On the feasibility of situational method engineering

摘要

Given the plethora of methods for information systems development and the fact that no one method is equally suitable for every type of application domain, various proposals have been made to allow for the adaption (tailoring) of methods to better suit the needs of a specific application domain. Among these proposals is the idea of method engineering, which can be defined as the engineering discipline concerned with the design, construction and adaptation of methods, techniques and tools for (information) systems development. Within this field of study, situational method engineering is concerned with the tuning of methods and techniques to the specific characteristics of a certain project. This paper does not address the benefits of situational method engineering, as they are evident, but focuses on the feasibility of this concept. The prerequisites that have to be fulfilled for situational method engineering to be successful are identified and their inherent complexity is investigated.