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Crafting a CMMI V2 Compliant Process for Governance Practice Area: An

Experiential Proposal

Conference Paper · November 2020

DOI: 10.1109/UYMS50627.2020.9247068

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 Crafting a CMMI V2 Compliant Process for
Governance Practice Area: An Experiential Proposal
Mustafa Degerli
Graduate School of Informatics
Middle East Technical University
Ankara, Turkey
mustafa.degerli@metu.edu.tr
Abstract—Noteworthy amount of systems and software
development organizations deal with the Capability Maturity
Model Integration (CMMI) for enhancements concerning
relevant processes, performance, and products. Besides, lately,
the CMMI Institute released the new version (V2) of the CMMI.
CMMI V2 includes some new practice areas and the governance
is one of the most chief practice areas owing to that it is a must
for every other practice area and benchmark level ratings. In
this paper, the author proposes an experiential craft process for
the governance practice area. Explicitly, the author presents all-
inclusive particulars concerning the process definition, process
performance indicator, process inputs and outputs, process
activities flow, governance meeting presentation template,
governance minutes of meetings, and governance action items
log. The author modestly thinks these specifics are going to be
beneficial for organizations in defining and refining their own
governance business processes and relevant assets to not only
become compliant with CMMI V2, but also conspicuously
reduce the cost of process implementations, to notably increase
the likelihood of meeting objectives, and to firmly guarantee
that the implemented processes support and contribute to the
business success.
Keywords—governance, business, CMMI V2, improvement,
process, performance
I. INTRODUCTION
Stemming from firm and hard competitions, many systems
and software development organizations need to accomplish
better processes, performance, and products. Besides,
nowadays, it is well known that people, process, and
technology dimensions are the main dynamics of the game,
and organizations pay great significance to the processes they
use to develop and deliver relevant goods and services.
Furthermore, intended for process and performance
improvements, Capability Maturity Model Integration
(CMMI) is a fairly widespread model. As conveyed by the
CMMI Institute [1], CMMI appraisals by year rise each year,
and precisely in 2019 there are over 3000 appraisals conducted
and this number also was bigger than 3000 in 2018. Above
and beyond, since 2008, there have been over 23,000
appraisals conducted all-inclusive, 109 of them in Turkey, and
4392 of the in the US.
Additionally, it is quite generally accepted that CMMI is
not a silver bullet, but it is something markedly advantageous
and helpful regarding practices in systems and software
engineering and management domains [2]. In this context,
CMMI Institute reported [3] that performance results of
CMMI V2.0 adoption are: Increased productivity (14%),
reduced rework (70%), increased profitability (57%), rate of
on-time delivery (97%), reduction of the defect (20%), and
improved estimation accuracy (17%).
978-1-7281-8541-5/20/$31.00 ©2020 IEEE
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What’s more, the CMMI Institute has lately released
version 2 (V2.0) of the CMMI [4] and in the new version of
the model there are some new practice areas and the
governance is one of them. Specifically, the governance
practice area is one of the most imperative practice areas
owing to the fact that it is a requirement for every other
practice areas and benchmark level ratings in official CMMI
appraisals with respect to the new method definition document
[5]. That is why this paper provides an experiential craft
process proposal for the governance practice area.
II. GOVERNANCE PRACTICE AREA IN CMMI V2
Governance practice area in CMMI V2 fundamentally
provides guidance to senior management on their role in
ensuring that pertinent work is performed in a way that is
relevant and important to the business and organization.
The meticulous value of this practice area is lessening the
cost of process implementation, growing the likelihood of
meeting objectives, and safeguarding that the implemented
processes support and contribute to the success of the
business.
By the way, in the new version of the CMMI, old “generic
practices” now became new “practice areas” (governance and
implementation infrastructure).
Openly, governance is a new practice area. In this context,
an important point is that this is the only practice area where
the actors and responsible people to perform the process is
evidently noted, who is senior management.
Parenthetically, if relevant organizations are already
performing strategic planning and management practices to an
established extent, for this context, they are somehow lucky as
the expectations of this practice can easily be merged into the
pertinent strategic management practices.
However, other organizations might define and deploy a
devoted “Governance Process” and pertinent process assets
(like presentation templates covering practices defined in the
practice area, action item logs, minutes of meetings, etc.).
III. CRAFTED GOVERNANCE BUSINESS PROCESS
After intensely analyzing the whole CMMI V2 and
particularly governance practice area, the author crafted a
proposal for the governance process.
Combining CMMI V2’s expectations and professional
distillations, the author created this process and relevant assets
so that both they are applicable and they comply with the
pertinent CMMI V2 requirements.
The following subtitles provide precise particulars for the
author’s experiential proposal.
 A. Process Definition C. Inputs and Outputs Sheet
Table 1 shows the high-level definition details for the Inputs and outputs are critical process elements since they
governance business process. govern the whole process.

