A Continuous Improvement Model - ISO's SPICE
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is sponsoring an effort to create an international version of the CMM. The Software Process Improvement and Capability determination (SPICE) model, currently undergoing trial testing in Europe, is based on a continuous model of process improvement, as opposed to the staged model that is used in the CMM.
Continuous improvement has increasingly higher levels of capability within the same functional discipline throughout the model maturity levels. Software Configuration Management (SCM), for example, is specified and judged at maturity "Level 2 - Repeatable Process" of the CMM. There are no overt references to SCM in the CMM at higher levels of maturity. The lack of references suggests that the highest level of SCM that can be attained is Level 2. SCM progresses through various levels of maturity throughout the continuous model, attaining higher levels of maturity. Therefore, process goals and activities will be defined at more than one level of maturity.
Staged or Continuous Improvement Models?
The CMM was constructed based on the staged model because it was believed that
this approach was the simplest to apply and understand. It requires little
judgment as to which level is attained regarding a capability such as SCM. As a result, it is relatively easy to affix the maturity level of an organization.
Many users find this incongruous since they believe that most process areas
progress continually depending on the overall degree of process maturity. This subject has been repeatedly debated in the process improvement community over the years. As a result of the consistent scrutiny, the SEI has taken a new look at the issue.
The issue of updating to the current CMM (Version 1.1) was addressed at the recent SEI Software Engineering Conference. Mr. Mark Paulk of the SEI described the plans underway for a new version of CMM. The SEI, however, is taking a cautious approach in developing CMM (Version 2). One of the principal reasons for this deliberate pace is that the SEI hopes to learn from the results of trial testing of the SPICE model in Europe. The SEI wants to observe the success of the continuous SPICE model during trial testing. Dependent upon the results, the SEI may wish to introduce continuous modeling techniques into the next version of the CMM. Several of the discrete changes that are currently being considered are the addition of several new key process areas such as risk management, reuse, and reengineering. An initial draft of CMM (Version 2) is anticipated by the end of 1995.
Additional Maturity Models
Other developments in the community include interest in new maturity models based on additional areas. One of these models is the Systems Engineering Model. This model, currently defined by the SEI team led by Dr. Roger Bate, is due to be field tested soon. It is based on work accomplished by a number of organizations, notably the National Council on Systems Engineering (NCOSE). This continuous model has caused some consternation within traditional SEI CMM circles. Other models under development include the Personal Maturity Model, led by Mr. Watts Humphrey of the SEI, and the Human Resources Model led by Mr. William Curtis.
Work began recently on the Software Acquisition Maturity Model (SAMM). This model, under the lead of Mr. Jack Ferguson of the SEI, is expected to be used extensively within the DoD. In addition, interest in the model has been expressed by the commercial sector. This interest is attributed to the fact that software acquisition is practiced by an increasingly larger number of organizations. These organizations are shifting their strategy from internal code development to purchasing customized software. It is not yet clear whether the staged or continuous model will be used in the SAMM. A draft model SAMM is scheduled for pilot testing during 1995.
Clearly, the SEI's innovation in software process improvement has spurred efforts such as the Systems Engineering Capability Maturity Model. It promises to be an interesting time for process improvement models.
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