Social and Cultural Issues in Social and Cultural Issues in Requirements EngineeringRequirements Engineering

IntroductionIntroduction

Some aspects of the requirements Some aspects of the requirements engineering process deal with social and engineering process deal with social and cultural issuescultural issues

What is the best way to deal with these What is the best way to deal with these issues?issues?

IntroductionIntroduction

Some think that these issues fall outside Some think that these issues fall outside the scope of requirements engineering the scope of requirements engineering process, and fall under management, process, and fall under management, interpersonal skills, or ethics.interpersonal skills, or ethics.

Another point of view is that these issues Another point of view is that these issues are very much part of the requirements are very much part of the requirements engineering process and if not accounted engineering process and if not accounted for can negatively impact the desired for can negatively impact the desired software systemsoftware system

Social IssuesSocial Issues

Social Issues in RESocial Issues in RE

Requirements engineering is a social Requirements engineering is a social process, as it involves interaction among process, as it involves interaction among clients, engineers, and other systems.clients, engineers, and other systems.

Requirements engineering is not an Requirements engineering is not an entirely formal process, because it entirely formal process, because it involves discovering client needs and involves discovering client needs and reconciling them with technical reconciling them with technical possibilities.possibilities.

Stakeholders in RE ProcessStakeholders in RE Process At least there are three major groups At least there are three major groups

participate in requirements engineering participate in requirements engineering process;process; The client organizationThe client organization The requirements teamThe requirements team The development teamThe development team

There may be other interested parties, There may be other interested parties, e.g., regulatory authoritiese.g., regulatory authorities

Six Areas of Social IssuesSix Areas of Social Issues

1.1. Within the client organization.Within the client organization.

2.2. Within the requirements team.Within the requirements team.

3.3. Between the client and the requirements team.Between the client and the requirements team.4.4. Between the development and requirements teamsBetween the development and requirements teams5.5. Within the development team.Within the development team.6.6. Between the development team and the client.Between the development team and the client.

1- 1- Issues within the Client OrganizationIssues within the Client Organization

In a large organization, there are usually In a large organization, there are usually competing divisions or groups, so the notion of competing divisions or groups, so the notion of ‘the client’‘the client’ is not obvious is not obvious

Intended users of the system may be different Intended users of the system may be different people from the ones who interact with the people from the ones who interact with the requirements teamrequirements team

1- 1- Issues within the Client OrganizationIssues within the Client Organization

The users of the system should be brought The users of the system should be brought into the requirement engineering process, into the requirement engineering process, as they hold the key of the eventual as they hold the key of the eventual success of the software engineering project.success of the software engineering project.

The requirement process reveals the The requirement process reveals the problems within the client organization, problems within the client organization, which must be addressed by facilitating which must be addressed by facilitating communication among different communication among different stakeholders.stakeholders.

1- 1- Issues within the Client OrganizationIssues within the Client Organization

The problems within the client organization must The problems within the client organization must not be buried, as they effect the implementation of not be buried, as they effect the implementation of the project.the project.

The new automated system may have profound The new automated system may have profound impact on how the business is conducted or how impact on how the business is conducted or how information is classified within the organization.information is classified within the organization.

Success of the project requires that every Success of the project requires that every group within the organization understand group within the organization understand different aspects of the new system.different aspects of the new system.

Problems of tacit (silent) knowledge.Problems of tacit (silent) knowledge.

2- 2- Issues within the Requirements TeamIssues within the Requirements Team

How work is organized?How work is organized? What methods and notations are used?What methods and notations are used? What team members think about What team members think about

organization and how jelled organization and how jelled (work together) requirement team is?(work together) requirement team is?

3- 3- Issues between Client Organization Issues between Client Organization and Requirements Teamand Requirements Team

Financial arrangementsFinancial arrangements Ethical obligationsEthical obligations Legal safeguardsLegal safeguards Personal relationshipsPersonal relationships Denial (refusal) of informationDenial (refusal) of information Management of changesManagement of changes

4-4- Issues between Development and Issues between Development and Requirement TeamsRequirement Teams

Development team needs to work very Development team needs to work very closely with the requirements team to closely with the requirements team to resolve inconsistencies and to get details.resolve inconsistencies and to get details.

In some cases, requirements team may be In some cases, requirements team may be disbanded(break up) or assigned other disbanded(break up) or assigned other tasks.tasks.

