Any time an employee of an organization is in the position of appraising work done by other members of their own organization, there is a potential for conflict of interest. The lead appraiser should do his or her best to avoid these situations.

Refer to the Code of Professional Conduct on page 8 where it states, "Ensure that the inherent conflicts of interest that occur when your Authorized or Certified Professionals and Candidates are placed in the role of evaluating their own work or your organizations work are disclosed to all affected parties (see Section 4.2) and take action to minimize the impact or eliminate the conflict."

On page 13 in Section 4.2, Conflict of Interest Disclosure, it also states, "When a situation involving a conflict of interest is inherent or cannot be avoided, disclose the conflict to the affected parties, including your own organization, the Client, and the SEI. The disclosure report is available at http://www.sei.cmu.edu/partners/conflict-form.html."

If this situation is unavoidable, there are ways to mitigate the risk:

• When feasible, the lead appraiser delivering the appraisal should be from a different part of the consulting company (e.g., different division) than the person who delivered the consulting, and should also report to a different manager than the person who delivered the consulting.

• Utilize appraisal team members who are independent from the organization being appraised, perhaps external to the company being appraised and from the consulting company.

• The conflict should also be addressed in the risks and mitigation section of the appraisal plan so that a quality review will see that it was disclosed and addressed.

SCAMPI Lead Appraisers and SCAMPI B&C Team Leaders are required to submit a data package to the SEI following the completion of SCAMPI appraisals they lead. The SEI uses these data for research and reporting purposes; they are not made public in any way that would compromise the confidentiality of the source.

All data reported to the SEI from appraisals are treated as confidential to the organization submitting the data. This means that access to these data is tightly controlled. Only SEI personnel with a need to know are granted access to identified data.

No. Artifact evidence is a requirement of the SCAMPI A method. There must be a direct artifact for each specific practice appraised. A direct artifact is one that is a direct result of the performance of the process, for example a work breakdown structure (WBS). Those direct artifacts then must be supported by either an affirmation or an indirect artifact. An indirect artifact is one that is created as a result of the process being performed (e.g., the attendance sign-in sheet for meetings where the WBS was created). Affirmations are given in interviews during the appraisal.

The typical work products that are identified within the description of each specific practice in the CMMI models suggest possible artifacts that might result from and demonstrate its implementation. For small-team scenarios, the level of detail and formality of these artifacts should be appropriate for the need but still give the appraisal team confidence that the relevant goals have been satisfied.

No. Except for SEI-authorized observers, observers are not admitted as part of a SCAMPI A appraisal. According to the SCAMPI Method Definition Document, clause 1.3.3 (Roles and Responsibilities), "Due to the confidentiality required during an appraisal and the cohesiveness needed to participate in appraisal activities, observers are not permitted to participate in the appraisal processes."

The SEI Appraisal Program has provided Class B and C appraisal methods as part of the toolkit for SEI-authorized SCAMPI B&C Team Leaders. The SEI has worked with industry and government partners toward the goal of establishing SCAMPI B and SCAMPI C methods. This family of integrated SCAMPI methods (SCAMPI A, B, and C), using common artifacts and being upward compatible, will have significant advantages as organizations pursue process improvement in a systematic fashion.

Yes. CMMI models permit the flexible application of Engineering practices (i.e., those contained in the Requirements Management, Requirements Development, Technical Solution, Product Integration, Verification, and Validation process areas) to software engineering, systems engineering, or other product engineering functions. Each organization selects a CMMI model and the parts of the organization to participate in the process improvement program (i.e., the scope).

The SCAMPI appraisal method can be used to perform discipline-specific appraisals by simply selecting the scope of the appraisal using the "organizational unit" concept and using the appropriate CMMI model. An organizational unit typically has an identifiable senior manager, deploys one or more processes that have a coherent process context, and operates within a coherent set of business objectives. An organizational unit is typically part of a larger organization, although in a small organization, the organizational unit may be the whole organization. Such an appraisal is not termed "CMMI-SE" or "CMMI-SW" as in the past, nor can "SE" or "SW" be appended to the new formal model definition (i.e., CMMI-DEV/SE is not allowed).

