Development, Frameworks and Methods

A. Critically evaluate the significance of a methodology/framework within an IS development environment.
B. Apply the principles, concepts and techniques of a RAD methodology to a given development environment.
C. Appreciate the issues impacting upon the future development and use of methods in industry.
D. Discuss professional and ethical issues relating to information systems development

Management Summary

The case study tells us that the IT Consultant, Sebastian LeFevre, has decided to recommend one of the approaches associated with Agile Methods to the Chief Executive Officer of CSA as he thinks that this would be an interesting project for him to get involved with. The Agile Method that Sebastian has recommended to the Chief Executive is called DSDM Atern.

Produce a management summary explaining whether DSDM Atern would be an appropriate method to use within CSA. Outline any advantages/drawbacks that you perceive. Give examples from the Case Study to support your answer.

Section B –  High level requirements analysis and MoSCoW prioritisation
Appendix B of the case study provides details (including minutes) of a Facilitated Workshop session run by the external consultants and attended by a number of the key staff in the organisation.
At the end of the session a list of ‘high level requirements’ was produced.
This list is inappropriate as a set of requirements for developing a system as a number of the requirements do not meet our criteria for a ‘high level requirement’.
Remember  a high level requirement should be a functional requirement that can be delivered to the user as part of an incremental approach using  a timebox (or number of timeboxes).

Using the information given throughout the case study to help you, complete the following:
B1.    Review the ‘high level requirements’ list given at the end of Appendix B.
B1.1    Identify any of the requirements that you feel are not appropriate high level requirements, giving your reasons for this.
B1.2    Rewrite the  list to include between 8-10 high level requirements that you feel are required for building the system. Briefly, justify the need for each of your high level requirements against information you have gathered from the case study.
Your answer to B1 should be in the region of  750-1000 words

B2.    Use the MoSCoW rules to prioritise the requirements in your updated ‘high level requirements list’.
B2.1.    Produce an updated ‘high requirements list’ clearly showing the prioritisation you have given to each of your requirements. There isn’t a word limit for this answer.

B2.2    Explain how you set about prioritising the requirements and justify your reasons for
The decisions that you made

Section C – Legal, Social, Ethical and Professional issues

C1:     CSA needs to start considering Legal,Social, Ethical and Professional Issues (LSEPI) in relation to its day-to-day operations.  In particular, they need to appoint a Data Controller. Produce a management summary explaining (a) why the organisation needs a Data Controller and (b) how a Data Controller could help overcome some of the legal, social, ethical and professional issues that CSA may be faced with. As a part of your answer to (b) provide two practical examples from the case study that relate to aspects of LSEPI.
Your answer here should be in the region of 500-750 words

C2:    Produce a management summary outlining the purpose of the BCS Code of Conduct. As a part of this, provide a practical example for each of the four BCS Code of Conduct sections to illustrate a professional issue that a System developer contracted to CSA may need to consider.