Next, an assessment necessarily requires that senior management be actively involved as the sponsor of the assessment and the source of actions implemented as a result of the assessment. This also frequently constitutes a major shift in the operations of the kind of low maturity organization in which software is viewed as a mysterious process to be pawned off to a software department that may have little real authority. Without the sponsorship of senior management, grass-root efforts don’t get results and become frustrating for the work force. Assessments require senior management to say that the process improvement exercise is being conducted not just for the software department’s sake but also for the organization’s sake.
Deming and Humphrey have indicated that major changes within an organization require leadership. Senior managers must set challenging goals and monitor their progress. Assessments require managers to establish priorities, provide resources, and monitor and support the changes in the software process. With management’s hands-on involvement and support, grass-roots efforts begin to flourish. Assessments help transform an organization into a unit in which continuous management support becomes a prominent and lasting feature. Management commitment does not simply mean giving approval. It includes providing direction, having a good understanding of what and why activities are being undertaken, and providing visible active support and encouragement.