The Professional Responsibilities of Software Engineers

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The Professional
Responsibilities
of Software Engineers
City University of New York /GC
CSc 79000 - Software Engineering
Professor Danny Kopec
Prepared by Ellen Pesochin
Happy Birthday to
Albert Einstein
Born: 14 March 1879 in Ulm, Württemberg, Germany
03/14/03
The Professional Responsibilities
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PRoSE
A correctly designed system is an
electronic poetry in motion
P - Professional
R - Responsibilities
o - of
S - Software
E - Engineers
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Agenda

About the speaker
How is software designed today
 Hall of Shame
 The PRoSE by D. L. Parnas
 ACM on PRoSE
 Practical Examples from Experience
 QA or Q&A
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About the Speaker
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Why PRoSE is a dear subject to me
Education
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03/14/03
BS in Electrical Engineering
BS in Computer Science
MBA
Hopefully one day PhD in Computer Science
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About the Speaker
Experience (over 15 years in the industry)
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Alpha technologies – programmer
WorldCom – Technical lead (16 reports)
Collier Encyclopedia / Microsoft – IS Manager (20 reports)
USWeb/CKS – Director of Software Development (17
reports)
Blackberry Technology – Managing Director of SD (32
reports)
Bright Sun Conlulting – CTO (46 reports)
American Engineering & Technology (CIO 65 reports)
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About the Speaker
Professional Certifications and Areas of Interest
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MCSD
MCSE
Oracle Master
MCSDBA
Computer security
Software Development Framework
Biotech in computer security
Voice recognition
Error handling and recognition
The Professional Responsibilities
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Agenda

About the speaker

How is software designed today
Hall of Shame
 The PRoSE by D. L. Parnas
 ACM on PRoSE
 Practical Examples from Experience
 QA or Q&A

03/14/03
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How is software designed
today
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Fools Rush In... (Ignorance is bliss)
Software Myths -Managers [1,2]
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We have standards and procedures for building
software, so developers have everything they need
to know.
We have state-of-the-art software development
tools; after all, we buy the latest computers.
If we're behind schedule, we can add more
programmers to catch up.
A good manger can manage any project.
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How is software designed
today
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Software Myths – Client [1,2]
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A general statement of objectives is sufficient to
begin writing programs - we can fill in the details
later.
Requirement changes are easy to accommodate
because software is flexible.
I know what my problem is, therefore I know how to
solve it.
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How is software designed
today
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Software Myths - Practitioner
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If I miss something now, I can fix it later.
Once the program is written and running, my job is
done.
Until a program is running, there's no way of assessing
its quality.
The only deliverable for a software project is a working
program.
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How is software designed
today
Steve McConnell is
one of the world's
foremost experts on
software development
and software
engineering. He is
Chief Software
Engineer at Construx
Software. Steve on
how software is
typically designed [3]
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The Professional Responsibilities
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How is software designed
today
Software Realities
* The cost of finding an error rises an
order of magnitude for every phase
before the error is discovered. [4]
* 60%-90% of the total cost is
maintenance.
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How is software designed
today
The Standish Group, an IT-research
firm in West Yarmouth, Mass., has
been keeping track of this
phenomenon since 1994, and the
good news is that we are doing
much better at completing projects
than we used to. The bad news is
that in 2000 only 28% of software
projects could be classed as
complete successes (meaning they
were executed on time and on
budget) while 23% failed outright
(meaning that they were
abandoned). Those numbers are
improvements over a 16% success
rate and a 31% failure rate rate
when the first study was done, in
1994
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Agenda
About the speaker
 How is software designed today
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Hall of Shame
The PRoSE by D. L. Parnas
 ACM on PRoSE
 Practical Examples from Experience
 QA or Q&A

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Hall of Shame
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Nabisco – Division by 0
Blackberry – Computer doesn’t work
WorldCom – Delphi
DLJ – if false then
Johnson & Johnson – start coding we’ll hire person
to write specs later
USWeb/CKS – cover up
MedAmerica – Spelling vs requirements
Oracle – Bummer
ClubMom – religious war
Barnes and Nobles web site
03/14/03
The Professional Responsibilities
of Software Engineers
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Agenda
About the speaker
 How is software designed today
 Hall of Shame


