Engineering Values in IT: A joint study by The Royal Academy of Engineering, the Institution of Engineering and Technology and the British Computer Society

21 Oct Engineering Values in IT: A joint study by The Royal Academy of Engineering, the Institution of Engineering and Technology and the British Computer Society

Royal Academy of Engineering (UK) (RAEng)
2009

This report concludes that IT systems engineering has reached the point of maturity where it is a codified discipline that must be recognised as a required capability for system developers. Education and training providers must ensure that they keep up to date with current research and understanding in this area. This report also argues that IT systems development requires the professional qualities of integrity and ethics essential to all areas of engineering and it requires good professional judgement, exercised in the interest of the client, to make all necessary compromises between costs, timescales, features, risk and technical feasibility. This report recommends that IT professionals therefore work to achieve chartered status. In order to stimulate uptake of chartered status, procurers of large IT systems in government and industry should employ chartered professionals to lead and manage projects, particularly in the development of systems with implications for safety or national security.