Systematic process improvement using ISO 9001:2000 and CMMI

164 Transitioning from Legacy Standards
obtaining commitment from relevant stakeholders, both internal and external.
It also distinguishes between an informal go-ahead and formal full
commitment to the plan.
Project Monitoring and Control (PMC)
The PMC PA parallels the PP PA and does not add any major requirements
to the CMM ® SPTO KPA. It seems a little crisper than the CMM ® —requirements
are specified for monitoring commitments, monitoring stakeholder
involvement (explicitly required in SG 1), and managing corrective actions
to closure (SG 2). This second specific goal is significant because it requires
that issues identified by verification and validation processes, reviews, deviations
from project plans, or changes in risk status are gathered and analyzed.
Corrective actions are then taken and managed. These requirements are
scattered over many SPTO activities in the CMM ® (such as activities 5 through
9). It is important to note that this PA supports GP 2.8, Monitor and Control
the Process, in the other CMMI ® PAs.
It is interesting that while the CMM ® does not address planning of the
project tracking process, except by inference in SPP activity 6 and later in
OPD activity 2 and Integrated Software Management (ISM) activity 1, it is
required by the CMMI ® by virtue of GP 2.2.
Supplier Agreement Management (SAM)
The SAM PA replaces and expands the Software Subcontract Management (SSM)
KPA of the CMM ® . It extends subcontract management to include management
of product acquisition from suppliers using formal agreements. Inhouse
vendors and commercial vendors, including subcontractors, are distinguished
and the PA can be extended to the acquisition of development tools
and test environments. New processes to be addressed include determination
of the type of acquisition, evaluation of COTS products to ensure they satisfy
specified requirements, and transition of these products to the projects.
Although most CMM ® SSM key practices can be traced to the CMMI ® ,it
appears that this PA is more encompassing and more detailed in its requirements.
Two specific practices, SP 1.1, Determine Acquisition Type, and SP 1.2,
Select Suppliers, are not covered in the CMM ® . Similarly, several CMM ® practices
dealing with the subcontractor’s project planning, QA, and CM activities
are not addressed in the CMMI ® .
Process and Product Quality Assurance (PPQA)
The PPQA PA may appear, at first, to be more demanding than the CMM ®
SQA KPA, but it has fewer practices and covers basically the same topics.