Systematic process improvement using ISO 9001:2000 and CMMI

6.3 Transitioning from the CMM ® to the CMMI ® 189
• Identify work products that will be under CM.
• Identify stakeholders that will participate in CM.
• Measure the configuration management process and determine its
effectiveness.
• Evaluate adherence to the process by examining baselines and change
control.
• Require senior management to periodically review process status and
results
Because level 3 processes are described in more detail and are performed
more rigorously than level 2 processes, they will support GPs 2.3 through
2.10. This ensures that these processes are evaluated and corrected if necessary.
In other words, they are institutionalized. There are, however, some
potential problems and issues. The IPM PA requires process plans to be
integrated. For example, a project may have described the CM process in a
CM plan while at level 2. To satisfy the IPM requirements, however, the
CM process must be integrated with elements of other processes, such as
management use of CM metrics or the use of peer reviews as part of change
control.
Implementation of IPM may be too complicated for organizations without
process improvement experience. To fully implement the IPM PA, an organization
has to rely on both maturity level 2 (PP, PMC, and MA) and maturity
level 3 (RSKM and VER) PAs. This also means that in order to implement
IPM efficiently, we have to first implement the PP, PMC, and MA PAs,
regardless of the capability level, and then the RSKM and VER PAs. Fortunately,
RSKM and VER have smaller impacts on IPM than the other three
PAs. In addition, RSKM is not required by ISO.
This section shows how one can use the continuous representation for
CMMI ® implementation and points to two possible routes for PA implementation.
Most of the basic project management and support PAs can be implemented
first. Alternatively, a somewhat tailored organizational standard
process description can be used when describing those processes for individual
project implementation. PP, PMC, and MA can be implemented when
needed. In addition, the approach can be simplified by implementing only
the first two specific practices of IPM (SP 1.1-1, Establish the Project’s Defined
Process and SP 1.2-1, Use Organizational Process Assets for Planning Project Activities),
leaving the other practices for later inclusion.