One of the four Common Features of CMMI model. Ability to Perform (AB) groups the generic practices related to ensuring that the project and/or organization has the resources it needs.

参见Common Features, CO, DI, VE.

CMM (The Capability Maturity Model for Software, CMM or SW-CMM, 软件过程能力成熟度模型), developed by the Software Engineering Institute (SEI), has had a major influence on software process and quality improvement around the world.

The SW-CMM is based on the principles of total quality management (TQM) and continuous process improvement. Its five levels describe an evolutionary path from immature and ad hoc software processes to mature and disciplined software processes.

The five maturity levels in the SW-CMM (1-initial, 2-repeatable, 3-defined, 4-managed, and 5-optimizing) describe successive stages for continuous process improvement and define an ordinal scale for rating the maturity of an organization's software process.

Maturity levels are composed of key process areas that identify areas that an organization should focus on to improve its software process.

CMM Structure

The Five Levels of Software Process Maturity

参见CMM.

CMMI: The Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) project. The purpose of CMM Integration is to provide guidance for improving your organization’s processes and your ability to manage the development, acquisition, and maintenance of products or services.

Since 1991, CMMs have been developed for a myriad of disciplines. Some of the most notable include models for systems engineering, software engineering, software acquisition, workforce management and development, and Integrated Product and Process Development. Although these models have proven useful to many organizations, the use of multiple models has been problematic. The CMM Integration project was formed to sort out the problem of using multiple CMMs.

The components of both the staged and continuous representations are process areas, specific goals, specific practices, generic goals, generic practices, typical work products, subpractices, notes, discipline amplifications, generic practice elaborations, and references.

CMMI Model Components

参见CMM.

One of the four Common Features of CMMI model. Commitment to Perform (CO) groups the generic practices related to creating policies and securing sponsorship.

参见Common Features, AB, DI, VE.

Each key process area is organized into five sections called common features. The common features specify the key practices that, when collectively addressed, accomplish the goals of the key process area.

The common features are attributes that indicate whether the implementation and institutionalization of a key process area is effective, repeatable, and lasting.

The key practices of CMM models are divided among five Common Features sections: Commitment to Perform, Ability to Perform, Activities Performed, Measurement and Analysis, and Verifying Implementation.

As a CMMI terminology, Common features are predefined attributes that group generic practices into categories.

There are four common features used in CMMI models with a staged representation: Commitment to Perform, Ability to Perform, Directing Implementation, and Verifying Implementation.

参见CMM, CMMI, CO, AB, DI, VE.

One of the four Common Features of CMMI model. Directing Implementation (DI) groups the generic practices related to managing the performance of the process, managing the integrity of its work products, and involving relevant stakeholders.

参见Common Features, CO, AB, VE.

目标

目标概括一个KPA（关键过程域）的KP（关键实践），用来确认是否一个组织或者一个项目已经有效的实现该关键过程域。在 CMMI 模型中，用 SG，GG来描述。

参见CMM, SG, GG.

Generic Goals

Generic goals are called “generic” because the same goal statement appears in multiple process areas. In the staged representation, each process area has only one generic goal. Achievement of a generic goal in a process area signifies improved control in planning and implementing the processes associated with that process area, thus indicating whether these processes are likely to be effective, repeatable, and lasting. Generic goals are required model components and are used in appraisals to determine whether a process area is satisfied.

参见CMMI, SG, GP.

Generic Practices

Generic practices provide institutionalization to ensure that the processes associated with the process area will be effective, repeatable, and lasting. Generic practices are categorized by generic goals and common features and are expected components in CMMI models.

参见CMMI, GG, SP.

KP（Key Practice, 关键实践），每个KPA中都包含数个KP，是CMM评估的要点，其特点是描述"什么"而不是"怎样"；

Each key process area is described in terms of the key practices that contribute to satisfying its goals. The key practices describe the infrastructure and activities that contribute most to the effective implementation and institutionalization of the key process area.

参见CMM, KPA, GP, SP.

KPA (Key Process Areas, 关键过程域)：为便于描述，在CMM 模型中的各个成熟度等级（2级到5级）的改进活动被组织为几个KPA中。KPA这个名词非常容易引起人们的误解：是不是还存在着非关键的过程域？其实CMM认为过程中实现了这些关键点就证明达到了相应的成熟度等级，CMM也并没有去定义过程中非关键点。在改进和整合后的 CMMI 模型中，KPA这个容易误解的名词，改为 PA（Process Areas）。

Use of the adjective key implies that there are process areas (and processes) that are not critical to achieving a maturity level. The SW-CMM does not describe all of the process areas relevant to developing and maintaining software. Instead, the SW-CMM describes the process areas that are critical to determining process capability.

参见CMM, CMMI, PA.

PA(Process Areas) 是 CMMI 模型的组织方式，相当于 CMM 模型中的 KPA。更多信息参见：KPA。

A process area is a cluster of related practices in an area that, when performed collectively, satisfy a set of goals considered important for making significant improvement in that area.

参见CMMI, KPA.

software capability evaluations（软件成熟度评估）是在更为面向审计的环境中进行的。评价的结构将影响挑选承制方或投放资金。

software capability evaluations, in which a trained team of professionals identifies contractors who are qualified to perform the software work or monitors the state of the software process used on an existing software effort.

Software capability evaluations are focused on identifying the risks associated with a particular project or contract for building high-quality software on schedule and within budget. During the acquisition process, software capability evaluations may be performed on bidders. The findings of the evaluation, as structured by the CMM, may be used to identify the risks in selecting a particular contractor. Evaluations may also be performed on existing contracts to monitor their process performance, with the intent of identifying potential improvements in the software process of the contractor.

参见SPA, SPI.

Software Engineering Institute 卡耐基-梅隆大学（CMU）的软件工程研究所；

Software Engineering Process Group软件工程过程组；

Specific Goals

Specific goals apply to a process area and address the unique characteristics that describe what must be implemented to satisfy the process area. Specific goals are required model components and are used in appraisals to help determine whether a process area is satisfied.

参见CMMI, GG, SP.

Specific Practices

A specific practice is an activity that is considered important in achieving the associated specific goal. The specific practices describe the activities expected to result in achievement of the specific goals of a process area. Specific practices are expected model components.

参见CMMI, SG, GP.

软件过程评估（SPA，Software Process Assessment），CMM评估的前期工作，目的是发现SP中的问题。

software process assessments, in which a trained team of software professionals determines the state of an organization's current software process, determines the high-priority software process-related issues facing an organization, and obtains the organizational support for software process improvement;

Software process assessments focus on identifying improvement priorities within an organization's own software process. Assessment teams use the CMM to guide them in identifying and prioritizing findings. These findings, along with guidance provided by the key practices in the CMM, are used (by a software engineering process group, for example) to plan an improvement strategy for the organization.

参见SCE, SPI.

software process improvement，软件过程改进（或称软件过程评估），CMM评估的一种，主要目的是提供改进方向；

software process improvement, in which an organization plans, develops, and implements changes to its software process;

参见SCE, SPA.

One of the four Common Features of CMMI model. Verifying Implementation (VE) groups the generic practices related to review by higher level management and objective evaluation of conformance to process descriptions, procedures, and standards.

参见Common Features, CO, AB, DI.