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The NIH Information Technology Acquisition and Assessment Center (NITAAC) has achieved a successful appraisal rating of Level 2 for Services by Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI).

CMMI is a process improvement model built on the premise that the quality of a system is highly influenced by the quality of the process used to acquire, develop, and maintain it. NITAAC started this process in 2013 and it has involved staff at all levels, ensuring full organizational understanding and commitment towards achieving this goal. CMMI was developed by Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh.

According to Robert Coen, NITAAC program director, “We are proud to be successfully appraised at Level 2 because it sends a clear signal to our customers that we are a quality-driven organization capable of supporting complex IT acquisitions with service excellence.”

This appraisal at maturity level 2 for Services indicates that NITAAC is performing at a “managed” level. At this level, projects have ensured that processes are planned and executed in accordance with policy; the projects employ skilled people who have adequate resources to produce controlled outputs; involve relevant stakeholders; are monitored, controlled, and reviewed; and are evaluated for adherence to their process descriptions.

NITAAC has been helping federal agencies achieve better mission outcomes through information technology for over 20 years. NITAAC manages three government-wide acquisition contracts valued at $60 billion dollars.

“As one of only three federal government-wide acquisition contract programs, we felt it was important to demonstrate leadership in providing our customers with service that is first class on a measurable scale. CMMI Level 2 is just the beginning of our commitment to delivering the highest levels of customer satisfaction in the acquisition community,” Coen said.