Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
5. Training
6. Recognition and rewards
Let us discuss each of them in detail.
11.2.1 Organization
By organization, I mean the arrangement of various departments in the organi-
zation. An organization is arranged into various departments each having its own
set of responsibilities and a concomitant authority. When the departments are
properly organized, the departments work in a close-knit manner putting shoulder
to shoulder and support each other to produce synergetic results that are better than
the sum of individual efforts. When the departments are poorly organized,
departments do not support each other; do not communicate with each other; they
necessitate coordination; there will be too many meetings to resolve issues;
escalation becomes too frequent; the results would be less than the sum of indi-
vidual efforts; and the quality of the deliverables would be impacted. Therefore,
the organization ought to be diligent in organizing the departments. Each
department must have a clear role and a set of deliverables with concomitant
authority to accomplish results.
While the subject of organizing in general is not in the scope of this topic,
we need to recognize that it plays a vital role in the efficient functioning of the
organization. Another important aspect is that the organization must recognize the
importance of the activity of requirements engineering and management and
provide a place for it in the organization. Most organizations do not have a
specialist department for requirements engineering. Business analysts or systems
analysts are normally part of the project team that delivers the software and they
report to the project manager. If the organization has multiple projects in execu-
tion, there will be business analysts spread across many projects. But there is no
central department that owns these analysts to focus on their development.
Business analysts or systems analysts are usually part of the software development
pool in software development organizations and are part of the IS department in
other organizations.
Slowly but surely, the field of requirements engineering and management is
severing itself from programmers. A few years ago, senior programmers were
carrying out this activity. But now, it is no more so. It is evolving itself into a
separate specialty. While I do not advocate a separate department for the activity of
requirements engineering and management, I do advocate a support group for this
activity separate from the project. When the business analyst needs a consultation,
there ought to be a place from where to obtain it from within the organization.
Organizations ought to give consideration to this specialty and provide a sup-
port group for requirements engineering and management. The organizations
 
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