The Added Value of Collaborative Modeling for Legal Business Rule Management

In this paper we discuss background considerations, domain properties, and some design principles for collaborative modeling environments combining the Business Rule Management approach and the Collaborative Modeling approach. The context focused on is that of translating law texts to operational processes and systems for implementing those laws in the public sector. The process of operationalizing law is very difficult to tackle: a diversity of stakeholders have to be involved to reach consensus on semantics, goals and business service design. We consider collaboration techniques crucial in order to create the required broad basis of acceptance regarding operational policies and their formulation. Collaboration techniques also enhance the efficiency and transparency of the process. We discuss the new role of collaboration in relation to the governance processes of the organizations. We illustrate a design case by describing an environment we are developing. We reflect on some lessons learned, concluding that adopting collaborative modeling techniques alone is not enough. Explorations show that additionally, rules and mechanisms are needed to structure and facilitate the group decision making process. In: Nolte, A., Prilla, M., Rittgen, P. and Oppl, S.: Proceedings of the International Workshop on Models and their Role in Collaboration at the ECSCW 2013 (MoRoCo 2013)