The PRoSE by D. L. Parnas
ACM on PRoSE
 Practical Examples from Experience
 QA or Q&A

03/14/03
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The PRoSE by D. L. Parnas
Abstract
Registered Engineers are expected to be aware of their
responsibilities as professionals. Those who practice
Software Engineering often enter that profession without
either an engineering education or professional
registration. The primary responsibility is to make sure
that their products are “fit for use”.
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Main Responsibilities
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1.
Personal
2.
Social
3.
Professional
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Main Responsibilities
1.
Personal
2.
obligations towards other individuals; most
are shared by all persons (e.g. honesty,
concern for others).
Social
3.
Professional
Personal Responsibilities are general
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Main Responsibilities
1.
Personal
2.
Social
Social Responsibilities are responsibilities
towards society as a whole. We have a debt
to repay because society has supported us
when we needed it. (e.g. environmental
activism, peace activism, national defence)
3.
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Professional
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Main Responsibilities
1.
Personal
2.
Social
3.
Professional
Professional Responsibilities are additional
responsibilities shared by members of a
particular profession (e.g medicine, journalism,
or engineering) Usually a code of responsibilities
exists.
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Conflict of Responsibilities
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Is there a difference?
Can they conflict?
Professional responsibilities include, but are not limited to,
contractual obligations to an employer. These obligations may
appear at times to conflict with Personal and Social
responsibility.
The primary responsibility of an engineer is
always to the safety and well-being of the
public.
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Conflict of Responsibilities
An Illustration - SDI (Star Wars):
Service on the “Committee on Computing in Support of
Battle Management”.
Some questions that arose:
a) Was it honest? (personal responsibility)
b) Had I made a professional commitment? Was our activity designing
a system that would meet the needs of the customer as required by
professional codes? What should a professional do if the answers
were “yes” and “no”?
c) Was this project good for society? Should I explain my views to the
public?
Some regarded a “Yes” to (c) as unprofessional. The conflict in (b)
was resolved by a detailed explanation.
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Why would I work on Nuclear
Plants but not Star Wars? [5,6]
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The Social Responsibility
of Scientists And
Engineers
“In the land of the blind,
the one eyed man is king”.
In a world increasingly dependent on science
and technology, Scientists and Engineers are
the one-eyed people.
The majority of our decision-makers are blind.
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The Social Responsibility of
Scientists And Engineers
Consider the following public issues:
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Can we reduce our energy expenditures without great disruption in
people's lives?
How urgent is the need to reduce the level of greenhouse gasses?
Should we build more nuclear power generating stations?
Is it safe to allow nuclear power generating stations to be controlled by
computers?
Can technology help us to reduce the amount of the paper that we use?
Should we do that?
Is it safe to allow computers to control cars and trucks?
Decisions will be taken by non-specialists, but the input will come from
people like us. We must give them complete and accurate information.
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The Social Responsibility
of Scientists And
Engineers
Science and technology are the “black magic” of our age. We use arcane rituals and
obscure terminology.
The public thinks that science can solve any problem if given enough funds. Public officials
share this attitude. They fall for scientific fads.
Buzzwords and big promises, favored over solid scientific work.
The rewards often go to the illusionists. The successful do not speak out. The others are
ignored (“sour grapes”).
Most of us “go along” to get funds.
Don’t we have a responsibility to see that society’s funds are well used?
In your career you will often have to decide whether or not to participate in a project
and, if you decide not to participate, whether you should make your decision public.
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The Professional
Responsibilities of
Engineers
Unfortunately, Software Engineers are not always Engineers.
“Software Engineering” is a shallow course on programming, taught in a science
department, not a professional program in Engineering. Many “software engineers” have
no technical education.
Many could not be Professional Engineers.
Many confuse software engineering with configuration management.
An Engineer is someone who uses advanced knowledge of science, mathematics, and
technology to build objects for use by others.
Most programmers or software engineers, are Engineers, under qualified, unlicensed, and
often unprofessional. They are unaware of their professional responsibilities.
Programmers need to learn about the professional responsibility of engineers.
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Why do we have licensed
