The Disciplinary Maturity Model (CRG-MM) is a pioneer model in Brazil, designed for the evaluation of the maturity of disciplinary units focusing mainly on general work processes. Originally, the National Disciplinary Board (CRG) monitored disciplinary activity focusing on individual procedures, in a strictly legal-procedural view. The Maturity Model brought a new approach based on units' self-assessment process, empowering those units to identify their current maturity level and necessary changes to achieve a higher level. To do that, the team developed a tool presenting, as a structured guide, the basic macro processes (KPAs - Key Performance Areas) that lead to a safe development of the disciplinary unit. The CRG-MM tool has broadened the focus of disciplinary evaluation, including work processes that until then were considered secondary in units' management, although relevant to achieve better results.

The Disciplinary Maturity Model was concluded by the National Disciplinary Board team (CRG) in 2020 and presented to all units of the Federal Executive Branch Disciplinary System (SISCOR), alongside with documentation and tools needed for implementation. In the next year it was improved based on the previous experience, seeking to simplify the set of activities and to be more objective in presenting corroborating evidence. Currently the Project has evolved to a self-assessment methodology with support, where the evidence evaluation process takes place shortly after its registration in a computer-based system. Consequently, the Disciplinary Maturity Model use has been turned, both by disciplinary units and by the National Disciplinary Board, into an important monitoring tool.

The Project partners are the disciplinary units located on the ministerial bodies and entities of the Federal Executive Branch and the Modernization Coordination – CGM/DICOR/CRG/CGU, which develops and provides information technology tools needed for the evaluation actions and improvement of the Project.

The Brazilian society and the Federal Executive Branch are the main stakeholders of public sector integrity improvement meanwhile the immediate beneficiaries are disciplinary units located on state-owned enterprises, ministerial bodies, and entities of the Federal Executive Branch. Finally, the mediate beneficiaries are Brazilian citizens due to increased amount of public information (active transparency), contributing to reduce the corruption and impunity perception level among the society

The first round of self-assessment took place in 2020, gathering 47% of SISCOR disciplinary units. In 2022, eighty percent of the units have joined the Disciplinary Maturity Model (CRM-MM), which represents a sixty percent increase in comparison to the previous round. The positive results are due to previous participants' positive feedback regarding the benefits of adopting the Disciplinary Maturity Model in their units, as well as the mandatory engagement of some types of units.

Another great finding regards the quality of evidence gathered by the Project team, because of the model adjustments. It made it possible to assemble a repository with models of control instruments, normative acts and workflows that will contribute for the achievement of better results by less mature units on the next round, resulting in the acceleration of SISCOR's homogeneity process. At last, the disciplinary units involved in this Project have been gathering in informal collaborative networks.

In 2020, the challenge was establishing which evidence would be an adequate proof of existence (establishment of a work routine) and institutionalization (effective exercise of the established routine) for each macro process. The communication strategy was crucial to overcome it. The Project team conducted meetings and trainings using collaborative social media tools (Microsoft Teams, Whatsapp), allowing participants to share personal experiences and to solve frequently asked questions. Another challenge was acknowledging the great diversity amongst public entities, whose teams have different levels of technical knowledge, workforce sizes (ranges from 40 up to 90.000), risk levels, structures, legal frameworks, and independence to conduct the disciplinary function. Finally, the self-assessment process, monitored by a member of CRG, increased participants´ understanding of how to implement the model. As a side effect, the Project team has faced a heavy workload to supervise units.

The CRG-MM intention is to provoke a paradigmatic change involving disciplinary units’ structure, organization, and management which demands a real culture change inside organizations, with impact on behavior and procedures and requires investment in technology and training team members in public integrity matters. The first step for a disciplinary unit to achieve technical specialization and functional independence is the delegation of the original competencies of the highest authority of each organ or entity to a specialized unit. Additionally, each disciplinary unit must focus on planning and management procedures as required steps for improvement. Thus, it should evolve from a passive to a proactive approach, overcoming common barriers such as victimization speech and lack of structure and resources. It must shift from addressing urgent demands to a qualified action that enables the unit's sustainable growth, with effective support from the top management levels.

The Disciplinary Maturity Model (CRG-MM) was originally designed for the Federal Executive branch, which has around 230 entities with diverse structures, legal framework, workforce size, and available systems. Nonetheless, it can be easily replicated in other public levels, considering it is grounded in national legislation such as the Labor Code (Federal Decree n.5.452/1943); the Clean Company Act (Federal Law n.12.846/2013); the General Data Protection Law (Federal Law n.13.709/2018); and the Abuse of Authority Law (Federal Law n. 13.869/2019), etc. In the future, the model can also be implemented in all in states and counties levels as well the Legislative and Judiciary branches, with minor adjustments.

One of the National Disciplinary Board (CRG) main tasks is to supervise and monitor the disciplinary actions performed by the disciplinary units of the Federal Executive branch. The breaking point of the Disciplinary Maturity Model (CRG-MM) was to focus on management procedures and workflows to assess units ‘performance key indicators. In order to fully implement this Project, it has been crucial to create a secure and trustworthy environment, aimed to share best work practices, studies and foster cooperation among its participants. Finally, any substantial change in organizations takes time to settle, therefore leaders must be empathetic and have the ability of foreseeing possible gaps and difficulties faced by each disciplinary unit.