Contemporary Challenges in Requirements Discovery and Validation: Two Case Studies in Complex Environments - Intentional Perspectives on Information Systems Engineering - page 39

the requirements research community has struggled to keep pace with develop-
ments in requirements practices [ 3, 25, 51] . With the rise of outsourcing, a shift
toward commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) applications [ 44] , and the widespread use
of external consultants and third-party systems integrators, requirements processes
are increasingly distributed and present a stark contrast to the traditional views of
requirements engineering (RE) as orchestrated by a single team with respect to a
standalone artifact [ 23, 24] .
Given the changing nature of RE practices, prevailing development initiatives
present a critical opportunity for re-assessing challenges associated with design
requirements. In recent research, we developed a model of requirements challenges
that integrates long-acknowledged impediments to effective RE with emergent chal-
lenges flowing from contemporary shifts in the systems development landscape
[ 21] . The model outlines categories of RE challenges based on cognitive limita-
tions, traction in social interactions, and the broader complexity of the development
environment [ 21] . In addition, we argue for the systemic nature of these challenges
in that they reflect dynamic interactions and feedback loops. In the present research,
we seek to validate the degree to which these requirements challenges help us
understand how RE issues emerge and evolve in situ. Specifically, we ask:

• What are the challenges that development professionals encounter in the elic-

itation and specification of requirements associated with large scale multi-
stakeholder systems?

• How are various requirements challenges related to one another?

• To what degree are RE challenges recognized by professionals and how do they

mitigate these challenges?

To address these questions, we conduct multi-site case studies involving multi-
party software development projects, focusing specifically on their RE efforts. The
remainder of the chapter is structured as follows: In Sect. 2, we provide an overview
of the literature on challenges in RE and introduce the systemic model of require-
ments challenges [21] . Section 3 outlines the research design for the case study.
In Sect. 4, we provide a detailed overview of the two projects studied. Section 5
provides primary findings related to RE challenges in the cases. In Sect. 6, we dis-
cuss the implications of findings for both information systems development (ISD)
professionals and the research community.

2 Towards a Systemic Model of RE Challenges

2.1 Earlier Typologies of Requirements Challenges

In his seminal article, Davis [10] noted three causes for incomplete requirements:
(1) cognitive limitations, (2) the variety and complexity of requirements, and (3) the
patterns of interaction between users and requirements engineers. Davis proceeded