4.6. MEASUREMENT AND ANALYSIS

Purpose
The purpose of Measurement and Analysis (MA) is to develop and sustain a measurement capability that is used to support management information needs.

Introductory Notes
The Measurement and Analysis process area involves the following:
· Specifying the objectives of measurement and analysis such that they are aligned with identified information needs and objectives
· Specifying the measures, analysis techniques, and mechanism for data collection, data storage, reporting, and feedback
· Implementing the collection, storage, analysis, and reporting of the data
· Providing objective results that can be used in making informed decisions, and taking appropriate corrective actions
The integration of measurement and analysis activities into the processes of the project supports the following:
· Objective planning and estimating
· Tracking actual performance against established plans and objectives
· Identifying and resolving process-related issues
· Providing a basis for incorporating measurement into additional processes in the future
The staff required to implement a measurement capability may or may not be employed in a separate organization-wide program. Measurement capability may be integrated into individual projects or other organizational functions (e.g., quality assurance).
The initial focus for measurement activities is at the project level. However, a measurement capability may prove useful for addressing organization- and/or enterprise-wide information needs. To support this capability, the measurement activities should support information needs at multiple levels including the business, organizational unit, and project to minimize re-work as the organization matures.
Projects may choose to store project-specific data and results in a project-specific repository. When data are shared more widely across projects, the data may reside in the organization’s measurement repository.
Measurement and analysis of the product components provided by suppliers is essential for effective management of the quality and costs of the project. It is possible, with careful management of supplier agreements, to provide insight into the data that support supplier-performance analysis.
Related Process Areas
Refer to the Project Planning process area for more information about estimating project attributes and other planning information needs.
Refer to the Project Monitoring and Control process area for more information about monitoring project performance information needs.
Refer to the Configuration Management process area for more information about managing measurement work products.
Refer to the Requirements Development process area for more information about meeting customer requirements and related information needs.
Refer to the Requirements Management process area for more information about maintaining requirements traceability and related information needs.
Refer to the Organizational Process Definition process area for more information about establishing the organization’s measurement repository.
Refer to the Quantitative Project Management process area for more information about understanding variation and the appropriate use of statistical analysis techniques.

Specific Goal and Practice Summary
SG 1 Align Measurement and Analysis Activities
SP 1.1 Establish Measurement Objectives
SP 1.2 Specify Measures
SP 1.3 Specify Data Collection and Storage Procedures
SP 1.4 Specify Analysis Procedures

SG 2 Provide Measurement Results
SP 2.1 Collect Measurement Data
SP 2.2 Analyze Measurement Data
SP 2.3 Store Data and Results
SP 2.4 Communicate Results

SG 1 Align Measurement and Analysis Activities

Measurement objectives and activities are aligned with identified information needs and objectives.

The specific practices covered under this specific goal may be addressed concurrently or in any order:
· When establishing measurement objectives, experts often think ahead about necessary criteria for specifying measures and analysis procedures. They also think concurrently about the constraints imposed by data collection and storage procedures.
· It often is important to specify the essential analyses that will be conducted before attending to details of measurement specification, data collection, or storage.

SP 1.1 Establish Measurement Objectives

Establish and maintain measurement objectives that are derived from identified information needs and objectives.

Measurement objectives document the purposes for which measurement and analysis are done, and specify the kinds of actions that may be taken based on the results of data analyses.
The sources for measurement objectives may be management, technical, project, product, or process implementation needs.
The measurement objectives may be constrained by existing processes, available resources, or other measurement considerations. Judgments may need to be made about whether the value of the results will be commensurate with the resources devoted to doing the work.
Modifications to identified information needs and objectives may, in turn, be indicated as a consequence of the process and results of measurement and analysis.
Sources of information needs and objectives may include the following:
· Project plans
· Monitoring of project performance
· Interviews with managers and others who have information needs
· Established management objectives
· Strategic plans
· Business plans
· Formal requirements or contractual obligations
· Recurring or other troublesome management or technical problems
· Experiences of other projects or organizational entities
· External industry benchmarks
· Process improvement plans
Example measurement objectives include the following:
· Reduce time to delivery
· Reduce total lifecycle cost
· Deliver specified functionality completely
· Improve prior levels of quality
· Improve prior customer satisfaction ratings
· Maintain and improve the acquirer/supplier relationships

Refer to the Project Planning process area for more information about estimating project attributes and other planning information needs.
Refer to the Project Monitoring and Control process area for more information about project performance information needs.
Refer to the Requirements Development process area for more information about meeting customer requirements and related information needs.
Refer to the Requirements Management process area for more information about maintaining requirements traceability and related information needs.
Typical Work Products
1. Measurement objectives
Subpractices
1. Document information needs and objectives.
Information needs and objectives are documented to allow traceability to subsequent measurement and analysis activities.
2. Prioritize information needs and objectives.
It may be neither possible nor desirable to subject all initially identified information needs to measurement and analysis. Priorities may also need to be set within the limits of available resources.
3. Document, review, and update measurement objectives.
It is important to carefully consider the purposes and intended uses of measurement and analysis.
The measurement objectives are documented, reviewed by management and other relevant stakeholders, and updated as necessary. Doing so enables traceability to subsequent measurement and analysis activities, and helps ensure that the analyses will properly address identified information needs and objectives.
It is important that users of measurement and analysis results be involved in setting measurement objectives and deciding on plans of action. It may also be appropriate to involve those who provide the measurement data.
4. Provide feedback for refining and clarifying information needs and objectives as necessary.
Identified information needs and objectives may need to be refined and clarified as a result of setting measurement objectives. Initial descriptions of information needs may be unclear or ambiguous. Conflicts may arise between existing needs and objectives. Precise targets on an already existing measure may be unrealistic.
5. Maintain traceability of the measurement objectives to the identified information needs and objectives.
There must always be a good answer to the question, “Why are we measuring this?”
Of course, the measurement objectives may also change to reflect evolving information needs and objectives.

SP 1.2 Specify Measures

Specify measures to address the measurement objectives.

Measurement objectives are refined into precise, quantifiable measures.
Measures may be either “base” or “derived.” Data for base measures are obtained by direct measurement. Data for derived measures come from other data, typically by combining two or more base measures.
Examples of commonly used base measures include the following:
· Estimates and actual measures of work product size (e.g., number of pages)
· Estimates and actual measures of effort and cost (e.g., number of person hours)
· Quality measures (e.g., number of defects by severity)

Examples of commonly used derived measures include the following:
· Earned Value
· Schedule Performance Index
· Defect density
· Peer review coverage
· Test or verification coverage
· Reliability measures (e.g., mean time to failure)
· Quality measures (e.g., number of defects by severity/total number of defects)

Derived measures typically are expressed as ratios, composite indices, or other aggregate summary measures. They are often more quantitatively reliable and meaningfully interpretable than the base measures used to generate them.
Typical Work Products
1. Specifications of base and derived measures
Subpractices
1. Identify candidate measures based on documented measurement objectives.
The measurement objectives are refined into specific measures. The identified candidate measures are categorized and specified by name and unit of measure.
2. Identify existing measures that already address the measurement objectives.
Specifications for measures may already exist, perhaps established for other purposes earlier or elsewhere in the organization.
3. Specify operational definitions for the measures.
Operational definitions are stated in precise and unambiguous terms. They address two important criteria as follows:
· Communication: What has been measured, how was it measured, what are the units of measure, and what has been included or excluded?
· Repeatability: Can the measurement be repeated, given the same definition, to get the same results?
4. Prioritize, review, and update measures.
Proposed specifications of the measures are reviewed for their appropriateness with potential end users and other relevant stakeholders. Priorities are set or changed, and specifications of the measures are updated as necessary.

SP 1.3 Specify Data Collection and Storage Procedures

Specify how measurement data will be obtained and stored.

Explicit specification of collection methods helps ensure that the right data are collected properly. It may also aid in further clarifying information needs and measurement objectives.
Proper attention to storage and retrieval procedures helps ensure that data are available and accessible for future use.
Typical Work Products
1. Data collection and storage procedures
2. Data collection tools
Subpractices
1. Identify existing sources of data that are generated from current work products, processes, or transactions.
Existing sources of data may already have been identified when specifying the measures. Appropriate collection mechanisms may exist whether or not pertinent data have already been collected.
2. Identify measures for which data are needed, but are not currently available.
3. Specify how to collect and store the data for each required measure.
Explicit specifications are made of how, where, and when the data will be collected. Procedures for collecting valid data are specified. The data are stored in an accessible manner for analysis, and it is determined whether they will be saved for possible reanalysis or documentation purposes.
Questions to be considered typically include the following:
· Have the frequency of collection and the points in the process where measurements will be made been determined?
· Has the timeline that is required to move measurement results from the points of collection to repositories, other databases, or end users been established?
· Who is responsible for obtaining the data?
· Who is responsible for data storage, retrieval, and security?
· Have necessary supporting tools been developed or acquired?
4. Create data collection mechanisms and process guidance.
Data collection and storage mechanisms are well integrated with other normal work processes. Data collection mechanisms may include manual or automated forms and templates. Clear, concise guidance on correct procedures is available to those responsible for doing the work. Training is provided as necessary to clarify the processes necessary for collection of complete and accurate data and to minimize the burden on those who must provide and record the data.
5. Support automatic collection of the data where appropriate and feasible.
Automated support can aid in collecting more complete and accurate data.
Examples of such automated support include the following:
· Time stamped activity logs
· Static or dynamic analyses of artifacts

However, some data cannot be collected without human intervention (e.g., customer satisfaction or other human judgments), and setting up the necessary infrastructure for other automation may be costly.
6. Prioritize, review, and update data collection and storage procedures.
Proposed procedures are reviewed for their appropriateness and feasibility with those who are responsible for providing, collecting, and storing the data. They also may have useful insights about how to improve existing processes, or be able to suggest other useful measures or analyses.
7. Update measures and measurement objectives as necessary.
Priorities may need to be reset based on the following:
· The importance of the measures
· The amount of effort required to obtain the data
Considerations include whether new forms, tools, or training would be required to obtain the data.

