04-researchdesign.tex
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\section{Open Questions}
\label{sec:researchdesign}
In this paper, we share our experience in designing and developing the new
SPB Portal by reporting the technical efforts carried out, our
empirical work process, and the lessons learned. The new SPB Portal project
presented three main challenges, related to the open questions described below.
\textbf{Q1:} \textit{Which strategy could be used to integrate several existing
FLOSS tools to promote a collaborative software development?}
%
Based on an extensive list of functional requirements defined by the Brazilian
Federal Government, we selected some FLOSS systems to compose our solution,
engineering a nontrivial integration among them. We looked for the systems set
realizing the largest possible subset of the requirements list. However, we
were fully aware that we would need to improve those systems in order to
satisfy the remaining requirements. We were also convinced that it would be impossible to satisfy
all of those requirements with a single tool.
\textbf{Q2:} \textit{How to involve students in real-world projects interacting with
real customers?}
%
Our team was mainly composed of software engineering undergraduate
students, who had the opportunity to interact with the UnB managers,
senior developers, designers, and even with technicians and
managers from the Brazilian Government.
For the majority of the students, this was a first professional experience.
Even though, our development process defined a central role on students participation.
textbf{Q3:} \textit{How to introduce collaborative and agile
practices typical in FLOSS environments in the governmental development process?}
%
The software development on Brazilian government is based on a very traditional way,
frequently focusing documentation deliveries. We had to convince
them to accept the idea of open scope and empirical development. They had
certain expectations about the project development according to RUP
(Rational Unified Process) and PMBOK (Project Management Body of Knowledge)
approaches, which mismatched our work style based on agile and FLOSS practices. So we
created strategies to conciliate these different organizational cultures within the project.