Planning and stakeholder involvement: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 08:29, 7 November 2024

System Fundamentals^[1]

To identify the context for which a new system is planned, it can be helpful to consider the following factors:

Purpose: What is the primary purpose or goal of the new system? Understanding the purpose of the system will help to clarify the context in which it will be used.
Users: Who will be using the system? Understanding the needs and characteristics of the users can help to determine the context in which the system will be used.
Environment: In what environment will the system be used? Will it be used in a business setting, a home setting, or some other type of environment? Understanding the environment in which the system will be used can help to determine the context.
Constraints: What constraints or limitations will the system need to operate within? Understanding the constraints that the system will face can help to clarify the context in which it will be used.
Requirements: What are the specific requirements or needs that the system must meet in order to be successful? Understanding the requirements of the system can help to clarify the context in which it will be used.

Identifying relevant stakeholders when planning a new system is an important step in the process of developing and implementing a new system. Relevant stakeholders are individuals or groups who have a vested interest in the success or failure of the system. Some examples of relevant stakeholders might include:

Customers: Customers are stakeholders who will be using the new system, and their needs and preferences should be taken into consideration when planning the system.
Employees: Employees who will be using the new system on a daily basis are also important stakeholders. Their input and feedback can help to ensure that the system meets their needs and is easy to use.
Management: Management is a stakeholder group that will be responsible for overseeing the implementation and operation of the new system. Their input and support will be important for the success of the system.
Investors: Investors are stakeholders who have financial stakes in the success of the new system. Their input and feedback can help to ensure that the system meets their financial expectations.
Suppliers: Suppliers are stakeholders who provide goods or services to the organization that will be using the new system. Their input and feedback can help to ensure that the system meets their needs and is compatible with their products or services.
Regulators: If the new system is subject to regulatory oversight, regulators may also be considered stakeholders. Their input and feedback can help to ensure that the system meets all necessary regulatory requirements.

To identify relevant stakeholders, it can be helpful to conduct a stakeholder analysis, which involves identifying all potential stakeholders and evaluating their level of interest and influence in the project. This can help to prioritize the needs and concerns of different stakeholders and ensure that their input is considered during the planning process.

Difference between management and regulators[edit]

Management and regulators are both stakeholders in an organization, but they have different roles and responsibilities.

Management refers to the individuals who are responsible for running an organization on a day-to-day basis. They make decisions related to the operation and direction of the organization and are accountable to the shareholders or owners of the company.

Regulators, on the other hand, are government agencies or other bodies that are responsible for enforcing laws and regulations related to a particular industry or sector. They have the power to impose fines and penalties, and in some cases, they can even revoke the license of an organization to operate.

In summary:

Management is responsible for running the organization, while regulators are responsible for enforcing laws and regulations.
Management is accountable to the shareholders or owners of the company, while regulators are accountable to the government and the public.
Management makes decisions related to the operation and direction of the organization, while regulators make decisions based on laws and regulations.

Standards[edit]

These standards are used from the IB Computer Science Subject Guide^[2]

Identify the context for which a new system is planned.
Identify the relevant stakeholders when planning a new system.

References[edit]

↑ http://www.flaticon.com/
↑ IB Diploma Programme Computer science guide (first examinations 2014). Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom: International Baccalaureate Organization. January 2012.

[1] ttp://www.flaticon.com/

[2] IB Diploma Programme Computer science guide (first examinations 2014). Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom: International Baccalaureate Organization. January 2012.

[1]

[2]

