The audience most likely to benefit from reading this text includes less experienced developers, managers, and even software engineering students involved with projects. The aim is to help with project documentation, which goes a long way toward Capability Maturity Model Integration for Software (CMMI-SW) maturity. The goal of providing value for practitioners from cumulative experience is achieved in a readable manner.

In a nutshell, what I liked most about this book is that its style is direct, it gives advice on every page, it doesn’t resort to lengthy lecturing, and it has plenty of work product samples with which to start your project. Applying advice from the book will go a long way toward achieving lasting value, personal and organizational capability, and, when desired, a higher CMMI-SW maturity rating.

The text is organized into seven chapters, with three significant appendices, plus a CD with a set of document templates. It starts quickly with a two-page overview. Chapter 2 gives an excellent summary of CMMI-SW in the context of process improvement and capability and maturity models. Chapter 3 explains organizational institutionalization. Chapter 4 provides succinct implementation guidance in the context of the IEEE SSE standards. While this chapter is short and general, the recommendations it gives regarding implementation pitfalls are worth the price of the book. The central part of the book, chapters 5 and 6, are the most detailed, with full coverage of process area requirements (CMMI-SW levels 2 and 3). These chapters are organized as follows: a process area is presented briefly, with its goals cross-referenced with IEEE standards; the goals/practices and typical work products are mapped to plans and artifacts; an outline of artifacts is laid out (with references to book templates); and section-by-section advice on key content is provided in detail. CMMI-SW levels are presented with detailed recommendations and cross-references to a large body of software standards. The final chapter provides suggestions for small projects. The book relies on the standards, but makes it possible for readers to start work on artifacts, including plans, without the benefit of the full text of the standards. Appendix C provides detailed suggestions regarding software process work products. The associated document templates on the CD are available for use as is, and while not all documents will be of interest or even adequate for each situation, the examples are of high practical value both in providing direction and in saving time.