The PSP gives individuals experience in Software CMM ideas. This is particularly true for the higher process improvement levels. PSP gives engineers personal experience in these activities. For CMM Level 3, the biggest issues are reviews and process definition. Perhaps one of the most underappreciated PSP lessons learned is an appreciation of the appropriate level of conciseness in a process description.
Engineers also gather personal data that demonstrates and internalizes the value of reviews.
For CMM Level 4, the organization must learn how to measure its software processes. During PSP the engineers gain experience in using a process measurement framework, in measuring their process, and perhaps most importantly begin to experience the value of measuring their process. For CMM Level 5, defect prevention and change management are the issues. The basic philosophy is that process change should be small and should be data driven. The engineers see the value of these approaches in decreasing their personal defect densities.