dbj-cmm
Is the org ready? (5-element maturity scoring, L0–L5)
DBJ Capability Maturity Model (DBJ CMM) — organizational maturity scoring across five structural elements (Governance, Skilled Resource Pool, Projects/Portfolios, Business Operations, Architecture Repository) on an L0-L5 scale. Use when DBJ asks to assess, score, or discuss organizational maturity, readiness for BPT/ADM adoption, or CMM levels.
DBJ Capability Maturity Model (DBJ CMM)
Authoritative source: method.dbj.org/cmm.html Mirrors TOGAF CMM's scale/principle but scoped to the whole organization, not just the EA practice.
Five structural elements
- Governance — decision authority, policies, oversight
- Skilled Resource Pool — people and competencies
- Projects / Portfolios — how work is initiated, executed, delivered
- Business Operations — day-to-day function and continuity
- Architecture Repository — organizational knowledge base of decisions/patterns/principles
Maturity scale (L0–L5)
| Level | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| L0 | None | No recognizable structure |
| L1 | Initial | Ad-hoc, person-dependent |
| L2 | Emerging | Processes being defined, inconsistently applied |
| L3 | Defined | Documented, standardized, consistently followed |
| L4 | Managed | Measured, monitored, actively controlled |
| L5 | Optimising | Continuous improvement embedded |
Scoring rule — critical
Score each of the 5 elements independently. Organization level = the MINIMUM score across all five — not an average. One weak element caps the whole organization's rating.
Example: Governance=L4, Resource Pool=L3, Projects=L3, Business Ops=L2, Repository=L3 → Organization level = L2.
Thresholds that gate other DBJ.METHOD layers
- L3 across all five elements = entry ticket to DBJ ADM (org can host an Architecture Board, run the 5-step wheel, etc.) — see dbj-adm.
- L5 referenced as the entry ticket to the BPT Loop in bpt.html — see dbj-bpt. (Note: cmm.html itself doesn't restate this figure; treat bpt.html as authoritative for that specific threshold and flag to DBJ if asked to confirm, since it's stated on a different page than the CMM definition.)
Use when DBJ asks you to assess maturity
Walk through each of the 5 elements using their characteristics (4 per element, listed on cmm.html — e.g. Governance: Decision Authority, Policy Existence, Compliance Enforcement, Strategic Linkage) as evidence criteria, score L0–L5 each, then report the minimum as the org-level score, naming which element is the bottleneck.