What is staged representation in CMMI?

The staged representation focuses improvement on the process capability an organization can expect to attain; however, this expected capability (or ability to function in a mature manner) is contained within maturity levels, or stages. There are five maturity levels, with each level providing the foundation for further improvements. This structure mirrors that of the previous CMM for Software

Maturity Level 1 - Initial

Organizations have no structured process in place. Development is chaotic and ad hoc. Budgets and schedules are often exceeded. Product quality cannot be predicted. Maturity Level 1 is considered ad hoc—meaning you make it up as you go along, which is something we want to avoid—so this level has no real structure associated with it. That is, this level represents a chaotic approach toward developing products. If chaos were structured, it would not be chaotic. So, there is nothing structured in Level 1, and being Level 1 is a bad thing.

Maturity Level 2 - Managed

Basic project management processes are in place and are followed. Institutionalization is achieved by satisfying the generic goals and generic practices for Level 2 that includes:
• Adhering to organizational policies
• Following a documented plan and process description
• Applying adequate funding and resources
• Maintaining appropriate assignment of responsibility and authority
• Training people in their appropriate processes
• Placing work products under appropriate configuration management
• Monitoring and controlling process performance, and taking corrective action
• Objectively reviewing the process, work products, and services, and addressing noncompliance
• Reviewing the activities, status, and results of the process with appropriate levels of management, and taking corrective action
• Identifying and interacting with relevant stakeholders
Level 2 begins with basic management practices and continues with increasingly sophisticated focus areas that belong within a specific level.

Maturity Level 3 - Defined

The organization has achieved all of the goals of Level 2. There is an organizational way of doing business, with tailoring of this organizational method allowed under predefined conditions. The organization has an organization's set of standard processes (OSSP). The following characteristics of the process are clearly stated:
• Purpose
• Inputs
• Entry criteria
• Activities
• Roles
• Measures
• Verification steps
• Outputs
• Exit criteria
Level 3 continues with defining a strong, meaningful, organization wide approach to developing products. An important distinction between Level 2 and Level 3 is that at Level 3, processes are described in more detail and more rigorously than at Level 2. Processes are managed more proactively, based on a more sophisticated understanding of the interrelationships and measurements of the processes and parts of the processes. Level 3 is more sophisticated, more organized, and establishes an organizational identity—a way of doing business particular to this organization.

Maturity Level 4 - Quantitatively Managed

For Maturity Level 4, the organization has achieved all of the goals of Levels 2 and
3. The organization controls its processes by statistical and other quantitative techniques. Product quality, process performance, and service quality are understood in statistical terms and are managed throughout the life of the processes.
Level 4 focuses on using metrics to make decisions and to truly measure whether progress is occurring and your product is improving. Distinctions between Level 3 and Level 4 are that at Level 3, processes are qualitatively predictable. At Level 4, processes are quantitatively predictable. Level 4 addresses special causes of process variation and takes corrective action.

Maturity Level 5 - Optimizing

The organization has achieved all of the goals of Levels 2, 3, and 4. Processes are continually improved based on an understanding of common causes of variation within the processes. In Level 5 everyone is a productive member of the team, defects are reduced, and your product is delivered on time and within the estimated budget. In the staged representation, the maturity levels serve as process boundaries— meaning that the efforts documented in that maturity level relate only to that maturity level.