The users and uses described in this article were identified based on the six SEBoK purposes described in the SEBoK 1.0 Introduction.
Users can either be primary (those who use the SEBoK directly) or secondary (those who use the SEBoK with assistance from a systems engineer). Indicative, but not exhaustive, sets of example uses are shown in Tables 1 and 2 below.
To download a PDF of all of Part 1 (including all of the use cases), please click here.
Taking on a new SE role in a project; preparing by finding references for study
Expanding SE expertise and specialization; preparing by finding references for study
Seeking to understand the principles of SE; seeking the best references to elaborate on those principles
Reviewing a project or mentoring a new SE performer; seeking to understand what best practices to look for
Pursuing professional development through study of SE topics, including new developments in SE
2
Process engineers responsible for defining or implementing SE processes
Maintaining a library of SE process assets; seeking to understand which SE process models and standards are most relevant
Tailoring a process for a specific project; seeking to learn how others have tailored processes, or how a specific application domain affects tailoring
Measuring the effectiveness of an organization’s SE processes; seeking to learn how others have done that
Defining standards for a professional society or standards organization
Developing a new graduate program in SE, and deciding what core knowledge all its students must master; the user should consult the GRCSE in conjunction with the SEBoK
Developing a new SE course; seeking to identify course objectives, topics, and reading assignments
Incorporate SE concepts in courses or curricula focused on engineering disciplines other than SE
As members of the GRCSE author team, deciding what knowledge to expect from all SE graduate students
5
Certifiers
Defining a company’s in-house SE certification program; seeking to understand what others have done, how such programs are typically structured, and how to select the knowledge that each person seeking certification should master
Defining certification criteria for a professional society or licensure program
Providing resources to and receiving artifacts from systems engineers; seeking to better understand what to ask for, how to request it, how much to pay for it, and how to judge the quality of what is received
8
SE managers
Evaluating possible changes in team processes and tools proposed by systems engineers on various teams; seeking independent information with which to evaluate the proposals
Hiring systems engineers, and developing competency-based job descriptions
9
SE researchers
Looking for gaps are in SE knowledge to help guide a research agenda
Getting familiarize with a research topic; seeking the most important articles about the topic
Secondary Users
Secondary users are those who use the SEBoK with assistance from a systems engineer, as shown in Table 2.
Table 2. Secondary SEBoK Users and Common Usages. (SEBoK Original)
#
Users
Uses
1
Human resource development professionals
Supporting the hiring and professional development of systems engineers
2
Non-technical managers
Augmenting understanding of central concerns with information about relevant SE topics; e.g., a contracting manager might want to better understand SE deliverables being called out in a contract
3
Attorneys, policy makers
Defining the impact of SE performance on central concerns; e.g., understanding the liability of a systems engineer for errors in judgment on a project, or the limitations of SE in guaranteeing the success of a project against actions of sponsors, managers, or developers
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