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I was working on a project as the project lead (this would be technical manager or software architect at some companies). The constraints mandated were that we would use ADA and 1750a processors, Another constraint enforced by my manger was that we would use the cyclic operating system that was being translated from JOVIAL to ADA. Although I tried in vain to ditch the cyclic OS, there seemed to be a political agenda for using the JOVIAL OS overriding any technical reasoning.
Believing that the boss may not always be right, the boss is always the boss, I proceeded to design the system around the deficiencies of the cyclic OS.
The chief engineer expressed a concern that the system we were building would not meet the timing requirements, and we could not test the system. The OS was not completed yet, so we could only test the individual tasks in standalone mode. I build a mathematical model of the system and it seemed to perform well in normal mode, but then I ran the model in a combat mode situation and found it would not keep up with the environment. I changed the model to use more processors, but that only made it worse.
I wrote up my report and submitted it (all reports are sent to my manager first).. My manager called me into his office the following morning, and demanded that I write a report indicating that the system would meet the timing requirements.
When I refused to remove my report and replace it with a lie, instead of firing me, I was relieved of my project lead duties, and the manager took over the lead responsibilities. I was put on maintenance programming on a JOVIAL application for another aircraft.
The executive administrator on the project told me that she was ordered to replace my report with a contradictory report using the number that had been assigned to me.. Now I had another choice to make.
I once worked for a Software Director that I trusted not only for his directness, but for his technical and moral responsibility. I confided in him what my predicament was. I also gave him an assessment of the personalities involved in the management chain (I normally keep this information to myself).
When all the facts were laid out, the choices were be a "whistle blower" and ending my career, or move on to another company.
The worst part of making choices is that we only get one chance to make them. I am responsible for my own actions so my choice to not falsify a report was good, because I must live with myself. I would have given the chief engineer a "heads up", except that he did not trust software (when it was George he should not have trusted). Never go over your managers head. If a higher manager asks you a direct question answer it directly, but not until asked.