Requirements gathering is the process of identifying in detail and analyzing the performance that is required of the system by its stakeholders before it is designed, built, tested, and implemented.

View of a mosaic featuring buildings and palm trees in Jordan

Decorative mosaics are a common element of archaeological sites in Jordan. The 'Map Mosaic' dates from the 6th century AD and is located within the floor of the apse of the Basilica of St. George in Madaba. The mosaic is renowned as the oldest known floor map mosaic, and the oldest surviving original map of the Holy Land. It includes depictions of the Dead Sea and Jordan River, the Nile Delta, a detailed view of Jerusalem, and Bethlehem.

In order to identify the specific needs and conditions that were required in the new system, the requirements-gathering effort for MEGA–Jordan focused on gathering user stories that describe the desired capabilities and functions that the system will need to support. (A user story is a brief, very general description of a requirement, usually written in the nontechnical, everyday language of the user.)

This effort, carried out from May to August 2007, involved extensive interviews with many of the stakeholders in Jordan. These included Department of Antiquities (DoA) leadership, inspectors, and other staff in the department's Amman central and local offices across the kingdom; national authorities, such as the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, the Department of Lands and Survey, and the Jordanian Royal Geographic Centre; local authorities including city governments; and various international archaeological organizations based in Jordan.

Design Requirements

The fundamental design requirements identified for the system included the following:

  • The system should be a map-based, web-enabled inventory of data from all of DoA's regional offices.
  • It should have a user interface in both English and standard Arabic and be capable of handling data in both languages.
  • The technical tools (i.e., software) used to build the system must be low cost (or no cost, wherever feasible), open source, nonproprietary, and accessible both technically and financially by those who will need to support, maintain, and sustain the system for many years to come.
  • The system must be easy to use and not require extensive training for the general user—i.e., users need not be GIS experts.
  • It must have wide compatibility with similar systems of Jordanian national and local authorities, such as the Department of Lands and Survey, city governments, and the like.
  • The system must allow the export of data that is fully compatible with other GIS tools such as Google Earth, Quantum GIS, and ESRI's ArcView.
  • The system must include the ability to record detailed data on monitoring of sites and site elements and archaeological surveys.
  • It should be readily customizable to accommodate changes in practices that the DoA may make in the future.
  • It must ensure, wherever possible, consistent and valid entry of information.
  • It must provide the ability to prepare data electronically from the field.
  • The system must include easy, instant reporting capabilities.
  • All data must be secure, and appropriate back-up strategies need to be implemented.
  • The system should provide various levels of user access based on user roles—i.e., some users will have full access to all data, while others may only have read-access to certain areas of the database.
  • The system must be developed in such a way that the addition of tools to inventory, monitor, and help manage heritage buildings can be added without major redevelopment of the system.

2007 Workshop

As a supplement to the requirements-gathering effort, the Conservation Institute and the World Monuments Fund held a workshop for DoA personnel in Amman at the American Center of Oriental Research in June 2007. The event was attended by thirty-five DoA staff members, including inspectors and members of the DoA team assigned to the MEGA–Jordan development effort.

In addition to emphasizing the direct involvement of the workshop participants in the development of the system—thereby gaining their input and buy-in—the workshop concentrated on increasing participants' knowledge in such areas as the use of global positioning system (GPS) devices, map reading, and combining Google Earth™ photography with digitized local maps to facilitate the collection of site boundary coordinates. It also offered the development team an opportunity to further discuss with DoA personnel their requirements for the content and expectations of the functionality of the new system.

Summary Report

On the basis of what was learned from the requirements-gathering effort, system-use cases—which are descriptions of a specific interaction various types of users may experience with a system—were developed. Also, potential risks to the successful deployment of the system were identified, along with mitigation strategies, and all were documented in an August 2007 report prepared by the team's consultants, Farallon Geographics, Inc. The report was shared with the director general of the Department of Antiquities for comments and a review of the team's approach.

The report identified key determinants for the project's success, such as:

  • engagement of DoA leadership in the development process and the need to work closely with DoA staff members who will be the primary users of the system (to this end, a MEGA–Jordan team was established by the DoA consisting of sixteen DoA personnel who have had have regular input at various stages of development; it is acknowledged that securing their buy-in early in the development process has been essential because they must, if deployment is to be sustainable, ultimately take ownership of the system)
  • identification of a DoA project manager and appropriate staffing for system administration
  • integration of the system with daily activities of the DoA at both national and regional levels, as well as regular coordination of data with other national and local governmental authorities
  • management of the system by the DoA as a program within the department—i.e., it requires an ongoing sustained effort rather than being treated as a project of limited duration
  • implementation of standards for data acquisition and system population to ensure data integrity
  • ongoing training of system administration staff, as well as other DoA users, in collecting data and using the system as a management tool
  • identification and ongoing commitment of budget within the DoA for system maintenance and periodic hardware and software upgrades
  • thorough system documentation
  • engagement of other stakeholder institutions
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