Why Project Managers (Understandably) Hate the CMMI -- and What to Do About It
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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.
Why Project Managers (Understandably) Hate the CMMI -- and What to Do About It
- 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
- 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.
- 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!
- 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…
- 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? [email protected] www.CmmiTraining.com