2. The process areas and practices for Levels 4 and 5 do not significantly raise the bar, as higher maturity organizations helped devise this model.

Similarities and Differences

Both SCEs and IPIs seek to understand how an organization operates compared to the CMM. Both look for strengths, weaknesses, and consistency across the organization by reviewing project activities. Both can be used for software process improvement. Both conduct site visits and review existing documentation. Both can result in developing Action Plans (not for Acquisition SCEs. Action Planning is left to the vendor awarded the contract). For maturity level ratings, both assess organizations. Both methods have a trained leader, either an SEI-authorized Lead Assessor or an SEI-authorized Lead Evaluator .

Previously, SCEs only evaluated three to five projects in a five-day onsite visit, while CBA IPIs usually looked at four to eight projects in a five- to ten-day on-site period. Now, for SCEs, both the number of projects and the time spent on site are tailorable to the organization's needs. The two prevailing misconceptions about SCEs are that they are only used for acquisitions, not improvement activities, and that they only look at three projects within a five-day limitation.

One other difference does exist, depending on the type of SCE (SCE family). If the SCE is done with financial incentives as a possible result of the rating (such as award fees), or if it is an Acquisition SCE, members of the evaluated organization cannot participate on the SCE team (conflict of interest may apply and predispose the actions and results of the team). However, for improvement activities (the third SCE family listed), members of the organization are allowed to be part of the team, and are an essential part of the team.

The final difference is a big one. SCE results are protestable in a court of law. Big bucks are involved with contract awards based on SCE results. Therefore, because the SCE team may be sued, most SCEs are held to rigorous standards. The rigor of the SCE method is not tailorable, depending on the SCE family invoked. That is, the Internal SCE is conducted as rigorously as the Acquisition SCE. A side-by-side comparison is given in Exhibit 1.

Exhibit 1: Comparison of SCEs to CBA IPIs

	Software Capability Evaluation	CMM-Based Appraisal for Internal Process Improvement
Basic use	Internal Process Improvement Contract Monitoring Acquisitions SCEs can be done throughout the enterprise by an external team	Internal Process Improvement CBA IPIs must have participation from each organization for it to be used; one organization may not assess a different organization without participation
Led By	SEI Certified Lead Evaluator	SEI Certified Lead Assessor
Basic participants	One SCE Lead Evaluator Two external evaluators Two internal evaluators or One SCE Lead Evaluator Four external evaluators This is tailorable, based on the type of SCE to be performed; the SEI has now mandated at least four people on a SCE team	One Lead Assessor Six internal participants Number of team members is tailorable; however, IPI teams are generally larger than SCE teams
Training	Each participant must receive SEI authorized CMM and SCE training prior to the evaluation This training is required only once; it does not have to be repeated for each SCE, unless a new member is added to the team; then only that team member needs to receive the training	Each participant usually receives IPI training each time an assessment is performed as part of team training led by the Lead Assessor The CMM course need not be the SEI authorized course; any Lead Assessor must receive the SEI authorized CMM course
Approximate cost	$30,000 “ $75,000	$50,000 “ $200,000