CMMI for Acquisition: Guidelines for Improving the Acquisition of Products and Services

SEI Series in Software Engineering

by Brian P. Gallagher, Mike Phillips, Karen J. Richter

CMMI® for Acquisition (CMMI-ACQ) describes best practices for the successful acquisition of products and services. Providing a practical framework for improving acquisition processes, CMMI-ACQ addresses the growing trend in business and government for organizations to purchase or outsource required products and services as an alternative to in-house development or resource allocation. Changes in CMMI-ACQ Version 1.3 include improvements to high maturity process areas, improvements to the model architecture to simplify use of multiple models, and added guidance about using preferred suppliers. CMMI® for Acquisition, Second Edition, is the definitive reference for CMMI-ACQ Version 1.3. In addition to the entire revised CMMI-ACQ model, the book includes updated tips, hints, cross-references, and other author notes to help you understand, apply, and quickly find information about the content of the acquisition process areas. The book now includes more than a dozen contributed essays to help guide the adoption and use of CMMI-ACQ in industry and government. Whether you are new to CMMI models or are already familiar with one or more of them, you will find this book an essential resource for managing your acquisition processes and improving your overall performance. The book is divided into three parts. Part One introduces CMMI-ACQ in the broad context of CMMI models, including essential concepts and useful background. It then describes and shows the relationships among all the components of the CMMI-ACQ process areas, and explains paths to the adoption and use of the model for process improvement and benchmarking. Several original essays share insights and real experiences with CMMI-ACQ in both industry and government environments. Part Two first describes generic goals and generic practices, and then details the twenty-two CMMI-ACQ process areas, including specific goals, specific practices, and examples. These process areas are organized alphabetically and are tabbed by process area acronym to facilitate quick reference. Part Three provides several useful resources, including sources of further information about CMMI and CMMI-ACQ, acronym definitions, a glossary of terms, and an index.

603 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2008

About the author

Brian P. Gallagher is the director of ISR Mission Systems Engineering within the ISR Systems Division, Mission Systems Sector, Northrop Grumman, where he is responsible for leading a team of senior engineers with expertise in the discipline of systems engineering and its practical application to large-scale, mission-critical ISR systems. Prior to this position, Brian was director of acquisition support at the Software Engineering Institute (SEI) where he was responsible for building teams from across the SEI’s disciplines to support the Department of Defense and other government agency acquisition programs. Brian was previously employed with the Aerospace Corporation where he worked as a software acquisition and engineering advisor for several Air Force and NRO projects. During his Air Force career, he was the deputy chief of Software Engineering with an Air Intelligence Agency remote intelligence site; chief software engineer on the Range Operations Control Center Project at Cape Canaveral AFS, Florida; a software project manager for the Titan IV Program Office; and a software engineer with Strategic Air Command. He received his B.S. in management information systems from Peru State College and his M.S. in computer science/software engineering from Florida Institute of Technology.

Reviews

[Ashraf]

CMMI for Acquisition Overview
CMMI-ACQ (Capability Maturity Model Integration for Acquisition) offers a set of best practices for achieving successful acquisition of products and services. It presents a practical framework that enables organizations to improve their acquisition processes, addressing the growing trend of purchasing or outsourcing rather than developing in-house or allocating resources.

This book serves as a comprehensive reference for CMMI for Acquisition (version 1.2), modeled after CMMI, Second Edition, which focused on CMMI for Development. It provides not only the complete CMMI-ACQ model but also includes author notes, hints, cross-references, and tips to facilitate understanding, application, and access to additional information related to the acquisition process areas. Additionally, the authors have included two chapters showcasing the implementation of CMMI-ACQ in both industry (a case study from General Motors) and government sectors.

Whether you are new to CMMI models or already familiar with them, this book is an invaluable resource for managing your acquisition processes and enhancing overall performance.

The book is divided into three parts.

Part One offers an introduction to CMMI-ACQ within the broader context of CMMI models, covering essential concepts and providing useful background information. It discusses the relationships among various components of the CMMI-ACQ process areas and guides readers on adopting and utilizing the model for process improvement and benchmarking. This section also includes separate chapters that address specific acquisition needs within government environments and share real industry experiences with CMMI-ACQ.

Part Two first outlines generic goals and practices, followed by twenty-two detailed sections that extensively cover each CMMI-ACQ process area. Each process area is presented using specific goals, practices, and examples, arranged alphabetically for easy reference.

Part Three offers several valuable references, including sources for further information on CMMI and CMMI-ACQ, definitions of acronyms, a glossary of terms, and an index to assist with quick navigation and information retrieval.