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1
Process Asset Library
As process improvement
and knowledge sharing tool

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Objectives
> What is PAL – Visual View
> PAL Definitions
> PAL Approaches
> Practical Approach to PAL
> What You May Be Missing
> CMMI Definitions

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PAL Definitions
> organization's software process assets –
A collection of entities, maintained by an organization, for
use by projects in developing, tailoring, maintaining, and
implementing their software processes
> The “organization’s process asset library” is a library of
information used to store and make available process
assets that are potentially useful to those who are
defining, implementing, and managing processes in the
organization. This library contains process assets such as
documents, document fragments, process implementation
aids, and other artifacts

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Practical Approach to PAL
> The company / unit methodology tool and
repository, gives an answer to PAL
requirements, thru ‘related documents’.
Specify theme as examples / best practices.

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What You May Be Missing
> search, identify and collect best practices.
> best practices merging method
> evaluation method for best practices.
> guidelines for applicable methodology
> procedure for PAL maintenance

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CMMI Definitions
> Organizational Process Assets
> “Organizational process assets” are artifacts that
relate to describing, implementing, and improving
processes (e.g., policies, measurements, process
descriptions, and process implementation support
tools). The term “process assets” is used to
indicate that these artifacts are developed or
acquired to meet the business objectives of the
organization, and they represent investments by
the organization that are expected to provide
current and future business value

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CMMI Definitions
> The organizational process assets that are described
in CMMI models include the following:
> Organization’s set of standard processes, including the
process architectures and process elements
> Descriptions of life-cycle models approved for use
> Guidelines and criteria for tailoring the organization’s set of
standard processes
> Organization’s measurement repository
> Organization’s process asset library
> In addition, some process areas mention two
additional organizational process assets:
> the organization’s process performance baselines
> the organization’s process performance models

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CMMI Definitions
> Organization’s Process Asset Library
> The “organization’s process asset library” is a library of
information used to store and make available process assets
that are potentially useful to those who are defining,
implementing, and managing processes in the organization.
This library contains process assets such as documents,
document fragments, process implementation aids, and
other artifacts
> Examples of process-related documentation include policies,
defined processes, checklists, lessons-learned documents,
templates, standards, procedures, plans, and training
materials. This library is an important resource that can help
reduce the effort in using processes

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CMMI Definitions
> Document
> A “document” is a collection of data, regardless of the medium on which it is
recorded, that generally has permanence and can be read by humans or
machines. So, documents include both paper and electronic documents
> Work Product
> The term “work product” is used throughout the CMMI Product Suite to
mean any artifact produced by a process. These artifacts can include files,
documents, parts of the product, services, processes, specifications, and
invoices. Examples of processes to be considered as work products include
a manufacturing process, a training process, and a disposal process for the
product. A key distinction between a work product and a product component
is that a work product need not be engineered or part of the end product
> Process
> A “process,” as used in the CMMI Product Suite, consists of activities that
can be recognized as implementations of practices in a CMMI model. These
activities can be mapped to one or more practices in CMMI process areas
to allow a model to be useful for process improvement and process
appraisal. (In Chapter 2, see the definition of “process area” and a
description of how this term is used in the CMMI Product Suite.)

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CMMI Definitions
> Project
> In CMMI models, a “project” is a managed set of interrelated resources that
delivers one or more products to a customer or end user. This set of
resources has a definite beginning and end and typically operates according
to a plan. Such a plan is frequently documented and specifies the product to
be delivered or implemented, the resources and funds used, the work to be
done, and a schedule for doing the work. A project can be composed of
projects
> Organization
> An organization is typically an administrative structure in which people
collectively manage one or more projects as a whole, and whose projects
share a senior manager and operate under the same policies. However, the
word “organization” as used throughout CMMI models can apply to one
person who performs a function in a small organization that might be
performed by a group of people in a large organization
> Enterprise
> When CMMI models refer to an “enterprise,” they illustrate the larger entity
not always reached by the word “organization.” Companies may consist of
many organizations in many different locations with different customers.
The word “enterprise” refers to the full composition of companies