As part of every appraisal, an Appraisal Disclosure Statement (ADS) must be completed. This statement must indicate not only the CMMI model used for the appraisal, but also the organizational unit(s) included in the appraisal. This statement clearly communicates the nature of the appraisal, including whether software engineering or systems engineering processes of the organization were appraised.

No. Only SEI authorized observers can perform this function for SCAMPI A observations. SCAMPI B&C Team Leaders who have fulfilled the requirements to become observers may apply by sending their request to btl-observer@sei.cmu.edu where it will be evaluated.

The SCAMPI method is designed to be used in a wide variety of appraisal scenarios, so tailoring of the method has received a lot of attention. There is a great deal of flexibility provided to add things as long as they are consistent with the method itself and do not violate any current SCAMPI requirements.

 Individuals interested in SCAMPI can become familiar with the method by studying relevant published documents such as the ARC and the SCAMPI Method Definition. The Appraisal Requirements for CMMI^® (ARC) V1.1 defines the requirements considered essential to appraisal methods intended for use with Capability Maturity Model® Integration models. The SCAMPI Method Definition Document is the definitive reference for the SCAMPI method. Additional details on appraisal methods encompassed by the SEI Appraiser Program are available at SEI Appraiser Program. To attend Lead Appraiser training, individuals must satisfy the prerequisites for admission. If you want information about appraisal methods without satisfying the prerequisites, there are some other options, depending on the particular appraisal method you are interested in. For individuals interested in CBA IPI they can become familiar with the method by studying relevant published documents such as the CMM^® Appraisal Framework and the CBA IPI Method Description. Individuals interested in SCE can attend a team SCE training course and study the published method materials. The Software Capability Evaluation Version 3.0 Method Description provides a high-level overview of the SCE method; Software Capability Evaluation Version 3.0 Implementation Guide for Supplier Selection specific guidance for selecting software product and services suppliers in an acquisition application (government or commercial) and provides suggested language and examples of usage.

There are no method requirements that restrict or constrain the wording of interview questions. The appraisal team seeks to deepen their understanding of, or confirm, existing objective evidence relating to the implementation of a model practice. Accordingly, means that will contribute to these objectives are allowed and encouraged, including clarifications offered by members of the appraisal team, as long as these do not otherwise conflict with previously agreed-on team ground rules such as not "leading" the interviewee to a particular response.

It is important to keep in mind that the SCAMPI A appraisal method is a benchmarking appraisal method. It is applied most effectively and efficiently in contexts where there is at least some awareness and understanding of model concepts and terminology. However, the onus is on the appraisal team to understand how the CMMI model relates to the organization and to bridge the gap between model language and the organization's language.

No. Only the individual assigned the role of appraisal team leader can get credit even if there is some sharing of responsibilities with another SCAMPI Lead Appraiser or SCAMPI B&C Team Leader who happens to be a team member.

 Yes. They are encouraged to do this so that students have a record of their training. However, the use of the SEI's logo on such certificates is not permitted.

 No. An appraisal does not necessarily result in a maturity level rating.

The SCAMPI A method can be enacted as either a staged or continuous process improvement model. When using a staged implementation, a maturity level can be awarded, but is not required. When using a continuous implementation, the model may produce capability levels for appraised process areas. A maturity level can be established through the continuous method by following the rules for Equivalent Staging. Your SCAMPI Lead Appraiser is trained in this activity.

 The SEI does not validate the appraisal results of an organization, and therefore does not provide a certificate or any other artifact that acknowledges the appraisal results. However, this does not prevent the SEI Partner that performs an appraisal from presenting a certificate with the appraisal results to the organization.

The SEI does encourage standardized reporting of selected appraisal results so as to provide a reasonable basis for drawing inferences from reported appraisal results. For example, the SCAMPI method has a mandatory reporting requirement (the Appraisal Disclosure Statement). However, the use of the SEI logo on reporting forms is not permitted as it could be misconstrued to mean that the SEI verifies the accuracy of the information reported.

Yes. It is the responsibility of the candidate SCAMPI Lead Appraiser and candidate SCAMPI B&C Team Leader to inform the appraisal sponsor verbally and to record the facts about the observation in the appraisal input.

