7.4 Inspection ROI Methodology

6.6 Capability Maturity Model Integration

Capability Maturity Model Integration is a set of requirements for process and project management, engineering, and support, as well as a set of criteria for the U.S. Department of Defense to use when selecting defense contractors. Capability Maturity Model Integration is the preferred method for process improvement within the U.S. Department of Defense community. The staged representation of Capability Maturity Model Integration is composed of five levels. The five levels are initial, managed, defined, quantitatively managed, and optimizing.

The initial level consists of requirements management, project planning, and project monitoring and control. It includes supplier agreement management, measurement and analysis, and process and product quality assurance. It also includes configuration management. The defined level consists of requirements development, technical solution, product integration, verification, and validation. It includes organizational process focus, organizational process definition, and organizational training. It also includes integrated project management, risk management, integrated teaming, and integrated supplier management. Decision analysis and resolution and organizational environment for integration are also part of the defined level. The quantitatively managed level consists of organization process performance and quantitative project management. The optimizing level consists of organizational innovation and deployment and causal analysis and resolution.

Capability Maturity Model Integration requires 10,826 hours to develop the policies and procedures for Levels 2 and 3. It also requires 8,008 hours to develop the necessary documentation for each project. It is a simple equation expressed as the sum of 10,826 and the number of projects multiplied by 8,008. Figure 24 illustrates the cost model for Capability Maturity Model Integration .

Hours = 10,826 + 8,008 — Number of Projects

Figure 24: Cost Model for Capability Maturity Model Integration

Level 2 specific practices require 55 policies and procedures at 37.33 hours each. Level 3 specific practices require 109 policies and procedures at 37.33 hours each. That comes to 6,122 hours for 164 policies and procedures related to specific practices. Level 2 generic practices require 84 policies and procedures at 18.67 hours each. Level 3 generic practices require 168 policies and procedures at 18.67 hours each. That comes to 4,704 hours for 252 policies and procedures related to generic practices. Level 2 requires 138 work products at 18.67 hours each. Level 3 requires 291 work products at 18.67 hours each. That comes to 8,008 hours for 429 work products for a single software project.

The fixed part of the Capability Maturity Model Integration cost model for reusable organizational software processes is 10,826 hours. The variable portion is 8,008 hours, which is multiplied by the number of Capability Maturity Model Integration -compliant projects. The only question, then, is to determine the number of projects to appraise. How many projects need to spend a minimum of 8,008 hours? Usually only four to seven software projects are necessary for undergoing an appraisal using the staged representation. However, it is up to the discretion of the appraiser. You could take the opposite tack and require hundreds of projects to be at Levels 2 and 3 of the staged representation. No appraiser would care to audit hundreds of projects. It is best not to undergo this enormous expense. However, this is a common mistake of novices. That is, they make the error of forcing every project to be Capability Maturity Model Integration compliant at great expense.