What type of appraisal is conducted to review the eligibility of an Organizational Unit post-Benchmark?

A sustainment appraisal is designed to assess the ongoing eligibility of an Organizational Unit after it has achieved a benchmark in an appraisal process. This type of appraisal primarily focuses on determining whether the organization continues to meet the criteria that were established during the benchmark assessment. The objective is to ensure that the practices and processes that contributed to the initial success are still in place and functioning effectively over time.

Sustainment appraisals are essential for organizations to maintain their improvement gains and provide evidence that they are still aligned with the standards required by the Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI). They help identify opportunities for further improvement and ensure that the organizational unit remains on the path toward continuous capability enhancement.

Other appraisal types, such as diagnostic appraisals, internal audits, and quality control reviews, serve different purposes. Diagnostic appraisals focus more on identifying areas for improvement rather than evaluating ongoing eligibility post-benchmark. Internal audits generally assess compliance with internal standards and processes rather than evaluating CMMI benchmarking eligibility specifically. Quality control reviews primarily ensure that products and services meet quality standards and do not directly assess organizational maturity or compliance with the benchmarks established in CMMI.