SP 1.4 Specify Analysis Procedures

Specify how measurement data will be analyzed and reported.

Specifying the analysis procedures in advance ensures that appropriate analyses will be conducted and reported to address the documented measurement objectives (and thereby the information needs and objectives on which they are based). This approach also provides a check that the necessary data will in fact be collected.
Typical Work Products
1. Analysis specifications and procedures
2. Data analysis tools
Subpractices
1. Specify and prioritize the analyses that will be conducted and the reports that will be prepared.
Early attention should be paid to the analyses that will be conducted and to the manner in which the results will be reported. These should meet the following criteria:
· The analyses explicitly address the documented measurement objectives
· Presentation of the results is clearly understandable by the audiences to whom the results are addressed
Priorities may have to be set within available resources.
2. Select appropriate data analysis methods and tools.
Refer to the Select Measures and Analytic Techniques and Apply Statistical Methods to Understand Variation specific practices of the Quantitative Project Management process area for more information about the appropriate use of statistical analysis techniques and understanding variation, respectively.
Issues to be considered typically include the following:
· Choice of visual display and other presentation techniques (e.g., pie charts, bar charts, histograms, radar charts, line graphs, scatter plots, or tables)
· Choice of appropriate descriptive statistics (e.g., arithmetic mean, median, or mode)
· Decisions about statistical sampling criteria when it is impossible or unnecessary to examine every data element
· Decisions about how to handle analysis in the presence of missing data elements
· Selection of appropriate analysis tools
Descriptive statistics are typically used in data analysis to do the following:
· Examine distributions on the specified measures (e.g., central tendency, extent of variation, or data points exhibiting unusual variation)
· Examine the interrelationships among the specified measures (e.g., comparisons of defects by phase of the product’s lifecycle or by product component)
· Display changes over time
3. Specify administrative procedures for analyzing the data and communicating the results.
Issues to be considered typically include the following:
· Identifying the persons and groups responsible for analyzing the data and presenting the results
· Determining the timeline to analyze the data and present the results
· Determining the venues for communicating the results (e.g., progress reports, transmittal memos, written reports, or staff meetings)
4. Review and update the proposed content and format of the specified analyses and reports.
All of the proposed content and format are subject to review and revision, including analytic methods and tools, administrative procedures, and priorities. The relevant stakeholders consulted should include intended end users, sponsors, data analysts, and data providers.
5. Update measures and measurement objectives as necessary.
Just as measurement needs drive data analysis, clarification of analysis criteria can affect measurement. Specifications for some measures may be refined further based on the specifications established for data analysis procedures. Other measures may prove to be unnecessary, or a need for additional measures may be recognized.
The exercise of specifying how measures will be analyzed and reported may also suggest the need for refining the measurement objectives themselves.
6. Specify criteria for evaluating the utility of the analysis results and for evaluating the conduct of the measurement and analysis activities.
Criteria for evaluating the utility of the analysis might address the extent to which the following apply:
· The results are (1) provided on a timely basis, (2) understandable, and (3) used for decision making.
· The work does not cost more to perform than is justified by the benefits that it provides.
Criteria for evaluating the conduct of the measurement and analysis might include the extent to which the following apply:
· The amount of missing data or the number of flagged inconsistencies is beyond specified thresholds.
· There is selection bias in sampling (e.g., only satisfied end users are surveyed to evaluate end-user satisfaction, or only unsuccessful projects are evaluated to determine overall productivity).
· The measurement data are repeatable (e.g., statistically reliable).
· Statistical assumptions have been satisfied (e.g., about the distribution of data or about appropriate measurement scales).

SG 2 Provide Measurement Results

Measurement results, which address identified information needs and objectives, are provided.

The primary reason for doing measurement and analysis is to address identified information needs and objectives. Measurement results based on objective evidence can help to monitor performance, fulfill contractual obligations, make informed management and technical decisions, and enable corrective actions to be taken.

SP 2.1 Collect Measurement Data

Obtain specified measurement data.

The data necessary for analysis are obtained and checked for completeness and integrity.
Typical Work Products
1. Base and derived measurement data sets
2. Results of data integrity tests
Subpractices
1. Obtain the data for base measures.
Data are collected as necessary for previously used as well as for newly specified base measures. Existing data are gathered from project records or from elsewhere in the organization.
Note that data that were collected earlier may no longer be available for reuse in existing databases, paper records, or formal repositories.
2. Generate the data for derived measures.
Values are newly calculated for all derived measures.
3. Perform data integrity checks as close to the source of the data as possible.
All measurements are subject to error in specifying or recording data. It is always better to identify such errors and to identify sources of missing data early in the measurement and analysis cycle.
Checks can include scans for missing data, out-of-bounds data values, and unusual patterns and correlation across measures. It is particularly important to do the following:
· Test and correct for inconsistency of classifications made by human judgment (i.e., to determine how frequently people make differing classification decisions based on the same information, otherwise known as “inter-coder reliability”).
· Empirically examine the relationships among the measures that are used to calculate additional derived measures. Doing so can ensure that important distinctions are not overlooked and that the derived measures convey their intended meanings (otherwise known as “criterion validity”).

SP 2.2 Analyze Measurement Data

Analyze and interpret measurement data.

The measurement data are analyzed as planned, additional analyses are conducted as necessary, results are reviewed with relevant stakeholders, and necessary revisions for future analyses are noted.
Typical Work Products
1. Analysis results and draft reports
Subpractices
1. Conduct initial analyses, interpret the results, and draw preliminary conclusions.
The results of data analyses are rarely self-evident. Criteria for interpreting the results and drawing conclusions should be stated explicitly.
2. Conduct additional measurement and analysis as necessary, and prepare results for presentation.
The results of planned analyses may suggest (or require) additional, unanticipated analyses. In addition, they may identify needs to refine existing measures, to calculate additional derived measures, or even to collect data for additional base measures to properly complete the planned analysis. Similarly, preparing the initial results for presentation may identify the need for additional, unanticipated analyses.
3. Review the initial results with relevant stakeholders.
It may be appropriate to review initial interpretations of the results and the way in which they are presented before disseminating and communicating them more widely.
Reviewing the initial results before their release may prevent needless misunderstandings and lead to improvements in the data analysis and presentation.
Relevant stakeholders with whom reviews may be conducted include intended end users and sponsors, as well as data analysts and data providers.
4. Refine criteria for future analyses.
Valuable lessons that can improve future efforts are often learned from conducting data analyses and preparing results. Similarly, ways to improve measurement specifications and data collection procedures may become apparent, as may ideas for refining identified information needs and objectives.

SP 2.3 Store Data and Results

Manage and store measurement data, measurement specifications, and analysis results.

Storing measurement-related information enables the timely and cost-effective future use of historical data and results. The information also is needed to provide sufficient context for interpretation of the data, measurement criteria, and analysis results.
Information stored typically includes the following:
· Measurement plans
· Specifications of measures
· Sets of data that have been collected
· Analysis reports and presentations
The stored information contains or references the information needed to understand and interpret the measures and to assess them for reasonableness and applicability (e.g., measurement specifications used on different projects when comparing across projects).
Data sets for derived measures typically can be recalculated and need not be stored. However, it may be appropriate to store summaries based on derived measures (e.g., charts, tables of results, or report prose).
Interim analysis results need not be stored separately if they can be efficiently reconstructed.
Projects may choose to store project-specific data and results in a project-specific repository. When data are shared more widely across projects, the data may reside in the organization’s measurement repository.
Refer to the Establish the Organization’s Measurement Repository specific practice of the Organizational Process Definition process area for more information about establishing the organization’s measurement repository.
Refer to the Configuration Management process area for information about managing measurement work products.
Typical Work Products
1. Stored data inventory
Subpractices
1. Review the data to ensure their completeness, integrity, accuracy, and currency.
2. Store the data according to the data storage procedures.
3. Make the stored contents available for use only by appropriate groups and personnel.
4. Prevent the stored information from being used inappropriately.
Examples of ways to prevent inappropriate use of the data and related information include controlling access to data and educating people on the appropriate use of data.

Examples of inappropriate use include the following:
· Disclosure of information that was provided in confidence
· Faulty interpretations based on incomplete, out-of-context, or otherwise misleading information
· Measures used to improperly evaluate the performance of people or to rank projects
· Impugning the integrity of specific individuals

SP 2.4 Communicate Results

Report results of measurement and analysis activities to all relevant stakeholders.

