Information Systems Analysis 03 September 2019 Marking Scheme
This marking scheme has been prepared as a guide only to markers. This is not a set of model answers, or the exclusive answers to the questions, and there will frequently be
alternative responses which will provide a valid answer. Markers are advised that, unless a question specifies that an answer be provided in a particular form, then an answer that is correct (factually or in practical terms) must be given the available marks.
If there is doubt as to the correctness of an answer, the relevant NCC Education materials should be the first authority.
Throughout the marking, please credit any valid alternative point.
Where markers award half marks in any part of a question, they should ensure that the total mark recorded for the question is rounded up to a whole mark.
Case Study
Answer ALL questions
The Central Metro Council is a large and busy organization that stores and processes data for thousands of individuals, families and businesses. The information system is used for a number of business processes, such as the input, output, processing and storage of data relating to housing, education, rubbish collection, local taxes, transport and leisure. The council advertises that the public and organizations can request to check data that is held about them and it is important that all data is accurate.
The amount of data that is processed has increased significantly in the last two years. There have been reports of inaccurate data, hardware and software problems, a slow network, lack of system security training and data entry problems. Recently, the system has also been affected by malware. There is also a lack of communication between some of the departments.
The senior managers think that all aspects of the information system should be analysed. The CEO has agreed that the information system needs to be upgraded to ensure that it is efficient, reliable and secure.
Question 1
Two methods, a hard approach or a soft approach, could be used to analyse the 10 information system at Central Metro Council. Explain the differences between a
hard approach and a soft approach to analysis. Your answer should include
FIVE (5) features of a hard approach and FIVE (5) features of a soft approach.
ANSWER
The maximum number of marks to be awarded for this task is 10 marks. A hard approach
Award 1 mark for each bullet point up to a maximum of 5 marks:
• Enables thorough planning/scheduling
• Rules/guidelines/standards to be followed
• Focuses on technical requirements
Highly structured approach/a logical sequence of steps/stages must
be followed
• Procedures associated with each step/stage must be undertaken
• Progress can be measured by reference to the objectives defined for
each step/stage
• Easier to manage than soft systems methods due to clearly defined
project phases
• Can be undertaken in less time than other methods, e.g. soft analysis
approach
• Can be less expensive than other methods, e.g. soft analysis
approach
• Suitable for use at a large organization
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Marks
A soft approach
Award 1 mark for each bullet point up to a maximum of 5 marks.
• Provides an overview of an information system
• Clarifies problem areas in an information system
• Facilitates the identification of relationships in a system
• Recognises that user interaction is as important as technical
considerations
• Facilitates open discussion of problems/perceptions/needs
• Enables different perspectives
• Facilitates joint problem solving
• Facilitates user participation/commitment
• Facilitates bringing sectors of an organisation together
• Flexible approach
• Facilitates human activity to be modelled
• People-focused analysis/analysis of human factors
• Analyses user interaction
• Analyses user issues
• Analyses social issues
• Analyses political issues
• Analyses cultural issues
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Total 10 Marks
Marks
Marks a) Produce a rich picture for Central Metro Council. 10
ANSWER
The maximum number of marks to be awarded for this task is 10 marks. Diagrams will vary but should identify at least 10 of the following elements:
Question 2
Award 1 mark for each bullet point up to a maximum of 5 marks.
• Staff
• Departments
• Customers – individuals, families, businesses
• Information system
• Processing – data
• Advertising
• Data – volume, inaccuracies
• Communication – need for, lack of
• Problems/issues/concerns
• Hardware, software, network issues
• Insecure system, malware
• Inefficiencies
Award 1 mark for each bullet point up to a maximum of 5 marks.
• Symbols
• Pictures
• Connections
• Relationships
• Influences
• Roles
• Points of view/opinions
• Expectations
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Total 10 Marks
Marks
a) CATWOE analysis could be used to find information about various aspects of the 6
council. Identify SIX (6) types of information that could be found.