Professional Engineers?
An old system introduced because:
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Some products potentially dangerous. Incompetent designs a
danger to public.
Purchasers and some employers are often unable to judge the
competence of designers.
Competent, conscientious, disciplined professionals want public to
distinguish between themselves and others. Bad work by a few
damages the reputations and business prospects of all.
Financial pressures may tempt employers to “cut corners”. We are
protected better when professional obligations go beyond loyalty
or obedience to an employer. Professionals do say “No”.
Don’t all of these reasons apply to software construction?
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What is the Professional
Engineering Societies ?
1.
Professional Engineering Societies were established by legislation to
assure competence and awareness of professional responsibilities.
2.
Regulations require that certain products be produced or approved
by a recognized Professional Engineer.
3.
There is a separate committee to accredit programs. Accreditation is
a very serious process. Graduates of accredited programs have an
easier path to recognition as a Professional Engineer. [5]
An exam on responsibilities is required in any case. [6]
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Why are “Software
Engineers” different?
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The result of a “software crisis” (optimism).
Originally dealt with as a scientific problem. The basis of software engineering
was not well understood.
First meetings attended by many mathematicians and scientists, few engineers.
Many engineers were still blissfully unaware of the importance of computers in
their profession.
The word is “Engineering” used to indicate practical concerns, not a profession.
Professional societies did not take it seriously. Software Engineering has
developed outside of the Engineering Community.
It has been left to Computer Science departments, taught by people who are
not Engineers.
Because badly designed computer programs are hard to manage, emphasis has
been on project management, project scheduling, version control, etc.
Today, the engineering societies are beginning to do what they were always
required to do.
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What are the obligations
of the engineer?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Accept individual responsibility.
Solve the real problem
Be honest about capabilities
Produce reviewable designs
Maintainability
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What are the obligations
of the engineer?
1.
Accept individual responsibility.
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2.
Following orders does not justify approving bad
designs.
One cannot always be a “team player”.
Professional standards have priority over other
pressures
Solve the real problem
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Look beyond the customer’s opinions
Have a precise description of a problem.
Get that description reviewed before building.
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What are the obligations
of the engineer?
3. Be honest about capabilities
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Don’t offer technical solutions where there are none.
Don’t do studies when you already know the answer.
4. Produce reviewable designs
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No individual is infallible.
Document to make reviewing easy.
5. Maintainability
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Produce a product that can be maintained without you. - It’s not
your personal product.
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Professional Practice in
Software Development
Some responses to a critical consultant:
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“Of course it’s wrong, but that is what my boss told me to do.”
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“We already know the answer, but they will pay us $1,000,000 for the study.
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“It’s not the right way, but it’s the customer’s suggestion.”
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“At XYZ corporation, we don’t tell our customers that they are wrong, we take their contracts.”
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“That’s not the real problem, but they asked us to do it.”
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“We can’t give them what they need, but we’ll do the best we can.”
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“We’ve got a deadline; we’ll worry about maintainability when we get the maintenance contract.
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“We don’t like people criticizing our designs!”
My personal favorites came from the IT manager of J&J and MedAmerica:
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“It is what it is. Take initiative, make it happened”
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“We pay you big box because you are good, so We don’t need to allocate resources for QA”
These remarks showed that the speakers were unaware of the professional responsibilities
of engineers.
Some had not heard of those responsibilities.
Some had no such excuse!
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A Simple Example:
Pacemakers
Their importance to the user is obvious!
They are also important to those nearby.
They are controlled by software.
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Many modes of operation
Computer controlled telemetry system
Data collection
