A methodology to develop awareness in computer supported collaborative work using policies

Abstract

Cooperation is significantly influenced by participants' awareness of relevant information. The objective of this paper is to propose a methodology to design and develop applications that assist individuals to identify their awareness. Through extending Cooperative management Methodology for Enterprise Networks (CoMEN), this article introduces Policy-based Awareness Management (PAM) - a software engineering methodology that proposes the use of existing policy rules as a source to identify awareness. The methodology has been built on the logic of general awareness, and implements Directory Enabled Networks (DEN) policy structure. The contribution of the paper is illustrated through the wireless communication system at a hospital in Norway. We conclude that theory of general awareness and in particular PAM as an extension of CoMEN, is effective to identify relevant information for agents.