Summary

Analyze the performance of the selected processes, and establish and maintain the process performance baselines.

Description

The selected measures are analyzed to characterize the performance of the selected processes or subprocesses achieved on projects. This characterization is used to establish and maintain process performance baselines (See the definition of “process performance baseline” in the glossary.) These baselines are used to determine the expected results of the process or subprocess when used on a project under a given set of circumstances.

Process performance baselines are compared to the organization’s quality and process performance objectives to determine if the quality and process performance objectives are being achieved.

The process performance baselines are a measurement of performance for the organization’s set of standard processes at various levels of detail. The processes that the process performance baselines can address include the following:

  • Sequence of connected processes
  • Processes that cover the entire life of the project
  • Processes for developing individual work products


There can be several process performance baselines to characterize performance for subgroups of the organization.

 

Examples of criteria used to categorize subgroups include the following:
  • Supplier-acquisition approach
  • Agreement type (e.g., fixed price, time and effort)
  • Product line or standard service
  • Line of business
  • Application domain
  • Complexity
  • Team size
  • Work product size
  • Process elements from the organization’s set of standard processes


Tailoring the organization’s set of standard processes can significantly affect the comparability of data for inclusion in process performance baselines. Effects of tailoring should be considered in establishing baselines. Depending on the tailoring allowed, separate performance baselines may exist for each type of tailoring.

Refer to the Quantitative Project Management (QPM) (CMMI-ACQ) process area for more information about quantitatively managing the project to achieve the project’s established quality and process performance objectives.


Example Work Products



  1. Analysis of process performance data
  2. Baseline data on the organization’s process performance


Subpractices



1. Collect the selected measurements for the selected processes and subprocesses.

The process or subprocess in use when the measurement was taken is recorded to enable its use later.

Refer to the Measurement and Analysis (MA) (CMMI-ACQ) process area for more information about specifying measurement data collection and storage procedures.



2. Analyze the collected measures to establish a distribution or range of results that characterize the expected performance of selected processes or subprocesses when used on a project.

This analysis should include the stability of the related process or subprocess, and the impacts of associated factors and context. Related factors include inputs to the process and other attributes that can affect the results obtained. The context includes the business context (e.g., domain) and significant tailoring of the organization’s set of standard processes.

The measurements from stable subprocesses in projects should be used when possible; other data may not be reliable.



3. Establish and maintain the process performance baselines from collected measurements and analyses.

Refer to the Measurement and Analysis (MA) (CMMI-ACQ) process area for more information about aligning measurement and analysis activities and providing measurement results.


Process performance baselines are derived by analyzing collected measures to establish a distribution or range of results that characterize the expected performance for selected processes or subprocesses when used on a project in the organization.



4. Review and get agreement with relevant stakeholders about the process performance baselines.

5. Make the process performance information available across the organization in the measurement repository.

The organization’s process performance baselines are used by projects to estimate the natural bounds for process performance.



6. Compare the process performance baselines to associated quality and process performance objectives to determine if those quality and process performance objectives are being achieved.

These comparisons should use statistical techniques beyond a simple comparison of the mean to gauge the extent of quality and process performance objective achievement. If the quality and process performance objectives are not being achieved, corrective actions should be considered.

Refer to the Causal Analysis and Resolution (CAR) (CMMI-ACQ) process area for more information about determining causes of selected outcomes.


Refer to the Organizational Process Focus (OPF) (CMMI-ACQ) process area for more information about planning and implementing process actions.


Refer to the Organizational Performance Management (OPM) (CMMI-ACQ) for more information about analyzing process performance data and identifying potential areas for improvement.



7. Revise the process performance baselines as necessary.

 

Examples of when the organization’s process performance baselines may need to be revised include the following:
  • When processes change
  • When the organization’s results change
  • When the organization’s needs change
  • When suppliers’ processes change
  • When suppliers change