 Some government organizations consider maturity level ratings when making their acquisition decisions. Some of these organizations accept the results of appraisals conducted by the organization being evaluated for a contract. Other organizations request government-run evaluations.

No. Beyond the confidentiality issue, the only firsthand knowledge the SEI has of an appraisal--other than the occasional appraisal in which an SEI staff member participates--is that the appraisal has been performed by a person authorized by the SEI (i.e., a Lead Appraiser) to perform the appraisal.

This means that the Lead Appraiser has permission to use SEI materials and that their SEI authorization is in good standing. Although prerequisite qualifications, random audits, and other mechanisms are in place to monitor a Lead Appraiser's performance, the SEI does not have the resources or mission to closely monitor every Lead Appraiser's performance. The SEI's Appraisal Team performs quality reviews of appraisal records reported to assure completeness and correctness of data submitted. There is a method compliance test performed on appraisal reports submitted to assure all phases of the appraisal have been performed and appropriate information has been provided to make the appraisal's circumstances understandable.

 From one perspective, the matter of providing cross-track credit seems quite reasonable and tractable if an individual is authorized in two or more SEI^SM appraisal methods; why can't they receive some kind of "credit" towards renewal of their authorizations in not only appraisal track, but potentially other tracks as well. There are a number of facets to consider here and a full analysis and review of the potential benefits and risks has not been done nor have discussions of this proposal by the SEI Appraiser Board reached any definitive conclusions. In time, some cross-track credit might be appropriate, although the tracks are each independent of each other at the present time.

SCAMPI Lead Appraisers (and their teams) are taught that the full model (from cover to cover) should be considered the basis for understanding the model, and the process area goals are the only normative rating component. Practice statements are designed to encapsulate or summarize the intent of a practice. To fully comprehend the intent of a practice, the context established by the full CMMI model must be understood; this includes in particular subpractices, the front matter, and the glossary.

When implementing CMMI level 4-5 practices in an organization and when appraising an organization against the CMMI practices at levels 4-5, special attention must be given to the informative material at these levels in a CMMI model. For more information about CMMI Level 4-5 Interpretation and Implementations, see http://www.sei.cmu.edu/cmmi/casestudies/adoption/informative.cfm.

To become a SCAMPI B&C Team Leader, you must successfully complete the SCAMPI B&C Team Leader Training course. After completing this course, you must be observed leading a SCAMPI B appraisal using a CMMI model and be approved by an authorized SEI Observer. The observation report documents an evaluation of your performance as a SCAMPI B&C Team Leader.

Prerequisites for being accepted into SCAMPI B&C Team Leader Training can be found at http://www.sei.cmu.edu/training/p53.cfm.

To become a SCAMPI Lead Appraiser, you must successfully complete the SCAMPI Lead Appraiser Training course. After completing this course, you must be observed leading a SCAMPI A appraisal using a CMMI model and be approved by an authorized SEI Observer. The observation report documents an evaluation of your performance as a SCAMPI Lead Appraiser.

The prerequisites for being accepted into SCAMPI Lead Appraiser Training can be found at http://www.sei.cmu.edu/training/a04.cfm.

As of January 1, 2004, the appraisal experience requirement for acceptance into SCAMPI Lead Appraiser training will be considered to have been satisfied if and only if the individual has participated as a team member in at least two SCAMPI A appraisals or one SCAMPI A appraisal and two SCAMPI B or C appraisals within the 24 month period preceding the application for SCAMPI Lead Appraiser Training.

 There are two ways to gain appraisal experience. One way is to employ an authorized Lead Appraiser for your organization and be a member of an appraisal team that the Lead Appraiser will conduct. Another way for you to gain appraisal experience is to work with another organization and their authorized Lead Appraiser and serve on an appraisal team. In either instance, you would be required to work with an authorized Lead Appraiser and seek the opportunity to be an appraisal team member.

Opportunities to serve on appraisal teams for organization other than for your own are rare because of the confidential nature of an appraisal and the reluctance of an organization to have an outsider participate, other than the authorized Lead Appraisers who are being paid for their appraisal services and expertise.

