What type of appraisal can have its scope reduced by an average of 1/3 after a Benchmark appraisal?

The correct answer is associated with the concept of sustainment appraisals within the context of CMMI (Capability Maturity Model Integration). A sustainment appraisal is designed to evaluate whether an organization can maintain its process maturity over time after achieving a certain benchmark or maturity level.

After a benchmark appraisal, organizations often find that they have a clearer understanding of their capabilities and areas for improvement. As a result, the scope of subsequent sustainment appraisals can be reduced by approximately one-third. This reduction is feasible because the organization already has established processes and practices that were assessed during the benchmark appraisal, thus allowing the sustainment appraisal to focus more specifically on maintaining and optimizing those existing practices rather than re-evaluating everything from scratch.

In contrast, the other types of appraisals mentioned serve different purposes: preliminary appraisals are typically used as a tool for initial assessments and may not have the same scope reduction. Validation appraisals focus on confirming that a specific process or product meets defined requirements and standards, and likewise may not be influenced by a previous benchmark appraisal in the same manner. Reassessment appraisals can involve a comprehensive review of processes but typically do not have the same systematic approach to scope reduction following a benchmark.

In summary