System Development Survey

System Development Survey Dear Reader, This survey is part of a PhD research study looking at the links between the organisational context in which a system is developed, the problem being tackled and the system development strategy utilised. Currently, knowledge of the type of pressures and problems faced by developers is fragmented across case studies particular to individual disciplines (HCI, Safety-related etc). I am looking for input from system development professionals from a range of disciplines in order that parallels (and contrasting interpretations) across different areas of system development can be drawn. Those of you with form-compatible WWW browsers are cordially invited to contribute to this research by accessing a survey web-page at: http://boom.cs.ucl.ac.uk/staff/dfulton/survey.html For those who are interested in the research but do not have form-compatible web browsers, a text version follows which can be returned to: dfulton@cs.ucl.ac.uk Many thanks! David Fulton -------------------------------------------------- Please fill in all sections in as much detail as possible. The form should take around 10-15 minutes to complete. Personal details are only recorded so that we can get back to you - if required. Otherwise, individuals remain anonymous and your input is kept confidential. Your name: Organisation: Email Addr: 1: The Project You are asked to complete this questionnaire in relation to a recent (or current) project with which you are familiar. 1.1) What was the title of the project? 1.2) Please give a brief description of the project? (if possible): 1.3) What system characteristics did the product incorporate? (more than one of the options can be ticked by marking them with an 'X'): ___ Interactive ___ Safety-Related * ___ Real-Time ___ Embedded * ___ Defence * Safety-related projects being developments where safety (in whatever form) is an important non-functional requirement. Embedded projects being software systems that are used to run hardware 2: Focus of Analysis/Initial Statement of Objectives 2.1) Please mark the development paradigm used by the project: ___ In-house development- for another part of the company ___ Contract-based development- for an outside client ___ Generic/Shrink-Wrap development- for general use 2.2) Which of the following most closely describe the starting point for the project? ___ The project started out without a clear view of the system to be developed, or of the underlying problem to be tackled ___ The project started out with an explicit problem to tackle but without a clear definition of the expected application ___ The project started with an explicit problem to ameliorate and a clear definition of the expected application ___ The project started with an explicit problem to solve and a clear definition of the expected application. In addition, the client has set the acceptance criteria for the project, and penalty provisions if criteria were not met 3: Development Pressures 3.1) Was the system to be developed designed to replace an existing manual or automated organisational system? ___ Yes? ___ No? 3.2) Which of the following describes the development pressures (in generating and using requirements) faced by the project? NB: Only make a choice here if the system was to be used by a user/operator and had an identifiable user population. ___ Users/Representatives had little or no experience with a system of this kind. As a result, they were unable to offer tangible requirements or ideas until a concrete representation (prototype) was available ___ Users/Representatives had some experience with similar systems in the past and they were able to put forward ideas and requirements for future systems The next section looks at the skills of developers and the degree to which their familiarity with the application being developed contributed to their knowledge of a suitable definition. 3.3) Which of the following, in your opinion, describes the degree to which developers (in general) were experienced in this type of development? ___ Developers had limited experience in developing a system of this kind and some experimentation was required to evaluate technical options ___ Developers had some experience of developing similar systems in the past and had a limited ability to predict changes or other types of uncertainty ___ Developers were experts in a particular problem domain and had a clearer understanding of technical options and possible solutions 4: The Organisational Context In considering the organisational context, we are really looking at the context within which the project is based, and are therefore looking at the structures and processes (specific to the project) within the developer organisation, the client organisation (if the two differ), and developer/client communication. 4.1: Structure of the project 4.1.1) Which of the following most closely describe the job roles within the project? ___ Responsibilities and job roles were explicitly defined. No-one on the project could carry out tasks for which they did not have authorisation ___ While there were notional job roles and responsibilities, project personnel tended to carry out a range of tasks when they were required to do so 4.1.2) Which of the following most closely describes the manner in which changes or requests for verification were addressed? ___ All requests for changes had to be routed via the project manager or to personnel at a higher level in the project structure. ___ Possible changes would generally be discussed by the appropriate parties before action was decided (on an informal basis). 4.2: Processes within the project 4.2.1) Which of the following describe the degree of stability in project-related processes? ___ Processes were largely stable. Interaction between stakeholders in the project occured at pre-determined times. ___ Processes were subject to change. Interaction between stakeholders in the project was random - occured as and when needed. 5: System Development Strategy 5.1) In your opinion, which of the following points most closely summarise the system development strategy that was taken? ___ The emphasis was on a constantly changing specification, adaptive code and minimal use of design documentation. ___ The emphasis was on the use of experimental methods, including evolutionary or iterative prototyping. ___ The emphasis was on producing a robust design and implementation, but allowing limited flexibility and ability to react to change. ___ The emphasis was on the production of error-free code and an accurate transformation of the specification into design material. 5.2) Which of the following most closely match the model of development used? ___ Stage-based models of development: A variation