Assessment Team Training
Assessment team members must have training in the CMM or the CMMI model and in the CBA IPI or SCAMPI assessment method. They must also be briefed about the particulars of their assessment’s goals and objectives, the status of the ongoing assessment plan, and the Lead Assessor’s plans for managing the assessment.
The Lead Assessor is responsible for training team members in the logic and the sequence of the assessment process. Team members must already be familiar with the reference model (CMM or CMMI). The Lead Assessor needs to confirm this and then instruct the team in the assessment’s norms, goals, and objectives, the assessment methodology (CBA IPI or SCAMPI), the particulars of the assessment plan, techniques for managing organizational data, and the tools and techniques to be used during the assessment.
The Lead Assessor not only briefs team members but also conducts team building. He or she should initiate a program of exercises intended to develop facilitation skills and create team unity.
Above all, the Lead Assessor must inculcate in all team members the importance of observing strict rules for confidentiality, protecting proprietary or sensitive data, and making sure that statements are never attributed to specific participants. A non-disclosure statement or confidentiality agreement is often used to formalize these understandings. (This agreement is discussed in Choosing a Time for the Assessment, "Planning and Preparing for an Assessment, Part 2," which also provides a specimen agreement.)