SRA International earns CMMI 3 rating

SRA International Inc. has earned a new Capability Maturity Model Integration rating of 3 for its systems and software engineering. The company had previously earned the same rating, so the new assessment shows it has maintained its status.

The CMMI rating scale ranges from 1 to 5 and measures the degree to which an organization's processes are documented and repeatable.

The 3 rating means SRA has defined and established standard processes. Organizations that have moved on to managing their processes quantitatively, using precise measurements, are rated a 4 and organizations that have accomplished everything covered under the lower numbers and moved into a mode of continually optimizing their practices receive a 5.

A good rating suggests that the organization's processes can be handed off to new employees as personnel move from one job to another, so customers will experience minimal change or disruption in the service they receive.

The Software Engineering Institute at Pittsburgh's Carnegie Mellon University developed the Capability Maturity Model as a process improvement tool. Organizations hire auditing firms to assess and rate their practices against the CMMI standards. The rating must be periodically renewed.

CMMI in particular is an aid in linking management and engineering activities more directly to an organization's business objectives, according to SEI.

Over the past several years SEI has been phasing in the CMMI, currently version 1.2, which is an integrated framework for several disciplines, including software development, acquisition and services. As of Dec. 31, 2007, SEI will consider all evaluations under the old CMM systems invalid.

"Maintaining our CMMI Level 3 rating positions the company to fulfill client requirements for process improvement and is a testament to our commitment to providing superior services and solutions to our clients," said Stan Sloane, SRA president and chief executive officer.

Based in Fairfax, Va., SRA ranks No. 33 on Washington Technology's 2007 Top 100 list of the largest federal government prime contractors.