Frequently Asked Questions

This file covers FAQs for (1) INCOSE Fellows asked to nominate someone and (2) for people wanting to be nominated.

Individuals may not self-nominate for the recognition of INCOSE Fellow—they must be nominated in accordance with extant policies and procedures that relate to the recognition.

These FAQs are focused on providing alternatives to (1) self-nomination and (2) anyone asking to be mentored to become a Fellow. Nonetheless, it is reasonably common for a Fellow to be contacted by a Member who aspires to become a Fellow. Some Fellows may find the conversation difficult if engaged without the opportunity to prepare a response. These FAQs therefore provide some general advice to Fellows when responding to questions from an individual interested in becoming an INCOSE Fellow.

FAQ for INCOSE Fellows when engaged by an individual interested in becoming an INCOSE Fellow

What should I do if an INCOSE member asks me to nominate them to be a Fellow?

First, ask yourself if you know this person’s systems engineering work well enough to decide for yourself whether they are a good candidate to be a Fellow. If not, tell them that you do not have enough insight into their work to consider nominating them. If you are open to learning about their work, you can suggest ways they could educate you about their work and its wider impacts.

If you do know their work well enough to decide, and you think they would be a good candidate for Fellow, ask yourself if you have enough time, energy, and willingness to be their nominator.

• If so, nominate them, including coaching them through the process of providing enough information so that you can write a strong nomination package, and recruit the appropriate others to provide letters of support.
• If not, tell them that you do not have the bandwidth to be their nominator. Consider whether you wish to ask someone else if they would be willing to nominate this person; if so, ask that someone if they might be willing to nominate this person to be a Fellow. Also, if you have enough time, energy, and willingness, consider letting them know that you are willing to write a letter of support.

If you do know their work well enough to decide, and you do not think they are ready to be a good candidate for Fellow, share your insights on how they fall short of the Fellows criteria and if you have any ideas, tell them what additional efforts you think they might undertake to potentially become qualified to be nominated to be a Fellow.

How should I respond if someone asks me how to get Fellows to be familiar with my systems engineering achievements?

First, tell them that going to individual Fellows and describing your achievements is highly discouraged; Fellows are liable to think they are being lobbied, and this tends to lead to negative votes on a nomination.

Next, you can offer constructive ways for them to bring their work and its impacts on the systems engineering discipline and community to the attention of INCOSE Fellows. Suggestions may include:

• Invite Fellows to a Working Group briefing which highlights your work and its impacts.
• Arrange a joint meeting between a Working Group you lead and another Working Group (which includes INCOSE Fellows as members) to discuss ways your Working Group could take advantage of the innovations you have made.
• Make one or more Fellows aware of a paper or panel presentation at which your work and its impact will be highlighted.
• Ask influential people (such as top managers of your own organization, or your customers’ organizations, or senior government officials who have seen the results of your work) to invite INCOSE Fellows to a briefing or meeting at which your systems engineering achievements and their impact, are being discussed. This usually works best if the influential people you ask already know the INCOSE Fellows you suggest they invite.

FAQ for Advice to an INCOSE Member Aspiring to be Nominated to be an INCOSE Fellow

How can I find someone to nominate me to be a Fellow?

The best way is to have a well-respected INCOSE member conclude on their own that your systems engineering work, and its significant sustained impact on the discipline and the systems engineering community, are impressive enough that they think you should be nominated to be a Fellow. You might prompt someone to consider this by asking them “Do you think my achievements and the impact they have had are sufficient that I should be nominated to be an INCOSE Fellow?”

But what if none of the well-respected INCOSE members know enough about my work and its impact?

You should seek opportunities for influential people (such as top managers of your own organization, or your customers’ organizations, or senior government officials who have seen the results of your work) to share their perspectives with INCOSE members on your work as it relates to meeting the INCOSE Fellows selection criteria. You might do this by:

• Asking influential people familiar with your work and its wider impact to participate in INCOSE events which offer the opportunity for discussions with INCOSE members. You could, for example, ask an influential person if they would be willing to deliver a keynote address, or participate in a panel discussion, at an upcoming INCOSE event, and then coordinate with the INCOSE event planners to suggest they invite this influential person to speak or be on a panel.
• Inviting the influential person to participate in a Working Group meeting which offers an opportunity to discuss your work and its wider impact.
• Using a discussion at an industry gathering to connect influential people aware of your work and its impact with INCOSE members, especially INCOSE Fellows