The results of the measurement and analysis process are communicated to relevant stakeholders in a timely and usable fashion to support decision making and assist in taking corrective action.
Relevant stakeholders include intended users, sponsors, data analysts, and data providers.
Typical Work Products
1. Delivered reports and related analysis results
2. Contextual information or guidance to aid in the interpretation of analysis results
Subpractices
1. Keep relevant stakeholders apprised of measurement results on a timely basis.
Measurement results are communicated in time to be used for their intended purposes. Reports are unlikely to be used if they are distributed with little effort to follow up with those who need to know the results.
To the extent possible and as part of the normal way they do business, users of measurement results are kept personally involved in setting objectives and deciding on plans of action for measurement and analysis. The users are regularly kept apprised of progress and interim results.
Refer to the Project Monitoring and Control process area for more information about the use of measurement results.
2. Assist relevant stakeholders in understanding the results.
Results are reported in a clear and concise manner appropriate to the methodological sophistication of the relevant stakeholders. They are understandable, easily interpretable, and clearly tied to identified information needs and objectives.
The data are often not self-evident to practitioners who are not measurement experts. Measurement choices should be explicitly clear about the following:
· How and why the base and derived measures were specified
· How the data were obtained
· How to interpret the results based on the data analysis methods that were used
· How the results address information needs
Examples of actions to assist in understanding of results include the following:
· Discussing the results with the relevant stakeholders
· Providing a transmittal memo that provides background and explanation
· Briefing users on the results
· Providing training on the appropriate use and understanding of measurement results

4.7. ORGANIZATIONAL INNOVATION AND DEPLOYMENT

Purpose
The purpose of Organizational Innovation and Deployment (OID) is to select and deploy incremental and innovative improvements that measurably improve the organization’s processes and technologies. The improvements support the organization’s quality and process-performance objectives as derived from the organization’s business objectives.

Introductory Notes

The Organizational Innovation and Deployment process area enables the selection and deployment of improvements that can enhance the organization’s ability to meet its quality and process-performance objectives. (See the definition of “quality and process-performance objectives” in the glossary.) The term “improvement,” as used in this process area, refers to all of the ideas (proven and unproven) that would change the organization’s processes and technologies to better meet the organization’s quality and process-performance objectives.
Quality and process-performance objectives that this process area might address include the following:
· Improved product quality (e.g., functionality, performance)
· Increased productivity
· Decreased cycle time
· Greater customer and end-user satisfaction
· Shorter development or production time to change functionality or add new features, or adapt to new technologies
· Reduce delivery time
· Reduce time to adapt to new technologies and business needs
Achievement of these objectives depends on the successful establishment of an infrastructure that enables and encourages all people in the organization to propose potential improvements to the organization’s processes and technologies. Achievement of these objectives also depends on being able to effectively evaluate and deploy proposed improvements to the organization’s processes and technologies. All members of the organization can participate in the organization’s process- and technology-improvement activities. Their proposals are systematically gathered and addressed.
Pilots are conducted to evaluate significant changes involving untried, high-risk, or innovative improvements before they are broadly deployed.
Process and technology improvements that will be deployed across the organization are selected from process- and technology-improvement proposals based on the following criteria:
· A quantitative understanding of the organization’s current quality and process performance
· The organization’s quality and process-performance objectives
· Estimates of the improvement in quality and process performance resulting from deploying the process and technology improvements
· Estimated costs of deploying process and technology improvements, and the resources and funding available for such deployment
The expected benefits added by the process and technology improvements are weighed against the cost and impact to the organization. Change and stability must be balanced carefully. Change that is too great or too rapid can overwhelm the organization, destroying its investment in organizational learning represented by organizational process assets. Rigid stability can result in stagnation, allowing the changing business environment to erode the organization’s business position.
Improvements are deployed, as appropriate, to new and ongoing projects.
In this process area, the term “process and technology improvements” refers to incremental and innovative improvements to processes and also to process or product technologies (including project work environments).
The informative material in this process area is written with the assumption that the specific practices are applied to a quantitatively managed process. The specific practices of this process area may be applicable, but with reduced value, if the assumption is not met.
The specific practices in this process area complement and extend those found in the Organizational Process Focus process area. The focus of this process area is process improvement that is based on a quantitative knowledge of the organization’s set of standard processes and technologies and their expected quality and performance in predictable situations. In the Organizational Process Focus process area, no assumptions are made about the quantitative basis of improvement.
Related Process Areas
Refer to the Organizational Process Definition process area for more information about incorporating the deployed process improvements into organizational process assets.
Refer to the Organizational Process Focus process area for more information about soliciting, collecting, and handling process improvement proposals and coordinating the deployment of process improvement into the project’s defined processes.
Refer to the Organizational Training process area for more information about providing updated training to support deployment of process and technology improvements.
Refer to the Organizational Process Performance process area for more information about quality and process-performance objectives and process-performance models. Quality and process-performance objectives are used to analyze and select process- and technology-improvement proposals for deployment. Process-performance models are used to quantify the impact and benefits of innovations.
Refer to the Measurement and Analysis process area for more information about establishing objectives for measurement and analysis, specifying the measures and analyses to be performed, obtaining and analyzing measures, and reporting results.
Refer to the Integrated Project Management process area for more information about coordinating the deployment of process and technology improvements into the project’s defined process and project work environment.
Refer to the Decision Analysis and Resolution process area for more information about formal evaluations related to improvement proposals and innovations.

Specific Goal and Practice Summary

SG 1 Select Improvements
SP 1.1 Collect and Analyze Improvement Proposals
SP 1.2 Identify and Analyze Innovations
SP 1.3 Pilot Improvements
SP 1.4 Select Improvements for Deployment

SG 2 Deploy Improvements
SP 2.1 Plan the Deployment
SP 2.2 Manage the Deployment
SP 2.3 Measure Improvement Effects

SG 1 Select Improvements

Process and technology improvements, which contribute to meeting quality and process-performance objectives, are selected.

SP 1.1 Collect and Analyze Improvement Proposals

Collect and analyze process- and technology-improvement proposals.

Each process- and technology-improvement proposal must be analyzed.
Simple process and technology improvements, with well-understood benefits and effects, will not usually undergo detailed evaluations.
Examples of simple process and technology improvements include the following:
· Add an item to a peer review checklist.
· Combine the technical review and management review for suppliers into a single technical/management review.

Typical Work Products
1. Analyzed process- and technology-improvement proposals
Subpractices
1. Collect process- and technology-improvement proposals.
A process- and technology-improvement proposal documents proposed incremental and innovative improvements to specific processes and technologies. Managers and staff in the organization, as well as customers, end users, and suppliers can submit process- and technology-improvement proposals. Process and technology improvements may be implemented at the local level before being proposed for the organization.
Examples of sources for process- and technology-improvement proposals include the following:
· Findings and recommendations from process appraisals
· The organization’s quality and process-performance objectives
· Analysis of data about customer and end-user problems as well as customer and end-user satisfaction
· Analysis of data about project performance compared to quality and productivity objectives
· Analysis of technical performance measures
· Results of process and product benchmarking efforts
· Analysis of data on defect causes
· Measured effectiveness of process activities
· Measured effectiveness of project work environments
· Examples of process- and technology-improvement proposals that were successfully adopted elsewhere
· Feedback on previously submitted process- and technology-improvement proposals
· Spontaneous ideas from managers and staff

Refer to the Organizational Process Focus process area for more information about process- and technology-improvement proposals.
2. Analyze the costs and benefits of process- and technology-improvement proposals as appropriate.
Process- and technology-improvement proposals that have a large cost-to-benefit ratio are rejected.
Criteria for evaluating costs and benefits include the following:
· Contribution toward meeting the organization’s quality and process-performance objectives
· Effect on mitigating identified project and organizational risks
· Ability to respond quickly to changes in project requirements, market situations, and the business environment
· Effect on related processes and associated assets
· Cost of defining and collecting data that supports the measurement and analysis of the process- and technology-improvement proposal
· Expected life span of the proposal
Process- and technology-improvement proposals that would not improve the organization's processes are rejected.
Process-performance models provide insight into the effect of process changes on process capability and performance.
Refer to the Organizational Process Performance process area for more information about process-performance models.
3. Identify the process- and technology-improvement proposals that are innovative.
Innovative improvements are also identified and analyzed in the Identify and Analyze Innovations specific practice.
Whereas this specific practice analyzes proposals that have been passively collected, the purpose of the Identify and Analyze Innovations specific practice is to actively search for and locate innovative improvements. The search primarily involves looking outside the organization.
Innovative improvements are typically identified by reviewing process- and technology-improvement proposals or by actively investigating and monitoring innovations that are in use in other organizations or are documented in research literature. Innovation may be inspired by internal improvement objectives or by the external business environment.
Innovative improvements are typically major changes to the process that represent a break from the old way of doing things (e.g., changing the lifecycle model). Innovative improvements may also include changes in the products that support, enhance, or automate the process (e.g., using off-the-shelf products to support the process).
Examples of innovative improvements include the following:
· Advances in computer and related hardware products
· New support tools
· New techniques, methodologies, processes, or lifecycle models
· New interface standards
· New reusable components
· New management techniques
· New quality-improvement techniques
· New process development and deployment support tools

4. Identify potential barriers and risks to deploying each process- and technology-improvement proposal.
Examples of barriers to deploying process and technology improvements include the following:
· Turf guarding and parochial perspectives
· Unclear or weak business rationale
· Lack of short-term benefits and visible successes
· Unclear picture of what is expected from everyone
· Too many changes at the same time
· Lack of involvement and support of relevant stakeholders

Examples of risk factors that affect the deployment of process and technology improvements include the following:
· Compatibility of the improvement with existing processes, values, and skills of potential end users
· Complexity of the improvement
· Difficulty implementing the improvement
· Ability to demonstrate the value of the improvement before widespread deployment
· Justification for large, up-front investments in areas such as tools and training
· Inability to overcome “technology drag” where the current implementation is used successfully by a large and mature installed base of end users

5. Estimate the cost, effort, and schedule required for deploying each process- and technology-improvement proposal.
6. Select the process- and technology-improvement proposals to be piloted before broadscale deployment.
Since innovations, by definition, usually represent a major change, most innovative improvements will be piloted.
7. Document the results of the evaluation of each process- and technology-improvement proposal.
8. Monitor the status of each process- and technology-improvement proposal.