The following feedback mechanisms currently exist:

For SCAMPI A appraisals, the appraisal sponsor, appraisal team leader, and appraisal team members are required to provide feedback to the CMMI Steward (the SEI). More broadly, the SEI has established an email alias through which quality-related issues for the SCAMPI method can be reported: scampi-quality@sei.cmu.edu.

If the non-model-related issue affects one of the CMMI products, then a change request can be submitted. You can submit change requests and comments about CMMI any time you like using the CMMI User Feedback Process. Use one of the three change request forms or the comment form to submit feedback based on your use of the CMMI Product Suite. You can access the forms at http://www.sei.cmu.edu/cmmi/tools/cr/index.cfm.

Visit the SEI Partner Network Directory at http:/www.sei.cmu.edu/partners/directory to search for SEI Partner organizations. You can search for Partners by name, services provided, or by location. Many Partners provide CMMI training service, SCAMPI Lead Appraiser services, and additional process improvement assistance.

The SEI does not recommend a particular SEI Partner organization or their employees. Your decision should be based on discussions with the partners that you contact. If you have a question about whether an organization you are working with is an authorized member of the SEI Partner Network, check the directory. If they do not appear, contact SEI Customer Relations at customer-relations@sei.cmu.edu for more information.

The SEI does not certify the results of any appraisal nor is there an official accreditation body for CMMI. True certification of appraisal results would involve the ongoing monitoring of organizations' capabilities, a shelf life for appraisal results, and other administrative elements.

The SEI does not have a defined requirement for periodic follow-up after appraisals, nor does it accept legal responsibility for the performance of appraised organizations. All of these characteristics are required for a program that would provide certification of appraisal results.

The SEI urges customers to request a copy of an Appraisal Disclosure Statement (ADS) when evaluating suppliers. The ADS not only documents the achieved maturity level or capability level profile but also documents which parts of the organization were appraised.

Organizations can report their CMMI-based achievements to the SEI to be published on the List of Published SCAMPI Appraisal Results Web page. See that page for more information.

For more information on appraisal methods and for a directory of authorized appraisers who can perform them, see the SEI Appraisal Program Web page at http://www.sei.cmu.edu/cmmi/tools/appraisals/.

 The SEI has upgraded the SEI Lead Appraiser program to include CMMI products. Of particular note is the SCAMPI Appraisal Method. Specific details of the SCAMPI Lead Appraiser program are available on the Web at http://www.sei.cmu.edu/certification/process/scampi/

 The SEI discontinued the Software Process Assessment (SPA) Vendor Program effective December 31, 1996.

Version 1.1 of the CMMI^® Product Suite provides a common appraisal methodology across all CMMI models. This methodology provides support for both assessments (generally conducted for internal process improvement purposes) and evaluations (generally externally led and often conducted for purposes of source selection or contract process monitoring).

At this time, there is not a formalized "registered appraisal" process that is endorsed by the senior leadership at the Office of the Secretary of Defense level or the senior management in the acquisition communities of the Services. Further, there has been no uniform effort to train qualified people throughout the Services or Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) to support a "registered appraisal" process. However, some users of SCAMPI appraisals have found the concept to have merit and has been piloted in several specific environments.

Therefore, a registration service for cooperative government/industry appraisals is now being offered by the SEI for the purpose of encouraging reuse of appraisals as part of applicable U.S. government source selections. Registered appraisals may be submitted by an organization to the U.S. government (e.g., the DoD) in lieu of independent evaluations. These registrations are valid for no more than two years.

As this is not formalized, any participation would be completely voluntary for both government and industry. For example, a government organization may or may not choose to accept a particular registered appraisal, or an industry organization may or may not choose to submit a registered appraisal for consideration on a particular source selection.

Registration of an appraisal means that the appraisal report package submitted to the SEI contains the artifacts required by the SCAMPI A method, meets other criteria considered essential to classifying the appraisal as a SCAMPI A appraisal, that an SEI-authorized lead appraiser led the appraisal, and that at least one of the two government participants was an SEI-authorized lead appraiser or candidate lead appraiser. Both government participants must have been fully trained in the method and model used in the appraisal. The government personnel may not be "observers," as these are not allowed in a formal SCAMPI appraisal.

The registration does not certify or otherwise validate the maturity level or other findings reported in the appraisal report package nor does it guarantee the past or future performance of the organizational entity.

