A three-phase framework for elicitation of infrastructure requirements

Many of the current traditional system engineering (TSE) approaches for elicitation of requirements are insufficient when deployed in complex situations. TSE approach to requirement elicitation is based on assumption of stable environmental conditions. However, the elicitation of requirements for complex systems (i.e., interdependent critical infrastructures) requires innovative approaches that should go beyond technical aspects of a situation. Complex situations arise when multiple complex infrastructures interdependently interact to provide goods and services for public health and safety. The elicitation of requirements for such a system must consider the nature of system of interest, its environment and system observer. On this backdrop, this paper reviews complexity associated with attained requirements for complex infrastructures, failures and provides an overview of a proposed high-level framework for infrastructure requirement elicitation.