Standard : Evidence is the basis for decisions

Purpose and Strategic Importance

This standard ensures product and engineering decisions are based on validated evidence rather than untested assumptions. Evidence-driven practices improve confidence, reduce waste, and ensure alignment with customer needs.

It supports our policy "Evidence Over Assumptions". Without this focus, teams risk pursuing biased, misaligned, or irrelevant work.

Strategic Impact

• Higher confidence in decisions and prioritisation
• Reduced wasted investment in unproven ideas
• Stronger trust with stakeholders through transparency

Risks of Not Having This Standard

• Biased or opinion-driven decisions leading to poor outcomes
• Misuse of resources on low-value initiatives
• Erosion of trust due to repeated failures or misalignment

CMMI Maturity Model

Level 1 – Initial

• Decisions are primarily opinion-based

Level 2 – Managed

• Some evidence (e.g. anecdotal data) used in decision-making

Level 3 – Defined

• Teams adopt structured evidence-gathering and validation practices

Level 4 – Quantitatively Managed

• Evidence systematically measured and linked to outcomes

Level 5 – Optimising

• Evidence-driven decision-making is embedded in organisational culture and strategy

Key Measures

• % of initiatives with validated evidence before major investment
• Number of hypotheses tested vs delivered without validation
• Reduction in rework due to untested assumptions