For further information about this registration service offered at the SEI, contact SEI Customer Relations at 412-268-5800 or email customer-relations@sei.cmu.edu

In addition to all of the issues relevant to providing cross-track credit for SEI appraisal methods, issues are added when the scope of consideration is broadened to include appraisal methods that are not managed or administered by the SEI. Since the SEI has no visibility nor influence into the content or conduct of such appraisal methods, it is not viable for SEI "credit" to be awarded for the conduct of such appraisal methods.

No. The Intermediate Concepts of CMMI course is a prerequisite for the SCAMPI Lead Appraiser Training and the SCAMPI B&C Team Leader Training.

No. A prerequisite for both the SCAMPI Lead Appraiser Training and the SCAMPI B&C Team Leader Training courses is that you must be affiliated with an SEI Partner licensed to deliver SCAMPI Appraisal Services. See the information under the "Authorization" heading at http://www.sei.cmu.edu/partners/become/scampi/.

Depending on where an existing project is in its lifecycle, it may be a while before the project can begin to utilize the new standard processes, or it may even be impossible for the project to use the new standard process. For example, for a project in which the design was already complete at the time of the introduction of the new standard processes, there will be no experience (or artifacts) reflecting use of these new standard processes. Similarly, it is not expected that once a new process is established that a project will redo prior work using the new process; however, new work done after the establishment of the new process would normally be expected to follow the new process.

The sample of projects selected for examination during an appraisal should be representative of that organization. However, this may mean selecting one or more projects which have not made full use of the new standard processes. Rather than investigate these, and report on both new and older projects in the appraisal results, it may make more sense to define the scope of the organization that is the focus of the appraisal (the "organizational unit") and to exclude older projects, particularly if they represent an older line of business. These decisions must be documented in the Appraisal Input and Appraisal Disclosure Statement.

In any case, it would be reasonable to expect over time that most projects will eventually use the new standard processes. The appraisal team should account for risks it sees as inherent in the appraisal situation.

The lifecycle covered in a SCAMPI A appraisal is defined by the scope of the CMMI model process areas selected for the appraisal.

The lifecycle selected does not need to be covered by each representative project; it can be covered collectively by the identified representative projects.

SCAMPI is based on the fundamental premise that to make valid inferences about the extent to which best practices are implemented at the organizational level, a representative number of instantiations of the practice must be examined. For practices that relate to a project activity (as opposed to an organizational activity such as engineering process groups), a representative sample of projects is identified as part of the appraisal planning and preparation phase.

In appraisals where the reference model scope includes any project-related process area, the organizational scope must include at least one focus project. If the organizational unit includes more than three projects, then the organizational scope must include sufficient focus projects and non-focus projects to generate at least three instances of each practice in each project-related PA in the model scope of the appraisal.

The result of an appraisal reflects a single point in time, and the conditions that influenced the performance of the organization at that time. After the appraisal is finished, the SEI cannot make changes to the results that have been submitted. It is reasonable to expect that a change in an organizations name, or a move to a new office building, would not affect the process in use -- but there is no reasonable process by which the SEI can judge the significance of the change in terms of the impact on conditions that influence the performance of the organization. A name change that involves a merger with a different organization or the introduction of a new management team could affect the process in use; moving to a different location or making changes in staffing could also affect this process. There are a number of additional possibilities for changes that may or may not impact existing processes. As a result, the SEI is not able to adjudicate the significance of such changes. If the change is viewed to be so minor that it does not impact the Maturity/Capability Level status of the organization, it is expected that the appraised organization could offer a reasonable explanation to the public -- and it is not necessary for the SEI to endorse this judgment. As the SEI is not in a position to know enough about the context of these types of changes, the SEI will not comment on the significance of such changes. Lead Appraisers are free to comment on this topic, if they feel they understand the situation sufficiently, but they must assume the responsibility for this choice. The Appraisal Disclosure Statement (ADS) would be a good reference document for individuals interested in the details of an appraisal, and may be obtained from the appraisal sponsor.

There is no SCAMPI A requirement for the appraisal team to have a physical presence at each "satellite site;" however, having no visibility into a site is not recommended. At a minimum, some "face time" with remote employees is desirable even if it is at a distance via teleconferencing or videoconferencing.