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 [[file:system_fund.png|right|frame|System Fundamentals<ref>http://www.flaticon.com/</ref>]]
-How are systems planned? Are systems just thrown into the users face without any planning? Who should we talk with as we plan a new system?  '''What questions should we ask users, IT administrators, and finance stakeholders as we plan a new system?'''
+To '''identify the context''' for which a new system is planned, it can be helpful to consider the following factors:
+# Purpose: What is the primary purpose or goal of the new system? Understanding the purpose of the system will help to clarify the context in which it will be used.
+# Users: Who will be using the system? Understanding the needs and characteristics of the users can help to determine the context in which the system will be used.
+# Environment: In what environment will the system be used? Will it be used in a business setting, a home setting, or some other type of environment? Understanding the environment in which the system will be used can help to determine the context.
+# Constraints: What constraints or limitations will the system need to operate within? Understanding the constraints that the system will face can help to clarify the context in which it will be used.
+# Requirements: What are the specific requirements or needs that the system must meet in order to be successful? Understanding the requirements of the system can help to clarify the context in which it will be used.
-A stakeholder is a person with an interest or concern in something especially a business<ref>New Oxford American Dictionary (Second Edition)</ref>. A stakeholder is someone who might be:
-* Using a system
+Identifying '''relevant stakeholders''' when planning a new system is an important step in the process of developing and implementing a new system. Relevant stakeholders are individuals or groups who have a vested interest in the success or failure of the system. Some examples of relevant stakeholders might include:
-* Supporting a system
-* Realizing benefits from a system.
-Students get confused here: a stakeholder is someone who actually uses a specific system. You should ask yourself "if I was designing a new system, who has the best knowledge of how the system should work". You should ask yourself "if a stakeholder is who you get the requirements from, who has the best understanding of the system?".
+# Customers: Customers are stakeholders who will be using the new system, and their needs and preferences should be taken into consideration when planning the system.
+# Employees: Employees who will be using the new system on a daily basis are also important stakeholders. Their input and feedback can help to ensure that the system meets their needs and is easy to use.
+# Management: Management is a stakeholder group that will be responsible for overseeing the implementation and operation of the new system. Their input and support will be important for the success of the system.
+# Investors: Investors are stakeholders who have financial stakes in the success of the new system. Their input and feedback can help to ensure that the system meets their financial expectations.
+# Suppliers: Suppliers are stakeholders who provide goods or services to the organization that will be using the new system. Their input and feedback can help to ensure that the system meets their needs and is compatible with their products or services.
+# Regulators: If the new system is subject to regulatory oversight, regulators may also be considered stakeholders. Their input and feedback can help to ensure that the system meets all necessary regulatory requirements.
-The role of an end-user must be considered when planning a new system <ref> IB Computer Science Subject Guide </ref>
+To identify relevant stakeholders, it can be helpful to conduct a stakeholder analysis, which involves identifying all potential stakeholders and evaluating their level of interest and influence in the project. This can help to prioritize the needs and concerns of different stakeholders and ensure that their input is considered during the planning process.
-== Real-world practical advice ==
-''You will not be tested on this material, but you should know it''
+=== Difference between management and regulators ===
+Management and regulators are both stakeholders in an organization, but they have different roles and responsibilities.
-You should always be nervous when there is more than one person in charge of a project. We call this double-headed management, and it is very dangerous because you may get two very different specifications about the system. It is always a good idea to have '''only one''' single person who describes what a system should do. In project management, we call this a "senior customer" or a "senior user".
+# Management refers to the individuals who are responsible for running an organization on a day-to-day basis. They make decisions related to the operation and direction of the organization and are accountable to the shareholders or owners of the company.
+# Regulators, on the other hand, are government agencies or other bodies that are responsible for enforcing laws and regulations related to a particular industry or sector. They have the power to impose fines and penalties, and in some cases, they can even revoke the license of an organization to operate.
-== Do you understand this material? ==
+In summary:
+# Management is responsible for running the organization, while regulators are responsible for enforcing laws and regulations.
+# Management is accountable to the shareholders or owners of the company, while regulators are accountable to the government and the public.
+# Management makes decisions related to the operation and direction of the organization, while regulators make decisions based on laws and regulations.
-Imagine you are the chief information officer for a company. The company wants to plan a system that keeps track of employees, their birthdays, salaries, and date the employee was hired. What are ten questions you would ask as you plan this system? It may be helpful to review [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Context_analysis this wikipedia entry which discusses context analysis].
-Please consider the following examples, and answer the questions:
-=== Example 1 ===
-This is a simple example:
-A small business wants to plan a new system. The new system is a computer kiosk inside the store which allows customers to sign up for a email newsletter. If a customer signs up for a newsletter inside the store, they will get a 10% discount on their first purchase at the store. The owner hopes this 10% discount will be an incentive for customers to sign up for the email newsletter.  The business will then regularly  email the customers special offers and savings. The business owner expects to benefit from this system by having increased sales. The customers expect to benefit from this system by having access to special offers, to save money, and to see what is new and trendy at their store.
-Question 1: List the stakeholders we should consult when planning this new system. Be careful, as there is a hidden stakeholder group that is not mentioned here!
-Question 2: Infer from the example what questions should be asked of each stakeholder group.
-== Do you have an advanced understanding of this material? ==
-=== Example 2 ===
-This is a complex example:
-A school of 900 students wants to plan a new system. The school hopes the new system is a secure web-based application which manages attendance data. The school administrators want to carefully track attendance for the students so it can identify when students have been absent for a customizable threshold. For example, the school might set a threshold of 5 absences within 30 days, which then automatically notifies the student, parent, and teacher there is a problem with attendance. The threshold might be 3 times within 10 days, or something like that. The system should keep track of attendance and tardies. The system should have customizable attendance codes. For example, "absence for school trip", "excused absence", "medical absence" are all allowed absence codes.
-Parents, teachers and students will all have access to the web-based portal.
-School administrators expect to benefit by having data about attendance so they can support students and parents to be in school. School administrators also expect to benefit by giving parents and students information about attendance (so parents can support their children to be in school). Finally, school administrators expect to benefit by using attendance data to apply for government funding (as they can prove how many students were in class on a specific day).
-Parents expect to benefit by knowing when their children are in school or miss school. This way parents can support their children to be in school. Being in school is a '''shared value''' that the school hopes the parents share.
-Students expect to benefit by understanding how many days of school of they have missed. The school expects students to have a strong "ownership of learning" and manage their attendance.
-Question 1: List the stakeholders we should consult when planning this new system. Be careful, as there is a hidden stakeholder group that is not mentioned here!
-Question 2: Infer from the example what questions should be asked of each stakeholder group.
 == Standards ==
+These standards are used from the IB Computer Science Subject Guide<ref>IB Diploma Programme Computer science guide (first examinations 2014). Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom: International Baccalaureate Organization. January 2012.</ref>
 * Identify the context for which a new system is planned.