SessId028

name: Capability Models (including the CMM) for Teams and Organizations
Moderator: Jerry Weinberg,
Presenters[if they agree]: James Bach, Judah Mogilensky, John Suzuki, and perhaps somebody else. Any volunteers?

Description:
This session will be a sharing of experiences, good and bad, with implementing the SEI's Capability Maturity Model. More generally, we will share experiences about how to increase any team or organization's capability and humanity.

Applications:
46 Organizational Culture Moving from reactive to anticipating culture
01 Best Practices Handling problems of scale
13 Communication Improving organizational culture
23 Development Process Building an effective software development culture
61 Problem Solving Identifying effective and ineffective patterns

75 Quality Obtaining higher quality results
80 Teams Building stronger and more effective teams

As flattered as I am to be included in this group, I have far more to learn than to contribute on this topic. I will be in attendance and eager to add my comments and observations, but will take a back seat to James, Judah and John for presentation. JamesWard

James, of course I accept your bowing out of the up front position. You will have plenty of chances to participate, since as moderator that's my job to get all the people in the room involved.

I'm eager to participate. JamesBach

I'll participate as well but am looking forward to learn from Judah, James B., James W. and of course, the moderator. I also hope that we can get some participation from individuals or organizations that are using or contemplating using alternative practices to the CMM. I'm interested in those things as well. - JohnSuzuki

I'm curious as to the references cited under Applications. I first assumed that the numbers referred to other sessions at the AYE, but this is obviously not the case. Please clarify. JamesWard

James, those are some internal numbers that our webmeister, RickBrenner, needs to index this on the exterior website. Sorry to have confused you, but now the conference is even more open. - JerryWeinberg

Yes, James, Jerry's right about how they're used. The session pages and application cluster pages at www.ayeconference.com are generated from an Excel spreadsheet database. Each application has an index, used by the generator. We also use the index in email communications about session descriptions. They weren't really intended to go public, but I guess they have. -- RickBrenner

Hi, folks! I've been off on a major assessment gig, but I'm back in circulation now. Anyway, I'd be very pleased to participate on this panel, and while I see it as being intended as broader than just a debate between James and myself (although we had discussed that possibility earlier), I'm sure the two of us will have a chance to air our contrasting experiences and views. My only question is what preparation is expected (going-in position paper, the dreaded PowerPoint charts, or just coming in prepared to share)? Thanks, Jerry, for setting this up! - JudahMogilensky

So far, we're trying to make this a no-Power-Point conference, to encourage interaction rather than prepared speeches, so just come prepared to talk. If you MUST use PP, then let me know well in advance so we can have the equipment in the room. If you have stuff to hand out, we'll arrange to have it copied from your masters while we're there. - JerryWeinberg

OK, just come prepared to talk, no-Power-Point. I can do this, really! - JudahMogilensky

I knew you could do it, Judah! BTW, I've issued an invitation to TimLister to join the panel, but the invitation was through his wife, so I don't know how he'll react. How does this sound to everybody? - JerryWeinberg

Is this the TimLister of "Peopleware?" I would be very interested to hear his comments on this topic. JamesWard One and the same. - JerryWeinberg

I would like the discussion to address at least four items. 1. If one organization is rated at CMM Level (i) and another at Level (i+1)what can be expected of their respective next projects in terms of cost, elapsed time and probability of latent errors if both are given identical initialization? 2. If an organization is rated at CMM Level (i)and the next project involves only 5% of that population then what level can the project be expected to exhibit? 3. On which theory or model of human development was the progression of capabilites based? 4. Do the afficianados of the CMM really believe that a system composed of human beings is a state-determined system? Some rating systems are based on customer value such as the Michelin Guide and Moody's Bond Ratings. Others such as CMM, Baldridge, and ISO 9000 which are are ranking systems, focued on process rather than results. Lacking value validation they are more like beauty contests. A friend once observed that such systems could ensure that you could know exactly why your business had gone broke. Jack Ring

Great questions, Jack. And James Ward has some good ones, too, on the other page. What I'd like to do in the session is pass out cards to people on which they can write these questions and pass them up to me. Then, while the other panelists are blowing their steam, I can sort them into "sensible" categories to guide the order in which I call upon participants to stand up and deliver their questions. So, everybody, come prepared. - JerryWeinberg

For more information on this topic see HowIsTheSeiCapabilityMaturityModelUseful.

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Updated: Wednesday, November 1, 2000