Measurement and Analysis (MA)

Measurement and Analysis (MA) process is a Support Process Area at Maturity Level 2. The purpose of Measurement and Analysis (MA) is to develop and sustain a measurement capability that is used to support management information needs.

This process area involves the following:

• Specifying the objectives (such as schedule variances, effort variances, cost variances, or productivity, defect density, etc) of measurement and analysis such that they are aligned with identified information needs and objectives
• Specifying the measures, analysis techniques (how), and mechanism for data collection (when, who), data storage (where), reporting (form, template), and feedback (to whom)
• Implementing the collection, storage, analysis, and reporting of the data
• Providing objective results that can be used in making informed decisions (improvement opportunities), and taking appropriate corrective actions

The integration of measurement and analysis activities into the processes of the project supports the following:

• Objective planning and estimating
• Tracking actual performance against established plans and objectives
• Identifying and resolving process-related issues, support taking corrective action in time
• Providing a basis for incorporating measurement into additional processes in the future, point out improvement opportunities to organizational process assets

To understand more clearly about this process area, please refer to other process areas in CMMI model:

• Refer to the Project Planning process area for more information about estimating project attributes and other planning information needs.
• Refer to the Project Monitoring and Control process area for more information about monitoring project performance information needs.
• Refer to the Configuration Management process area for more information about managing measurement work products.
• Refer to the Requirements Development process area for more information about meeting customer requirements and related information needs.
• Refer to the Requirements Management process area for more information about maintaining requirements traceability and related information needs.
• Refer to the Organizational Process Definition process area for more information about establishing the organization’s measurement repository.
• Refer to the Quantitative Project Management process area for more information about understanding variation and the appropriate use of statistical analysis techniques.

Specific Goal and Practice Summary:

SG 1 Align Measurement and Analysis Activities

• SP 1.1 Establish Measurement Objectives
• SP 1.2 Specify Measures
• SP 1.3 Specify Data Collection and Storage Procedures
• SP 1.4 Specify Analysis Procedures

SG 2 Provide Measurement Results

• SP 2.1 Collect Measurement Data
• SP 2.2 Analyze Measurement Data
• SP 2.3 Store Data and Results
• SP 2.4 Communicate Results