Human Factors in the Spectrum Management System: I. Introduction and Front End Analysis.

The Spectrum Management System is being developed by the Department of Communications to provide automated assistance to the processing of applications for licences to operate a mobile radio station. This report summarizes the human factors recommendations that were submitted under a contract with the Department of Communications during the initial design stages of the project. The system was to be installed for evaluation in a pilot experiment in a single office and the first part of the report covers recommendations for conduct and evaluation of this experiment. The second part of the report makes recommendations on the stage of the process termed the front end procedure, in which the initial application is processed and the data is entered into the computer for subsequent analysis. Subsequent reports will present recommendations relating to other stages of the Spectrum Management System process. Author