Using Process Definitions to Facilitate the Specification of Requirements

This paper describes early experiences in using process definitions to facilitate requirements specification. The paper emphasizes addressing the constraints posed by the particularly challenging activity of obtaining requirements for digital government systems. The use of precise definitions of processes is suggested as a vehicle for bringing diverse stakeholders together to agree on system requirements in a transparent environment facilitating trust. A user interface prototype is employed to help make the implications of the process definitions concrete. Iterative incremental application of these technologies is leading to new understandings of how to elicit system requirements in the challenging domain of digital government. Experience from the development of an Online Dispute Resolution system for use by the US National Mediation Board illustrates our approach.