Standard CMMI Appraisal Method for Process Improvement (SCAMPI)

• Understand what objective evidence is available, and how it contributes toward implementation
of model practices within the appraisal scope.
• Continually consolidate data to determine progress toward sufficient coverage of model
practices.
• Focus appraisal resources by targeting those areas for which further investigation is
needed to collect additional data or verify the set of objective evidence.
• Avoid unnecessary or duplicated effort that does not contribute additional information
toward achievement of sufficient coverage or toward obtaining significantly greater confidence
in the appraisal results. For example, keep interviews efficient by asking further
questions only about practices for which sufficient data has not already been obtained.
These concepts, derived from the best practices of experienced lead appraisers, are primary
mechanisms used to achieve efficient appraisal performance by emphasizing the placement of
appraisal team effort where it is most needed. This begins with the initial collection and
analysis of objective evidence from the organizational unit. This analysis can be used to determine
the adequacy and completeness of the provided objective evidence, and to identify
the extent to which further investigation is necessary. The appraisal team’s inventory of objective
evidence can be annotated to identify practices that are strongly supported, or those
that need further clarification. This knowledge can be used as the basis for determining findings
that affect appraisal outcomes.
As the appraisal process progresses, the appraisal team aggregates and synthesizes additional
objective evidence from process instantiations, and uses this to draw inferences about the
overall implementation within the organizational unit. Wherever there are shortcomings in
the appraisal team’s understanding of the organizational unit’s implementation of model practices,
data collection strategies can be determined to probe for and obtain additional information.
For example, cases where the objective evidence is missing, unclear, or insufficient
might be addressed through additional documentation requests or by generating focused
questions for specific interview participants. By maintaining a current inventory of the status
of the appraisal objective evidence and prioritizing areas where additional information is still
needed, these focused investigation approaches can be continuously and iteratively applied to
narrow remaining gaps and converge on sufficient coverage for proceeding with rating.
Additional information on focused investigation and continuous consolidation concepts can
be found in Appendix C.
Practice Implementation Indicators
The fundamental idea of Practice Implementation Indicators (PIIs) is that the conduct of an
activity or the implementation of a practice results in “footprints”—evidence that provides a
basis for verification of the activity or practice.
I-24 CMU/SEI-2001-HB-001