On a feasibility study committee for a proposed information system, what roles do department representatives typically play?

Introduction / Context:
Feasibility committees evaluate whether a proposed system should advance. Department representatives are critical because they understand local processes, constraints, and user needs. Under the Recovery-First Policy, ambiguous original choices are repaired to accurately reflect common practice: representatives serve as information sources and as liaisons back to their departments.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The committee needs accurate domain knowledge and stakeholder alignment.
• Representatives communicate requirements, constraints, and acceptance considerations.
• They relay committee findings back to their teams to ensure buy-in.

Concept / Approach:
The representative’s dual role is to provide timely, reliable information (process maps, exception cases, data definitions) and to act as a communication bridge, translating project decisions and gathering feedback. They may or may not be the ultimate direct users, depending on the system’s scope.

Step-by-Step Solution:
1) Identify key committee needs: facts, constraints, user perspectives.2) Map roles: subject-matter information source and liaison.3) Evaluate options: (a) and (b) together capture the typical responsibilities.4) Conclude that “Both (a) and (b)” is the best answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
Project governance frameworks often define RACI-like roles; department reps commonly have “consulted” and “informed” responsibilities, consistent with being sources and liaisons.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Ready source of information: true but incomplete alone.Liaison to their departments: true but incomplete alone.Direct users of the new system: may be true in some cases but not inherent to the representative role.None of the above: incorrect since the combined role is standard.

Common Pitfalls:
Assuming representatives speak for all users without validation; failing to feed updates back to departments, which undermines change management.

Final Answer:
Both (a) and (b)