ANSWER
Award 1 mark for each bullet point up to a maximum of 6 marks.
• Customers/Clients • Actors/Agents
• Transformations
• Worldview
• Owners
• Environment
b) There is a possibility that CATWOE analysis might not be undertaken 4 successfully. Discuss FOUR (4) reasons why CATWOE analysis might be unsuccessful.
ANSWER
Award 1 mark for each bullet point up to a maximum of 4 marks.
• Could be expensive to undertake
• Could take too much time to undertake
• Stakeholders/staff might not have the time to be involved
• Stakeholders/staff might not want to be involved/do not cooperate
• Agreement between parties might take time
• Not all stakeholders/staff are identified
• Potentially difficult to discover information
• Potentially difficult to manage
• External/financial/legal/ethical factors might hinder analysis
Total 10 Marks
Question 3
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Question 4
a) Discuss how analysing the stakeholders at the council will help your analysis of 5 the council’s information system. Your answer should be supported by FIVE (5) points.
ANSWER
Award 1 mark for each bullet point up to a maximum of 5 marks.
• A wide range of stakeholders/staff can be identified
• Stakeholder characteristics can be identified
• Stakeholders who have power, influence, interest can be identified
• Stakeholders who have little power, influence can be identified
• Stakeholder opinions and ideas on system development can be
determined
• High power, interested stakeholders who must be fully engaged and
kept satisfied can be identified
• High power, less interested stakeholders/staff who should be kept
informed and satisfied can be identified
• Low power, interested stakeholders who should be kept informed
and spoken with to ensure that they have no major concerns can be
identified
• Low power, less interested stakeholders who should be spoken with
and monitored can be identified
b) Describe FIVE (5) potential problems that might prevent stakeholder analysis 5 from being performed effectively.
ANSWER
Award 1 mark for each bullet point up to a maximum of 5 marks.
• It could be expensive/insufficient finances
• It could take too much time to be completed
• Stakeholders might not have the time to be involved
• Stakeholders might not want to be involved
• Not all stakeholders are identified
• It might be difficult to discover information
• It could be a difficult analysis technique to manage
• External/financial/legal/ethical factors might hinder analysis of
Marks
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the system
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Total 10 Marks
Question 5
a) Object oriented analysis (OOA) could be used at Central Metro Council as an 6 alternative approach to a soft approach. Describe SIX (6) characteristics of
OOA.
ANSWER
Award 1 mark for each bullet point up to a maximum of 6 marks.
• Information system development can be undertaken quickly compared to a soft approach.
• Can be undertaken more cost efficiently than a soft approach
• Software maintenance is improved
• Consistency of modelling is increased
• Communication between analysts, designers, programmers and
users is improved
• A model can be constructed of the tasks that an information system
is required to perform/dynamic/object/functional models can be
constructed
• Objects and their inter-relationships in an information system are
identified
• A complex system can be decomposed into understandable
components
b) If OOA is undertaken at Central Metro Council, an activity model will be required. 4 Construct an activity model that illustrates ONE (1) business activity at the
council. Use the information provided in the case study to assist you.
ANSWER
Award 1 mark for each bullet point up to a maximum of 4 marks.
• The business activity should be stated
• Business activities should be illustrated/data requests are advertised
• Processes should be illustrated/data processing for housing, etc.
• Events that initiate actions/decisions should be illustrated e.g. an
Marks
organization requests data
• The flow of events should be illustrated
• Accurate notation should be used
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Total 10 Marks
Question 6
a) Describe FOUR (4) aspects of Central Metro Council that could be discovered if 4 ETHICS is used during analysis. Your answer should not make reference to
Fits.
ANSWER
Award 1 mark for each bullet point up to a maximum of 4 marks.
• Factors/issues relating to the interaction of technology and people
• Human factors/issues
• Technical factors/issues
• Factors/issues relating to job satisfaction
• Factors/issues relating to productivity
b) Identify THREE (3) Fits in ETHICS and explain what each Fit is used to assess. 6
ANSWER
Award 1 mark for each fit identified and 1 mark for the explanation. Maximum 2 marks for each bullet point.
