CMMI for Development, Version 1

1 cmmi for development , Version cmmi -DEV, cmmi Product Team Improving processes for developing better products and services November 2010 TECHNICAL REPORT CMU/SEI-2010-TR-033 ESC-TR -2010-033 Software Engineering Process Management Program Unlimited distribution subject to the copyright. This report was prepared for the SEI Administrative Agent ESC/XPK5 Eglin Street Hanscom AFB, MA 01731-2100 The ideas and findings in this report should not be construed as an official DoD position. It is published in the interest of scientific and technical information exchange. This work is sponsored by the Department of Defense. The Software Engineering Institute is a federally funded research and development center sponsored by the Department of Defense.

2 Copyright 2010 Carnegie Mellon University. NO WARRANTY THIS CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY AND SOFTWARE ENGINEERING INSTITUTE MATERIAL IS FURNISHED ON AN AS-IS BASIS. CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY MAKES NO WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, AS TO ANY MATTER INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, WARRANTY OF FITNESS FOR PURPOSE OR MERCHANTABILITY, EXCLUSIVITY, OR RESULTS OBTAINED FROM USE OF THE MATERIAL. CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY DOES NOT MAKE ANY WARRANTY OF ANY KIND WITH RESPECT TO FREEDOM FROM PATENT, TRADEMARK, OR COPYRIGHT of any trademarks in this report is not intended in any way to infringe on the rights of the trademark holder. Internal use. Permission to reproduce this document and to prepare derivative works from this document for internal use is granted, provided the copyright and No Warranty statements are included with all reproductions and derivative works.

3 External use. This document may be reproduced in its entirety, without modification, and freely distributed in written or electronic form without requesting formal permission. Permission is required for any other external and/or commercial use. Requests for permission should be directed to the Software Engineering Institute at This work was created in the performance of Federal Government Contract Number FA8721-05-C-0003 with Carnegie Mellon University for the operation of the Software Engineering Institute, a federally funded research and development center. The Government of the United States has a royalty-free government-purpose license to use, duplicate, or disclose the work, in whole or in part and in any manner, and to have or permit others to do so, for government purposes pursuant to the copyright license under the clause at For information about SEI publications, please visit the library on the SEI website ( ).

4 The following service marks and registered marks are used in this document:Capability Maturity ModelThe following service marks and registered marks are used in this document: Carnegie Mellon CERT CMM cmmi CMM Integration IDEALSM SCAMPISMCMMI, CMM, CERT, CMM Integration, Carnegie Mellon, and Capability Maturity Model are registered in the Patent and Trademark Office. SCAMPI and IDEAL are service marks of Carnegie Mellon for development , Version Preface i Preface cmmi (Capability Maturity Model Integration) models are collections of best practices that help organizations to improve their processes. These models are developed by product teams with members from industry, government, and the Software Engineering Institute (SEI).

5 This model, called cmmi for development ( cmmi -DEV), provides a comprehensive integrated set of guidelines for developing products and services. Purpose The cmmi -DEV model provides guidance for applying cmmi best practices in a development organization. Best practices in the model focus on activities for developing quality products and services to meet the needs of customers and end users. The cmmi -DEV, model is a collection of development best practices from government and industry that is generated from the cmmi Architecture and cmmi -DEV is based on the cmmi Model Foundation or CMF ( , model components common to all cmmi models and constellations2) and incorporates work by development organizations to adapt cmmi for use in the development of products and services.

6 Acknowledgments Many talented people were involved in the development of the cmmi Product Suite. Three primary groups were the cmmi Steering Group, Product Team, and Configuration Control Board (CCB). The Steering Group guided and approved the plans of the Product Team, provided consultation on significant cmmi project issues, and ensured involvement from a variety of interested communities. The Steering Group oversaw the development of the development constellation recognizing the importance of providing best practices to development organizations. 1 The cmmi Framework is the basic structure that organizes cmmi components and combines them into cmmi constellations and models.

7 2 A constellation is a collection of cmmi components that are used to construct models, training materials, and appraisal related documents for an area of interest ( , development , acquisition, services). cmmi for development , Version ii Preface The Product Team wrote, reviewed, revised, discussed, and agreed on the structure and technical content of the cmmi Product Suite, including the framework, models, training, and appraisal materials. development activities were based on multiple inputs. These inputs included an A-Specification and guidance specific to each release provided by the Steering Group, source models, change requests received from the user community, and input received from pilots and other stakeholders.

8 The CCB is the official mechanism for controlling changes to cmmi models, appraisal related documents, and Introduction to cmmi training. As such, this group ensures integrity over the life of the product suite by reviewing all proposed changes to the baseline and approving only those changes that satisfy identified issues and meet criteria for the upcoming release. Members of the groups involved in developing cmmi -DEV, are listed in Appendix C. Audience The audience for cmmi -DEV includes anyone interested in process improvement in a development environment. Whether you are familiar with the concept of Capability Maturity Models or are seeking information to begin improving your development processes, cmmi -DEV will be useful to you.

9 This model is also intended for organizations that want to use a reference model for an appraisal of their development related Organization of this Document This document is organized into three main parts: Part One: About cmmi for development Part Two: Generic Goals and Generic Practices, and the Process Areas Part Three: The Appendices and Glossary Part One: About cmmi for development , consists of five chapters: Chapter 1, Introduction, offers a broad view of cmmi and the cmmi for development constellation, concepts of process improvement, and the history of models used for process improvement and different process improvement approaches. Chapter 2, Process Area Components, describes all of the components of the cmmi for development process Chapter 3, Tying It All Together, assembles the model components and explains the concepts of maturity levels and capability levels.

10 3 An appraisal is an examination of one or more processes by a trained team of professionals using a reference model ( , cmmi -DEV) as the basis for determining strengths and weaknesses. 4 A process area is a cluster of related practices in an area that, when implemented collectively, satisfies a set of goals considered important for making improvement in that area. This concept is covered in detail in Chapter 2. cmmi for development , Version Preface iii Chapter 4, Relationships Among Process Areas, provides insight into the meaning and interactions among the cmmi -DEV process areas. Chapter 5, Using cmmi Models, describes paths to adoption and the use of cmmi for process improvement and benchmarking of practices in a development organization.