Cooperation Among Organizations

This book reports research conducted in the ESPRIT Exploratory Action PECOS (Perspectives on Cooperative Systems), which investigated requirements for effective Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW), with special reference to cooperation among organisations in large projects. The PECOS action included an evaluation of the state of the art in both technological capability and organisational theory and practice. New methodological proposals were made based on two practical contexts. The first was the management of a complex industrial project, the construction of a high-speed train for the Italian railway, which required cooperation among four private companies. The second was the design of an information system for water management in the Lombardy region, which required cooperation among several different branches of public administration. These contexts were studied, applying techniques of enterprise modelling, in order to identify requirements for CSCW systems.The action suggests a methodology which emphasizes the importance of modelling the application context and integrating all tools into a common environment.