TABLE I. PROCESS DEFINITION Table 3 shows the pertinent inputs and outputs along with
their source information for the governance business process.
ID GOV
TABLE III. INPUTS AND OUTPUTS
Name Governance Process
Type Name From
Objective To remarkably reduce the cost of process
implementations, to notably increase the likelihood Input Strategic Plan -
of meeting objectives, and to firmly guarantee that Input Organizational Chart -
the implemented processes support and contribute Input Competency Matrix Organizational Training
to the business success. Input Measurement and Managing Performance and
Analysis Results Measurement
Scope Covers activities for senior management on their Input Process Report Process Management
role in ensuring that work is performed in a way Input Audit Reports Process Quality Assurance
that is relevant and important to the business and
organization. Output Action Items Process Asset
Development
Entry Criterion A need for the organization to achieve its Output Action Items Organizational Training
objectives through processes. Output Action Items Causal Analysis and
Resolution
Output Action Items Decision Analysis and
Exit Criterion All pertinent objectives are achieved and there are Resolution
no more objectives to be achieved. Output Action Items Risk Management and
Opportunity Management
Performance Index of Achieving Objectives Output Objectives Governance
Indicator Output Improvement Policy Governance
Output Assignments Governance
Relevant - Causal Analysis and Resolution Output Action Items Governance
Practice Areas - Decision Analysis and Resolution Output Governance Meeting Governance
- Managing Performance and Measurement Presentation
- Organizational Training Output Governance Minutes of Governance
- Process Asset Development Meetings
- Process Management
- Process Quality Assurance
- Risk Management and Opportunity D. Process Activities Flow
Management
Figure 1 shows the activities flow for the governance
B. Performance Indicator Sheet business process that the author crafted.
In order to track and manage the performance of the
governance process, the author defined a novel and relevant • Actors: Senior Management
performance indicator for the governance business process. • Inputs: Strategic Plan
• Outputs: Objectives, Improvement Policy
Table 2 provides the pertinent details for the performance 1. Define
objectives.
indicator concerning the governance process.

TABLE II. PERFORMANCE INDICATOR SHEET • Actors: Senior Management

Name
Relevant Process
Relevant Objectives
Base Measures
Formula
Target
Measurement Level
Data Collection Period
Data Analysis Period
Data Reporting Period
Responsible
• Inputs: Objectives, Improvement Policy,
Index of Achieving Objectives Organizational Chart, Competency Matrix
2. Coordinate • Outputs: Assignments, Action Items
GOV and take
Objective #13 actions.
(Continuously improve the process and
performance)
• Actors: Senior Management
# of Objectives Achieved in the Relevant
• Inputs: Objectives, Measurement and Analysis Results,
Period Process Report, Audit Reports
# of Objectives to be Achieved in the • Outputs: Action Items, Presentation, Minutes
3. Review the
Relevant Period status.
(# of Objectives Achieved in the
Relevant Period)
/
(# of Objectives to be Achieved in the • Actors: Senior Management
Relevant Period) • Inputs: Action Items, Presentation, Minutes
>= 80% • Outputs: Action Items
4. Address
Organizational review results.
3-month (Quarterly)
3-month (Quarterly)
3-month (Quarterly)
Organizational Performance Manager
Fig. 1. Governance business process activities flow.

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 E. Governance Meeting Presentation Template
In order to fully support the review of the status activity of
the governance business process, a governance meeting
presentation template is defined. Following items shall be
included in the relevant presentation in order to both attain the
objectives of the governance process and completely comply
with the CMMI V2 governance practice area:
• Strategy, Mission, Vision, and Objectives
• Policy
• Providing Resources and Training
• Assignments
• Audit Results
• Measurement and Analysis Results
• Competencies
• Action Items from the Previous Meeting
F. Governance Minutes of Meetings
After each governance meeting, minutes of meetings shall
be prepared, recorded, and maintained. These minutes shall
include relevant decisions for each of the topics covered in the
meeting and reference to pertinent action items.
G. Governance Action Items Logs
In order to manage the whole governance process, action
items for both meetings and tasks shall be recorded on the
action item log. This log shall include the following fields for
each of the actions: Identifying Number, Relevant Meeting
Date (If any), Item Opening Date, Subject, Description,
Details, Responsible(s), Due, Status, and Notes (If any).
This log shall be reviewed and updated regularly in order
to both attain the objectives of the process and comply with
the requirements of the new model.
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IV. CONCLUSION
In this paper, on the subject of governance practice area of
the CMMI V2 model, the author provided comprehensive
specifics on behalf of process definition, process performance
indicator, process inputs and outputs, process activities flow,
governance meeting presentation template, governance
minutes of meetings, and governance action items log process
assets.
The author crafted the relevant process and related assets
in a way that they can be used in various industries and sizes.
That’s why the author intentionally eliminated industry and
size-specific particulars. Hence, irrespective of their industries
and sizes, organizations may benefit from the specifics that the
author proposes.
Above and beyond, the author unpretentiously thinks these
specifics are going to be helpful for organizations in defining
and/or refining their own governance business processes to
not only become compliant with CMMI V2 but also
remarkably reduce the cost of process implementations, to
notably increase the likelihood of meeting objectives, and to
firmly guarantee that the implemented processes support and
contribute to the business success.
Specifically, attentive organizations might benefit from
the particulars the author proposed so as to define and refine
their own governance business process and relevant process
assets. Definitely, the process craft that the author proposed
must be interpreted and used by taking into account the unique
cultures and contextual realities of different organizations.
REFERENCES
[1] CMMI Institute, CMMI Adoption Trends. 2019.
[2] R. Kenett and E. R. Baker, Process improvement and CMMI for
systems and software. Boca Raton: Auerbach Publications, 2010.
[3] CMMI Institute, Take Organizational Performance to the Next Level
with CMMI V2.0. 2019.
[4] CMMI Institute, CMMI Development V2.0. 2019.
[5] CMMI Institute, CMMI Method Definition Document V2.0. 2019.