SP 1.2 Identify and Analyze Innovations

Identify and analyze innovative improvements that could increase the organization’s quality and process performance.

The specific practice, Collect and Analyze Improvement Proposals, analyzes proposals that are passively collected. The purpose of this specific practice is to actively search for, locate, and analyze innovative improvements. This search primarily involves looking outside the organization.
Typical Work Products
1. Candidate innovative improvements
2. Analysis of proposed innovative improvements
Subpractices
1. Analyze the organization's set of standard processes to determine areas where innovative improvements would be most helpful.
These analyses are performed to determine which subprocesses are critical to achieving the organization’s quality and process-performance objectives and which ones are good candidates to be improved.
2. Investigate innovative improvements that may improve the organization's set of standard processes.
Investigating innovative improvements involves the following:
· Systematically maintaining awareness of leading relevant technical work and technology trends
· Periodically searching for commercially available innovative improvements
· Collecting proposals for innovative improvements from the projects and the organization
· Systematically reviewing processes and technologies used externally and comparing them to those used within the organization
· Identifying areas where innovative improvements have been used successfully, and reviewing data and documentation of experience using these improvements
· Identifying improvements that integrate new technology into products and project work environments
3. Analyze potential innovative improvements to understand their effects on process elements and predict their influence on the process.
Process-performance models can provide a basis for analyzing possible effects of changes to process elements.
Refer to the Organizational Process Performance process area for more information about process-performance models.
4. Analyze the costs and benefits of potential innovative improvements.
Innovative improvements that have a very large cost-to-benefit ratio are rejected.
5. Create process- and technology-improvement proposals for those innovative improvements that would result in improving the organization's processes or technologies.
6. Select the innovative improvements to be piloted before broadscale deployment.
Since innovations, by definition, usually represent a major change, most innovative improvements will be piloted.
7. Document the results of the evaluations of innovative improvements.

SP 1.3 Pilot Improvements

Pilot process and technology improvements to select which ones to implement.

Pilots are performed to assess new and unproven major changes before they are broadly deployed, as appropriate.
The implementation of this specific practice may overlap with the implementation of the Implement the Action Proposals specific practice in the Causal Analysis and Resolution process area (e.g., when causal analysis and resolution is implemented organizationally or across multiple projects).
Typical Work Products
1. Pilot evaluation reports
2. Documented lessons learned from pilots
Subpractices
1. Plan the pilots.
When planning pilots, it is critical to define quantitative criteria to be used for evaluating pilot results.
2. Review and get relevant stakeholder agreement on the plans for the pilots.
3. Consult with and assist the people performing the pilots.
4. Perform each pilot in an environment that is characteristic of the environment present in a broadscale deployment.
5. Track the pilots against their plans.
6. Review and document the results of pilots.
Pilot results are evaluated using the quantitative criteria defined during pilot planning. Reviewing and documenting the results of pilots usually involves the following:
· Deciding whether to terminate the pilot, replan and continue the pilot, or proceed with deploying the process and technology improvement
· Updating the disposition of process- and technology-improvement proposals associated with the pilot
· Identifying and documenting new process- and technology-improvement proposals as appropriate
· Identifying and documenting lessons learned and problems encountered during the pilot

SP 1.4 Select Improvements for Deployment

Select process and technology improvements for deployment across the organization.

Selection of process and technology improvements for deployment across the organization is based on quantifiable criteria derived from the organization’s quality and process-performance objectives.

Typical Work Products
1. Process and technology improvements selected for deployment
Subpractices
1. Prioritize the candidate process and technology improvements for deployment.
Priority is based on an evaluation of the estimated cost-to-benefit ratio with regard to the quality and process-performance objectives.
Refer to the Organizational Process Performance process area for more information about quality and process-performance objectives.
2. Select the process and technology improvements to be deployed.
The selection of the process improvements is based on their priorities and the available resources.
3. Determine how each process and technology improvement will be deployed.
Examples of where the process and technology improvements may be deployed include the following:
· Organizational process assets
· Project-specific or common work environments
· Organization’s product families
· Organization's capabilities
· Organization’s projects
· Organizational groups

4. Document the results of the selection process.
The results of the selection process usually include the following:
· The selection criteria for candidate improvements
· The disposition of each improvement proposal
· The rationale for the disposition of each improvement proposal
· The assets to be changed for each selected improvement

SG 2 Deploy Improvements

Measurable improvements to the organization's processes and technologies are continually and systematically deployed.

SP 2.1 Plan the Deployment

Establish and maintain the plans for deploying the selected process and technology improvements.

The plans for deploying each process and technology improvement may be included in the organization’s plan for organizational innovation and deployment or they may be documented separately.
The implementation of this specific practice complements the Deploy Organizational Process Assets specific practice in the Organizational Process Focus process area, and adds the use of quantitative data to guide the deployment and to determine the value of the improvements with respect to quality and process-performance objectives.
Refer to the Organizational Process Focus process area for more information about deploying organizational process assets.
This specific practice plans the deployment of individual process and technology improvements. The Plan the Process generic practice addresses comprehensive planning that covers the specific practices in this process area.
Typical Work Products
1. Deployment plan for selected process and technology improvements
Subpractices
1. Determine how each process and technology improvement must be adjusted for organization-wide deployment.
Process and technology improvements proposed within a limited context (e.g., for a single project) might have to be modified to work across the organization.
2. Determine the changes necessary to deploy each process and technology improvement.
Examples of changes needed to deploy a process and technology improvement include the following:
· Process descriptions, standards, and procedures
· Work environments
· Education and training
· Skills
· Existing commitments
· Existing activities
· Continuing support to end users
· Organizational culture and characteristics

3. Identify strategies to address potential barriers to deploying each process and technology improvement.
4. Establish measures and objectives for determining the value of each process and technology improvement with respect to the organization’s quality and process-performance objectives.
Examples of measures for determining the value of a process and technology improvement include the following:
· Return on investment
· Time to recover the cost of the process or technology improvement
· Measured improvement in the project’s or organization’s process performance
· Number and types of project and organizational risks mitigated by the process or technology improvement
· Average time required to respond to changes in project requirements, market situations, and the business environment

Refer to the Measurement and Analysis process area for more information about establishing objectives for measurement and analysis, specifying the measures and analyses to be performed, obtaining and analyzing measures, and reporting results.
5. Document the plan for deploying each process and technology improvement.
6. Review and get agreement with relevant stakeholders on the plan for deploying each process and technology improvement.
7. Revise the plan for deploying each process and technology improvement as necessary.

SP 2.2 Manage the Deployment

Manage the deployment of the selected process and technology improvements.

The implementation of this specific practice may overlap with the implementation of the Implement the Action Proposals specific practice in the Causal Analysis and Resolution process area (e.g., when causal analysis and resolution is implemented organizationally or across multiple projects). The primary difference is that in the Causal Analysis and Resolution process area, planning is done to manage the removal of the root causes of defects or problems from the project’s defined processes. In the Organizational Innovation and Deployment process area, planning is done to manage the deployment of improvements to the organization’s processes and technologies that can be quantified against the organization’s business objectives.
Typical Work Products
1. Updated training materials (to reflect deployed process and technology improvements)
2. Documented results of process- and technology-improvement deployment activities
3. Revised process- and technology-improvement measures, objectives, priorities, and deployment plans
Subpractices
1. Monitor the deployment of the process and technology improvements using the deployment plan.
2. Coordinate the deployment of process and technology improvements across the organization.
Coordinating deployment includes the following activities:
· Coordinating the activities of projects, support groups, and organizational groups for each process and technology improvement
· Coordinating the activities for deploying related process and technology improvements
3. Quickly deploy process and technology improvements in a controlled and disciplined manner, as appropriate.
Examples of methods for quickly deploying process and technology improvements include the following:
· Using red-lines, process change notices, or other controlled process documentation as interim process descriptions
· Deploying process and technology improvements incrementally, rather than as a single deployment
· Providing comprehensive consulting to early adopters of the process and technology improvement in lieu of revised formal training

4. Incorporate the process and technology improvements into organizational process assets, as appropriate.
Refer to the Organizational Process Definition process area for more information about organizational process assets.
5. Coordinate the deployment of the process and technology improvements into the projects' defined processes as appropriate.
Refer to the Organizational Process Focus process area for more information about deploying organizational process assets.
6. Provide consulting, as appropriate, to support deployment of the process and technology improvements.
7. Provide updated training materials to reflect the improvements to the organizational process assets.
Refer to the Organizational Training process area for more information about training materials.
8. Confirm that the deployment of all process and technology improvements is completed.
9. Determine whether the ability of the defined process to meet quality and process-performance objectives is adversely affected by the process and technology improvement, and take corrective action as necessary.
Refer to the Quantitative Project Management process area for more information about quantitatively managing the project’s defined process to achieve the project’s established quality and process-performance objectives.
10. Document and review the results of process- and technology-improvement deployment.
Documenting and reviewing the results includes the following:
· Identifying and documenting lessons learned
· Identifying and documenting new process- and technology-improvement proposals
· Revising process- and technology-improvement measures, objectives, priorities, and deployment plans

SP 2.3 Measure Improvement Effects

Measure the effects of the deployed process and technology improvements.

