Role-based planning for systems engineering and project management

Interest in role-based models of collaborative work can be traced back to the development of computer based support tools for cooperative working, some twenty years ago. Role activity theory (RAT), one strand of research originating in the software engineering community, involves the formal modeling of roles and their interactions. This paper reviews industrial experience in using the RAT approach in an aerospace application. Practical experience suggests that there is a need for a methodology to develop effective role-based support information systems. A methodology is proposed for modeling and planning the role aspects of processes and projects, based on a cognitive management framework. The selective deployment of RAT-based tools is supported. A rationale for the proposals is provided and an example application from the system safety domain is discussed.