5- 5- Issues Within the development teamIssues Within the development team

Team members may be demoralizedTeam members may be demoralized There may be high turn over rateThere may be high turn over rate The deadlines may slipThe deadlines may slip Developers dislike documentationDevelopers dislike documentation

6- 6- Between the development team and Between the development team and the clientthe client

Development teams may have to Development teams may have to communicate with clients directly, to gain communicate with clients directly, to gain better understanding of the project’s better understanding of the project’s possibilities and limitations, both for initial possibilities and limitations, both for initial development and maintenancedevelopment and maintenance

Cultural Issues in RECultural Issues in RE

Cultural Issues in RECultural Issues in RE Advances in the internet and Advances in the internet and

communication technologies has enabled communication technologies has enabled customers and developers to collaborate customers and developers to collaborate with each other in geographically and with each other in geographically and temporally dispersed environmentstemporally dispersed environments

Cultural Issues in RECultural Issues in RE

There may beThere may be

1.1. Time zones differencesTime zones differences

2.2. Language and terminology differencesLanguage and terminology differences

3.3. Religious and racial differencesReligious and racial differences

4.4. Ethical issuesEthical issues

5.5. Political differencesPolitical differences

6.6. Differences in business environmentDifferences in business environment

1- 1- Differences in Time ZonesDifferences in Time Zones Working hours of clients and developers Working hours of clients and developers

may differ by eight hours or more.may differ by eight hours or more. Arranging phone calls and video Arranging phone calls and video

conferences become a hassle as one conferences become a hassle as one party has to come to office very early or party has to come to office very early or stay very late.stay very late.

2- 2- Language and Terminology Language and Terminology DifferencesDifferences

Advances in the internet and Advances in the internet and communication technologies has enabled communication technologies has enabled customers and developers to collaborate customers and developers to collaborate with each other in geographically and with each other in geographically and temporally dispersed environmentstemporally dispersed environments

2- 2- Language and Terminology Language and Terminology DifferencesDifferences

People and government in the US, and People and government in the US, and worldwide scientific community consider worldwide scientific community consider the following number to be a billionthe following number to be a billion

1,00,00,00,0001,00,00,00,000 For the rest of the world, a billion isFor the rest of the world, a billion is

10,00,00,00,00,00010,00,00,00,00,000

2- 2- Language and Terminology Language and Terminology DifferencesDifferences

Globally, people communicate with fellow Globally, people communicate with fellow citizens using sports lingo to convey citizens using sports lingo to convey certain situations and concepts, even in certain situations and concepts, even in the business environmentthe business environment

This can cause misunderstandingsThis can cause misunderstandings Use of the word ‘hockey’ in Use of the word ‘hockey’ in PakistanPakistan and and

USUS means two different sports: means two different sports: ‘field hockey’ ‘field hockey’ and and ‘ice hockey’ ‘ice hockey’ respectivelyrespectively

3- 3- Religious and Racial DifferencesReligious and Racial Differences insensible comments on religious and racial insensible comments on religious and racial

backgrounds of people involved in software backgrounds of people involved in software engineering projects can become a major engineering projects can become a major hindrance in the successful execution of hindrance in the successful execution of the requirements engineering processthe requirements engineering process

4-4- Ethical Issues Ethical Issues Access to confidential client informationAccess to confidential client information Possibility of elimination of jobsPossibility of elimination of jobs Differences of opinions with the client on Differences of opinions with the client on

the projectthe project

5- 5- Political DifferencesPolitical Differences Differences in political ideologies and Differences in political ideologies and

personal conviction(belief) can also lead to personal conviction(belief) can also lead to unprofessional environment in the unprofessional environment in the execution of the requirements engineering execution of the requirements engineering processprocess

Some people do not want to work on Some people do not want to work on military software programsmilitary software programs

6- 6- Differences in Business Differences in Business EnvironmentsEnvironments

Every society has its own culture within Every society has its own culture within the business community, which must be the business community, which must be understood for successful execution of the understood for successful execution of the requirements engineering process.requirements engineering process.

AddressingAddressing Social and Cultural IssuesSocial and Cultural Issues

AddressingAddressing Social and Cultural Issues Social and Cultural Issues Understand social and cultural issues and Understand social and cultural issues and

differences.differences. Avoid judgmental(negative) comments and Avoid judgmental(negative) comments and

offensive(hateful) remarks on un-related offensive(hateful) remarks on un-related views and beliefs of others.views and beliefs of others.

Create an environment of respect and Create an environment of respect and professionalism.professionalism.

Focus on discovering the needs of the Focus on discovering the needs of the customers.customers.

Use state-of-the-art technology to facilitate Use state-of-the-art technology to facilitate activities in the requirements engineering activities in the requirements engineering process.process.

SummarySummary Requirements engineering is not a strictly Requirements engineering is not a strictly

formal process, there may be some social formal process, there may be some social and cultural side effects in this process.and cultural side effects in this process.

Requirements engineers must understand Requirements engineers must understand different aspects of these issues and different aspects of these issues and address them in the requirements address them in the requirements engineering process.engineering process.