A SCAMPI A appraisal must be set up on the SEI's SCAMPI Appraisal System (SAS) prior to delivery. The information to be reported includes the name of the SEI Partner, name of the Lead Appraiser, name of the organization to be appraised, location, projected onsite date, and names of the team members.

Once the appraisal is complete, the following artifacts of the appraisal must be reported to the SEI in English:

• Appraisal input
• Appraisal plan
• Final findings briefing
• Appraisal Disclosure Statement (ADS)
• Process Appraisal Information System (PAIS) Record of entry form
• Appraisal feedback form

In addition, feedback forms are required from the appraisal team members and the appraisal sponsor.

SCAMPI B and C appraisals are less rigorous and require less setup and reporting. The following artifacts must be reported to the SEI steward in English for both a SCAMPI B and a SCAMPI C:

• Appraisal input
• Appraisal plan
• Final findings briefing
• Appraisal Disclosure Statement (ADS)
• Process Appraisal Information System (PAIS) Record of entry form

These reporting requirements are subject to change. For more information, see http://www.sei.cmu.edu/cmmi/tools/appraisals/sas.cfm.

 Since the decision to sunset SW-CMM, the intent of the SEI Appraisal Program is to transition from the current set of CBA IPI-like appraisal methods (this includes SCE) associated with SW-CMM, P-CMM and SA-CMM to a set of SCAMPI-like appraisal methods. Many innovations and improvements have been incorporated into SCAMPI appraisal technology through the efforts of the individuals and organizations that participated in the CMMI project. Taking advantage of these improvements and moving SEI appraisal technology to the next "plateau" is the objective. This transition will take place over the course of the next 4-6 years with the phase out of CBA IPI (for SW-CMM) leading the way. While there are some technical issues and many transition considerations to address, this migration of the SEI appraisal community to a set of SCAMPI-like appraisal methods will have significant advantages for the community at large as well as the SEI.

A maturity profile is a slide presentation that shows how an improvement model (e.g., CMMI) is being adopted worldwide based on appraisal results reported by SEI-authorized appraisers. Data are presented in a series of graphs and bar charts by organization type, size, location, maturity level, and other variables.

The SEI has produced a maturity profile for the Software CMM since 1994. The first maturity profile for CMMI was released in 2003.

For more information or to download a copy of the most current CMMI maturity profile, see the maturity profiles page at http://www.sei.cmu.edu/cmmi/casestudies/profiles/.

 For benchmarking against other organizations, appraisals must ensure consistent ratings. The SEI has developed a document to assist in identifying or developing appraisal methods that will be compatible with the CMMI Product Suite. This document is the Appraisal Requirements for CMMI (ARC).

The ARC describes a full benchmarking class of appraisal as Class A. Other CMMI-based appraisal methods may be more appropriate for a given set of sponsor needs, including self-assessments, initial appraisals, quick-look or mini-appraisals, incremental appraisals, and external appraisals.

 There are several methods available in the software community for measuring performance against process models. Assessments have been traditionally thought to be measuring one's own performance for improvement. Appraisals are performed independently of a defined purpose. The SCAMPI method uses the term "appraisal" regardless of the purpose for which the method is being employed. For an appraisal to be called an SEI appraisal, the appraisal must be led by someone trained by the SEI in an SEI-sanctioned method and authorized to use SEI materials.

 The program is the aggregate of process appraisal-related efforts managed and administered by the SEI. While the individual appraisal methods have differing technical requirements and customer bases, the Appraisal Program structure provides a mechanism to encourage coordination and consistency in the operation of the individual tracks and to ensure that quality requirements are maintained.

The SCAMPI method requires a minimum team size of four (the SCAMPI Lead Appraiser counts toward the team size); the recommended upper limit on team size is nine.

Based on a sample of recently completed SCAMPI A appraisals, by maturity level rendered (from maturity level 1 through level 5), the average team size was seven, six, seven, nine and eight respectively. However, the differences in these numbers do not appear to be statistically significant or recommend an ideal size for the appraisal team.

