1. Comparing CMMI® and OPM3®
Pat Wegerson
02 April 2009
CMMI® is a Registered Trademark of the Software Engineering Institute
OPM3® is a Registered Trademark of the Project Management Institute

2. Agenda Introduction OPM3 Review CMMI Review
Similarities of CMMI and OPM3
Differences of CMMI and OPM3
Summary
02 April 2009

3. Introduction
“Best Practice” models describe an “ideal” organization and its operation
Best Practice models useful for:
Information / Knowledge
Appraisal / Assessment
Improvement Guide
“All models are wrong, but some are useful.” - George Box
02 April 2009

4. Introduction -2 Parent of ‘maturity models’ – Philip Crosby
Wrote “Quality is Free” in 1979
Crosby’s Quality Management Maturity Grid:
Uncertainty
Awakening
Enlightenment
Wisdom
Certainty
02 April 2009

5. OPM3 Review Organizational Project Management Maturity Model (OPM3)
First released in 2003
Built upon Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK®)
Standards first released 1987
Guide first released 1996
02 April 2009

6. OPM3 Review -2
Created & Maintained by PMI (Project Management Institute)
Not for profit private institute
Best practices work in project management
OPM3 focus is on organizational integration of:
Project
Program
Portfolio
OPM3 defines 4 stages of maturity
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7. OPM3 Review -3 OPM3 defines 4 stages of maturity
Standardize
Measure
Control
Continuously Improve
OPM3 matrixes maturity stages, project/program/portfolio, and incremental capabilities
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8. OPM3 Review -4
OPM3 model and PMBOK Guide provide information / knowledge of best practices
OPM3 includes assessment process information
OPM3 model includes improvement process
PMI provides many related resources
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9. CMMI Review Capability Maturity Model® Integration
First released in 2000
Evolved from CMM® for Software
Initial version in 1987
First released 1993
Integrates Best Practices from
Software Engineering
Systems Engineering (EIA-731)
Acquisition
Other disciplines (e.g., project management)
02 April 2009

10. CMMI Review -2
Created & Maintained by SEI (Software Engineering Institute)
Federally funded Research & Development Center since 1984
Best practices work in management, engineering, and acquisition
CMMI focus is Process & Process Improvement
CMMI® defines 5 stages of maturity
02 April 2009

11. CMMI Review -3
CMMI differentiates Best Practices between organization and project(s), i.e. Organizational …
Training (ML3)
Process Focus (ML3)
Process Definition (ML3)
Process Performance (ML4)
Innovation & Deployment (ML5)
02 April 2009

12. CMMI Review -4
CMMI model provides information / knowledge of best practices
Standard CMMI Appraisal Method for Process Improvement (SCAMPISM) provides assessment process
CMMI model and related SEI resources (e.g., IDEAL model) provide improvement process
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13. CMMI Review: Model Structure
Process Area
Generic Practices
Generic Goals
Expected
Informative
Required
KEY:
Purpose
Statement
Introductory
Notes
Related
Process Areas
Subpractices
Specific Goals
Specific Practices
Typical Work
Products
Generic Practice
Elaborations
02 April 2009

14. Similarities: CMMI & OPM3
Summarize & organize best practices as a framework
Neither are prescriptive
Based on (approx.) 5 levels of process maturity
See Crosby’s maturity grid
Levels build on each other – can’t skip foundational best practices!
02 April 2009

15. Similarities: CMMI & OPM3 -2
Not specific to a particular industry
Both have “extensions” or “constellations” for particular applications
Differentiate “organizational” from “project” levels of application
See PMI Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) for project details
02 April 2009

16. Similarities: Maturity Levels
CMMI
OPM3 5
Optimizing
Continuously Improve 4
Quantitatively Managed
Control 3
Defined
Measure 2
Managed
Standardize 1
Initial
<none>
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17. Similarities: Model Structure -2
Equivalence
CMMI
PMBOK
Major Categories
Process Groups
Process Areas
Significant Activities
Knowledge Areas
Specific Tasks to Accomplish
Goals / Practices
Processes
02 April 2009

18. Similarities: Model Structure
Equivalence
CMMI
OPM3
“Optimal Way to Objective”
Goals
Best Practices
“Specific Competency”
Specific/Generic Practices
Capabilities
“Tangible / Intangible Result”
Subpractices / Work Products
Outcomes
“Quantitative / Qualitative Criterion”
Practice Implementation Indicators
Key Performance Indicators
02 April 2009

19. Similarities: Structure Examples
OPM3 Best Practice:
“Manage Project Resource Pool”
Capability: “Match Project Resource Requirements”
CMMI (Generic) Goal:
“Institutionalize a Managed Process”
Generic Practice: “Provide Resources”
02 April 2009

20. Differences Accessibility: Focus:
CMMI is federally funded – many resources are “free”
OPM3 is PMI funded – very tightly controlled
Focus:
CMMI focus is operational implementation of processes
OPM3 emphasis is linking project / program / portfolio to organization strategic objectives
02 April 2009

21. Differences -2 CMMI has 3 “constellations”:
Development
Acquisition
Services (just released)
CMMI has 2 representations:
Staged (=> 5 Maturity Levels)
Continuous (=> 6 Capability Levels)
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22. Differences -3
OPM3 defines a matrixed 3 dimensional maturity progression
Process improvement progression “stages”
Comparable to CMMI Maturity Levels
Organizational “domains”:
Project
Program
Portfolio
Incremental “Capabilities” progression
‘Somewhat like’ CMMI Capability Levels
02 April 2009

23. Summary CMMI & OPM3 are well-defined, ‘useful’ models
Both CMMI & OPM3 provide knowledge, assessment, and improvement resources
Significant similarities in purpose and structure of CMMI & OPM3
Manageable differences between CMMI & OPM3
Can apply either – or both – successfully!
02 April 2009

24. Questions?
02 April 2009

25. References / Resources
“An Executive’s Guide to OPM3®”; Project Management Institute (PMI), 2004.
“Comparing CMMI® and OPM3®”; John L. Sullivan, 01/16/2007;
“OPM3® and CMMI®: A Preliminary Integration”; Mark A. Ward, 2007;
“CMMI® and OPM3®”; The Cahaba Group LLC, 2004;
“A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge PMBOK®    Guide—Fourth Edition”, PMI, 2008.
“CMMI®: Guidelines for Process Integration and Product Improvement, Second Edition”; Chrissis, Mary Beth et. al., Addison-Wesley, 2006.
02 April 2009