EIA/IS-731.1 - Systems Engineering Capability Model - DUPLICATE2

1.1 Background

In October 1992, the INCOSE formed the Capability Assessment Working Group (CAWG). The CAWG
charter included developing “a method for assessing and improving the efficiency and effectiveness of
systems engineering” and one of its goals was to develop a Systems Engineering Capability Assessment
Model (SECAM). Generation of the INCOSE SECAM was begun in November 1993 and completed as an
initial release, Version 1.00, in February 1994. Version 1.00 of the SECAM Assessment Method (then called
Supporting Documents) was released in March 1994. Following the initial release, five major updates and
several minor updates were made to the INCOSE SECAM and several updates were made to the SECAM
Assessment Method. The current release of the INCOSE SECAM is Version 1.50, dated June 1996; the
current release of the SECAM Assessment Method is Version 1.50, dated July 1997.

In January 1994, the EPIC (then called Industrial Collaboration) began generating the Capability Maturity
Model (CMM) for Systems Engineering (SE-CMM) and completed it as an initial release, Version 1.0, in
December 1994. Version 1.0 of the SE-CMM Appraisal Method was released in June 1995. Following the
initial release, one update was made to both the EPIC SE-CMM and the SE-CMM Appraisal Method. The
current release of the EPIC SE-CMM is Version 1.1, dated November 1995; the current release of the SE-
CMM Appraisal Method is Version 1.1, dated 1996.

In March 1996, an effort was initiated under the auspices of the EIA G-47 (Systems Engineering) Committee
to merge the current versions of the INCOSE SECAM and its Assessment Method with the current versions
of the EPIC SE-CMM and its Appraisal Method. The resulting EIA Systems Engineering Capability Model
(SECM) and SECM Appraisal Method will be proposed as a US national standard for the measurement and
improvement of systems engineering capability.