6 Roles and Responsibilities in Systems Development

The role of the system's owner, systems engineering technical assistant, and development team will vary in level of involvement and areas of responsibility throughout the project life cycle. This chapter provides guidance in each development step. It identifies the roles needed in each phase of the life cycle of an ITS project. A matrix of roles and responsibilities follows this discussion.

System's Owner [Project Sponsor & Stakeholders]

The system's owner [project sponsor & stakeholders] implementing an ITS will acquire a set of development services to develop the ITS project. The services can be either in-house or contracted. The system's owner and operating organization will ultimately be responsible for the system and its operations & maintenance. The system's owner needs to supply clear requirements and expected project outcomes to the development team. These outputs must be compatible with the long-term operations & maintenance goals of the system's owner & stakeholders. The success of the project relies on the system's owner's working relationship with the systems engineering technical assistant and development team[s] who implement the system. This chapter will identify the roles and responsibilities of the system's owner at each phase of the ITS life cycle [from the interface to the regional ITS architecture to retirement & replacement of the system or major system elements].

Systems Engineering Assistant [In-house staff, Independent Verification and Validation, System Manager ]

The systems engineering assistant provides the system's owner with specialty support in systems engineering. This role can be undertaken by in-house staff, a system manager, or an Independent Verification and Validation consultant [IV&V] to a limited extent. Contract resources are particularly valuable for large, complex, or unusual projects. It is also valuable when the system's owner's organization is small and lacks systems engineering expertise. This may be the case with a small or medium size city or MPO. The systems engineering assistant:

• defines requirements and the project architecture:
• prepares the request for proposal or other system procurement documents,
• assists in the review of proposals,
• provides independent review services [Independent Verification & Validation]
• Provides technical assistance to the system's owner during the life cycle of the ITS system.

A consultant who neither offers products nor is affiliated with a development team or vendor can be un-biased in the selection and evaluation of developers and products. The consultant can assist the agency in Configuration Management, Risk Management, development team evaluations, and process improvement. It is important to find a consultant who has both systems engineering expertise and ITS knowledge and experience.

Development Team [In-house, Systems Integrator]

An ITS system development team normally develops or supplies hardware and software that integrate custom [project-specific] and COTS products. The system's owner secures the the following services of a development team:

• perform the detailed design
• develop any necessary custom hardware or software
• integrate COTS products
• Verify the sub-systems and the system as a whole

The development team may be another department within the system owner's organization [internal development team]. It may be a contracted integration team. This is the normal case for most organizations.

The following tables identify the different roles and responsibilities during each phase of the project life-cycle.

Table 6‑1 Phases [-1] & 0 Roles and Responsibilities

Phase	Phase [-1] Interfacing to the Regional ITS Architecture	Phase 0 Concept Exploration and Feasibility Analysis
Tasks	3.2.1 Interfacing with Planning and the Regional ITS Architecture	3.3.1 Needs Assessment	3.3.2 Concept Exploration and Benefits Analysis
System Owner Project Sponsor & Stakeholders	Coordinate, identify, participate: Coordinate with Planning Identify applicable portion of the Regional Architecture Ensure that project goals & objectives are sufficiently clear to support tasks	Review & approve: Statement of work Current inventories Supporting documentation Identify & encourage Stakeholder participation Actively participate in the elicitation of Needs	Review & approve: Refined needs, vision, goals, objectives, and constraints Overall measures of performance Candidate concepts Recommendations
Systems Engineering Technical Assistance In-house, Independent Verification & Validation** Consultant, systems Manager	Identify & document: Applicable portion of the RA Inventory Stakeholders Needs/Services RA Requirements Area of Coverage Operational Concept RA Interfaces RA Information flows ITS Standards Project Sequencing Agency agreements Constraints Goals & objective	Identify & document: Validated & prioritized needs Challenges & issues Perform Gap Analysis Refine & update stakeholder lists	Identify, refine & document: Vision, goals & objectives Constraints Alternatives, recommendations, and rationale   Develop: Evaluation criteria Measures of performance Concepts     Perform: Cost/benefit analysis Alternatives analysis
Development Team In-house, System Integrator	Review & comment* *subject to public comment e.g. Industry review of architecture	Review and comment* *subject to public comment e.g. Industry review of needs	Review & comment* *subject to public comment e.g. Vision, goals & objectives