“Programmable” by remove control
“When needed” intervention.
Rate responds to body activity.
Packaged in a small sealed unit
Must survive in a “hostile environment”
Clearly the type of device that should be built by engineers.
The program is critical and should be well documented and reviewable.
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What Should be Done for
Pacemaker Software?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Programmer should have a precise description of the environment
and requirements [7]
Black box description should have been produced for review.
Document should have been reviewable and reviewed by
Cardiologists.
The code should have been documented in a way that permitted
systematic review and revision.[8]
Code should have been subject to systematic inspection.
Doctor should have been provide with well-organized precise
documentation that explained the behavior of the device to him.
All of these things would be expected of a professional engineer.
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Pacemaker Software
Anecdote
Pacemaker “refused” the surgeon’s command; neither surgeon nor technician
understood why.
The explanation was found in a footnote after several hours of reading. It took 30
minutes to find it the second time. Engineer responsible could explain the
hardware aspects in great detail. He referred to a programmer, who could not be
found, to explain the code.
Programming had been viewed as a trivial task; Responsible engineer did not
review it.
As a result of inadequate review, there are fundamental weaknesses
• Motion sensor does not measure physical activity
• Expected rate adjustment is inflexible.
The problem solved was not the real problem.
This was a typical software product.
The software was written as it would have been written 25 years ago.
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More examples
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Med America PDA
Firewalls (Software vs. hardware)
Heart Surgeries and what doctors don’t want to
tell Software engineers
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Software used by Professional
Engineers and other concerns
Professional Engineers take responsibility for their
products, but, ...
 To design those products they use software that comes
with a disclaimer instead of a warranty,
 Professional Engineers belong to a society that
enforces codes of professional behavior, but
 they must use tools produced by people who do not
belong to such a society.
This cannot be a stable situation!
OS’s as bridges (Tacoma Narrows Bridge November 7, 1940 )
TacomaNarrowsBridge.mpeg
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The “Know How” isn’t
There!
If we look at other areas of engineering, we know what software
engineers should do. If we look at current practice, those things are not
done.
It’s not just a matter of lack of will. It’s not just a matter of lack of
awareness. Most programmers do not know how to do the things that
they should do.
They do not know how to:
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document requirements in a way that can be reviewed by subject matter
experts,
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document code precisely and completely,
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inspect code systematically.
SDF - Trying to give that “know how”.
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The “Know How” isn’t
There!
Is there a Solution to this
problem?
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Improving
Professionalism in
Software Development
Three steps:
1.
Work with Professional Engineering
societies.
2.
Develop better educational programs.
3.
Develop accreditation procedures for
Software Engineering programs.
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Work with Professional
Engineering societies
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We should stop fighting and work with the Engineering
groups on the establishing standards for a new “flavor”
of Engineer, either “Software Engineer” or “Computer
Engineer”
We should take the advantage of the experience that
this groups have in setting professional standards
We should use existing legislations to enforce those
standards.
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Develop accreditation
procedures for Software
Engineering programs
It is time to develop standards for the educational programs
that will be uniquely designed and target needs of Software
Engineering as a discipline not as a subprogram of Electrical
Engineering or Computer Science.
The aim [of education] must be the training of independently
acting and thinking individuals who, however, see in the
service to the community their highest life achievement.
– Albert Einstein
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Develop better educational
programs
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We are not ready to work with the
accreditation committees even if they are:
Little agreement on the essential knowledge
required of those practicing Software
Engineering
We need to remember that Engineering is not
Management our current programs and
literature confuse them.
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Recap the PRoSE
PRoSE - is a poetry in motion.
It’s time to quit “firefighting” ways of the software
development and start utilizing engineering principals.
Responsibility of Software Engineers:
1. Personal
2. Social
3. Professional
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Agenda
About the speaker
 How is software designed today
 Hall of Shame
 The PRoSE by D. L. Parnas


