Assessing Software Process Maturity and Discipline in the English-Speaking Caribbean

The information systems (IS) development community has focused extensively on software process improvement (SPI) programs to address the persistence of low-quality software and the perception of a software crisis. It has employed formal assessment instruments such as the capability maturity model (CMM) to gauge IS process competence and provide the impetus for software process improvement initiatives. Research findings have confirmed that an SPI focus is a necessary (though not sufficient) condition for the production of successful systems. However, most of this research has occurred in the developed world, much fewer in developing countries, and even less in the English-speaking Caribbean (ESC). The insights gained from SPI research in developed countries may not be applicable to these countries, and CMM programs are not affordable in their current arrangement. In this study we propose simplifying modifications to the CMM structure and instrument to make it more amenable to the ESC context.