** Independent Verification & Validation - role and responsibility are monitoring, reporting, supporting, and participating but not performing- applies to all phases and tasks

Table 6‑2 Phase 1 Roles and Responsibilities

Tasks	3.4.1 Project Planning	3.4.2 Systems Engineering Management Planning	3.4.3 Concept of Operations
System Owner Project Sponsor & Stakeholders	Review and approve: Project Tasks, plans, budgets and schedules Scope of Work Supporting resources Management plans (CM, QA, Risk) RFP & Procurement type	Review & approve: SEMP Framework Project products Decision gate process Project organization Initial set of risks Tailoring options Supporting plans Technical evaluation Development strategy Technical SOW CM process & Organization	Review & approve: Refined needs, vision, goals, objectives, and constraints Concept of Operations Stakeholder lists Validation strategy & plan     Participate in the development or refinement of: User needs, Concept of Operations, vision, goals & objectives, and operational scenarios Validation strategy & planning
Systems Engineering Technical Assistance In-house, Independent Verification & Validation** Consultant, systems Manager	Identify, prepare, and document Scope of Work Budgets & Schedules Project Resources Project Plans Management Plans RFP, RFQ, RFI Procurement         documents Evaluation Criteria	Identify, prepare, participate and document: SEMP Framework Technical SOW Development strategy Technical evaluation Supporting plans Tailoring options Reviews Decision gate process Initial set of risks	Identify, prepare and document Vision, goals & objectives Operational scenarios Validation strategy & plan Project specific stakeholder lists Update project risks     Support, participate & report Decision gates Technical activities & products
Development Team In-house, System Integrator	Review & comment* All or in-part of the project management plan   *subject to a public comment	Review & comment* All or in part of the technical products   *subject to a public comment	Review & comment*** All phase products     ***Internal Development Team

** Independent Verification & Validation - role and responsibility are monitoring, reporting, supporting, and participating but not performing- applies to all phases and tasks

Table 6‑3 Phase 2 Roles and Responsibilities

Tasks	3.5.1 Requirements Development	3.5.2 High Level Design	3.5.3 Component Level Detailed Design
System Owner Project Sponsor & Stakeholders	Participate and facilitate: Stakeholder participation Elicitation process for requirements capture   Monitor, review, and approve: Requirements baseline Requirements metrics and tracking Project risks	Participate and facilitate: Stakeholder participation   Review & approve: Interface agreements Project architecture   Monitor: Requirements baseline Project risks	Participate and facilitate: Stakeholder participation Technical reviews COTS product review   Review & approve: Detailed design Contract for Development Team   Monitor Baseline requirements and design Project risks
Systems Engineering Technical Assistance In-house, Independent Verification & Validation** Consultant, systems Manager	Identify, Prepare, and document or update: Validated set of system level requirements Requirements review Verification plan Interfaces Risks and trend   Perform: Elicitation Analysis Decomposition Requirements baseline Completeness of requirements   Perform/Support: Feasibility analysis   Support, participate and report Decision gates	Identify, prepare, and document (update) System Development RFP Validated set of sub-system requirements Project architecture alternatives Interfaces Verification plans Integration plan Project risks Configuration items   Perform: Elicitation Analysis Decomposition Requirements baseline Completeness of requirements   Perform/Support Feasibility analysis   Support, participate and report Decision gates	Support, participate, review, and comment: Development team evaluation COTS evaluation Detailed design Technical reviews Developmental CM Development risks Unit test procedures Technical plans:   - Integration - Deployment - Installation - Technology - Security - Development - O&M Support, participate, and report Decision gates
Development Team In-house, System Integrator	Review & comment* All or in-part all project management plans     *subject to availability to public comment	Review and comment* All or in-part all Definition & Architecture   *subject to availability to public comment	Identify, prepare, and document: Technical plans Developmental plan Developmental CM Developmental risks   Perform and document Detailed design Technical review

** Independent Verification & Validation – role and responsibility are monitoring, reporting, supporting, and participating but not performing- applies to all phases and tasks