Refer to the Measurement and Analysis process area for more information about establishing objectives for measurement and analysis, specifying the measures and analyses to be performed, obtaining and analyzing measures, and reporting results.
The implementation of this specific practice may overlap with the implementation of the Evaluate the Effect of Changes specific practice in the Causal Analysis and Resolution process area (e.g., when causal analysis and resolution is implemented organizationally or across multiple projects).
Typical Work Products
1. Documented measures of the effects resulting from the deployed process and technology improvements
Subpractices
1. Measure the actual cost, effort, and schedule for deploying each process and technology improvement.
2. Measure the value of each process and technology improvement.
3. Measure the progress toward achieving the organization's quality and process-performance objectives.
4. Analyze the progress toward achieving the organization's quality and process-performance objectives and take corrective action as needed.
Refer to the Organizational Process Performance process area for more information about process-performance analyses.
5. Store the measures in the organization’s measurement repository.

4.8. ORGANIZATIONAL PROCESS DEFINITION +IPPD

Purpose
The purpose of Organizational Process Definition (OPD) is to establish and maintain a usable set of organizational process assets and work environment standards.

IPPD Addition
For IPPD, Organizational Process Definition +IPPD also covers the establishment of organizational rules and guidelines that enable conducting work using integrated teams.

Introductory Notes

Organizational process assets enable consistent process performance across the organization and provide a basis for cumulative, long-term benefits to the organization. (See the definition of “organizational process assets” in the glossary.)
The organization’s process asset library is a collection of items maintained by the organization for use by the people and projects of the organization. This collection of items includes descriptions of processes and process elements, descriptions of lifecycle models, process tailoring guidelines, process-related documentation, and data. The organization’s process asset library supports organizational learning and process improvement by allowing the sharing of best practices and lessons learned across the organization.
The organization’s set of standard processes is tailored by projects to create their defined processes. The other organizational process assets are used to support tailoring as well as the implementation of the defined processes. The work environment standards are used to guide creation of project work environments.
A standard process is composed of other processes (i.e., subprocesses) or process elements. A process element is the fundamental (e.g., atomic) unit of process definition and describes the activities and tasks to consistently perform work. Process architecture provides rules for connecting the process elements of a standard process. The organization’s set of standard processes may include multiple process architectures.
(See the definitions of “standard process,” “process architecture,” “subprocess,” and “process element” in the glossary.)
The organizational process assets may be organized in many ways, depending on the implementation of the Organizational Process Definition process area. Examples include the following:
· Descriptions of lifecycle models may be documented as part of the organization’s set of standard processes, or they may be documented separately.
· The organization’s set of standard processes may be stored in the organization’s process asset library, or they may be stored separately.
· A single repository may contain both the measurements and the process-related documentation, or they may be stored separately.

Related Process Areas
Refer to the Organizational Process Focus process area for more information about organizational process-related matters.

Specific Goal and Practice Summary

SG 1 Establish Organizational Process Assets
SP 1.1 Establish Standard Processes
SP 1.2 Establish Lifecycle Model Descriptions
SP 1.3 Establish Tailoring Criteria and Guidelines
SP 1.4 Establish the Organization’s Measurement Repository
SP 1.5 Establish the Organization’s Process Asset Library
SP 1.6 Establish Work Environment Standards

IPPD Addition

SG 2 Enable IPPD Management
SP 2.1 Establish Empowerment Mechanisms
SP 2.2 Establish Rules and Guidelines for Integrated Teams
SP 2.3 Balance Team and Home Organization Responsibilities

SG 1 Establish Organizational Process Assets

A set of organizational process assets is established and maintained.

IPPD Addition
Integrated processes that emphasize parallel rather than serial development are a cornerstone of IPPD implementation. The processes for developing the product and for developing product-related lifecycle processes, such as the manufacturing process and the support process, are integrated and conducted concurrently. Such integrated processes should accommodate the information provided by stakeholders representing all phases of the product lifecycle from both business and technical functions. Processes for effective teamwork are also needed.

SP 1.1 Establish Standard Processes

Establish and maintain the organization's set of standard processes.

Standard processes may be defined at multiple levels in an enterprise and they may be related in a hierarchical manner. For example, an enterprise may have a set of standard processes that is tailored by individual organizations (e.g., a division or site) in the enterprise to establish their set of standard processes. The set of standard processes may also be tailored for each of the organization’s business areas or product lines. Thus “the organization’s set of standard processes” can refer to the standard processes established at the organization level and standard processes that may be established at lower levels, although some organizations may only have a single level of standard processes. (See the definitions of “standard process” and “organization’s set of standard processes” in the glossary.)
Multiple standard processes may be needed to address the needs of different application domains, lifecycle models, methodologies, and tools. The organization’s set of standard processes contains process elements (e.g., a work product size-estimating element) that may be interconnected according to one or more process architectures that describe the relationships among these process elements.
The organization’s set of standard processes typically includes technical, management, administrative, support, and organizational processes.

IPPD Addition

In an IPPD environment, the organization's set of standard processes includes a process that projects use to establish a shared vision.

The organization’s set of standard processes should collectively cover all processes needed by the organization and projects, including those processes addressed by the process areas at Maturity Level 2.

Typical Work Products

1. Organization's set of standard processes

Subpractices

1. Decompose each standard process into constituent process elements to the detail needed to understand and describe the process.
Each process element covers a bounded and closely related set of activities. The descriptions of the process elements may be templates to be filled in, fragments to be completed, abstractions to be refined, or complete descriptions to be tailored or used unmodified. These elements are described in sufficient detail such that the process, when fully defined, can be consistently performed by appropriately trained and skilled people.
Examples of process elements include the following:
· Template for generating work product size estimates
· Description of work product design methodology
· Tailorable peer review methodology
· Template for conduct of management reviews

2. Specify the critical attributes of each process element.
Examples of critical attributes include the following:
· Process roles
· Applicable standards
· Applicable procedures, methods, tools, and resources
· Process-performance objectives
· Entry criteria
· Inputs
· Product and process measures to be collected and used
· Verification points (e.g., peer reviews)
· Outputs
· Interfaces
· Exit criteria

3. Specify the relationships of the process elements.
Examples of relationships include the following:
· Ordering of the process elements
· Interfaces among the process elements
· Interfaces with external processes
· Interdependencies among the process elements

The rules for describing the relationships among process elements are referred to as “process architecture.” The process architecture covers the essential requirements and guidelines. The detailed specifications of these relationships are covered in the descriptions of the defined processes that are tailored from the organization’s set of standard processes.
4. Ensure that the organization's set of standard processes adheres to applicable policies, standards, and models.
Adherence to applicable process standards and models is typically demonstrated by developing a mapping from the organization’s set of standard processes to the relevant process standards and models. In addition, this mapping will be a useful input to future appraisals.
5. Ensure that the organization’s set of standard processes satisfies the process needs and objectives of the organization.
Refer to the Organizational Process Focus process area for more information about establishing and maintaining the organization’s process needs and objectives.
6. Ensure that there is appropriate integration among the processes that are included in the organization’s set of standard processes.
7. Document the organization's set of standard processes.
8. Conduct peer reviews on the organization's set of standard processes.
Refer to the Verification process area for more information about peer review.
9. Revise the organization's set of standard processes as necessary.

SP 1.2 Establish Lifecycle Model Descriptions

Establish and maintain descriptions of the lifecycle models approved for use in the organization.

Lifecycle models may be developed for a variety of customers or in a variety of situations, since one lifecycle model may not be appropriate for all situations. Lifecycle models are often used to define the phases of the project. Also, the organization may define different lifecycle models for each type of product and service it delivers.
Typical Work Products
1. Descriptions of lifecycle models
Subpractices
1. Select lifecycle models based on the needs of projects and the organization.
For example, project lifecycle models include the following:
· Waterfall
· Spiral
· Evolutionary
· Incremental
· Iterative

2. Document the descriptions of the lifecycle models.
The lifecycle models may be documented as part of the organization’s standard process descriptions or they may be documented separately.
3. Conduct peer reviews on the lifecycle models.
Refer to the Verification process area for more information about conducting peer reviews.
4. Revise the descriptions of the lifecycle models as necessary.

SP 1.3 Establish Tailoring Criteria and Guidelines

Establish and maintain the tailoring criteria and guidelines for the organization's set of standard processes.

IPPD Addition
In creating the tailoring criteria and guidelines, include considerations for concurrent development and operating with integrated teams. For example, how one tailors the manufacturing process will be different depending on whether it is developed serially after the product has been developed or in parallel with the development of the product, as in IPPD. Processes, such as resource allocation, will also be tailored differently if the project is operating with integrated teams.