The SEI audits all appraisal artifacts provided by SCAMPI Lead Appraisers and SCAMPI B&C Team Leaders. An on-site audit of an appraisal may be initiated by one or more of the following:

• request of the appraisal sponsor
• credible reports of misconduct
• failure to fulfill SCAMPI Lead Appraiser or SCAMPI B&C Team Leader responsibilities
• random selection

Additionally, the SEI will soon verify the results of all appraisals prior to allowing the appraised organization to release the results outside of the appraised organization. Such verification will be accomplished within 30 days of submittal of the results.

The SEI does not publish the names of specific individuals, organizations, or projects without permission from the appraisal sponsor.

The SEI maintains a public database of Published SCAMPI Appraisal Results at http://sas.sei.cmu.edu/pars/. Once an appraisal has passed quality checkpoints, an authorization form is sent to the Lead Appraiser. When an organization wishes its appraisal results to be published on the SEI Web site, the appraisal sponsor must authorize it by signing and returning the authorization form. Once this form is received the appraisal detail will be displayed.

Appraisal information reported to the SEI is treated as proprietary and confidential. An appraisal's results are owned by the appraisal sponsor (usually a person within the organization that was appraised). The sponsor may publicize this information at his or her discretion.

If the organization prefers to formalize the confidentiality of the appraisal being reported to the SEI, the Lead Appraiser can use the Non-Disclosure Letter and the SEI Non-Disclosure Agreement.

At this time, more than 500 persons from more than 120 organizations participate in the SEI Appraisal Program. For more information about the SEI Appraisal Program, contact SEI Customer Relations or see the SEI Appraisal Program on the SEI Web site at http://www.sei.cmu.edu/cmmi/tools/appraisals/.

The SEI encourages every organization who has conducted an appraisal to report its results. From high maturity organizations to those just getting started in process improvement, appraisal data helps the SEI to create a more accurate picture of the state of CMM-based process improvement.

Please remember that all appraisals reported to the SEI are treated as proprietary and confidential. At no time will specific individuals, organizations or projects be named in SEI publications or presentations without permission. If the organization prefers to formalize the confidentiality of the appraisal being reported to the SEI, the lead appraiser can use the Non-Disclosure Letter and SEI Non-Disclosure Agreement.

Please support the Lead Appraiser by allowing each appraisal performed at your organization to be reported to the SEI. Lead Appraisers must report appraisal results to the SEI as a condition of their license to perform SCAMPI appraisals. Appraisal performance is a requirement for maintaining Lead Appraiser credentials. Sponsors can request that appraisal results not be reported to the SEI, in which case, the SEI will waive the requirement to submit appraisal results. The Lead Appraiser and team members must know of this condition before committing to perform such appraisals because Lead Appraiser and team members will not accumulate credit toward reauthorization or toward admission to Lead Appraiser training.

Reporting your organization's appraisal results helps to create a more complete picture of the state of CMMI-based process improvement methods. Understanding the current state of adoption of these methods allows the greater software and systems development community to accomplish the following:

• Examine improvement trends. One example is the Maturity Profile and its interactive version. Neither would be possible without the participation of appraised organizations.
• Improve existing or develop new models. Appraisal data helps to uncover trends in the adoption of an improvement method, often revealing global strengths and weaknesses.
• Support research publications.
• Allow Appraiser training, authorization, and renewal.

Further, if the results of the appraisal are to be announced publicly, used in a formal proposal, or announced outside of the appraised organization, but within the same company, then the appraisal results must be placed on the SEI's Public Appraisal Results Site (PARS).

 No. The SCAMPI appraisal method is an ARC Class A appraisal method, meaning it is suitable for benchmarking performance against the model. After undergoing this rigorous appraisal, an organization can be assigned a maturity level to rate their performance against the model. The SCAMPI family has expanded to include an ARC Class B and an ARC Class C method defined to complement the SCAMPI Class A method. These methods, by definition, will not be suitable for benchmarking, but will be tools for an organization's process improvement journey.

An objective of the CMMI Project was to reduce the number and diversity of models and methods. If additional Class A methods emerge, they would be separate and distinct from SCAMPI and the SEI authorization program for SCAMPI.

SEI maturity levels and capability levels can only be reported as results of SCAMPI Class A appraisals.