The CMMI-ACQ model provides guidance for applying CMMI best practices in an acquiring organization. Best practices in the model focus on activities for initiating and managing the acquisition of products and services to meet the needs of customers and end users. Although suppliers can provide artifacts useful to the processes addressed in CMMI-ACQ, the focus of the model is on the processes of the acquirer.

The CMMI-ACQ, V1.3 model is a collection of acquisition best practices from government and industry that is generated from the CMMI V1.3 Architecture and Framework.[1] CMMI-ACQ is based on the CMMI Model Foundation or CMF (i.e., model components common to all CMMI models and constellations[2]), the CMMI Acquisition Module, and the Software Acquisition Capability Maturity Model (SA-CMM) [SEI 2002].CMMI-ACQ also incorporates work by acquisition organizations to adapt CMMI for use in an acquisition organization.

CMMI-ACQ provides a comprehensive set of best practices for acquiring products and services. CMMI for Development (CMMI-DEV) can be treated as a reference for supplier executed activities in an acquisition initiative [SEI 2010a]. In those cases where the acquirer also has a role as a product or service developer (e.g., taking responsibility for the first few layers of product development and integration), CMMI-DEV (in particular the Requirements Development, Technical Solution, and Product Integration process areas) should also be used to improve the acquirer’s product or service development processes.