The tailoring criteria and guidelines describe the following:
· How the organization’s set of standard processes and organizational process assets are used to create the defined processes
· Mandatory requirements that must be satisfied by the defined processes (e.g., the subset of the organizational process assets that are essential for any defined process)
· Options that can be exercised and criteria for selecting among the options
· Procedures that must be followed in performing and documenting process tailoring
Examples of reasons for tailoring include the following:
· Adapting the process for a new product line or work environment
· Customizing the process for a specific application or class of similar applications
· Elaborating the process description so that the resulting defined process can be performed

Flexibility in tailoring and defining processes is balanced with ensuring appropriate consistency in the processes across the organization. Flexibility is needed to address contextual variables such as the domain; nature of the customer; cost, schedule, and quality tradeoffs; technical difficulty of the work; and experience of the people implementing the process. Consistency across the organization is needed so that organizational standards, objectives, and strategies are appropriately addressed, and process data and lessons learned can be shared.
Tailoring criteria and guidelines may allow for using a standard process “as is,” with no tailoring.
Typical Work Products
1. Tailoring guidelines for the organization's set of standard processes
Subpractices
1. Specify the selection criteria and procedures for tailoring the organization's set of standard processes.
Examples of criteria and procedures include the following:
· Criteria for selecting lifecycle models from those approved by the organization
· Criteria for selecting process elements from the organization’s set of standard processes
· Procedures for tailoring the selected lifecycle models and process elements to accommodate specific process characteristics and needs

Examples of tailoring actions include the following:
· Modifying a lifecycle model
· Combining elements of different lifecycle models
· Modifying process elements
· Replacing process elements
· Reordering process elements

2. Specify the standards for documenting the defined processes.
3. Specify the procedures for submitting and obtaining approval of waivers from the requirements of the organization’s set of standard processes.
4. Document the tailoring guidelines for the organization's set of standard processes.
5. Conduct peer reviews on the tailoring guidelines.
Refer to the Verification process area for more information about conducting peer reviews.
6. Revise the tailoring guidelines as necessary.

SP 1.4 Establish the Organization's Measurement Repository

Establish and maintain the organization’s measurement repository.

Refer to the Use Organizational Process Assets for Planning Project Activities specific practice of the Integrated Project Management process area for more information about the use of the organization’s measurement repository in planning project activities.
The repository contains both product and process measures that are related to the organization’s set of standard processes. It also contains or refers to the information needed to understand and interpret the measures and assess them for reasonableness and applicability. For example, the definitions of the measures are used to compare similar measures from different processes.
Typical Work Products
1. Definition of the common set of product and process measures for the organization’s set of standard processes
2. Design of the organization’s measurement repository
3. Organization's measurement repository (that is, the repository structure and support environment)
4. Organization’s measurement data
Subpractices
1. Determine the organization's needs for storing, retrieving, and analyzing measurements.
2. Define a common set of process and product measures for the organization's set of standard processes.
The measures in the common set are selected based on the organization’s set of standard processes. They are selected for their ability to provide visibility into process performance to support expected business objectives. The common set of measures may vary for different standard processes.
Operational definitions for the measures specify the procedures for collecting valid data and the point in the process where the data will be collected.
Examples of classes of commonly used measures include the following:
· Estimates of work product size (e.g., pages)
· Estimates of effort and cost (e.g., person hours)
· Actual measures of size, effort, and cost
· Quality measures (e.g., number of defects found or severity of defects)
· Peer review coverage
· Test coverage
· Reliability measures (e.g., mean time to failure)

Refer to the Measurement and Analysis process area for more information about defining measures.
3. Design and implement the measurement repository.
4. Specify the procedures for storing, updating, and retrieving measures.
5. Conduct peer reviews on the definitions of the common set of measures and the procedures for storing and retrieving measures.
Refer to the Verification process area for more information about conducting peer reviews.
6. Enter the specified measures into the repository.
Refer to the Measurement and Analysis process area for more information about collecting and analyzing data.
7. Make the contents of the measurement repository available for use by the organization and projects as appropriate.
8. Revise the measurement repository, common set of measures, and procedures as the organization’s needs change.
Examples of when the common set of measures may need to be revised include the following:
· New processes are added
· Processes are revised and new measures are needed
· Finer granularity of data is required
· Greater visibility into the process is required
· Measures are retired

SP 1.5 Establish the Organization's Process Asset Library

Establish and maintain the organization's process asset library.

Examples of items to be stored in the organization’s process asset library include the following:
· Organizational policies
· Defined process descriptions
· Procedures (e.g., estimating procedure)
· Development plans
· Acquisition plans
· Quality assurance plans
· Training materials
· Process aids (e.g., checklists)
· Lessons-learned reports

Typical Work Products

1. Design of the organization’s process asset library
2. Organization's process asset library
3. Selected items to be included in the organization’s process asset library
4. Catalog of items in the organization’s process asset library
Subpractices
1. Design and implement the organization’s process asset library, including the library structure and support environment.
2. Specify the criteria for including items in the library.
The items are selected based primarily on their relationship to the organization’s set of standard processes.
3. Specify the procedures for storing and retrieving items.
4. Enter the selected items into the library and catalog them for easy reference and retrieval.
5. Make the items available for use by the projects.
6. Periodically review the use of each item and use the results to maintain the library contents.
7. Revise the organization’s process asset library as necessary.
Examples of when the library may need to be revised include the following:
· New items are added
· Items are retired
· Current versions of items are changed

SP 1.6 Establish Work Environment Standards

Establish and maintain work environment standards.

Work environment standards allow the organization and projects to benefit from common tools, training, and maintenance, as well as cost savings from volume purchases. Work environment standards address the needs of all stakeholders and consider productivity, cost, availability, security, and workplace health, safety, and ergonomic factors. Work environment standards can include guidelines for tailoring and/or the use of waivers that allow adaptation of the project’s work environment to meet specific needs.
Examples of work environment standards include
· Procedures for operation, safety, and security of the work environment
· Standard workstation hardware and software
· Standard application software and tailoring guidelines for it
· Standard production and calibration equipment
· Process for requesting and approving tailoring or waivers

Typical Work Products

1. Work environment standards
Subpractices
1. Evaluate commercially-available work environment standards appropriate for the organization.
2. Adopt existing work environment standards and develop new ones to fill gaps based on the organization’s process needs and objectives.

SG 2 Enable IPPD Management

Organizational rules and guidelines, which govern the operation of integrated teams, are provided.

An organizational infrastructure that supports and promotes IPPD concepts is critical if it is to be successfully sustained over the long term. These rules and guidelines promote concepts such as integrated teaming and allow for empowered decision making at many levels. Through its rules and guidelines, the organization demonstrates commitment to IPPD and the success of its integrated teams.
IPPD rules and guidelines become part of the organization’s set of standard processes and the project’s defined process. The organization’s standard processes enable, promote, and reinforce the behaviors expected from projects, integrated teams, and people. These expected behaviors are typically communicated in the form of policies, operating procedures, guidelines, and other organizational process assets.

SP 2.1 Establish Empowerment Mechanisms

Establish and maintain empowerment mechanisms to enable timely decision making.

In a successful IPPD environment, clear channels of responsibility and authority must be established. Issues can arise at any level of the organization when integrated teams assume too much or too little authority and when it is unclear who is responsible for making decisions. Documenting and deploying organizational guidelines that clearly define the empowerment of integrated teams can prevent these issues.

Implementing IPPD introduces challenges to leadership because of the cultural changes required when people and integrated teams are empowered and decisions are driven to the lowest level appropriate. Effective and efficient communication mechanisms are critical to timely and sound decision making in the integrated work environment. Once an integrated team project structure is established and training is provided, mechanisms to handle empowerment, decision making, and issue resolution also need to be provided.
Refer to the Decision Analysis and Resolution process area for more information about decision making.

Typical Work Products

1. Empowerment rules and guidelines for people and integrated teams
2. Decision-making rules and guidelines
3. Issue resolution documentation
Subpractices
1. Determine rules and guidelines for the degree of empowerment provided to people and integrated teams.
Factors to consider regarding integrated team empowerment include the following:
· Authority of teams to pick their own leader
· Authority of teams to implement subteams (e.g., a product team forming an integration subteam)
· The degree of collective decision making
· The level of consensus needed for integrated team decisions
· How conflicts and differences of opinion within the integrated teams are addressed and resolved

2. Determine rules and guidelines for the use of different decision types in making various kinds of team decisions.
3. Define the process for using the decision-making rules and guidelines.
4. Define a process for issue resolution when an issue cannot be decided at the level at which it arose.
Refer to the Resolve Coordination Issues specific practice in the Integrated Project Management process area for more information about resolving issues with relevant stakeholders.
5. Maintain the empowerment mechanisms and the rules and guidelines for decision making.

SP 2.2 Establish Rules and Guidelines for Integrated Teams

Establish and maintain organizational rules and guidelines for structuring and forming integrated teams.

Operating rules and guidelines for the integrated teams define and control how teams interact to accomplish objectives. These rules and guidelines also promote the effective leveraging of the teams’ efforts, high performance, and productivity. Integrated team members must understand the standards for work and participate according to those standards.
Typical Work Products
1. Rules and guidelines for the structuring and formation of integrated teams
Subpractices
1. Establish rules and guidelines for structuring and forming integrated teams.
Organizational process assets can help the project to structure and implement integrated teams. Such assets may include the following:
· Team structure guidelines
· Team formation guidelines
· Team authority and responsibility guidelines
· IPPD implementation techniques
· Guidelines for managing risks in IPPD
· Guidelines for establishing lines of communication and authority
· Team leader selection criteria
· Team responsibility guidelines

2. Define the expectations, rules, and guidelines that will guide how the integrated teams work collectively.
These rules and guidelines establish organizational practices for consistency across integrated teams and can include the following:
· How interfaces among integrated teams are established and maintained
· How assignments are accepted
· How resources and input are accessed
· How work gets done
· Who checks, reviews, and approves work
· How work is approved
· How work is delivered and communicated
· Reporting chains
· Reporting requirements (cost, schedule, and performance status), measures, and methods
· Progress reporting measures and methods
3. Maintain the rules and guidelines for structuring and forming integrated teams.

SP 2.3 Balance Team and Home Organization Responsibilities

Establish and maintain organizational guidelines to help team members balance their team and home organization responsibilities.