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CMMI Direct Reference to PAL
> GP 3.2 Collect Improvement Information
> The purpose of this generic practice is to collect
information and artifacts derived from planning
and performing the process. This generic practice
is performed so that the information and artifacts
can be included in the organizational process
assets and made available to those who are (or
who will be) planning and performing the same or
similar processes. The information and artifacts
are stored in the organization’s measurement
repository and the organization’s process asset
library

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CMMI Direct Reference to PAL
> OPF - SG 2 Plan and Implement Process-
Improvement Activities
> SP 2.3 Deploy Organizational Process Assets
> Refer to the Organizational Process Definition
process area for more information about how the
deployment of organizational process assets is
supported and enabled by the organization’s
process asset library

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CMMI Direct Reference to PAL
> Purpose of ORGANIZATIONAL PROCESS
DEFINITION is is to establish and maintain a usable
set of organizational process assets
> Organizational process assets enable consistent process
performance across the organization and provide a basis for
cumulative, long-term benefits to the organization
> The organization's process asset library is a collection of
items maintained by the organization for use by the people
and projects of the organization. This collection of items
includes descriptions of processes and process elements,
descriptions of life-cycle models, process tailoring
guidelines, process-related documentation, and data. The
organization’s process asset library supports organizational
learning and process improvement by allowing the sharing of
best practices and lessons learned across the organization

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CMMI Direct Reference to PAL
> OPD - SG 1 Establish Organizational Process Assets
> SP 1.5 Establish the Organization’s Process Asset Library
> Design and implement the organization’s process asset library,
including the library structure and support environment
> Specify the criteria for including items in the library
> Specify the procedures for storing and retrieving items
> Selected items to be included in the organization’s process asset
library
> Enter the selected items into the library and catalog them for easy
reference and retrieval
> Make the items available for use by the projects
> Periodically review the use of each item and use the results to
maintain the library contents
> Revise the organization’s process asset library as necessary

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CMMI Indirect Reference to PAL
> IPM SG1 - Use the Project’s Defined Process
> SP 1.1 Establish the Project’s Defined Process
> Use other artifacts from the organization's process asset library as
appropriate
> Lessons-learned documents
> Templates
> Example documents
> Estimating models
> SP 1.4 Manage the Project Using the Integrated Plans
> Implement the project’s defined process using the organization's
process asset library
> Incorporating artifacts from the organization’s process asset library into
the project as appropriate
> Using lessons learned from the organization’s process asset library to
manage the project

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CMMI Indirect Reference to PAL
> IPM SG1 - Use the Project’s Defined Process
> SP 1.5 Contribute to the Organizational Process
Assets
> Refer to the Organizational Process Definition process
area for more information about the organizational
process assets, the organization’s measurement
repository, and the organization’s process asset library
> Submit documentation for possible inclusion in the
organization's process asset library
> Document lessons learned from the project for inclusion
in the organization's process asset library

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CMMI Indirect Reference to PAL
> ORGANIZATIONAL ENVIRONMENT FOR INTEGRATION
> Refer to the Organizational Process Definition process area for
more information about establishing the organization’s set of
standard processes and process asset library
> SG 1 Provide IPPD Infrastructure
> SP 1.1 Establish the Organization’s Shared Vision
> Guidelines for how projects and integrated teams should develop
their shared visions should be made part of the organization’s
process asset library

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CMMI Indirect Reference to PAL
> QUANTITATIVE PROJECT MANAGEMENT
> To effectively address the specific practices in this process area,
the organization should have already established a set of standard
processes and related organizational process assets, such as the
organization’s measurement repository and the organization’s
process asset library, for use by each project in establishing its
defined process.
> SG 1 Quantitatively Manage the Project
> SP 1.2 Compose the Defined Process
> Refer to the Organizational Process Definition process area for more
information about the organization’s process asset library, which might
include a process element of known and needed capability
> Subprocesses are identified from the process elements in the
organization's set of standard processes and the process artifacts
in the organization's process asset library

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