Summary

Model Structure for the Continuous Representation

The continuous representation uses the same basic structure as the staged representation, with a few extra wrinkles . Once again, specific practices relate to specific goals; generic practices relate to generic goals; but there are both base practices and advanced practices.

Base practices are those practices that are at Capability Level 1. Base practices essentially involve identifying the scope of work and performing the process informally without following a documented process description or plan. The degree to which the practices are performed can vary from individual to individual. A Capability Level is not a Maturity level. Capability Level 1 simply means that the base practices are performed in some way in your organization. So, base practices are very simple building blocks in the stratification of attaining capability levels. Advanced practices are those practices that show more sophistication and rigor in a process area. Advanced practices may or may not build on base practices.

Goals and Practices

Specific goals and practices relate to specific process areas and to tasks that make sense for that process area only. For example, Project Planning requires a project plan. Quantitative Project Management requires a process performance baseline. Generic goals and practices relate to multiple process areas. So, Requirements Management, if desiring a Capability Level 2, would have to establish an organizational policy, plan the process, and train the people. To attain Capability Level 3, Requirements Management must do the aforementioned actions, as well as define the process and collect improvement information relating to the process. Project Planning and Organizational Process Focus would have to do the same as well. Thus, the generic goals and practices can be applied to all process areas. Both specific goals and practices and generic goals and practices must be satisfied to achieve the Capability Level. Alternatives that clearly and unequivocally accomplish a result that meets the goal can be substituted. Again required, expected, and informative components .

Generic Goals and Practices

Each Capability Level has only one generic goal associated with it. Each generic practice maps to only one generic goal.

Target Profile

A target profile is a list of process areas and their corresponding capability levels that represent an objective for process performance. One example is when comparing Maturity Levels to Capability Levels. Capability Level 3 can only be determined as equivalent to Maturity Level 3 in the staged representation when all of the goals for all of the process areas at Maturity Levels 2 and 3 in the staged representation have been met. So, the target profile 3 would include satisfying seven process areas at Maturity Level 2 plus 14 process areas at Maturity Level 3. An organization may decide on its own unique target profile. For example, a contracting company specializing in providing third-party Independent Verification and Validation services may select a target profile of Capability Level 2 for Project Planning and Project Monitoring and Control, and Capability Level 3 for Verification and Validation.

Target Staging

Target staging is a sequence of target profiles that describe the path of process improvement that the organization will take. Care should be taken to ensure that dependencies between the generic practices and process areas are implemented. This is where the organization documents the process areas (PAs) it will focus on, justifies this approach, and tracks the PAs back to business objectives.

The CMMI focuses on institutionalization. Goals cannot be achieved without proving institutionalization of the process. Generic goals and generic practices support institutionalization and increasing sophistication of the process. Specific goals and specific practices support implementation of the process area. Process maturity and capability evolve . Process improvement and increased capability are built in stages, as some processes are ineffective when others are not stable.