Standard CMMI Appraisal Method for Process Improvement (SCAMPI)

organization and examines its processes as input to a decision regarding future business.
Evaluations are typically externally imposed motivation for organizations to undertake process
improvement.
Historically, assessments and evaluations have been performed using separate, but similar,
method descriptions, training, infrastructure, and assets. With version 1.1 of the CMMI Product
Suite, these are now combined into a single, integrated appraisal methodology. Apart
from this section of the MDD, the terms assessment and evaluation are not used; the more
general term “appraisal” is used throughout to encourage the recognition of a single integrated
method. Concepts from legacy assessment and evaluation methods are borrowed from
liberally in the SCAMPI MDD, and representative experts in these methods contributed as
core members of the ARC/MDD product development team. It is expected that users familiar
with one or more of those legacy methods will be able to identify features that will help ease
their transition to the SCAMPI method.
As an ARC Class A method, SCAMPI is a benchmarking-oriented method suitable for generating
ratings. SCAMPI appraisals can be performed in three modes of usage, as depicted in
Table I-7. While many of the SCAMPI features are common across all usage modes (e.g.,
identification of strengths, weaknesses, and ratings), there are differences in motivation and
intent that can result in some expected method differences in these usage modes. The method
may be tailored significantly to meet the business objectives of the appraisal sponsor.
Table I-7: SCAMPI Modes of Usage
Usage Mode Description
Internal Process
Improvement
Supplier Selection
Organizations use appraisals to appraise internal processes, generally
to either baseline their capability/maturity level(s), to establish or update
a process improvement program, or to measure progress in implementing
such a program. Applications include measuring process
improvement progress, conducting process audits, focusing on specific
domains or product lines, appraising specific projects, and preparing
for external customer-led appraisals. In this manner, SCAMPI appraisals
supplement other tools for implementing process improvement activities.
Appraisal results are used as a high-value discriminator to select suppliers.
The results are used in characterizing the process-related risk of
awarding a contract to a supplier. The appraisal results are typically
only one criterion among many used to select suppliers. Results are
often used as a baseline in subsequent process monitoring with the selected
supplier.
CMU/SEI-2001-HB-001 I-17