does not require the use of organizational assets of standard

§?The intent of the set of practices can be met in various ways based on the project

§?Identifies and monitors project performance objectives

Practice Group Level 3

§?Processes are performed and managed in accordance with a recorded organizational level process description

§?Uses organizational standards and includes tailoring of processes to address unique project and work characteristics

§?Uses and contributes to organizational assets

§?Manages both project and organizational performance

Let’s discuss about following practices of Process Asset Development (PAD) PA, which are similar and, in most organization, same evidence is observed.

PAD 2.3 Make process assets available

PAD 3.3 Develop, keep updated, and make processes and assets available for use.

PAD 3.5 Develop, keep updated, and make the organization's process asset library available for use.

Interpreting PAD 2.3 – Make process assets available

For L2, process assets would be some of the following,

1.?????Past project documents

2.?????Project records

3.?????Measures, lesson learned and best practices etc.

So, we need to understand if each project archives its project documents, project specific SOPs, best practices and if these assets are available for self-use or use by other projects. Because L2, does not expect any creation of organizational process assets

Interpreting PAD 3.3 Develop, keep updated, and make processes and assets available for use.

This practice needs to be interpreted at org level as it is L3 practice. So, if you refer example activities, it requires,

1.?????Is any team, group established at org level (like SEPG, EPG) who have responsibility of acquiring, developing, and maintaining processes and process assets.

2.?????Has this group developed standard processes at org level and tailoring guideline for projects to tailor org standard process to suit the need at project level?

3.?????Does this group facilitate staff in implementing processes and collects implementation feedback, best practices, lesson learned, improvements?

4.?????Does above feedback used for revising standard processes at org level to make processes simple and easy to use

5.?????Have these standard processes been aligned with strategic needs and business objectives?

6.?????So, at L3, we must look is EPG, SEPG has developed standard processes, templates, guidelines, checklist, sample past project artifacts, best practices, lesson learned, process performance measures, performance targets, and periodic revision of all above

Interpreting PAD 3.5 Develop, keep updated, and make the organization's process asset library available for use.

This practice expects new functionality and sophistication in process assets, which will help org staff to improve their efficiency, effectiveness, and ease of use.

So now,

1.?????Check if SEPG has established library structure to archive all process assets (as referred in PAD 3.3)

2.?????Check if library structure (PAL) is effective for staff to browse/surf process assets. (some organization use intranet, wiki libraries which help staff to search easy and effective way.)

3.?????Check if PAL structure helping staff to find easily and reuse is increased, or project staff prepare every time new for their project rather reuse from past)

4.?????Check if process assets really helping as knowledge repository or just dumping ground of unused materials.

5.?????Check if SEPG continuously monitor and track use of assets by project staff

6.?????Check If SEPG has defined process to control, use and modifying these assets

7.?????Check if SEPG periodically update these assets and retire assets which are obsolete

Refer example activities and example work product section, if you have any understanding /interpreting issues of such repeated practices.

Interpreting these practices for every organization context is much important while qualifying if evidence is satisfying intent and value of each practice.