Applying lessons learned from software process assessments to ABET accreditation

The Software Engineering Institute Capability Maturity Model (CMM) has been widely utilized in the software development community as a means of assessing the maturity of a software development organization and providing a framework for improvement ABET 2000 is also now being utilizing as a means for assessing engineering education programs and providing a framework for improvement. In addition to sharing the same general objectives of assessment and process improvement there are other similarities in both approaches and their application within organizations and universities respectively. Due to these similarities academic organizations embarking on ABET accreditation activities can learn from the numerous lessons from organizations which have undergone CMM activities. This approach was followed at Arizona State University. Since several ASU faculty have been heavily involved in CMM activities over the last decade, it was easy for them to recognize the similarities between accreditation and CMM assessment They utilized their knowledge of lessons learned from CMM assessments and integrated them into the ASU accreditation effort. The results of this activity are described in this paper. The paper begins with a discussion of the similarities of CMM and ABET. Both technical and nontechnical similarities such as the impact of employee / faculty buy-in and management / administrative support will be addressed. A review of lessons learned from organizations engaging in CMM activities will then be presented in the context of how they might help academic organizations in their ABET activities and how ASU applied each lesson.