ACM on PRoSE
Practical Examples from Experience
 QA or Q&A

03/14/03
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of Software Engineers
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Software Engineering
Code of Ethics and
Professional Practice
Recommended and jointly approved by
the ACM and the IEEE-CS as the standard
for teaching and practicing software
engineering.
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Software Engineering
Code of Ethics and
Professional Practice
The Code contains eight Principles related to the behavior of
and decisions made by professional software engineers,
including practitioners, educators, managers, supervisors
and policy makers, as well as trainees and students of the
profession.
These obligations are founded in the software engineer's
humanity, in special care owed to people affected by the
work of software engineers, and in the unique elements of
the practice of software engineering.
The Code prescribes these as obligations of anyone
claiming to be or aspiring to be a software engineer.
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Principles of Software
Engineering Code of
Ethics
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
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PUBLIC
CLIENT AND EMPLOYER
PRODUCT
JUDGMENT
MANAGEMENT
PROFESSION
COLLEAGUES
SELF
The Professional Responsibilities
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Principle 1 PUBLIC
Software engineers shall act consistently with the public interest. In
particular, software engineers shall, as appropriate:
1.01. Accept full responsibility for their own work.
1.02. Moderate the interests of the software engineer, the employer, the client and the users
with the public good.
1.03. Approve software only if they have a well-founded belief that it is safe, meets
specifications, passes appropriate tests, and does not diminish quality of life, diminish
privacy or harm the environment. The ultimate effect of the work should be to the public
good.
1.04. Disclose to appropriate persons or authorities any actual or potential danger to the
user, the public, or the environment, that they reasonably believe to be associated with
software or related documents.
1.05. Cooperate in efforts to address matters of grave public concern caused by software, its
installation, maintenance, support or documentation.
1.06. Be fair and avoid deception in all statements, particularly public ones, concerning
software or related documents, methods and tools.
1.07. Consider issues of physical disabilities, allocation of resources, economic disadvantage
and other factors that can diminish access to the benefits of software.
1.08. Be encouraged to volunteer professional skills to good causes and contribute to public
education concerning the discipline.
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Principle 2 CLIENT
AND EMPLOYER
Software engineers shall act in a manner that is in the best interests
of their client and employer, consistent with the public interest. In
particular, software engineers shall, as appropriate:
2.01. Provide service in their areas of competence, being honest and forthright about any
limitations of their experience and education.
2.02. Not knowingly use software that is obtained or retained either illegally or unethically.
2.03. Use the property of a client or employer only in ways properly authorized, and with the
client's or employer's knowledge and consent.
2.04. Ensure that any document upon which they rely has been approved, when required, by
someone authorized to approve it.
2.05. Keep private any confidential information gained in their professional work, where
such confidentiality is consistent with the public interest and consistent with the law.
2.06. Identify, document, collect evidence and report to the client or the employer promptly
if, in their opinion, a project is likely to fail, to prove too expensive, to violate intellectual
property law, or otherwise to be problematic.
2.07. Identify, document, and report significant issues of social concern, of which they are
aware, in software or related documents, to the employer or the client.
2.08. Accept no outside work detrimental to the work they perform for their primary
employer.
2.09. Promote no interest adverse to their employer or client, unless a higher ethical concern
is being compromised; in that case, inform the employer or another appropriate
authority of the ethical concern.
The Professional Responsibilities
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of Software Engineers
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Principle 3 PRODUCT
Software engineers shall ensure that their products and related
modifications meet the highest professional standards possible.
In particular, software engineers shall, as appropriate:
3.01. Strive for high quality, acceptable cost and a reasonable schedule, ensuring significant tradeoffs are clear to and
accepted by the employer and the client, and are available for consideration by the user and the public.
3.02. Ensure proper and achievable goals and objectives for any project on which they work or propose.
3.03. Identify, define and address ethical, economic, cultural, legal and environmental issues related to work projects.
3.04. Ensure that they are qualified for any project on which they work or propose to work by an appropriate combination
of education and training, and experience.
3.05. Ensure an appropriate method is used for any project on which they work or propose to work.
3.06. Work to follow professional standards, when available, that are most appropriate for the task at hand, departing from
these only when ethically or technically justified.
3.07. Strive to fully understand the specifications for software on which they work.
3.08. Ensure that specifications for software on which they work have been well documented, satisfy the users’
requirements and have the appropriate approvals.
3.09. Ensure realistic quantitative estimates of cost, scheduling, personnel, quality and outcomes on any project on which
they work or propose to work and provide an uncertainty assessment of these estimates.
3.10. Ensure adequate testing, debugging, and review of software and related documents on which they work.
3.11. Ensure adequate documentation, including significant problems discovered and solutions adopted, for any project on
which they work.
3.12. Work to develop software and related documents that respect the privacy of those who will be affected by that
software.
3.13. Be careful to use only accurate data derived by ethical and lawful means, and use it only in ways properly authorized.
3.14. Maintain the integrity of data, being sensitive to outdated or flawed occurrences.
3.15 Treat all forms of software maintenance with the same professionalism as new development.
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Principle 4 JUDGMENT
Software engineers shall maintain integrity and independence in
their professional judgment. In particular, software engineers shall,
as appropriate:
4.01. Temper all technical judgments by the need to support and maintain human values.
4.02 Only endorse documents either prepared under their supervision or within their areas
of competence and with which they are in agreement.
