Systems Engineering for Civil Timekeeping

Abstract

The future of Coordinated Universal Time has been a topic of energetic discussions for more than a dozen years. Different communities view the issue in different ways. Diametrically opposed visions exist for the range of appropriate solutions that should be entertained. Rather than an insoluble quandary, we suggest that well-known systems engineering best practices would provide a framework for reaching consensus. This starts with the coherent collection of project requirements.