Acknowledgments

Writing a book is harder than anyone who has not done it realizes. Without the help and encouragement of others, it would have been impossible. First and foremost, this book was written with the editorial advice of Ron Bush, who gave more generously of his time than either of us would have dared ask.

The very experienced and dedicated people who have served as Lead Assessors and Lead Appraisers have inspired us with their efforts to motivate positive change in thousands of organizations around the world. Without this group of skilled professionals, no assessment method would be worth the paper it is printed on. Our thanks to all of them who have shared their experience with us.

We would also like to acknowledge the efforts of early contributors to what evolved into the CBA IPI and SCAMPI methods—especially Watts Humphrey, Carol Bothwell, Mike Dedolph, Jack Harding, Will Hayes, Dave Kitson, Steve Masters, and George Winters.

It is impossible to really understand assessments from the outside. And so the authors wish to thank the many dedicated professionals who entrusted their companies to the methods described and whose support during the assessment process and later in analyzing its benefits was invaluable. Most of them must remain anonymous, but we would like to extend special thanks to Peter Howard and Randy Varga for generously reviewing sections of this book and Eileen Rubin and Roger Wilson for providing different kinds of essential materials.

For the helpful suggestions and close reading of the text of the book, we extend very grateful thanks to Mark Paulk, Clifford Shelley, and Gary Wolf.

Peter Gordon, Kim Boedigheimer, Sarah Kearns, and Ben Lawson at Addison-Wesley provided irreplaceable assistance in producing the book. Without Peter Gordon’s encouragement, patience, and expertise, the book would probably never have seen the light of day.

Closer to home, we wish to thank Ellen Wolin and Charley Bush for their support and for helpful suggestions.

Finally, there are people who are no longer with us but without whose inspiration neither we nor this book would be the same. We wish to remember Al Pietrasanta, Minnie and Louis Wolin, and Joe and Susie Kastle, whose spirit lives on.

Marilyn Bush
Oxford, Philadelphia

Donna Dunaway
Dallas