Organizational Maturity Levels

Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5

Performed Managed Established Predictable Optimizing
Success depends on Success depends on Project groups work A strong sense of A strong sense of
individual heroics. individuals and together, perhaps as an teamwork exists within teamwork exists
“Fire fighting is a way of management system integrated product team. each project. across the
life.” supports. Training is planned and organization.
People Commitments are provided according to Everyone is
Relationships between
disciplines are understood and roles. involved in
uncoordinated, perhaps managed. process
even adversarial. People are trained. improvement.
Few stable processes Documented and Integrated management Processes are Processes are
exist or are used. stable estimating, and engineering quantitatively continuously and
planning, and processes are used understood and systematically
Process
commitment processes across the organization. stabilized. improved.
are at the project level.
The introduction of new Technology supports New technologies are New technologies are New technologies
technology is risky. established, stable evaluated on a evaluated on a are proactively
activities. qualitative basis. quantitative basis. pursued and
Technology
deployed.
Data collection and Planning and Data is collected and Data definition and Data is used to
analysis are ad hoc. management data is used in all defined collection are evaluate and
used by individual processes. standardized across select process
projects. Data is systematically the organization improvements.
Measurement shared across projects. Data is used to
understand the
process qualitatively
and stabilize it.

Level Level Name Capability Level Description

0 Incomplete
1 Performed
2 Managed
3 Established
4 Predictable
5 Optimizing
There is a general failure to attain the purpose of the process. There are no easily identifiable work products or
outputs of the process.
The purpose of the process is generally achieved. The achievement may not be rigorously planned and
tracked. Individuals within the organization recognize that an action should be performed, and there is general
agreement that this action is performed as and when required. There are identifiable work products for the
process, and these testify to the achievement of the purpose.
The process delivers work products of acceptable quality within defined time scales. Performance according to
specified procedures is planned and tracked. Work products conform to specified standards and requirements.
The process is performed and managed using a defined process based upon good principles. Individual
implementations of the process use approved, tailored versions of standard and documented processes. The
resources necessary to establish the process definition are also in place.
The defined process is performed consistently in practice, within defined control limits, to achieve its goals.
Detailed measures of performance are collected and analyzed. This practice leads to a quantitative
understanding of process capability and an improved ability to predict performance. The quality of work
products is quantitatively known.
Performance of the process is optimized to meet current and future business needs, and the process achieves
repeatability in meeting its defined business goals. Quantitative process effectiveness and efficiency goals
(targets) for performance are established, based on the business goals of the organization. Obtaining
quantitative feedback enables continuous process monitoring against these goals, and improvement is
achieved by analysis of the results. Optimizing a process involves piloting innovative ideas and technologies
and changing non-effective processes to meet defined goals and objectives.