Pam, a project manager, initially dislikes the CMMI processes her company introduces but eventually wants to understand them better. However, her first experiences with process development, deployment, and appraisals are frustrating and negatively impact her project. The document outlines common reasons why project managers dislike the CMMI, such as unrealistic process requirements and evidence collection taking too much time. It advocates applying CMMI principles like ensuring processes are useful and appraisals don't hinder projects. Pam eventually realizes her struggles were just a dream and is able to apply CMMI in a practical way that improves her work.

1. Why
Project
Managers
(Understandably)
Hate
the CMMI*
Bill Smith CEO
Leading Edge Process Consultants LLC
www.CmmiTraining.com *and What to Do About It

2. This presentation is being delivered at the 11th Annual NDIA CMMI
Technology Conference and User Group in Denver, Colorado, USA, on
November 16, 2011. All slides contained herein are Copyright 2011 by
Leading Edge Process Consultants LLC. Basically, you’re not allowed to
copy, modify, or otherwise use any of them without our written
permission. Please respect the fact that I left our logo and copyright
information off the individual slides to make them look a bit cleaner.
(Cool, huh?) Plus, the Software Engineering Institute (SEI) would like you
to know that SCAMPI, SCAMPI Lead Appraiser, and IDEAL are all
service marks of Carnegie Mellon University. Wait, you’re still reading this?
Good for you! There’s more. CMMI is registered in the US Patent and
Trademark Office by Carnegie Mellon University. Sorry, but my lawyer
made me add all this stuff, and he only speaks legalese. I promise the
rest of your time with me will be a bit more interesting. Thank you for your
patience. Bill.

3. Let’s roll!

4. Ground rules
2:15 - at the set to
3:00 end * stun
* better yet: Garrity’s at 5:30

5. and yes
I have…

7. So who am I?

8. I’m familiar with
the CMMI®…

9. 62 Intro to CMMI® classes taught
1102 students

10. but more
importantly I’ve…

11. Been there, done that
process analyst project manager

12. Today’s story
is all about…

13. Changing this…
+ =
fail

14. …into this
+ = win

15. Meet Pam

17. Pam leads a
small team of…

19. She works near…

21. and kicks butt at…

23. but is clueless
about…

25. except she’s
heard it creates…

27. Pam’s team has started coding
☐ Requirements
✔
☐
✔ Design
☐ Coding
☐ Testing
☐ Installation

28. Her project is rockin’!
on on happy
schedule! budget! customer!

29. She even has a
new boyfriend…

30. …with abs!

31. Life is good
for Pam!

32. One day Pam
gets an e-mail…

33. Uh-oh

34. Use our new CMMI processes*
*Of course we know there’s no such thing.

35. Deployment
=
Do this (now)
because
we said so!

36. Whatever.
I’ll look at that
stuff when I
have time.

37. 5
Pam’s
CMMI®
Rock-O-Meter

38. Then one day
Pam has a…

39. …brainstorm!

40. Maybe
(just maybe)
this “CMMI® stuff”
can be useful!

41. Pam wants a…

42. She consults the PAL*
*process asset library

43. …and finds templates for systems like
this
…but her system is more like this

44. She’s
forced
to
develop
a plan
on
her
own!

45. Crap! I thought
the CMMI® was
supposed to
help with stuff
like this!

46. 3
Pam’s
CMMI®
Rock-O-Meter

47. QA pays
a visit…

49. Pam’sdebatesis audited
Pam project with QA
Y N
✔ Blah blah blah data
management plan.
✔ Blah blah blah
stakeholder involvement
plan.
✔ Blah blah blah
blah blah blah.

51. She talks with QA
But the project is half over!
You must follow the process.
I have no time for this!
You must follow the process.
It doesn’t help my project!
You must follow the process.

52. The
rules were changed
on Pam
mid-stream!

53. She works
day…

54. …and night

55. Addressing
“non-compliances”
instead of
managing
her project

56. But most “fixes” have no business value

57. So the CMMI®
really is just about
paperwork…
…and now
I’m behind
schedule!

58. Pam’s
CMMI®
Rock-O-Meter 0

59. Pam discovers
appraisals…

60. We need you to
populate an
evidence matrix
for our...

61. SCAMPI*
*Standard CMMI® Appraisal Method for Process Improvement

63. Hey, we have a
template! It even
lists example
artifacts!

65. Our VP says
you have to.

66. ?
?
?

68. The project’s new
part-time job,
“populate
evidence
matrix”…

69. …takes forever

70. Evidence matrix review loop
good enough?
try again!
Pam’s team EPG*
*engineering process group

71. The project is now so
distracted
by CMMI®
“compliance”
that…

72. …it’s hopelessly behind schedule

73. …the team is burned out

74. …the customer’s not smiling anymore

75. …and Pam’s
boyfriend dumps her!

76. Meet the
new Pam…

78. Pam’s
CMMI®
Rock-O-Meter

79. Why did Pam become a…
?

80. Why do project managers…

81. often…

82. hate…

83. …the CMMI®?

