Explain like I'm five · SW Eng

What is a Software Project Impact Assessment?

A software project impact assessment, told as a story about a public agency weighing the effect on publishers before remaking a book the bookstore already sells.

a public agency plans to make a book the bookstore already sellswe'll make our own guidebook in-housealready in the bookstorewe already sell that very book

A public agency plans to make a book the bookstore already sells.The agency is the party commissioning a software project; the store's books are commercial software already on sale.

what happens if the agency hands out the same book for free?publishers selling that book lose their customersfewer publishers means fewer books to choose from later

If the agency hands out the same book for free, publishers selling it lose customers.With fewer publishers, the agency and readers alike end up with fewer books to choose from.

SW project impact assessment = weighing a public project's effect on the private market firstTHE CHECK BEFORE STARTINGis a similar book on the shelf?could the agency just buy it?would it take publishers' customers?the private marketchecking first leaves a real choice: buy it or build it

A software project impact assessment weighs a public software project's effect on the private market in advance.Checking first leaves a real choice: buy it or build it.

Look for similar commercial softwareis the same book already on the shelf?
Weigh the market effectdoes it take customers from publishers?
Finish before the bid noticedone before the project goes out to bid
Publish the resulta vendor can request a re-assessment
THE ASSESSMENT, STEP BY STEP① the ordering agency assesses it while planning the project② the agency looks for similar commercial software③ if one exists, buying it gets considered first④ the result is published, and vendors can request a re-assessment⑤ the science ministry can review it and request fixes

The assessment runs through five steps before the project goes out to bid.Finishing before the bid notice keeps the option to buy alive.

publishers don't lose the market to free copiesagencies grade themselves, so it mustn't be a formalitythe assessment doesn't ban new development — it makes the market effect get weighed first

The assessment doesn't ban development. It makes the effect get weighed first.If the agency decides to buy, this story comes next. → buying the press machine, no middleman

In one breath

A software project impact assessment = before commissioning a software project, a public agency weighs its effect on the private software market and checks whether existing commercial software could simply be bought.

A software project impact assessment is a system under Korea's Software Promotion Act: state bodies, local governments, and public institutions assess in advance how a software project would affect the private software market. Its aim is to support the commercial software industry by having agencies buy software that already exists, and it is done before the bid notice. A 2023 amendment lets the science ministry review the result and request improvements. It is a different activity from 'change impact analysis', which traces what a change to a system would touch, despite the similar name.

When grown-ups say it

SW Project Impact Assessment
The system for weighing a public software project's effect on the private market. Done before the project is commissioned.
Software Promotion Act
The law that requires this assessment. It also holds other rules for public software projects.
Ordering Agency
The public body commissioning the book. State bodies, local governments, and public institutions.
Commercial Software
The book already on the bookstore shelf. It can be bought instead of being built anew.
Crowding Out the Private Market
A publisher losing customers to free copies. The exact problem the assessment aims to prevent.
Re-assessment Request
Asking for the result to be looked at again. Results are published, so vendors can ask for it.
Direct Purchase of Commercial SW
The agency buying commercial software directly. What comes after deciding to buy. → buying the press machine, no middleman
Change Impact Analysis
Tracing how far a change to a system would spread. A different activity, despite the similar name.
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