technology in action Realizing Grid Infrastructure Synopsis of

technology in action Realizing Grid Infrastructure Synopsis of a Pilot Study Claus Jacobs Imagination Lab Foundation, Lausanne III. EGEE Conference Athens, 21. 04. 2005 Claus Jacobs, Imagination Lab Foundation Technology in Action – Realizing Grid Infrastructure 1

technology in action Contents • I. Background and Rationale • II. Research Focus and Design • III. Findings • IV. Implications Claus Jacobs, Imagination Lab Foundation Technology in Action – Realizing Grid Infrastructure 2

technology in action Realizing Grid Infrastructure I. Background and Rationale Claus Jacobs, Imagination Lab Foundation Technology in Action – Realizing Grid Infrastructure 3

technology in action The study aims at understanding the enrollment and enlistment processes in the development of Grid technology Technology Processes of Enrollment and Enlistment Grid Development (EGEE et al. ) as a Community of Practice Processes of Enrollment and Enlistment Organization Claus Jacobs, Imagination Lab Foundation Technology in Action – Realizing Grid Infrastructure 4

technology in action Realizing Grid Infrastructure II. Research Focus and Design Claus Jacobs, Imagination Lab Foundation Technology in Action – Realizing Grid Infrastructure 5

technology in action The pilot study employed an exploratory, qualitative social science research design Sampling Methodological Considerations Data Gathering and Analysis Ø Qualitative social science research Ø Oct-Dec 2004 Ø Exploratory pilot study Ø Average duration 31 min. Ø Purposive sampling protocol Ø Privacy and Anonymity Ø Initial pool of 27 interview candidates Claus Jacobs, Imagination Lab Foundation Ø 18 semi-structured, openended interviews Ø Content Analysis Technology in Action – Realizing Grid Infrastructure 6

technology in action The study invited participants from various backgrounds to reflect on three primary topics Profile of 18 Interviewees Thematic Foci of Interview Ø 10 with formal affiliation and role in EGEE Ø Communication with/within EGEE Ø 9 with a primarily administrative role in their organization Ø Collaboration with/within EGEE Ø 6 with formal affiliation to one pilot application (HEP) Claus Jacobs, Imagination Lab Foundation Ø Integration of new users/ user communities into EGEE Technology in Action – Realizing Grid Infrastructure 7

technology in action Realizing Grid Infrastructure III. Findings Claus Jacobs, Imagination Lab Foundation Technology in Action – Realizing Grid Infrastructure 8

technology in action Participants commented extensively on a variety of communication challenges „I suspect that formalized communication is absolutely the wrong way to get people to communicate“ “During an [EGEE] meeting, there was probably more progress made in one hour than in two weeks“ „When you go beyond 15 people, communication breaks down. People end up talking and all listening seems to stop“ „Nobody ever reads anything other than the things they had to do themselves“ Claus Jacobs, Imagination Lab Foundation „If you have a real issue that you can focus on. . . level of communication tends to go way up“ Technology in Action – Realizing Grid Infrastructure 9

technology in action They reflected on how to address some of the communication challenges Issue Suggestion Dysfunctional communication due to formalized communication routines Revise routines; encourage informal communication Risk of one-way communication Encourage specific, selective and dialogical email communication Limited team effectiveness due to team size effects Provide specific team management training Disengagement from communication due to lacking relevance of communication Acknowledge/support context specific communication needs Limited effectivenes of meetings due to limited relevance of plenaries Focus on/allow for decentralized forms of communication Claus Jacobs, Imagination Lab Foundation Technology in Action – Realizing Grid Infrastructure 10

technology in action Participants explored a variety of collaboration challenges „There is also national pride. . . When they decide to play with their own trucks and not with your trucks, that can be problematic“ „People are too concerned about meeting the milestones they have given to the EU; it‘s too milestone driven rather than user driven“ „I have a serious worry that. . . people do the writing like they used to feed virgins to the dragon to keep the dragon away“ „Despite our projects being in different units of the EU commission, we decided to engage in a low -level, unofficial collaboration“ Claus Jacobs, Imagination Lab Foundation „The power structures are improperly balanced to give enough power to software engineering decisions“ Technology in Action – Realizing Grid Infrastructure 11

technology in action They suggested strategies of addressing some of the collaboration issues Issue Suggestion Resource implications of bureaucratic coordination needs Balancing formal requirements and effective collaboration Fragmentation and redundancy due to lacking quality control Grant software engineers with adequate authority on quality Coordination costs due to cultural and professional cultures Provide specific diversity management tools/skills Impeded collaboration due to project/EU structure Allow for/encourage cross-activity/crossproject collaboration Ambiguity on motivation due to EU reporting requirement Balancing EU’s reporting conventions with software development culture Claus Jacobs, Imagination Lab Foundation Technology in Action – Realizing Grid Infrastructure 12

technology in action Participants equally identified a range of challenges for the integration of new user communities „Ultimately, the ‘if-youbuild-it-they-will-come‘ approach is not the best way of building technology acceptance. ” „Anybody who is doing serious work is going to be conservative and cannot afford to move to a system that doesn‘t work“ „CERN‘s willingness to cut corners is extremely high“ „We tell people explicitly that they are beta-testing, for some of them to adopt such bi-directional relationship is very difficult“ Claus Jacobs, Imagination Lab Foundation „The HEP community seems to be still very focussed on developing one-off solutions their problems of the day. “ Technology in Action – Realizing Grid Infrastructure 13

technology in action They also suggested avenues for how to tackle some of the integration issues Issue Suggestion Low response rate from new user communities due to maturity of Grid Create small, reliable reference cases Low level of buy-in from collaborating communities due to complexity of requirements Acknowledge differences and complexity of requirements High level of set up costs in terms of computational skills to enrol new communities Identify Grid Ambassadors as translators for reference communities Risk of particularistic solutions due to relative lobbying power Encourage HEP to acknowledge the relevance of a multi-science Grid Risk of dilluting focus of EGEE as a multiscience Grid development Enhance visibility of CERN’s commitment to a multi-science Grid Claus Jacobs, Imagination Lab Foundation Technology in Action – Realizing Grid Infrastructure 14

technology in action Realizing Grid Infrastructure IV. Implications Claus Jacobs, Imagination Lab Foundation Technology in Action – Realizing Grid Infrastructure 15

technology in action The pilot study has prepared the ground for continuing a study of potential relevance to several stakeholders • For research, the study has allowed to inductively develop analytical categories for an extended, longitudinal study • For EGEE in particular and the Grid development community in general, the study can provide an occasion for critical reflection • For the EU, the study can provides an empirical basis for orchestrating future technology development and deployment processes even more effectively The open, critical reflections of participants have been pivotal in shaping the Technology in Action project as a form of reflective practice Claus Jacobs, Imagination Lab Foundation Technology in Action – Realizing Grid Infrastructure 16