84. Not because of…

85. But because of problems with…
1 Process development
2
3

86. But because of problems with…
1
2 Process deployment
3

87. But because of problems with…
1
2
3 Appraisals

88. But because of problems with…
1 Process development
2 Process deployment
3 Appraisals

89. We could go on and on
and on
and on
and on
about each of these…

90. Instead
let’s focus
on a few …that a
process project
improvement manager
manager
best might
practices… value

91. 1 2 3
Process
development

92. Ensure that your
process developers
appreciate
the model

93. this is appreciating the model

94. this is appreciating the model

95. this is appreciating the model

96. this is not

97. Involve people
that do
“real” work

98. like her…

99. and him…

100. …but maybe not him

101. Use
project planning
to plan your
PI* project
*process improvement

102. Open the book

103. Don’t estimate by pulling
numbers out of…
…the air!

104. Develop useful
tailoring
guidance

105. This seems heavyweight
for my little project.
I’ll create a plan
from scratch.*
*and spend my time figuring out how to manage
my project instead of actually managing it!

106. Perfect!

107. 1 2 3
Process
deployment

108. Don’t just
announce
the existence
of a book

109. Unless this is the
reaction you want Whatever.
I’ll look at that
stuff when I
have time.

110. Do This
Because
We Said So
…is not a deployment plan

111. Try these things instead
Communicate
Ensure Access
Train
Learn
Schedule Monitor
Guide Pilot

112. Top 3 success factors
in an improvement initiative
1 2 3
senior leadership communication training
support (of those impacted by
the initiative)
Source: The CMMI Success Factor Survey, ACME Process Group, 2010

113. Caring
is better than
enforcing

114. This is not caring
But the project is half
over!
You must follow the
process.

115. This is caring
But the project is half
over!
Okay, good point. Let’s
think about what would
make sense here.

116. “Complying for
compliance’s sake
ravages the
operation and
firmly entrenches
self-defeating
cycles of continued
mediocrity.”
Hillel Glazer,
High Performance Operations

117. Don’t
change the rules
on a project that’s
already been
planned

118. …unless you’re willing to toss
OR OR
cost schedule quality
out the…

120. why?

121. A process change = a plan change
1 A change here…
organizational
4 standard process
…which
includes:
budget
…applied to
schedule 2
revised the project
resources Project
etc. Plan project’s defined …will impact the
process 3
project plan

122. 1 2 3
Appraisals

123. Hire an appraiser
with a
business value
mindset

124. Again…
maybe not him

125. Don’t
under-estimate
the cost of
evidence collection

126. Average total* effort
2500-3000
hours
for small** ML 3 appraisals
*all appraisal activities, including but not **2 projects, 6 team members + Lead,
limited to evidence collection first appraisal at ML 3, CMMI SE/SW v1.1
Source: Value-Based CMMI Appraisal Techniques, Systems and Software Consortium Inc., 2006

127. Total appraisal effort
Other activities
20-30%
Evidence collection
70-80%
Source: Value-Based CMMI Appraisal Techniques, Systems and Software Consortium, 2006

128. SCAMPI
v1.3 may
help with
this a
bit… But you
still need
to clearly
identify…

129. ?
?
?

130. A quick review
of
PI principles
that would make
a project manager
happier…

131. 1 Process development
Ensure that your process developers appreciate the model
Involve people that do “real” work
Use project planning to plan your PI project
Develop useful tailoring guidance
2 Process deployment
Don’t just announce the existence of a book
Caring is better than enforcing
Don’t change the rules on a project that’s already been planned
3 Appraisals
Hire an appraiser with a business value mindset
Don’t under-estimate the cost of evidence collection

132. Super.
But whatever
happened to
Pam?

133. She wakes up one morning and…

134. realizes her CMMI®
experience was all…

135. Just a bad dream!!

136. so she grabs
some…

138. and heads
off to…

140. where…

142. is used, but…

143. 1
Compliance
doesn’t
get in the way
of developing processes that
improve
operations.

144. 2
Processes are
deployed
in a way that
helps,
not hinders,
the projects they impact.

145. 3
Appraisal
preparation
doesn’t
negatively impact
project
progress.

146. and much to
Pam’s delight…

147. Her boyfriend still has abs!

148. Pam’s
happy!

149. and all I ask
of you is to…

151. Please stop the
mindless
bureaucracy
and instead use the CMMI® to
legitimately
improve
your operations.

152. The End
(almost)

153. References
• The 2010 CMMI Success Factor Survey. Vienna VA: ACME Process
Group, November 2010.
• Caldwell, Laura, Sam Fogle, and Gene Jorgensen. Value-Based CMMI Appraisal
Techniques. Version 01.00. Herndon VA: Systems and Software Consortium, 2006.
• Chrissis, Mary Beth, Mike Konrad, and Sandy Shrum. CMMI for Development:
Guidelines for Process Integration and Product Improvement. 3rd ed. Boston:
Addison Wesley, 2011.
• Glazer, Hillel. High Performance Operations: Leverage Compliance to Lower
Costs, Increase Profits, and Gain Competitive Advantage. 1st ed. Upper Saddle
River NJ: FT Press, 2012:31.
• Standard CMMI Appraisal Method for Process Improvement (SCAMPI)
A, Version 1.3: Method Description Document. Pittsburgh: Software Engineering
Institute, March 2011.

155. Rock’n CMMI Training …and Appraisals!
Bill Smith Mary Segnit
More info?
bill@cmmitraining.com
www.CmmiTraining.com