An Evaluation View of an Ensemble Artefact for Decision Support using Action Design Research

Abstract

This paper investigates the integration of content, context and process (CCP) into the Action Design Research (ADR) framework to account for the interplay of organisational issues in artefact design and development. The investigation is conducted through a case study in which successive ICT student teams incrementally build, over several semesters, a tailored, low cost business intelligence (BI) system as an ensemble artefact for an organisation in the not-forprofit (NFP) sector. During project development, CCP's human-centred approach to evaluation complements ADR's more prescribed technology-driven software testing. The integration of CCP into ADR as an evaluation view offers an holistic approach to assessing an ensemble artefact. The resultant conceptual framework is presented as a model with an explication of unexpected design and research outcomes.