Section 508 Artifacts in the systems engineering life cycle 20100307 2030

Section 508 Artifacts in the Systems Engineering Life Cycle

DHS Office of Accessible Systems & TechnologyMarch 2010

Office of Accessible Systems and Technology (OAST) Mar 2010

Presentation Organization

2

Objective Minutes Slides

Terminology

• Section 508• Life Cycle • Terms used in presentation

10 4

The need for a Section 508 EIT Accessibility Plan 5 3

Plan and Artifacts 30 6-22

Summary 5 2

Questions 10 1

Office of Accessible Systems and Technology (OAST) Mar 2010 3

For the Federal government, the requirement for accessibility is a law known as Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act

Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act requires agencies to give disabled employees and members of the public access to information that is comparable to the access available to others

Section 508 as described in the Code of Federal Regulations, 36 CFR 1194, contains functional and technical standards and has been a legal requirement since June 21, 2001

Section 508 compliance is required when Federal agencies develop Electronic Information & Technology (EIT) systems

Legal compliance with Section 508 can be achieved by: Meeting the applicable standards

Qualifying for a Section 508 Exception

Section 508


When an agency builds a system, it follows a defined process to build, buy or use technology.

A logical, ordered process to meet all the organization's requirements is referred to as a systems development life cycle

All life cycles’ stages follow the same basic order

Stages can be split, combined, or tailored to allow flexibility of different development approaches Rapid Application Development

Waterfall Method

Spiral Method

Life Cycle


Life cycle documents are generically referred to as “artifacts” because they are enduring visible work products that can be referenced during and after a system’s development

For simplicity, Systems Engineers, Project Engineers, Project Managers and other professionals involved in a life cycle are referred to as “project managers” Project managers handle the requirements of the developed solution on the

behalf of their clients or the system owners

A “project” is a time restricted, temporary endeavor to develop solutions, systems, or software

A project plan moves through stages of a systems engineering lie cycle (SELC)

Terms


All programs or project systems developed at DHS and DHS Components must align to a standard process approach - the DHS SELC Deals with the complexity of EIT

Reduces risk of project failure

Controls costs

Section 508 is specified as a mandatory requirement in the DHS SELC

DHS Life Cycle: DHS SELC


Those of us in the accessibility field are always saying “build accessibility in”…

However Section 508 does not specify the processes that are required to support the legal and technical approach to compliance with the law

We need to provide project managers process tools and a plan – so they can perform

We believe that most efficient approach to Section 508 compliance is to include it in the life cycle requirements

Build It In!


Because it is expensive to retrofit software to meet accessibility standards

The cost of revision is estimated to be

1.5 - 6 times greater during development than during the design phase

60-100 times greater after release

[Pressman, 2005]

Why Is “Building Accessibility In” Cost Effective?


A separate process should not be needed for compliance

By being an intrinsic part of the life cycle, Section 508 can be managed the same as other requirements

Project managers understand the language of requirements and costs because they focus on those aspects of development

The Section 508 EIT Accessibility Plan has great value to them

What do Project Managers Need?They Need A Plan That Includes Section 508 Requirements…


Section 508 EIT Accessibility Plan


For most government project managers, the main tool needed is clear plan for Section 508 compliance that maps to their own project’s life cycle

The plan document itself be updated in each life cycle stage Ensures review of the appropriate artifacts

Project updates include Section 508 in any schedule changes



Several steps to the project, it all begins with an idea an more planning

Stage 1: Solution Engineering & Planning

Stage 2: Requirements Definition

Stage 3: Design & Development

Stage 4: Integration & Test

Stage 5: Implementation & Operations

Project managers and developers might relate to this as a classic waterfall development approach, but it is iterative and can be adapted to rapid application development or other methods

Section 508 EIT Accessibility PlanSolution

EngineeringPlanning Requirements

DefinitionDesign Development

Integration& Test

ImplementationOperations &Maintenance


Section 508 EIT Accessibility Plan Stage 1: Solution Engineering &

Planning

DHS Form 4105: National Security Exception Request and Authorization Form

It is generally known during planning if the project will involve National Security Recognized Section 508

exception

Section 508 compliance includes clearly documenting any exceptions

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outlined and is sized to the full width or height of this

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DHS Form 4105: National Security Exception Request and Authorization Form

Or…




Integration& Test




Identify the applicable Section 508 Technical Standards

Section 508 Applicable Standards Worksheet

Any other Section 508 Exceptions that might apply Section 508 Exceptions Worksheet

Select the most compliant product available DHS Form 4106: Most Compliant Product Market Research Form




Integration& Test




What are you engineering?

