USING IDEAL FOR PROCESS ACQUISITION DECISIONS


SEI s IDEAL model [21] can give you a framework for determining the kinds of skills, experience, and knowledge your organization will need at different phases of CMMI-based process improvement.

Figure 6.3 is an adaptation of the IDEAL model. The picture identifies the primary skills needed for each of the five phases of IDEAL ” Initiating, Diagnosing, Establishing, Acting, and Leveraging (or Learning). The icons which look like moon phases identify the relative amount of outside expertise an organization would reasonably acquire for the work in each phase.

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Figure 6.3: Using IDEAL as a Framework for Acquiring Process Expertise

For example, most of the skills needed for the Initiating Phase should be internal. The organization s vision, goals, and strategy should be determined by people who have a vested interest in the long- term viability of the organization. The thinking and the work that occurs in this phase is central to the organization s reason for existing and should not be determined by outsiders. A consultant may be hired to facilitate or coach these decisions, but not influence them.

In contrast, the Diagnosing Phase shows a relatively high proportion of the work being outsourced. Diagnosing usually involves some form of a method-driven characterization of the organization s current state of process implementation and discipline which frequently translates to performing an appraisal such as a CBA IPI or SCAMPI. The expert knowledge, skills, and experience required to perform process diagnostics are not typically indigenous to the organization and cost and schedule constraints typically don t allow for such skills to be internally grown at this stage of the journey.

In the Establishing Phase, the organization can use outside expertise to establish the process focus units or teams and to bring in process definition concepts that worked in other organizations. At the same time, the organization needs to start building its own internal process design and definition expertise during this phase.

The Acting Phase should belong almost entirely to the organization undergoing the change and there should be a limited need for external expertise. Most systems engineering organizations inherently possess the skills and ability required to pilot, train, implement, and manage new processes.

In Leveraging (learning), the organization can once again use some substantial CMMI expertise to coach and facilitate the process improvement lessons learned and to provide guidance for planning the next iteration of IDEAL in the organization.

This is just a framework ” a guideline intended to provide you and others in your organization with a model for thinking about acquiring outside process expertise or tools. It is based on experience and observations and it is a model I ve used successfully in planning my own consulting engagements. As always, you decide what is right for your organization and its process improvement work.

[21] McFeeley, B., IDEALSM: A User s Guide for Software Process Improvement, Technical Report CMU/SEI-96-HB-001, February 1996, Carnegie Mellon University.




Real Process Improvement Using the CMMI
Real Process Improvement Using the CMMI
ISBN: 0849321093
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2004
Pages: 110
Authors: Michael West

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