Purpose

This section focuses on incorporating human performance in the system specifications. For human performance to effectively influence the system design, system specifications must accommodate the following essential ingredients for all users:

·         Staffing constraints

·         System operator and maintainer (user) skills

·         Training time available and cost limitations for formal, informal, and on-the-job skill development

·         Acceptable levels of human and system performance when operated and maintained by members of the target population

Following figure describes the process of integrating human factors in the specifications of the system to be acquired. 

Process for incorporating human factors in system concepts.

Timing

Human-system performance considerations are embedded into the system by incorporating human factors requirements in system specifications. The formulation of draft human performance requirements is initiated during the Investment Analysis phase and continues through Solution Implementation.

System Specifications

From a human performance perspective, the system specification will have the most significant impact on system design.  It states the technical and mission performance requirements for a system as an entity, allocates requirements to functional areas, documents design constraints, and defines the interfaces between or among the functional areas. 

“How To”

To achieve the design objective in a manner that results in a safe, efficient, usable system for the lowest possible expenditure of resources, the human performance constraints and requirements need to be placed into the system specification in Sections 2, 3, and 4 of the specification.

Steps

Step 1: Provide Human Factors Inputs  to Specification Section 3 -  Requirements

Step 2: Provide Human Factors Inputs to Specification Section 4 - Quality Assurance Provisions

Step 3: Provide Human Factors Inputs to Specification Section 2 – Applicable Documents

Checklist