Review & Update the HFI Process - detailed Information on research and downloadable reports

Questions on HFI Process can be addressed to Georgina Fletcher

The HFI Case

The HFI Case Concept: Guidance on Specifying, Tracking and Documenting Human Factors Integration Requirements, Acceptance Criteria and Evidence This document outlines the concept of the ‘HFI Case’, which provides guidance on specifying, tracking and documenting Human Factors Integration (HFI) requirements, acceptance criteria and evidence. This document expands on the technical details, including objectives and related resources. An accompanying short report (Bruseberg 2008) discusses development options.

The HFI Case: Short Summary Report

The Social and Organisational Domain

Developing the HFI Social & Organisational Domain: Final Report The report presents a summary of key activities undertaken in the course of the work to define the social and organisational domain and provide guidance, primarily for Ministry of Defence (MoD) Integrated Project Teams (IPTs). The methodology used throughout the project is described. Information is provided about previous research activities, including stakeholder consultations and a targeted literature review to identify the types of SOF likely to be relevant. The identified SOF were formed into framework and a definition of the 7th domain was proposed.

Ministry of Defence Architectural Framework (MoDAF)

The MoD Architectural Framework (MODAF) is an essential tool to enable capability-based acquisition, and to cope with system complexity. Whilst HFI can be considered as an integral part of Systems Engineering (SE), the human element is not always considered sufficiently in SE approaches. HFI support for MODAF is provided by proposing Human Views (HVs) in close relation to existing MODAF Views. HVs define essential elements of socio-technical systems (e.g. skills, roles relationships) that are critical to effective capabilities. HVs inform acquisition decisions at all stages of the system lifecycle.
Additional information

DRAFT Issue Two of the The Human View handbook for MoDAF is now available to download. If you have any feedback or comments please e-mail Dr Anne Bruseburg.

Developing Human Factors Guidance for COTS Equipment Assessment

This report identifies requirements for providing HF guidance for COTS equipment from a practical perspective, by identifying characteristics and processes of COTS equipment selection activities on the one hand, and HF impact, on the other. It presents the development of a tool in the shape of a checklist for a broad HFI COTS equipment assessment, aiming to support high-level decision-making processes for HFI. The assessment tool aims to capture the breadth of potential HF impacts for the specific requirements of COTS products. The COTS equipment assessment tool can be used as a stand-alone aid, or may be incorporated into the desktop tool.
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Modelling Human Factors using the Systems Modelling Language

This document presents the findings of the Human Factors Integration Defence Technology Centre (HFI DTC) research project to investigate the utility of the UML/SysML as tools for modelling Human Factors (HF) aspects of systems design. The approach was to use a case study of a hypothetical system to see if the SysML could be applied to modelling the Human Views (HVs) of that system. The HVs modelled are those suggested by a related HFI DTC project to compliment the existing views required by the Ministry of Defence Architectural Framework (MODAF).

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Identification of barriers and enablers to HFI

Work has been carried out to identify both the barriers to the existing HFI process and the corresponding enablers that will help improve the process of HFI and to identify those factors critical to its application and success. This involved stakeholders from within MoD, from various IPTs and from civil organisations that have distinct HFI programmes. The wide investigation of approaches to HFI provided insight into ways in which both the civil and defence-based industries could complement each other in their methods of conducting HFI. Use the links below to access summaries of the work and where appropriate download the final reports.

Report on a review of all MoD guidance literature and externally published papers
Report on interviews with MoD Integrated Project Team (IPT) personnel and HF practitioners working for civil organisations
Report on two HFI workshops
Final report consolidating the interviews, workshops and literature review. Barriers & Enablers to HFI Final Review and recommendations
Abstract Report
Summary of a report on the barriers and enablers to technology transfer

Development of a tool to support HFI

Work is in progress to develop an HFI support tool for the management of HFI. Managing HFI can be difficult for a number of reasons. These include a lack of coherent information, poor training, dispersed data sources, and a difficulty in finding support. The support tool will provide a method to address all of these issues.
Report summary and downloads

HFI and Business Process Engineering - managing organisational change

A review has been conducted of changes to Business Process Engineering. The review focused specifically on the management of organisational change because that is judged to be both one of the most relevant to the HFI process and closely linked to other HFI-DTC activities.
Report summary and download

Review of existing Synthetic Environments and Software Tools that could support HFI

After a review of existing Synthetic Environments (SE) and Software Tools in use to support HFI a database of these tools has been created for use by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) Integrated Product Teams (IPTs) to review existing capability. This will also be used to investigate future uses and requirements of SEs to support HFI, which is another area that the HFI-DTC is investigating. Report summary and downloads

Download Report Current and future use of Synthetic Environments

Download Report Guidance for the Use of Synthetic Environments to Support Human Factors Integration

Download Report Use of Synthetic Environments to Support HFI Position Paper

Download Report Provision of a Synthetic Environment to Support HFI

Download Report The Identification of Interdisciplinary Synergies: Lessons for HFI from other Human-Centred Design Approaches

Impact of Technology Insertion on Organisations

Technology Insertion, the activity of introducing new technology into an existing system is a massive challenge and one that is receiving more attention from technology researchers and practitioners. It is also clear that the development of technology has a long history of impacting upon the organisation.
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