Figure 4-1 describes the process of integrating human factors in the specifications of the system to be acquired.
Figure 4-1. Process for incorporating human factors in system concepts.
	By identifying and defining human resource and human performance considerations, inputs are provided to the development of system concepts for functional allocation, hardware and software, operations and training, and organizational structure. Through the process of assessing these concepts and the related human resource and human performance trade-offs of various alternatives, the system concepts (e.g., for requirements, design, and implementation) iteratively evolve. This process applies equally to developmental and to NDI or COTS acquisitions. The purpose of this process is to place these essential ingredients into the system specifications so that human performance capabilities and limitations will be incorporated in the system acquisition in a contractually binding manner.

TIMING SYSTEM SPECIFICATIONS	Human-system performance considerations are embedded into the system by incorporating human factors requirements in system specifications. The formulation of draft human performance requirements is initiated during the Investment Analysis phase and continues through Solution Implementation. From a human performance perspective, the system specification will have the most significant impact on system design. It states the technical and mission performance requirements for a system as an entity, allocates requirements to functional areas, documents design constraints, and defines the interfaces between or among the functional areas.
"HOW TO"	To achieve the design objective in a manner that results in a safe, efficient, usable system for the lowest possible expenditure of resources, the human performance constraints and requirements need to be placed into the system specification in Sections 2, 3, and 4 of the specification.

Step 1: Provide Human Factors Inputs to Specification Section 3 - Requirements	Many of the human performance constraints and requirements will have already been identified. Results of investment analysis and available acquisition documentation such as the Requirements Document, Acquisition Program Baseline, and Integrated Program Plan should be reviewed to identify the functions and performance requirements that include a human component of the new system. The Integrated Product Team translates requirements into a system specification that will drive vendor selection and development in subsequent acquisition phases.
	Section 3 provides the heart of the specification and contains the essential requirements and descriptions that apply to the performance, design, and personnel subsystem impacts of the system. It indicates the minimum requirements that the system must meet to be acceptable. Human factors inputs to this section should address the following issues: - Performance characteristics - Ensure that all operator and maintainer critical functions and tasks have been identified. Specify operator and maintainer performance standards and criteria to be used in assessing system performance. - Physical characteristics - Specify such requirements as weight, size, portability, work space and environment, and access provisions. - User interface - Specify criteria for display design and command language in clear and testable terms. Interface requirements should be based upon documentation and lessons learned. - Human engineering - Specify human engineering tasks and activities for the system and include applicable documents by reference. Specify constraints on allocation of functions to people. Include those areas that address high risks, critical tasks, and priority issues. Specify hardware and software to be designed in accordance with accepted human engineering practices. - Safety - Address health and safety issues to minimize the risk to operators and maintainers of mechanical, chemical, radiological, electrical, or environmental hazards. - Staffing and training - Identify constraints, limitations, and unique or specialized staffing levels, training requirements, and user skill requirements.
Step 2: Provide Human Factors Inputs to Specification Section 4 -Quality Assurance Provisions	This section contains the analyses, inspections, demonstrations, tests, and evaluations that the contractor is required to conduct and document to show that the requirements stated in Section 3 have been met. Human factors inputs to this section should focus on human performance testing and data collection to ensure that the achieved level of human performance will meet system performance objectives and requirements. The goal is to be able to measure operator and maintainer performance of specified critical tasks in terms of time and accuracy and not merely rely on observations. Measures of performance may need to be specified. A traceability matrix should be prepared to ensure that the human factors requirements stated in Section 3 are tested for compliance, and that all human performance testing that is conducted is traced back to a requirement. The requisite skills and training levels of the user should be specified and verified. In addition to collecting system performance data on functions and tasks, the contractor may be required to conduct interviews or administer surveys to operators and maintainers and relate their responses to their measured performance.
Step 3: Provide Human Factors Inputs to Specification Section 2 - Applicable Documents	Section 2 is a listing of those documents that have been referenced in other sections of the specification. Any document that is mentioned in the specification should be listed in Section 2. Similarly, any document that is listed in Section 2 should be mentioned in another part of the specification.

CHECKLIST QUESTIONS	- Has the Human Factors Working Group had the opportunity to review and comment on the system specification?
	- Have potential operators, maintainers, and support personnel been identified?
	- Have human performance requirements been identified?
	- Have human capabilities and limitations been considered in developing total system performance requirements?
	- Have human performance characteristics, physical characteristics, human engineering, safety, staffing and training requirements been specified?
	- Has human performance data collection and testing been identified to verify compliance with human factors requirements?
	- Have measures of performance been identified to quantify human performance?
	- Have human factors documents referenced in the specification been included in the Applicable Documents section?