Responsive Systems Comparison Method: Case Study in Assessing Future Designs in the Presence of Change

In this short paper, the Responsive Systems Comparison (RSC) method is introduced. RSC is a structured method for collecting information and conducting analysis to characterize a wide variety of possible futures in order to enable the comparison of the performance of proposed systems in those futures. A case study uses the RSC to analyze a satellite radar system. The needs and expectations of a user community for such a system, the context it will operate in, and its technical basis are determined both at the present time, and with possible changes over the next 15 years. This information is used to set up an analysis that should be able to highlight systems that will deliver value under a wide variety of future situations. The case study illustrates the practicality of the method, and provides lessons for improvement and implementation.