Standard CMMI Appraisal Method for Process Improvement (SCAMPI)

ased appraisal as planned. If the appraised organization has not provided objective evidence
of sufficient quality and completeness to enable a verification-based appraisal, the appraisal
plan may need to be renegotiated to reflect the additional effort that must be undertaken for
the appraisal team to search for and discover that objective evidence during the on-site period.
Objective Evidence Sources
The SCAMPI method provides for the collection of data from the following sources:
• Instruments – Written information relative to the organizational unit’s implementation of
CMMI model practices. This can include assets such as questionnaires, surveys, or an organizational
mapping of CMMI model practices to its corresponding processes. See “Instruments
and Tools” on page I-29 for additional information on the use of appraisal instruments.
• Presentations – Information prepared by the organization and delivered visually or verbally
to the appraisal team to describe organizational processes and implementation of
CMMI model practices. This typically includes such mechanisms as orientation or overview
briefings, and demonstrations of tools or capabilities.
• Documents – Artifacts reflecting the implementation of one or more model practices.
These typically include organizational policies, procedures, and implementation-level artifacts.
Documents may be available in hardcopy or softcopy, or may be accessible via
hyperlinks in a web-based environment.
• Interviews – Face-to-face interaction with those implementing or using the processes
within the organizational unit. Interviews are typically held with various groups or individuals,
such as project leaders, managers, and practitioners. A combination of formal
and informal interviews may be held, using interview scripts or exploratory questions developed
to elicit the information needed.
Using multiple data-gathering mechanisms improves the depth of understanding and enables
corroboration of the data.
Focused Investigation
Due to the quantity of CMMI model practices that must be investigated and the SCAMPI
rules for collection of objective evidence to ensure sufficient coverage of these practices for
rating (see “Data Collection, Rating, and Reporting” on page I-26), it is crucial that appraisal
teams apply efficient techniques for the collection and management of appraisal data. This
focus on efficient data management practices is integral to SCAMPI method concepts, and is
emphasized throughout the appraisal process. The term “focused investigation” is used in
SCAMPI to describe this concept of optimized investment of appraisal resources. Essentially,
this can be described at a top level using the following data collection and investigation paradigms:
CMU/SEI-2001-HB-001 I-23