• Knowledge Fit (1 mark) assesses whether or not a job allows an employee to use and develop their skills /knowledge (1 mark)
• Psychological Fit (1 mark) assesses whether or not a job allows an employee to further their achievements/recognition/advancement/ status (1 mark)
• Task-Structure Fit (1 mark) assesses whether or not a job meets an employee’s requirements for variety/interest/feedback/if the job is demanding/fulfilling/repetitiveness of tasks (1 mark)
• Efficiency Fit (1 mark) assesses whether or not a job offers financial reward/incentives/if work controls and supervisory controls are acceptable to an employee (1 mark)
• Ethical Fit (1 mark) which assesses whether or not the values/ philosophy/ethics of an employee are compatible with those of their manager/council (1 mark)
Total 10 Marks
Marks
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Marks
a) Using the information provided in the case study, outline SIX (6) weaknesses that 6
could be discovered if a SWOT analysis is undertaken at Central Metro Council. ANSWER
Award 1 mark for each bullet point up to a maximum of 6 marks.
• Lack of communication between departments
• Large volumes of data
• Inefficient information system
• Inaccurate data
• Hardware problems
• Software problems
• Network problems
• Data entry problems
• Lack of system security training
• Security issues/malware
• Insecure
• Unreliable
b) Describe FOUR (4) ways of resolving the weaknesses that you outlined in 4 Question 7 (a).
ANSWER
Award 1 mark for each bullet point up to a maximum of 4 marks.
• General solutions – implement a new information system/ensure integrity of data/staff training, etc.
• The weaknesses could be converted into strengths
• The weaknesses can be converted into opportunities
• Strengths can be determined and matched with opportunities
Total 10 Marks
Question 7
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Question 8
a) If PEST analysis is undertaken at Central Metro Council it will examine the 4 impact of economic influences on the development of the information system. Describe FOUR (4) economic influences that could have a negative impact on
the development of the information system.
ANSWER
Award 1 mark for each bullet point up to a maximum of 4 marks.
• Interest rates
• Exchange rates
• Taxation issues
• International financial issues
• Recession
• Demand
• Supply
• Market growth
• Market decline
• The labour market
• Government policies and regulations
b) Recommend THREE (3) solutions to overcome negative economic influences on 3 the development of the information system at the council.
ANSWER
Award 1 mark for each bullet point up to a maximum of 3 marks.
• Produce a requirements specification which identifies and
documents the negative political influences
• Produce a requirements specification which identifies solutions to
the negative political influences
• A systems analyst(s) and stakeholders should agree that solutions to
the negative political influences are feasible
• General solutions, e.g. potential opportunities, etc.
c) Suggest THREE (3) other potential influences, other than the economic 3 influences, on the development of the council’s information system that could be revealed by PEST analysis.
ANSWER
Award 1 mark for each bullet point up to a maximum of 3 marks.
• Political influences
• Society’s influences
• Technological influences
Marks
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Total 10 Marks
Question 9
a) Heuristic evaluation and usability testing are two informal evaluation methods 4 that could be used to evaluate the information system’s interface at Central Metro Council. Describe TWO (2) advantages of heuristic evaluation and TWO (2) advantages of usability testing.
ANSWER
The maximum number of marks to be awarded for this task is 4 marks.
Advantages of heuristic evaluation
Award 1 mark for each bullet point up to a maximum of 2 marks.
• Facilitates understanding
• Facilitates evaluation
• Identifies usability problems
• Can be more thorough than usability testing
• Major and minor problems can be identified in different areas
• Can be used at any stage of development process
Advantages of usability testing
Award 1 mark for each bullet point up to a maximum of 2 marks.
