The Software Capability Maturity Model (SW-CMM), developed by the Software Engineering Institute (SEI) at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), is an established industry standard for assessing and developing business processes in software organizations around the world. An extension of the concept, the People Capability Maturity Model (People-CMM), has been developed to help organizations address critical people issues by modeling best practices for managing and developing their workforce. This book describes the People-CMM and the practices that constitute each of its maturity levels, and provides information on how to use these concepts in guiding organizational improvements.

As the principal architect and author of the People-CMM (and earlier the program leader for the SW-CMM), the primary author, Bill Curtis, lends an air of authority to the text. The other two co-authors have also been directly associated with the People-CMM. Hence, this work, published under the aegis of the Carnegie Mellon SEI Series in Software Engineering, can be seen as a sort of official reference guide for People-CMM implementation. Any other publication on this subject would certainly have less authenticity and authority.

The book’s contents are spread over three parts, covering background material and a description of the People-CMM, some implementation case studies, and a listing of various process areas at each of the maturity levels. References, acronyms, and glossary comprise three useful appendices. What stands apart, however, is Appendix D, an encapsulated summary of process areas corresponding to each of the maturity levels of the People-CMM, which also lists the associated purposes and goals for each process area. This appendix, in itself, will be very helpful to senior managers in quickly understanding the model. The book concludes with an adequate index.

The authors state: “While the People CMM complements the SW-CMM, its applicability is not limited to software-intensive organizations. The People CMM practices have been applied in many organizations and can be applied in any organization, regardless of its business focus, size, or location.” Though there is no reason to disagree with the authors on this applicability statement, it would have been more convincing if at least one of the four case studies of People-CMM implementation described in the book were from non-IT-oriented sectors. Instead, all four case studies pertain to IT-oriented companies. Perhaps a subsequent edition of the book may include some cases from other than IT-intensive organizations.

In short, this book is an authoritative document on the emerging framework of the People-CMM. Its target audience is CEOs, HR directors, CKOs, and other members of management involved with strategy and change management. Senior managers from any people-dependent organization will benefit, but in particular, this is a must-read book for HR directors of software companies.