Table 6‑4 Phase 3 Roles and Responsibilities

Tasks	3.6.1 Hardware/Software Development and Unit Test	3.6.2 Integration	3.6.3 Verification	3.6.4 Initial System Deployment
System Owner Project Sponsor & Stakeholders	Review, participate, and approve Technical reviews CM activities Coordination between projects   Monitor Project risks	Review, participate, and approve Integration plan Integration support Training staff   Monitor Integration activities	Review, participate, and approve Verification master plan Verification plans Verification procedures Verification of the system   Monitor Verification activities Verification risks Defects & resolution	Review, participate, and approve Deployment plans Deployment support   Monitor Deployment activities Deployment risks Staff readiness
Systems Engineering Technical Assistance In-hours, Independent Verification and Validation**, Consultant, Systems Manager	Support, participate & report Technical reviews Decision gate Monitor & report Development risks COTS procurements   Perform & report Coordination between projects Risk assessment Risk mitigation	Support, participate , and report Integration reviews Training   Monitor and report Integration risks CM activities   Perform & report Coordination between projects Risk assessment Risk mitigation	Support, participate , and report Verification readiness reviews Verification procedures Verification of the system   Monitor and report Verification risk CM activities Defect & resolution activities   Perform and report Coordination between projects Risk assessment Risk mitigation	Support, participate , and report Deployment readiness reviews Decision gates O& M training   Monitor & report Deployment risks Defect & resolution   Perform & report Coordination between projects Risk assessment Risk mitigation
Development Team In-hours, System Integrator	Perform & document Development activities COTS applications Technical reviews Prototyping Unit Test Development CM   Implement & document Developmental environment   Participate & support CM, RM	Perform & document Configuration items Integration reviews Risk identification Integration defects   Implement & document Integration environment User training   Participate & support CM & RM	Perform and document Verification of configuration items Defect & resolutions Readiness reviews Risk identification Configuration items Verification procedures   Implement & document Verification environment   Participate & support CM & RM activities	Perform and document Initial deployment Deployment risks Deployment defect and resolution activities System burn-in   Implement & document Deployment environment O& M training Document & report Verification defects & resolution   Participate & support CM & RM activities

** Independent Verification & Validation – role and responsibility are monitoring, reporting, supporting, and participating but not performing- applies to all phases and tasks

Table 6‑5 Phase 4 & 5 Roles and Responsibilities

Phase	Phase 4 Operation & Maintenance/Changes & Upgrades			Phase 5 Retirement / Replacement
Tasks	3.7.1 System Validation	3.7.2 Operations and Maintenance	3.7.3 Changes and Upgrades	3.8.1 System Retirement / Replacement
System Owner Project Sponsor & Stakeholders	Review, participate, and approve Validation plans Validation support Validation procedures Validation of the system   Monitor Project risks Defects & resolution	Review, participate, and approve Commission system into operations Updates to O&M plan   Monitor O&M performance Life cycle CM activities	Review, participate, and facilitate. Stakeholder elicitation and participation Perform tasks as defined in 3.4.1-3.6.2   Review, participate, and approve Reverse engineering activities   Monitor Risks	Review, participate, and facilitate. Stakeholder elicitation and participation Industry review Perform tasks as defined in 3.4.1-3.6.3   Review, participate, and approve Replacement plan Transition plan   Monitor Risks
Systems Engineering Technical Assistance In-hours, Independent Verification and Validation**, Consultant, Systems Manager	Perform & document Validation plan & updates Pre-system evaluation Post-system evaluation Systems analysis Strengths & weaknesses Requirements for next evolution	Support, participate , and report Operational assessment Maintenance assessment Life cycle CM activities	Support, participate , and report Change review & assessment CM activities Technology demonstrations   Perform and report Reverse engineering activities Tasks as defined in 3.4.1-3.6.2	Support, participate , and report Replacement assessment Gap Analysis Evaluation of benefits Technology demonstrations Perform tasks as defined in 3.4.1-3.6.3   Develop & Document Replacement strategy Transition plans
Development Team In-hours, System Integrator	Participate & support Validation of the system Validation planning	Perform, support, and document Initial O&M maintenance on-call service activities Long term O & M	Perform, support, and document Changes as defined in 3.4.1-3.6.2 Technology demonstrations	Perform, support, participate Perform tasks as define in 3.4.1-3.6.3 Industry response to potential solutions Technology demonstrations Replacement of legacy systems

** Independent Verification & Validation - role and responsibility are monitoring, reporting, supporting, and participating but not performing- applies to all phases and tasks