On the Suitability of Soft Systems Methodology and the Work System Method in Some Software Project Contexts

Systems approaches such as Checkland’s Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) have influenced information systems development (see Mingers & White, 2010; Checkland, 1999; and Petkov, Edgar-Nevill et al., 2008). They have been recognized also in Software Engineering and in particular by Boehm (see Boehm, 2006; Lane et al., 2008). Following Mingers and White (2010) and Jackson (2006), we recognize that the complexity of problem situations in software development rarely can be addressed by a single whole systems approach. The use of SSM in combination with traditional IS development methods has been explored by Stowell (1995), ABSTRACT