Overview
ISO 37153:2017 - Smart community infrastructures - Maturity model for assessment and improvement defines a standardized community infrastructure maturity model (CIMM) and a systematic approach to assess and improve the technical performance, processes and interoperability of community infrastructures. Applicable across infrastructure types (energy, water, transportation, waste, ICT and green/natural systems), community sizes and life‑cycle stages (planning/design, construction, operation, decommission), the standard helps stakeholders gauge current maturity, set improvement targets and guide investment decisions.
Key topics and requirements
- Community Infrastructure Maturity Model (CIMM): Provides a common framework and ordinal maturity levels (conceptually expressed as five reference levels) to evaluate infrastructure characteristics and progress.
- Achievement Criteria Table (ACT): A core tool that defines predefined requirements for characteristics at each maturity level to standardize assessment.
- Assessment aspects: Covers technical performance, process capability, interoperability and the infrastructure’s contribution/impact on the community (economic, environmental, social).
- Methodology & guidance: Describes the basis for the maturity model, requirements and guidance to develop ACTs, and a standardized assessment and improvement process including analysis and implementation steps.
- Life‑cycle applicability: Intended for all stages of infrastructure life cycle (planning/design, construction, operation, decommission), enabling PDCA‑style continual improvement.
- Stakeholder orientation: Emphasizes harmonizing resident needs, management, environment and investment priorities to support sustainable and resilient communities.
Practical applications and who uses it
ISO 37153:2017 is designed for practical use by:
- City planners and government decision‑makers - prioritize infrastructure investments and plan for sustainable urban development.
- Owners and operators of infrastructure - assess current performance, identify gaps and define improvement roadmaps.
- Suppliers and technology vendors - align products and services with community maturity targets and interoperability requirements.
- Investors and financiers - evaluate which infrastructure projects meet desired performance and resilience criteria.
- Citizens and community groups - benefit from transparent assessments that aim to improve quality of life and sustainability.
Typical applications include cross‑sector infrastructure assessments, benchmarking between communities, informing capital investment strategies, and integrating maturity assessment into PDCA cycles for continual improvement.
Related standards
- ISO/TS 37151:2015 (performance metrics for smart community infrastructures) - normative reference.
- ISO 37101 (sustainable development of communities) and ISO/IEC 15504 (capability maturity concepts) are referenced as related frameworks and context for applying a CMM‑style approach.
Keywords: ISO 37153:2017, smart community infrastructures, maturity model, CIMM, assessment, improvement, interoperability, infrastructure life cycle, Achievement Criteria Table.
