The Pilot Phase

SCAMPI

Somewhere between the PI Plan and the Implementation/Operations Plan, an assessment is usually done. Before you can begin your process improvement effort, you really need to understand your organization. Most people would argue that they already know what is going on throughout their workplace. While that may be true for some people, we have found that people know their own jobs they do not necessarily know other people's jobs and roles and duties ; and they certainly do not know how everything done throughout their departments fits into the entire organization. Most senior managers (at the executive levels of an organization) also think they know what is really happening, but they do not. Just because a flurry of memos has been written mandating something to be done, does not mean that it is being done. (Our experience shows that things need to be communicated at least seven times and in three ways before people even hear the message.) It also does not mean that everyone is doing it the same way. The thing to remember about process improvement is that consistency is the key. While we do not expect people to mindlessly follow instructions like some sort of robots, we are looking for consistent application of policies, procedures, processes, plans, and standards. So, to truly understand what is going on at your place of business, we recommend that the first step in process improvement be to conduct some sort of organizational process assessment.

SCAMPI (Standard CMMI Assessment Method for Process Improvement) is the assessment method developed by the SEI. SCAMPI is an appraisal method for organizations that want to evaluate their own or another organization's processes using the CMMI as their reference model. SCAMPI consists of a structured set of team activities that includes conducting interviews, reviewing documents, receiving and giving presentations, and analyzing surveys and questionnaires. SCAMPI results are ratings and findings of strengths, weaknesses, and improvement activities using the CMMI. What are these results used for? To award contracts and to baseline processes for process improvement. Results are based on how the organization satisfies the goals for each process area. Several projects are investigated, including several process areas and several maturity levels (and possibly several capability levels). So, the steps in SCAMPI are basically:

1. Gather and review documentation.

2. Conduct interviews.

3. Discover and document strengths and weaknesses.

4. Present findings.

And the primary components of SCAMPI are:

• Planning and preparing for the assessment

• Collecting and consolidating data, both before and during the assessment

• Making judgments

• Determining ratings

• Reporting results

There are three classes of appraisals recognized by the SEI when using the CMMI: Classes A (SCAMPI), B, and C. Each class is distinguished by its degree of rigor. SCAMPI and appraisals are discussed in greater detail in Chapter 11. A comparison of other assessment methods can be found in Appendix A.