INCOSE eNote: News and Notes from the INCOSE Network
Volume 3   Issue 8, 11 December 2006

2006 Election Results Announced. INCOSE is pleased to announce the results of the recent elections and to congratulate the newly elected officers and Member Board representatives.

The exceptional slate of candidates reflects the continued growth of INCOSE and the tremendous dedication of its members. Sincere thanks to those members who ran for office and are willing to make such a significant commitment to serve and lead our organization. We appreciate the effort of all candidates in standing for election and truly look forward to their continued service to INCOSE..

Make Your Plans for the 2007 International Workshop. INCOSE's International Workshop is the event of the year for systems engineers to contribute to the state of the art. Unlike INCOSE's annual International Symposium and other conferences, there are no paper or panel presentations. Instead, attendees spend four days immersed in a vibrant community of fellow systems engineers who are there to make a difference.

The IW is open to all INCOSE members with systems engineers at all levels and backgrounds encouraged to contribute their knowledge and experience to take our discipline forward. The detailed meeting schedule is taking shape as working groups make their plans. Members are strongly encouraged to review the schedule online, identify topics of interest, and contact session leaders before the workshop for further information.

We look forward to seeing you in January at Albuquerque. Deadlines are fast approaching with meeting space requests due and early registration ending 15 December. And be sure to make your hotel reservations soon to take advantage of the workshop rate. Visit the IW website for more details.

Help Support SE through the INCOSE Foundation. The INCOSE Foundation – a charitable organization with the stated goal of advancing the development and image of systems engineering through funded scholarships, research, and international forums – approaches its second year with over $65,000 in assets based on contributions from INCOSE members and chapters throughout the world. This year, the Foundation presented its first award in conjunction with the Stevens Institute of Technology at the 2006 International Symposium.

By contributing to the Foundation, you make difference in systems engineering. As we reach our first modest financial benchmark of $100,000 in assets by early 2007, we will support additional scholarships and research awards. Over time, the Foundation will also sponsor strategic summits and program awards. The Foundation has received its exempt status as a charitable organization from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, which enables all U.S. donors to claim a charitable deduction on their annual income tax submissions. The Foundation is also exploring ways in which non-U.S. contributions can be solicited in ways that benefit individual donors.

Invest in the future of systems engineering and all the benefits it delivers by including the INCOSE Foundation in your charitable plans this holiday season. All contributions should be sent to the INCOSE Foundation, 2150 North 107th Street, Suite 205, Seattle Washington 98133-9009.For more information including proposed initiatives, see the Foundation section on the INCOSE website.

Submit Your Nomination for the 2007 Pioneer and Founders Awards. Help INCOSE recognize individuals and teams who have made significant contributions. The Pioneer Award is presented annually to one distinguished individual or team (whether from within INCOSE or from the community at large) who, by their achievements in the engineering of systems, has contributed uniquely to major products or outcomes enhancing society or meeting its needs. The criteria may apply to a single outstanding outcome or a lifetime of significant achievements in effecting successful systems. The Founders Award is presented annually to one distinguished INCOSE member who has made a major contribution to INCOSE. The award recognizes outstanding individual contribution to INCOSE, either a single event or ongoing efforts. These significant contributions have positively affected the advancement of INCOSE or an INCOSE Chapter.

Nominations for the Pioneer and Founders Awards must be received by 28 February 2007. More information on these awards can be found on the INCOSE website.

INCOSE Debuts New Online Member Database and Member Email Aliases. Thanks to the hard work of Justin McMurray and the Central Office, INCOSE has launched a new online member database. Hosted on a secure site to control access, this member database is a major step in integrating INCOSE systems. In addition to delivering tremendous benefit to chapter leaders, the online member database makes it possible to offer incose.org email aliases to all members. Now you can have an INCOSE email address that automatically forwards messages to any email account – business or personal – that you desire. Log in today using your INCOSE Connect account to update your information and take advantage of your new email alias

INCOSE Appoints Deputy Technical Director. The Board of Directors has appointed Dick Kitterman of Northrop Grumman as Deputy Technical Director. Dick will assume this role at the International Workshop in January. Dick has been active in INCOSE for many years at both a technical and chapter/regional level, as well as representing INCOSE on ISO standards work. His initial focus in the Technical Leadership Team will be on supporting the working groups, in particular developing their operating practices, planning, and performance. For more on Dick’s professional background, INCOSE experience, and priorities, see the INCOSE website.

Enjoy INCOSE’s Online Forum. Are local meetings difficult to get to? Do you find gaps between major events too long? Do you have a burning desire to find out more about systems engineering? There is a solution to all these problems - INCOSE's online discussion forum! You can read a whole series of threaded discussions on a wide range of topics. You can ask a question and receive responses from experienced practitioners around the world. You can pick up new ideas, find interesting references to books and papers, and get information about events and working group activity. You can even subscribe and have the messages automatically delivered to your email address.

If you are busy or a newcomer to SE, don't worry - you can just 'lurk' on the site and read material that interests you. But you will find you get much more out of it if you take part. Visit the online discussion forum to learn more.

Contributing to the INCOSE Member Survey. Thank you to all those who took time to share their thoughts by participating in the 2006 INCOSE member survey. Nearly thirty percent of our members responded, a high rate which reflects the commitment that so many feel towards INCOSE. The survey team is analyzing the results and preparing a report for the 2007 International Workshop. The following randomly selected respondents will receive Amazon gift certificates as a special thank you for participating in this survey:

• $500: Steven Skladanek, Lockheed Martin, Colorado Front Range
• $250: James Brandt, Guidant Corporation, North Star Chapter; John Schumacher, SAIC, Washington Metro Area Chapter
• $100: Aurélie Leger, Centre de Recherche en Automatique de Nancy, Université Henri Poincaré, AFIS Chapter; Thomas Ball, US Navy, Directed Energy Program Office, Crossroads of America Chapter; Robert Jacobs, Computer Systems Center Inc., Washington Metro Area Chapter; Michael Pafford, Johns Hopkins University Applied Research Lab, Chesapeake Chapter; Joseph Sobierajski, Space Coast Chapter

AP233 Committee Draft Available for Early Review. AP233 is an emerging international standard information model for systems engineering. AP233 provides the means to exchange data directly among systems engineering tools and engineering design tools. The INCOSE Model-Driven System Design and Tools Interoperability working groups have made major contributions to this effort for many years. Due to their efforts, the AP233 Committee Draft is now available for early review by INCOSE members. Visit the special AP233 Committee Draft site on INCOSE Connect and review the introduction, primer, model, and more. Please send review comments to Dave Oliver for inclusion in the formal committee draft.

Enjoy the Latest Systems Engineering Journal Online. Volume 9, issue 4 of the Systems Engineering Journal is now available on the Wiley Interscience site. This issue includes:

• “Multi-period model for disruptive events in interdependent systems” by Edouard Kujawski
• “Same vendor, version-to-version upgrade decision support model for commercial off-the-shelf productivity applications” by Jason S. Seibel, Thomas A. Mazzuchi, Shahram Sarkani
• “Multidisciplinary investigation of eco-industrial parks” by Cecilia Haskins
• “Extending the START framework: Computation of optimal capability development portfolios using a decision theory approach” by A. Elfes, C. R. Weisbin, R. Manvi, V. Adumitroaie, W. P. Lincoln, K. Shelton

INCOSE members can enjoy these articles online today. Instructions for accessing the Wiley Interscience website can be found on INCOSE Connect.