My keynote talk from the Requirements Engineering Ethics Workshop at the 2020 Requirements Engineering International Conference

1. Ethics, Values and Requirements
Engineering: What, Why and How
Jon Whittle
CSIRO’s Data61 and
Faculty of IT, Monash University
MONASH
INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY
@Jon_Whittle_

2. A history of software engineering…
http://stg-tud.github.io/sedc/Lecture/ws13-14/1-Introduction-
General.html#mode=document

3. Software
Engineering
now
Values & ethics
in software
engineering
functionality, cost, safety,
security, privacy
Inclusion, diversity,
responsibility, transparency,
well-being, fairness, respect

4. Key challenge:
ethics/values are vague,
requirements are not
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Our_Lady_of_Europe_into_the_fog.jpg

5. [aside]
values and
ethics are
not the same

6. Does the software industry consider values?
Developers don’t think values are their
responsibility
Wide spectrum of values maturity
Values are thought of as a cultural issue
A very small subset of values are considered
Cutting edge research hardly considers it at all

7. Incorporating values into agile methods: evolution not
revolution

8. How to embed values thinking in agile
Values Statements
User Stories → Values
Stories
Artefacts Roles
Values Champion/Critical
Friend
Values Translator
Culture
Psychological safety
Hire for Values
Ceremonies
Values-based planning
Values-based backlog
Values Retrospectives
3rd Pillar Calls

9. EPIC EXAMPLE
Provide HR with a way to quickly assess and prioritize online job applications and
communicate decisions to applicants

10. USER STORY 1
As an assessor of applications, I want to view all relevant details of an application
so that I can make informed decisions

11. PRODUCT BACKLOG
Prioritize based on what is the MVP/what do we need to show the customer; what
is feasible within this sprint
USER STORY 1 > USER STORY 2 > USER STORY 3

12. VALUES
1. Agree/Prioritize values for the epic
2. Revisit the epic/user stories with a ‘values lens’
3. Possibly reprioritize product backlog

13. VALUES ELICITATION
Inclusiveness
- Application process doesn’t discriminate in terms of access, efficiency, or
decision-making
Respect
- Applicants feel cared for and respected and are provided with timely
decisions with useful feedback where appropriate
Hiring Excellence
- The organisation ultimately hires the best person for the job

14. EPIC EXAMPLE (VALUEFIED)
Provide HR with a way to quickly assess and prioritize top online job applications
and to respectfully communicate decisions in a timely fashion to applicants,
regardless of their gender, ethnicity, or physical/mental challenges

15. USER STORY 1 (VALUEFIED)
Story: As an assessor of applications, I want to view all relevant details of an
application so that I can make informed decisions and feel like I have treated
everyone fairly
Relevant values: Inclusiveness, Hiring Excellence
Contextual value definitions:
Inclusiveness Hiring Excellence
● Parental leave
● Indigenous status
● Any language barriers
● n/a

16. PRODUCT BACKLOG (VALUEFIED)
Prioritize based on what is the MVP/what do we need to show the customer; what
is feasible within this sprint
USER STORY 1 > USER STORY 2 > USER STORY 3
Lead to new user stories?
Split User Story 1 to add US1.1 on user interface features for inclusive
Reprioritize User Story 1.1 > User Story 1 > …

17. What is the value of values?
Software industry has a moral obligation
Values will increasingly be regulated
Values can give a competitive advantage
Failure to consider values can have negative
financial implications

18. https://ovislab.net