4.03. Maintain professional objectivity with respect to any software or related documents
they are asked to evaluate.
4.04. Not engage in deceptive financial practices such as bribery, double billing, or other
improper financial practices.
4.05. Disclose to all concerned parties those conflicts of interest that cannot reasonably be
avoided or escaped.
4.06. Refuse to participate, as members or advisors, in a private, governmental or
professional body concerned with software related issues, in which they, their
employers or their clients have undisclosed potential conflicts of interest.
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Principle 5
MANAGEMENT
Software engineering managers and leaders shall subscribe to and
promote an ethical approach to the management of software
development and maintenance . In particular, those managing or
leading software engineers shall, as appropriate:
5.01 Ensure good management for any project on which they work, including effective procedures for
promotion of quality and reduction of risk.
5.02. Ensure that software engineers are informed of standards before being held to them.
5.03. Ensure that software engineers know the employer's policies and procedures for protecting passwords,
files and information that is confidential to the employer or confidential to others.
5.04. Assign work only after taking into account appropriate contributions of education and experience
tempered with a desire to further that education and experience.
5.05. Ensure realistic quantitative estimates of cost, scheduling, personnel, quality and outcomes on any
project on which they work or propose to work, and provide an uncertainty assessment of these
estimates.
5.06. Attract potential software engineers only by full and accurate description of the conditions of
employment.
5.07. Offer fair and just remuneration.
5.08. Not unjustly prevent someone from taking a position for which that person is suitably qualified.
5.09. Ensure that there is a fair agreement concerning ownership of any software, processes, research,
writing, or other intellectual property to which a software engineer has contributed.
5.10. Provide for due process in hearing charges of violation of an employer's policy or of this Code.
5.11. Not ask a software engineer to do anything inconsistent with this Code.
5.12. Not punish anyone for expressing ethical concerns about a project.
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Principle 6 PROFESSION
Software engineers shall advance the integrity and reputation of the
profession consistent with the public interest. In particular, software
engineers shall, as appropriate:
6.01. Help develop an organizational environment favorable to acting ethically.
6.02. Promote public knowledge of software engineering.
6.03. Extend software engineering knowledge by appropriate participation in professional organizations,
meetings and publications.
6.04. Support, as members of a profession, other software engineers striving to follow this Code.
6.05. Not promote their own interest at the expense of the profession, client or employer.
6.06. Obey all laws governing their work, unless, in exceptional circumstances, such compliance is inconsistent
with the public interest.
6.07. Be accurate in stating the characteristics of software on which they work, avoiding not only false claims
but also claims that might reasonably be supposed to be speculative, vacuous, deceptive, misleading, or
doubtful.
6.08. Take responsibility for detecting, correcting, and reporting errors in software and associated documents
on which they work.
6.09. Ensure that clients, employers, and supervisors know of the software engineer's commitment to this
Code of ethics, and the subsequent ramifications of such commitment.
6.10. Avoid associations with businesses and organizations which are in conflict with this code.
6.11. Recognize that violations of this Code are inconsistent with being a professional software engineer.
6.12. Express concerns to the people involved when significant violations of this Code are detected unless this
is impossible, counter-productive, or dangerous.
6.13. Report significant violations of this Code to appropriate authorities when it is clear that consultation with
people involved in these significant violations is impossible, counter-productive or dangerous.
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Principle 7
COLLEAGUES
Software engineers shall be fair to and supportive of their
colleagues. In particular, software engineers shall, as
appropriate:
7.01. Encourage colleagues to adhere to this Code.
7.02. Assist colleagues in professional development.
7.03. Credit fully the work of others and refrain from taking undue credit.
7.04. Review the work of others in an objective, candid, and properly-documented
way.
7.05. Give a fair hearing to the opinions, concerns, or complaints of a colleague.
7.06. Assist colleagues in being fully aware of current standard work practices
including policies and procedures for protecting passwords, files and other
confidential information, and security measures in general.
7.07. Not unfairly intervene in the career of any colleague; however, concern for the
employer, the client or public interest may compel software engineers, in good
faith, to question the competence of a colleague.
7.08. In situations outside of their own areas of competence, call upon the opinions
of other professionals who have competence in that area.
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Principle 8 SELF
Software engineers shall participate in lifelong learning regarding the
practice of their profession and shall promote an ethical approach to
the practice of the profession. In particular, software engineers shall
continually endeavor to:7.01. Encourage colleagues to adhere to this
Code.
8.01. Further their knowledge of developments in the analysis, specification, design,
development, maintenance and testing of software and related documents, together with
the management of the development process.
8.02. Improve their ability to create safe, reliable, and useful quality software at reasonable
cost and within a reasonable time.
8.03. Improve their ability to produce accurate, informative, and well-written documentation.
8.04. Improve their understanding of the software and related documents on which they work
and of the environment in which they will be used.
8.05. Improve their knowledge of relevant standards and the law governing the software and
related documents on which they work.
8.06 Improve their knowledge of this Code, its interpretation, and its application to their work.
8.07 Not give unfair treatment to anyone because of any irrelevant prejudices.
8.08. Not influence others to undertake any action that involves a breach of this Code.
8.09. Recognize that personal violations of this Code are inconsistent with being a
professional software engineer.
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Principles of Software
Engineering Code of
Ethics
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
03/14/03
PUBLIC
CLIENT AND EMPLOYER
PRODUCT
JUDGMENT
MANAGEMENT
PROFESSION
COLLEAGUES
SELF
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61
Agenda
About the speaker
 How is software designed today
 Hall of Shame
 The PRoSE by D. L. Parnas
 ACM on PRoSE