• Feedback provided on how a user uses a system
• Can be used to find major problems
• Effective at testing the functionality of an interface
• Finds problems that relate to actual users
• Can identify problems in specific areas
• Able to identify aspects that are missing
• Qualitative data can be collected
Marks
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Marks
b) Describe TWO (2) disadvantages associated with heuristic evaluation and 4
TWO (2) disadvantages associated with usability testing.
ANSWER
The maximum number of marks to be awarded for this task is 4 marks.
Disadvantages of heuristic evaluation
Award 1 mark for each bullet point up to a maximum of 2 marks.
• Requires the use of expert evaluators
• Can fail to highlight all possible problem
• Usually unable to identify aspects that are missing
Disadvantages of usability testing
Award 1 mark for each bullet point up to a maximum of 2 marks.
• Not impartial
• Sometimes not thorough enough
• Minor problems are not always identified
• Usually undertaken in the later stages of development process
• Not all functionality problems are discovered
c) State TWO (2) other informal evaluation methods that could be used to evaluate 2 the council’s information system interface.
ANSWER
Award 1 mark for each bullet point up to a maximum of 2 marks.
• Predictive modelling
• Guidelines review
• Consistency inspection
• Critical event analysis
• Dialogue error analysis
• Usability testing
• Expert reviews
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Total 10 Marks
Marks
a) Describe THREE (3) work-related characteristics of staff at the council who use 3
the interface of the information system.
ANSWER
Award 1 mark for each bullet point up to a maximum of 3 marks.
• Skills
• Knowledge of their jobs
• Knowledge of their employer
• Familiarity with/understanding of their tasks
• Expertise levels
• Qualifications/levels of education
• Positions in the council
b) If the new information system interface is designed efficiently it could bring a 4 number of advantages to the council. Outline FOUR (4) advantages.
ANSWER
Award 1 mark for each bullet point up to a maximum of 4 marks.
• It could facilitate productivity
• It could contribute to job satisfaction
• It could reduce training costs
• It could reduce maintenance costs
• It could prevent user errors
c) Identify THREE (3) examples that would demonstrate that a user can interact 3 successfully with the interface of the council’s information system.
Question 10
ANSWER
Award 1 mark for each bullet point up to a maximum of 3 marks.
• They find it easy to use the interface
• They make few errors
• They understand feedback
• Interaction is satisfying/engaging/enjoyable
• They are motivated to use the interface
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Total 10 Marks
Information Systems Analysis
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Learning Outcomes matrix
Grade descriptors
Marks
Question
Learning Outcomes assessed
Marker can differentiate between varying levels of achievement
1
1
Yes
2
1
Yes
3
2
Yes
4
2
Yes
5
3
Yes
6
4
Yes
7
4
Yes
8
5
Yes
9
6
Yes
10
6
Yes
Learning Outcome
Pass
Merit
Distinction
Understand soft and hard approaches to the analysis of information systems
Demonstrate adequate level of understanding
Demonstrate robust level of understanding
Demonstrate highly comprehensive level of understanding
Understand the techniques associated with requirements capture
Demonstrate adequate understanding of techniques
Demonstrate robust understanding of techniques
Demonstrate highly comprehensive understanding of techniques
Understand the different viewpoints associated with IS methodologies
Demonstrate adequate level of understanding
Demonstrate robust level of understanding
Demonstrate highly comprehensive level of understanding
Be able to apply various analytical techniques for understanding a complex organisational environment
Demonstrate adequate and appropriate application of techniques
Demonstrate sound and consistently appropriate application of techniques
Demonstrate detailed and highly appropriate application of techniques
Understand the relationship between the economic, social, political and technical factors influencing a business problem
Demonstrate adequate level of understanding
Demonstrate robust level of understanding
Demonstrate highly comprehensive level of understanding
Understand and apply the principles of interface design and the requirements and characteristics of users that motivate these
Demonstrate adequate and appropriate application of principles
Demonstrate sound and consistently appropriate application of principles
Demonstrate detailed and highly appropriate application of principles
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