SCAMPI Appraisals Classes – A, B and C

SEI has defined three classes for the SCAMPI Appraisals – Class A, B, and C. These SCAMPI Appraisal classes are different from each others depending on different parameters like Amount of objective evidence, Ratings generated, Resource needs and Team size.

CMMI has developed a document Appraisal Requirements for CMMI (ARC), which describes the full benchmarking as CLASS A SCAMPI Appraisal. SCAMPI A is the only appraisal methodology that results in a rating. SCAMPI B provides options in model scope, but the characterization of practices is fixed to one scale and is performed on implemented practices. SCAMPI C provides a wide range of options, including characterization of planned approaches to process implementation according to a scale defined by the user.

SEI has developed the three SCAMPI methodologies in such a way that higher the ratings, lower the Tailoring allowed and more the depth of Investigation. This means that SCAMPI C has more freedom for Tailoring and has lower degree of Investigation while SCAMPI A has less freedom for Tailoring and higher degree of Investigation.

Using SCAMPI B, every practice in the appraisal scope is characterized on a three point scale indicating the risk of CMMI goal satisfaction if the observed practices were deployed across the organizational unit. Model scope is not limited to the Process Areas but could include sets of related practices.

SCAMPI C can be scoped at any level of granularity and the scale can be tailored to the appraisal objectives, which might include the fidelity of observed practices to model/goal achievement or the return on investment to the organization from implementing practices.

Reliability, rigor, and cost might go down from A to B to C, but risk might go up.

Characteristics of Appraisal Classes