Practical Examples – Success

QA or Q&A
03/14/03
The Professional Responsibilities
of Software Engineers
62
PRoSE works




03/14/03
Nasdaq
CAS
Microwarehouse
SDF
The Professional Responsibilities
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References
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Leveson, N. G. (1995). Safeware: System safety and computers. New
York: Addison Wesley.
F.P. Brooks “Mythical Man Month”
Software Development 2000 West in San Jose. Full transcript is
available on (http://www.construx.com/docs/open/sd2000.pdf or
http://technetcast.ddj.com/tnc_program.html?program_id=80)
Boehm, B. et al: Software Cost Estimation with COCOMO II, Prentice
Hall PTR (2000)
Parnas, D.L. Software Aspects of Strategic Defense Systems
Parnas, D.L. “SDI: A violation of Professional Responsibility”
Parnas, D.L. , Medley, J. “Functional Documentation for Computer
Systems engineering (Version2)”
Parnas, D.L. , Medley, J., Iglewski, M. “Formal documentation of WellStructured Programs”.
03/14/03
The Professional Responsibilities
of Software Engineers
64
Agenda
About the speaker
 How is software designed today
 Hall of Shame
 The PRoSE by D. L. Parnas
 ACM on PRoSE
 Practical Examples – Success


QA or Q&A
03/14/03
The Professional Responsibilities
of Software Engineers
65
QA or Q&A
03/14/03
The Professional Responsibilities
of Software Engineers
66
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