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Next Steps for the INTI A Concept of Operations

Next Steps for the INTI A Concept of Operations. Richard Weiland, Weiland Consulting Co. 1012 Hinman Ave., Suite 300, Evanston, IL 60202 USA 847/864-8500, Fax: 847/864-8020, Email: rjweiland@earthlink.net 2003 ITS America Annual Meeting – Session 44.

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Next Steps for the INTI A Concept of Operations

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  1. Next Steps for the INTIA Concept of Operations Richard Weiland, Weiland Consulting Co. 1012 Hinman Ave., Suite 300, Evanston, IL 60202 USA 847/864-8500, Fax: 847/864-8020, Email: rjweiland@earthlink.net 2003 ITS America Annual Meeting – Session 44

  2. Next Steps from the “National ITS Program Plan” • Lay the Groundwork: • Document INTI Scope and Characteristicsat the “thorough outline” level • Conduct a preliminary cost-benefit analysis • Get preliminary buy-in from major national stakeholders in the public and private sectors • Leading to national consensus, commitment, funding, and action

  3. Current Understanding of the INTI Lots of databases: centralized – no, distributed – no, centralized ... Well, it’s this big network It’s a Network of Networks!(Is it?) Well, y’know, it’s this big network It’s just like theInternet...sort of ... but ... Feds should pay for it (why?) States should pay for it (why?) Car Companies should pay for it (why?) The Public should pay for it (why?)

  4. One Helpful Change: A New Name! • Not just a network, except in broadest sense • Connected, but not obviously integrated • Not just databases • Not just processes for data collection and management “INFOstructure” works, but hasn’t caught on • Road-only overtone may be a useful distinction How about: National Transportation Information Infrastructure (NTII) • (One advantage: initials can’t be pronounced)

  5. Laying the Groundwork • One potentially useful approach:develop a Concept of Operations “A user-oriented document that describes system characteristics for a proposed system from the users’ viewpoint... It is used to describe the user organizations, missions, and objectives from an integrated systems point of view.” --Abstract of IEEE Standard 1362-1998

  6. IEEE 1362

  7. IEEE 1362 • One of a series of IEEE standards on developing and documenting software-intensive systems • Systems for which software is a major technical challenge • Other components include hardware, people, and manual procedures • Not a bad fit for the INTI (though certainly not perfect)

  8. The ConOps Approach Provides... • An analysis activity to bridge the gap between • Users’ needs and visions, and • Developer’s technical specifications • Very close in spirit (and output) to a traditional, structured system analysis

  9. The ConOps Approach Produces... • A document, preferably written by the user community, that provides: • A means to describe a user’s operational needs without getting bogged down in technical details • A mechanism for documenting a system’s characteristics that can be verified by the user without requiring technical knowledge • A place for users to state their desires, visions, and expectations • A mechanism for users to express thoughts and concerns on possible solution strategies

  10. The ConOps Document Contains... • Scope / system overview • Description of current situation • Justification for / nature of change • Concepts for proposed system • Operational scenarios • Summary of impacts • Analysis of proposed system

  11. Scope / System Overview • Purpose of proposed system • General nature of system • Project sponsors, user agencies, development and support agencies, certifying bodies, etc. • Graphical overview strongly recommended

  12. Current Situation • Background, objectives, mission, objectives • Operational policies and constraints • Description of current system or situation • Operational environment • Major components and interconnections • External interfaces • Capabilities, functions, and features • Risk factors • Performance and quality characteristics • User classes and interactions

  13. Justification for Change; Nature of Changes • Justification for change • New/modified needs, missions, objectives, environments, interfaces, etc. • Deficiencies / limitations of current situation • Justification for new system • Description of desired changes, in: • Capabilities – System processing • Interfaces – Personnel • Environment – Operations • Priority among changes

  14. Concepts for Proposed System • Background, objectives, mission, objectives • Operational policies and constraints • Description of proposed system • Operational environment • Major components and interconnections • External interfaces • Capabilities, functions, and features • Risk factors • Performance and quality characteristics • User classes and interactions

  15. Operational Scenarios • Step-by-step description of how the proposed system should operate and interact with its users and external interfaces • Written to allow user walk-throughs • Includes events, actions, stimuli, information, and interactions • Help readers to understand how pieces interact to provide operational capabilities

  16. Summary of Impacts • Operational impacts on users, developers, and support/maintenance organizations, both transitory and permanent • Operational impacts • Organizational impacts • Impacts during development

  17. Analysis of Proposed System • Summary of improvements • Disadvantages and limitations • Alternatives and trade-offs considered

  18. Some Expected Benefits • User buy-in via user participation (even leadership) in developing the ConOps • An understandable stake in the ground that can be referred to throughout development • A reasonable basis for starting to explore the “how’s”

  19. Some Complexities • The INTI is not a traditional software intensive system • Size of undertaking • Breadth of user community • Sheer complexity

  20. More Complexities • Three modes: • Local • Regional • National • Three aspects: • Historical • Current (real-time-ish) situation • Predictive

  21. Non-Technical Issues • ConOps can identify institutional, legal, political, and social issues, but provides no explicit mechanism for dealing with them • In addition: • Who’s in charge? • Who pays? • Who accepts the result?

  22. Bottom Line • ConOps clearly useful • A major undertaking in itself • Needs leadership, participation, oversight, and $$$ • Now is not too soon to get started on planning the ConOps activity!

  23. Discussion... ... ...

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