What are you planning to buy, build, or how will you select the best products?

What is the business need?




Integration& Test






Any other Section 508 Exceptions that might apply Section 508 Exceptions Worksheet

Select the most compliant product available DHS Form 4106: Most Compliant Product Market Research Form




Integration& Test




Planning


Used as a documentation template Reminder to include Section

508 in other generic project documentation

Possibly unused until later in the life cycle




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Planning

Section 508 Exceptions Worksheet

Clarifying any possible exceptions Informs project managers to ask

the right questions

Section 508 compliance includes clearly documenting any exceptions




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Planning

DHS Form 4106: Most compliant Product Market Research Form

Compliance Requires Market Research! Custom, Commercial, or Free

Section 508 compliance includes clearly documenting analysis of alternatives

Summarizes: additional documentation required




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Initial planning complete, now at requirements definition






Project managers typically complete their initial research, finish clarifying requirements with stakeholders and have a desired approach and have selected the technologies

Design and development might still introduce new technologies


SolutionEngineering

PlanningRequirements


Integration& Test




Updated Section 508 EIT Accessibility Plan Request any Section 508 Exceptions


Project’s Requirements Documents Include Section 508 Functional Performance Criteria

Include Section 508 Technical Standards

Requirements Traceability Matrix

Market Research for Most Compliant Products


SolutionEngineering



Integration& Test



requirements defined, now at design and development






All developed or customized EIT fully Section 508 compliant

Documents, Plans, Schedules & Rework includes Section 508

Remediation Plans


SolutionEngineering


Definition Design Development Integration& Test



Section 508 EIT Accessibility Plan Stage 3: Design & Development

Developed or Customized IT must be fully compliant

Development Life Cycle If it doesn’t meet criteria for an

exception, must be compliant

Section 508 has technical requirements that must be included with each new version release

Ongoing development testing includes scheduling and fixing defects before release




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Project Plans must include Section 508

Project Plan Timelines Include time for evaluation

Include Section 508 in customer acceptance tests

Include Section 508 EIT Accessibility Plan items in planning milestones




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Section 508 Remediation Plan

During Ongoing Active Development Track defects

Verify development team notified of defects

Useful when development teams do not have external bug tracking systems for stakeholders

Dates for follow-up is key information




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Development almost done, time to test






If your organization waits until this stage to check for Section 508 compliance, there is a high risk of failure

Short area on plan, but key milestone for any development

Transitioning to operations and support


SolutionEngineering



Integration& Test



Section 508 EIT Accessibility Plan Stage 4: Integration & Test

Transition to Support Document

Establish Support for End-Users Notifying Help Desk of special

configurations

Notifying Operations of special permissions or deployment issues

Include communications to agency and staff

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RemoveThis

Area?


All aboard! Train is leaving! Project goes live







Design and development might still introduce new technologies


SolutionEngineering



Integration& Test



Section 508 EIT Accessibility Plan Stage 5: Implementation &

Operations


Proactively Solving Compliance Issues Track “defects”

Verify development team notified of defects

Useful to proactively ask vendors for compliant solutions




bounding box.)


Shared the approach taken at DHS Incorporate Section 508 compliance into the systems development life cycle

Use a formal plan

Explained the life cycle stages Existing artifacts can be used to incorporate Section 508 requirements

Introduced a Section 508 EIT Accessibility Plan Clearly communicate to project managers required activities

Managed Section 508 compliance as requirements

Suggest cost savings by “building it in” as early as possible

Summary


We showed how the project managers efforts in using the plan and worksheets that summarize legal exceptions and technical standards works to both document the Section 508 compliance and to increase the likelihood of an accessible product

We went beyond the specific requirements of Section 508 to provide other processes such as Remediation Plans that provide for continual product and process improvement

Summary


Appendices



Section 508 Exceptions Worksheet

DHS Forms: 4103: Undue Burden Exception Request and Authorization Form

4105: National Security Exception Request and Authorization Form

4106: Most Compliant Product Market Research Form

4107: Incidental to Contract Exception Request and Authorization Form

4108: Fundamental Alteration Exception Request and Authorization Form

4109: Back-Office Exception Request and Authorization Form

Section 508 Impact Report



Presenters

Alice A. Smith

[email protected] 202-447-0364

Norman B. Robinson

[email protected] 202-447 0322

Section 508 Artifacts in the systems engineering life cycle 20100307 2030

Documents

Transcript of Section 508 Artifacts in the systems engineering life cycle 20100307 2030