A “home organization” is the part of the organization to which team members are assigned when they are not on an integrated team. A home organization may be called a “functional organization,” “home base,” “home office,” or “direct organization.” Home organizations are often responsible for the career growth of their members (e.g., performance appraisals and training to maintain functional and discipline expertise).
In an IPPD environment, reporting procedures and rating systems assume that members’ responsibilities are focused on the integrated team, not on the home organization. However, the responsibility of integrated team members to their home organizations is also important, specifically for process implementation and improvement. Workloads and responsibilities should be balanced between projects and functions, and career growth and advancement. Organizational mechanisms should exist that support the home organization while aligning the workforce to meet business objectives in a teaming environment.
Sometimes teams persist beyond their productive life in organizations that do not have a home organization for the team members to return to after the integrated the team is dissolved. Therefore, there should be guidelines for disbanding the integrated teams and maintaining home organizations.

Typical Work Products

1. Organizational guidelines for balancing team and home organization responsibilities
2. Performance review process that considers both functional supervisor and team leader input
Subpractices
1. Establish guidelines for home organization responsibilities that promote integrated team behavior.
2. Establish guidelines for team management responsibilities to ensure integrated team members report appropriately to their home organizations.
3. Establish a performance review process that considers input from both home organization and integrated team leaders.
4. Maintain the guidelines for balancing team and home organization responsibilities.

4.9. ORGANIZATIONAL PROCESS FOCUS

Purpose

The purpose of Organizational Process Focus (OPF) is to plan, implement, and deploy organizational process improvements based on a thorough understanding of the current strengths and weaknesses of the organization’s processes and process assets.

Introductory Notes

The organization's processes include all the processes used by the organization and its projects. Candidate improvements to the organization's processes and process assets are obtained from various sources, including measurement of the processes, lessons learned in implementing the processes, results of process appraisals, results of product evaluation activities, results of benchmarking against other organizations’ processes, and recommendations from other improvement initiatives in the organization.
Process improvement occurs within the context of the organization’s needs and is used to address the organization’s objectives. The organization encourages participation in process improvement activities by those who will perform the process. The responsibility for facilitating and managing the organization’s process improvement activities, including coordinating the participation of others, is typically assigned to a process group. The organization provides the long-term commitment and resources required to sponsor this group and to ensure the effective and timely deployment of the improvements.
Careful planning is required to ensure that process improvement efforts across the organization are adequately managed and implemented. The organization’s planning for process improvement results in a process improvement plan.
The organization’s process improvement plan will address appraisal planning, process action planning, pilot planning, and deployment planning. Appraisal plans describe the appraisal timeline and schedule, the scope of the appraisal, the resources required to perform the appraisal, the reference model against which the appraisal will be performed, and the logistics for the appraisal.
Process action plans usually result from appraisals and document how specific improvements targeting the weaknesses uncovered by an appraisal will be implemented. In cases in which it is determined that the improvement described in the process action plan should be tested on a small group before deploying it across the organization, a pilot plan is generated.
Finally, when the improvement is to be deployed, a deployment plan is used. This plan describes when and how the improvement will be deployed across the organization.
Organizational process assets are used to describe, implement, and improve the organization's processes (see the definition of “organizational process assets” in the glossary).
Related Process Areas
Refer to the Organizational Process Definition process area for more information about the organizational process assets.

Specific Goal and Practice Summary

SG 1 Determine Process Improvement Opportunities
SP 1.1 Establish Organizational Process Needs
SP 1.2 Appraise the Organization’s Processes
SP 1.3 Identify the Organization's Process Improvements

SG 2 Plan and Implement Process Improvements
SP 2.1 Establish Process Action Plans
SP 2.2 Implement Process Action Plans

SG 3 Deploy Organizational Process Assets and Incorporate Lessons Learned
SP 3.1 Deploy Organizational Process Assets
SP 3.2 Deploy Standard Processes
SP 3.3 Monitor Implementation
SP 3.4 Incorporate Process-Related Experiences into the Organizational Process Assets

SG 1 Determine Process Improvement Opportunities

Strengths, weaknesses, and improvement opportunities for the organization's processes are identified periodically and as needed.

Strengths, weaknesses, and improvement opportunities may be determined relative to a process standard or model such as a CMMI model or International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standard. The process improvements should be selected specifically to address the organization’s needs.

SP 1.1 Establish Organizational Process Needs

Establish and maintain the description of the process needs and objectives for the organization.

IPPD Addition
Integrated processes that emphasize parallel rather than serial development are a cornerstone of IPPD implementation. The processes for developing the product and for developing product-related lifecycle processes, such as the manufacturing process and the support process processes, are integrated and conducted concurrently. Such integrated processes need to accommodate the information provided by stakeholders representing all phases of the product lifecycle from both business and technical functions. Processes for effective teamwork will also be needed.

IPPD Addition
Examples of processes for effective teamwork include the following:
· Communications
· Collaborative decision making
· Issue resolution
· Team building


The organization’s processes operate in a business context that must be understood. The organization’s business objectives, needs, and constraints determine the needs and objectives for the organization’s processes. Typically, the issues related to finance, technology, quality, human resources, and marketing are important process considerations.
The organization’s process needs and objectives cover aspects that include the following:
· Characteristics of the processes
· Process-performance objectives, such as time-to-market and delivered quality
· Process effectiveness
Typical Work Products
1. Organization’s process needs and objectives
Subpractices
1. Identify the policies, standards, and business objectives that are applicable to the organization's processes.
2. Examine relevant process standards and models for best practices.
3. Determine the organization’s process-performance objectives.
Process-performance objectives may be expressed in quantitative or qualitative terms.
Refer to the Measurement and Analysis process area for more information about establishing measurement objectives.
Examples of process-performance objectives include the following:
· Cycle time
· Defect removal rates
· Productivity

4. Define the essential characteristics of the organization’s processes.
The essential characteristics of the organization’s processes are determined based on the following:
· Processes currently being used in the organization
· Standards imposed by the organization
· Standards commonly imposed by customers of the organization
Examples of process characteristics include the following:
· Level of detail used to describe the processes
· Process notation used
· Granularity of the processes

5. Document the organization’s process needs and objectives.
6. Revise the organization’s process needs and objectives as needed.

SP 1.2 Appraise the Organization's Processes

Appraise the organization's processes periodically and as needed to maintain an understanding of their strengths and weaknesses.

Process appraisals may be performed for the following reasons:
· To identify processes that should be improved
· To confirm progress and make the benefits of process improvement visible
· To satisfy the needs of a customer-supplier relationship
· To motivate and facilitate buy-in
The buy-in gained during a process appraisal can be eroded significantly if it is not followed by an appraisal-based action plan.
Typical Work Products
1. Plans for the organization's process appraisals
2. Appraisal findings that address strengths and weaknesses of the organization's processes
3. Improvement recommendations for the organization's processes
Subpractices
1. Obtain sponsorship of the process appraisal from senior management.
Senior management sponsorship includes the commitment to have the organization's managers and staff participate in the process appraisal and to provide the resources and funding to analyze and communicate the findings of the appraisal.
2. Define the scope of the process appraisal.
Process appraisals may be performed on the entire organization or may be performed on a smaller part of an organization such as a single project or business area.
The scope of the process appraisal addresses the following:
· Definition of the organization (e.g., sites or business areas) that will be covered by the appraisal
· Identification of the project and support functions that will represent the organization in the appraisal
· Processes that will be appraised
3. Determine the method and criteria for process appraisal.
Process appraisals can occur in many forms. Process appraisals should address the needs and objectives of the organization, which may change over time. For example, the appraisal may be based on a process model, such as a CMMI model, or on a national or international standard, such as ISO 9001 [ISO 2000]. The appraisals may also be based on a benchmark comparison with other organizations. The appraisal method may assume a variety of characteristics in terms of time and effort expended, makeup of the appraisal team, and the method and depth of investigation.
4. Plan, schedule, and prepare for the process appraisal.
5. Conduct the process appraisal.
6. Document and deliver the appraisal’s activities and findings.

SP 1.3 Identify the Organization's Process Improvements

Identify improvements to the organization's processes and process assets.

Typical Work Products
1. Analysis of candidate process improvements
2. Identification of improvements for the organization's processes
Subpractices
1. Determine candidate process improvements.
Candidate process improvements are typically determined by doing the following:
· Measure the processes and analyze the measurement results
· Review the processes for effectiveness and suitability
· Review the lessons learned from tailoring the organization’s set of standard processes
· Review the lessons learned from implementing the processes
· Review process improvement proposals submitted by the organization’s managers, staff, and other relevant stakeholders
· Solicit inputs on process improvements from senior management and leaders in the organization
· Examine the results of process appraisals and other process-related reviews
· Review results of other organizational improvement initiatives
2. Prioritize the candidate process improvements.
Criteria for prioritization are as follows:
· Consider the estimated cost and effort to implement the process improvements
· Appraise the expected improvement against the organization’s improvement objectives and priorities
· Determine the potential barriers to the process improvements and develop strategies for overcoming these barriers
Examples of techniques to help determine and prioritize the possible improvements to be implemented include the following:
· A gap analysis that compares current conditions in the organization with optimal conditions
· Force-field analysis of potential improvements to identify potential barriers and strategies for overcoming those barriers
· Cause-and-effect analyses to provide information on the potential effects of different improvements that can then be compared

3. Identify and document the process improvements that will be implemented.
4. Revise the list of planned process improvements to keep it current.

SG 2 Plan and Implement Process Improvements

Process actions that address improvements to the organization’s processes and process assets are planned and implemented.

Successful implementation of improvements requires participation in process action planning and implementation by process owners, those performing the process, and support organizations.

