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Advantages And Disadvantages Of User Involvement And Their Role

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User involvement and their role For decades many information technology systems have failed to deliver the benefits expected by the users of the System. Insufficient user involvement in the design process is mentioned as a main factor contributing to this underperformance between what was expected of the system and what the system is in reality. They are so many System development methodologies but almost all approaches to system design / development involve users in the design process. The difference between the several approaches in system design lies in the degree to which users are able to influence the system design, “e.g., with SSADM, Learmouth and Burchett, Structured Data Analysis, users ,etc. are involved as providers of information to the project team since …show more content…

Some advantages and disadvantages to user involvement are detailed in the table below: Table 1: advantages and disadvantages to user involvement advantages Disadvantages Involving beneficiaries empowers them People may not wish to be involved People are given the opportunity to learn new skills and build confidence Researchers have to adopt a different role – that of supporting rather than doing People are exposed to new experiences and opportunities Expectations of beneficiaries may be raised only to lead to disappointment – for instance, if their views are not heard and actioned Shapes research according to needs and views of beneficiaries There may be conflict between what is expected by the ‘research community’ and that which is delivered by users – for instance, what is deemed ‘scientifically respectable’ Users can monitor progress of the research, address problems and provide useful feedback A lot of time and commitment can be required to involve users Helps projects to get better insights into their experiences – useful when the project team is considering the potential impacts of approaches and techniques on

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