SYSTEMS ENGINEERING – KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ATTITUDES (KSAs)
1. Engineering Management
Knowledge
- Broad, but not necessarily detailed, knowledge of the technologies involved in the engineering activities being managed
- Deep knowledge of the principles and methods of systems engineering
- Deep knowledge of the principles and methods of project management
- Substantial knowledge of human psychology and related behavior.
Skills
- Skills to apply knowledge to planning, organizing resources, motivating people, measuring performance and applying corrections where necessary
- Skills to manage outwards, engendering confidence in the engineering from the stakeholders in the engineering.
Attitudes
- Respect for technical expertise
- Results orientation
- Where subordinates are performing the engineering or the management, willingness to delegate
- Issues focus, not personalities focus
- Emotional intelligence.
2. Requirements Analysis Knowledge
Knowledge
- Knowledge of the history of projects and the related role of requirements in project outcomes
- Knowledge of the parameters which define “the problem” within the problem domain
- General understanding of risk
- Deep knowledge of the principles and methods of requirements analysis
- At least basic familiarity with the application domain for the item which is to be the subject of the requirements analysis.
Skills
- Deep skills in applying the knowledge of the principles and methods of requirements analysis
- Skills in identifying defects in requirements
- Skills to distinguish between, and switch thinking between, problem domain and solution domain
- Skills in measuring requirements quality
- Deep skills in human communication
- Skills in writing individual requirements, in applicable language(s)
- Skills in the development of verification requirements.
Attitudes
- Respect for the right of the owners of requirements to decide what they require
- Willingness to accept approximation and incompleteness in requirements, and related requirements analysis tasks – “adequacy” not “perfection”
- Subject to the “adequacy” criterion, attention to detail.
3. Physical Design Knowledge
Knowledge
- General knowledge of the problem domain
- Deep knowledge of the relevant solution technologies
- Deep knowledge of problem-solving principles and methods, involving candidate solution identification, feasibility evaluation and solution decision-making
- General understanding of risk and its role in design
- Understanding that design creates requirements.
Skills
- Skill to distinguish between, and switch thinking between, problem domain and solution domain
- Deep creative and innovative skills in relating understanding of the problem, and knowledge of relevant solution technologies, to develop candidate solutions to the problem
- Strong mathematical skills
- Skills in explaining design, verbally and in writing
- Skills in creating sound requirements on elements of the solution as an integral part of design.
Attitudes
- Respect for the right of owners of the requirements to define the problem that is to be solved
- Focus on designing to meet specified requirements as the primary objective
- Focus on maximization of value to the stakeholder(s) whom the design is to serve, normally the employer
- Attention to detail
- Willingness to accept and respond constructively to questioning, and to criticism, of the design
- Willingness to raise requirements issues with stakeholders when defects in requirements are discovered, rather than unilaterally deciding or assuming.
4. Logical Design Knowledge
Knowledge
- All of the knowledge required for physical design
- Knowledge of the types of logic
- Deep knowledge of the principles and methods of logical design (the design aspects of MBSE)
- Deep knowledge of relevant modeling languages, and relevant software tools.
Skills
- All of the skills required for physical design
- Skills to apply principles and methods of logical design
- Skills in the use of relevant software tools
- Skills in judging or estimating, as applicable, the cost-benefit of candidate logical design actions.
Attitudes
- All of the attitudes required for physical design
- A view that logical design models are a means to an end (i.e. a correct and effective physical design), not an end in
- themselves
- A willingness to accept approximation and incompleteness in logical design (i.e. “sufficient”, not “perfect”).
5. Effectiveness Evaluation and Decision Knowledge
Knowledge
- Knowledge of the role of Effectiveness Evaluation and Decision within systems engineering
- Deep knowledge of the methods of characterization of design alternatives with respect to MOEs
- Deep knowledge of the principles and methods of Effectiveness Evaluation and Decision, using characterization of design alternatives with respect to the MOEs as an input
- Deep understanding of risk and opportunity and their incorporation within solution decision-making.
Skills
- Deep skills in applying the principles and methods of Effectiveness Evaluation and Decision
- Deep skills in risk analysis
- Deep skills in the methods of characterizing design alternatives with respect to MOEs
- Deep skills in the analysis of effectiveness data to suggest additional design options – structured design optimization.
Attitudes
- Focus on maximization of value to the stakeholder(s) whom the design is to serve (usually the employer)
- Respect for the right of the owners of the problem to define their values
- Comfort with the concept of the possibility of a good decision leading to bad results
- Patience in explaining the rationale for a given decision.
6. Requirements Specification Writing Knowledge
Knowledge
- Sound knowledge of the types of requirements/goals
- Deep knowledge of the principles of writing individual requirements
- Deep knowledge of the principles of specification structure, for each relevant type of requirements specification
- General familiarity with the subject matter of the requirements (and goals)
- Knowledge of alternative requirements languages.
Skills
- Deep skills in applying the principles and methods of specification writing
- Good general writing skills.
Attitudes
- Attention to detail
- Willingness to raise issues when defects in requirements are discovered, rather than unilaterally deciding or assuming
- Willingness to accept, and respond constructively to, questioning and constructive criticism of the requirements specification.
7. System Integration Knowledge
Knowledge
- Knowledge of the principles and methods of system integration, including alternative system integration strategies
- Knowledge of the technologies that are to be subject to system integration
- Knowledge of the tools and test equipment to be used in system integration.
Skills
- The skills to read, understand, interpret and act upon a system integration plan or procedure
- Well-developed skills to diagnose unwanted behaviors of aggregates and of the system, encountered in system integration.
Attitudes
- Desire to find and take action on any problems encountered
- Meticulous attention to detail, including record-keeping
- Willingness to raise issues, where issues are discovered in system integration.
8. Verification Knowledge
Knowledge
- Knowledge of the relevant principles and methods of verification of requirements, design, subsystems and system, for the requirements and technologies involved
- Knowledge of the tools, test equipment and software, as applicable, available to be used in the verification
- General knowledge of the technologies that are related to the item being verified.
Skills
- The skills to read, understand, interpret and act upon related verification procedures
- Excellent communication skills, as relevant to communication with the person(s) whose work product is subject to verification, and with other verifiers.
Attitudes
- Desire to find and act upon any defects in the item subject to verification
- Complete objectivity
- Attention to detail
- Willingness to record meticulously actions taken and outcomes encountered in performing verification activities
- Willingness to record and discuss with stakeholders’ issues of concern
- Focus on issues, not competencies or motives
- A mindset of defect discovery and reporting, not defect correction.
9. Validation Knowledge
Knowledge
- Knowledge of the relevant principles and methods of validation of requirements, design, subsystems and system, for the requirements and technologies involved
- Knowledge of the other elements, tools, measurement equipment and software, available to be used in validation
- Familiarity with the technologies related to the item being validated
- Familiarity with the application of the item being validated.
Skills
- The skills to read, understand, interpret and act upon the related validation procedure
- Good communication skills, as relevant to communication with the person(s) whose work product is subject to validation, with other validators, and with
Attitudes
- Desire to find and act upon any problems within the scope of validation
- Complete objectivity
- Attention to detail
- Willingness to record meticulously actions taken and outcomes encountered in performing validation activities
- Willingness to record and discuss with stakeholders’ issues of concern
- Focus on issues, not competencies or motives
- A mindset of defect discovery and reporting, not defect
PPI-006827-4