SP 2.1 Establish Process Action Plans

Establish and maintain process action plans to address improvements to the organization's processes and process assets.

Establishing and maintaining process action plans typically involves the following roles:
· Management steering committees to set strategies and oversee process improvement activities
· Process group staff to facilitate and manage process improvement activities
· Process action teams to define and implement process actions
· Process owners to manage deployment
· Practitioners to perform the process
This involvement helps to obtain buy-in on the process improvements and increases the likelihood of effective deployment.
Process action plans are detailed implementation plans. These plans differ from the organization’s process improvement plan in that they are plans targeting specific improvements that have been defined to address weaknesses usually uncovered by appraisals.
Typical Work Products
1. Organization's approved process action plans
Subpractices
1. Identify strategies, approaches, and actions to address the identified process improvements.
New, unproven, and major changes are piloted before they are incorporated into normal use.
2. Establish process action teams to implement the actions.
The teams and people performing the process improvement actions are called “process action teams.” Process action teams typically include process owners and those who perform the process.
3. Document process action plans.
Process action plans typically cover the following:
· Process improvement infrastructure
· Process improvement objectives
· Process improvements that will be addressed
· Procedures for planning and tracking process actions
· Strategies for piloting and implementing the process actions
· Responsibility and authority for implementing the process actions
· Resources, schedules, and assignments for implementing the process actions
· Methods for determining the effectiveness of the process actions
· Risks associated with process action plans
4. Review and negotiate process action plans with relevant stakeholders.
5. Review process action plans as necessary.

SP 2.2 Implement Process Action Plans

Implement process action plans.

Typical Work Products
1. Commitments among the various process action teams
2. Status and results of implementing process action plans
3. Plans for pilots
Subpractices
1. Make process action plans readily available to relevant stakeholders.
2. Negotiate and document commitments among the process action teams and revise their process action plans as necessary.
3. Track progress and commitments against process action plans.
4. Conduct joint reviews with the process action teams and relevant stakeholders to monitor the progress and results of the process actions.
5. Plan pilots needed to test selected process improvements.
6. Review the activities and work products of process action teams.
7. Identify, document, and track to closure issues in implementing process action plans.
8. Ensure that the results of implementing process action plans satisfy the organization’s process improvement objectives.

SG 3 Deploy Organizational Process Assets and Incorporate Lessons Learned

The organizational process assets are deployed across the organization and process-related experiences are incorporated into the organizational process assets.

The specific practices within this specific goal describe ongoing activities. New opportunities to benefit from the organizational process assets and changes to them may arise throughout the life of each project. Deployment of the standard processes and other organizational process assets must be continually supported within the organization, particularly for new projects at startup.

SP 3.1 Deploy Organizational Process Assets

Deploy organizational process assets across the organization.

Deploying organizational process assets or changes to organizational process assets should be performed in an orderly manner. Some organizational process assets or changes to organizational process assets may not be appropriate for use in some parts of the organization (because of customer requirements or the current lifecycle phase being implemented, for example). It is therefore important that those that are or will be executing the process, as well as other organization functions (such as training and quality assurance), be involved in the deployment as necessary.
Refer to the Organizational Process Definition process area for more information about how the deployment of organizational process assets is supported and enabled by the organization’s process asset library.
Typical Work Products
1. Plans for deploying organizational process assets and changes to them across the organization
2. Training materials for deploying organizational process assets and changes to them
3. Documentation of changes to organizational process assets
4. Support materials for deploying organizational process assets and changes to them
Subpractices
1. Deploy organizational process assets across the organization.
Typical activities performed as a part of this deployment include the following:
· Identifying the organizational process assets that should be adopted by those who perform the process
· Determining how the organizational process assets are made available (e.g., via Web site)
· Identifying how changes to the organizational process assets are communicated
· Identifying the resources (e.g., methods and tools) needed to support the use of the organizational process assets
· Planning the deployment
· Assisting those who use the organizational process assets
· Ensuring that training is available for those who use the organizational process assets
Refer to the Organizational Training process area for more information about coordination of training.
2. Document the changes to the organizational process assets.
Documenting changes to the organizational process assets serves two main purposes:
· To enable communication of the changes
· To understand the relationship of changes in the organizational process assets to changes in process performance and results
3. Deploy the changes that were made to the organizational process assets across the organization.
Typical activities performed as a part of deploying changes include the following:
· Determining which changes are appropriate for those who perform the process
· Planning the deployment
· Arranging for the associated support needed to successfully transition the changes
4. Provide guidance and consultation on the use of the organizational process assets.

SP 3.2 Deploy Standard Processes

Deploy the organization’s set of standard processes to projects at their startup and deploy changes to them as appropriate throughout the life of each project.

It is important that new projects use proven and effective processes to perform critical early activities (e.g., project planning, receiving requirements, and obtaining resources).
Projects should also periodically update their defined processes to incorporate the latest changes made to the organization’s set of standard processes when it will benefit them. This periodic updating helps to ensure that all project activities derive the full benefit of what other projects have learned.
Refer to the Organizational Process Definition process area for more information about the organization’s set of standard processes and tailoring guidelines.
Typical Work Products
1. Organization's list of projects and status of process deployment on each project (i.e., existing and planned projects)
2. Guidelines for deploying the organization’s set of standard processes on new projects
3. Records of tailoring the organization’s set of standard processes and implementing them on identified projects
Subpractices
1. Identify projects within the organization that are starting up.
2. Identify active projects that would benefit from implementing the organization’s current set of standard processes.
3. Establish plans to implement the organization’s current set of standard processes on the identified projects.
4. Assist projects in tailoring the organization’s set of standard processes to meet project needs.
Refer to the Integrated Project Management process area for more information about tailoring the organization’s set of standard processes to meet the unique needs and objectives of the project.
5. Maintain records of tailoring and implementing processes on the identified projects.
6. Ensure that the defined processes resulting from process tailoring are incorporated into the plans for process-compliance audits.
Process-compliance audits address objective evaluations of project activities against the project’s defined processes.
7. As the organization’s set of standard processes are updated, identify which projects should implement the changes.

SP 3.3 Monitor Implementation

Monitor the implementation of the organization’s set of standard processes and use of process assets on all projects.

By monitoring implementation, the organization ensures that the organization’s set of standard processes and other process assets are appropriately deployed to all projects. Monitoring implementation also helps the organization develop an understanding of the organizational process assets being used and where they are used within the organization. Monitoring also helps to establish a broader context for interpreting and using process and product measures, lessons learned, and improvement information obtained from projects.
Typical Work Products
1. Results of monitoring process implementation on projects
2. Status and results of process-compliance evaluations
3. Results of reviewing selected process artifacts created as part of process tailoring and implementation
Subpractices
1. Monitor projects for their use of the organization’s process assets and changes to them.
2. Review selected process artifacts created during the life of each project.
Reviewing selected process artifacts created during the life of a project ensures that all projects are making appropriate use of the organization’s set of standard processes.
3. Review the results of process-compliance evaluations to determine how well the organization’s set of standard processes has been deployed.
Refer to the Process and Product Quality Assurance process area for more information about objectively evaluating processes against applicable process descriptions, standards, and procedures.
4. Identify, document, and track to closure issues related to implementing the organization’s set of standard processes.

SP 3.4 Incorporate Process-Related Experiences into the Organizational Process Assets

Incorporate process-related work products, measures, and improvement information derived from planning and performing the process into the organizational process assets.

Typical Work Products
1. Process improvement proposals
2. Process lessons learned
3. Measurements on the organizational process assets
4. Improvement recommendations for the organizational process assets
5. Records of the organization's process improvement activities
6. Information on the organizational process assets and improvements to them
Subpractices
1. Conduct periodic reviews of the effectiveness and suitability of the organization’s set of standard processes and related organizational process assets relative to the organization’s business objectives.
2. Obtain feedback about the use of the organizational process assets.
3. Derive lessons learned from defining, piloting, implementing, and deploying the organizational process assets.
4. Make available lessons learned to the people in the organization as appropriate.
Actions may have to be taken to ensure that lessons learned are used appropriately.
Examples of inappropriate use of lessons learned include the following:
· Evaluating the performance of people
· Judging process performance or results

Examples of ways to prevent inappropriate use of lessons learned include the following:
· Controlling access to the lessons learned
· Educating people about the appropriate use of lessons learned

5. Analyze the organization's common set of measures.
Refer to the Measurement and Analysis process area for more information about analyzing measures.
Refer to the Organizational Process Definition process area for more information about establishing an organizational measurement repository, including common measures.
6. Appraise the processes, methods, and tools in use in the organization and develop recommendations for improving the organizational process assets.
This appraisal typically includes the following:
· Determining which of the processes, methods, and tools are of potential use to other parts of the organization
· Appraising the quality and effectiveness of the organizational process assets
· Identifying candidate improvements to the organizational process assets
· Determining compliance with the organization’s set of standard processes and tailoring guidelines
7. Make the best of the organization's processes, methods, and tools available to the people in the organization as appropriate.
8. Manage process improvement proposals.
Process improvement proposals can address both process and technology improvements.
The activities for managing process improvement proposals typically include the following:
· Soliciting process improvement proposals
· Collecting process improvement proposals
· Reviewing process improvement proposals
· Selecting the process improvement proposals that will be implemented
· Tracking the implementation of process improvement proposals
Process improvement proposals are documented as process change requests or problem reports, as appropriate.
Some process improvement proposals may be incorporated into the organization’s process action plans.
9. Establish and maintain records of the organization's process improvement activities.