3. WHAT IS A GIS CMM?
2019 AASHTO GIS-T SYMPOSIUM 4/25/2019 3
4. WHAT IS A
CMM?
Capability Maturity Model
Tool to objectively assess the ability of an organization’s
processes to implement a (software) project
Assessment/measurement of organization’s
Objects/Technology
Processes/Structures
People/Culture
A method to improve your organization’s processes
Grade how you do things
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5. MATURITY LEVELS
Initial
Repeatable
Defined
Managed
Optimized
• Processes are
disorganized
• Individual efforts
• Not repeatable
• Not defined and
documented
• Reactive, ad-hoc
• Basic management
techniques
• Successes can be
replicated
• Established process
• Documented
processes
• Generally
consistent
application
• Documented
processes
• Performance
measured
• Documented
processes
• Performance
measured
• Continuous process
improvement
Maturity
What are the measures?
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6. Ad-hoc GIS Enterprise GIS
WHAT IS A GIS CMM?
Helps an answer the question, “How close are we to an Enterprise GIS?”
Ultimately defines an Enterprise GIS
Helps you measure yourself to see if you are there
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You are
here
7. EXAMPLES OF GIS CMMS
URISA GIS CMM
Downloadable PDF Document
Questions only
Service – Questions, Results, Summary
Visualizations
Slimgim-T
Downloadable spreadsheet
MS Excel, Google Sheet
Questions, Results, Summary Visualizations
https://www.urisa.org/main/gis-management-institute/ https://www.slimgim.info/
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24. Business
Case for GIS
Case Studies
(2015)
Organizational
Assessment
Peer Exchange
(2016)
URISA Pilot State
Case Studies
(2017)
GIS CMM Peer
Exchange (2017)
Slimgim-T Case
Studies (2018)
UNDERSTANDING STATE DOT GIS
CMM EFFORTS
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25. GIS CMM PILOT STATES (AND A
PROVINCE)
► States volunteered to
try out GIS CMMs
► Captured their
experiences in
interviews
► Results of interviews
produced case study
reports
► Motivations
► Benefits
► Challenges
► Lessons Learned
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26. SLIMGIM-T
PILOT
STUDY
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Interviewed 4 State DOT GIS
staff and 1 Province GIS staff
that piloted the new CMM tool
Arizona DOT
Arkansas DOT
Utah DOT
Washington DOT
Manitoba
Each organization ranged in size from 1,600 to 5,000
employees
Also varied in number of GIS specific staff, between 4 and
25
Only one State had previous experience using a CMM
27. SLIMGIM-T PILOT STUDY
FINDINGS
Tool is appropriately geared towards State DOTs
Tool is user-friendly and comprehensible
Everyone willing to share results
Results tab useful and would like to compare years
Non-standard interpretation of “Enterprise GIS”
Lack of guidance on how to improve maturity based on assessment results
Unclear from what perspective a user should take (i.e. user, GIS Division,
government agency)
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28. SLIMGIM-T PILOT STUDY
RECOMMENDATIONS
Define “Enterprise GIS”
A few of the respondents were confused by the meaning of “enterprise GIS” and
would like clarification
Some State/Provincial DOTs don’t have “enterprise GIS” at all and were unsure how
to score those questions
Define the perspective
A few respondents mentioned how they were unsure at what level they should
approach question (i.e. user, division, or agency)
Could explain at what level the user should be thinking about the questions in the
introduction
Provide guidance on who within the agency is best suited to complete the assessment
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29. SLIMGIM-T PILOT STUDY
RECOMMENDATIONS
Improve the Results Tab
A few respondents had a difficult time interpreting the spider diagram and would
like an explanation to be included
Other respondents would like to better understand where the target maturity
score was derived from
Many agency’s were interested in comparing their results across many years
Make Score Definitions available on every tab
Almost every respondent noted how they had to keep revisiting the first tab to
remember the scoring definitions
Respondents noted that if the score definitions were somehow incorporated on
every tab it would save a lot of time
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30. WHY USE A GIS CMM?
Formally identify current business process limitations
Leverage model results to prioritize and promote needed GIS
projects
Demonstrate the success of other GIS initiatives
Compare evaluation results with other similar agencies
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31. BENEFITS TO USING A GIS
CMM
Allows GIS professionals to demonstrate changes in maturity that
result from clearly defined and executed tasks
Helps identify strengths, weaknesses in GIS applications and services
at an agency
Facilitate discussions that can lead to actionable short-term and
long-term items
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32. CHALLENGES TO USING A GIS
CMM
Completing a new CMM assessment can be time-intensive
Limited staffing to do the CMM
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33. LESSONS LEARNED
CMMs and scaled assessments are critical to developing GIS
departments
Strong understanding and “buy-in” is needed in order to start and
complete the analysis effectively
A test run can be helpful to get context before taking an in-depth
approach to the CMM
Identifying an efficient organizational structure of GIS, IT, and
Planning departments within an agency is critical
Establish efficient data management policies and processes in order
to maintain continuity.
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34. MY OBSERVATIONS
Working on the CMM is as valuable as the results itself
Discussion starter or facilitator
Approaches for completing a CMM will impact results
Individual effort answering for all of agency
Group/team working together
Several representatives do CMM, coming together (federated) to compare results, and
come to consensus
Share and compare results can have big benefits
Individual State GIS CMM efforts can give national perspective
Help peers learn from each other
Need exists for successful strategies for doing GIS CMM
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35. MORE DETAILED
INFORMATION
AVAILABLE
FHWA Reports at https://gis.fhwa.dot.gov
Organizational Assessments and GIS Peer Exchange Summary Report -
https://www.gis.fhwa.dot.gov/documents/Capability_Maturity_Model
_Peer_Exchange.htm
URISA GIS CMM Case Study Report -
https://www.gis.fhwa.dot.gov/documents/GIS_Capability_Maturity_M
odels_Case_Studies.htm
CMM Peer Exchange Summary Report -
https://www.gis.fhwa.dot.gov/documents/Capability_Maturity_Model
_Peer_Exchange_Ohio_Sept2017.htm
Slimgim-T Case Study Report -
https://www.gis.fhwa.dot.gov/documents/Slimgim-
T_GIS_Capability_Maturity_Model.htm
Contact – Mark Sarmiento, mark.sarmiento@dot.gov
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