Environmental scenarios and requirements stability

This paper recognizes the gap in research and practice that exists in addressing the evolution of E-Type systems that result from changes in the operating environment of the system over very long lifecycles. Through the fusion of a Goal Directed approach to requirements and the use of techniques drawn from Scenario Planning as used in the business community, this paper envisages an improved approach to requirements analysis. This approach would provide early indications of requirements stability and improved risk identification, so that they might then go on to be used as a means of preventing, or preparing for, change within the system design. An ongoing feasibility study is introduced and some early impressions from the study are summarized, including some potential instabilities in our Goals and Assumptions - and an insight into the way the system might affect the future environment itself.