Requirements Are Not Specifications: A Socio-Technical Contract Perspective on Software Requirements

Software projects frequently report requirements-related failures even when systems conform to documented requirements and pass acceptance criteria. This paper argues that such failures stem from a conceptual conflation of requirements with technical specifications. We propose a socio-technical, contract-based conceptualization of software requirements, framing them as negotiated commitments defined by assumptions, constraints, and accountability structures. Drawing on requirements engineering and organizational theory, we analyze how requirements function as evolving agreements rather than static technical prescriptions. We identify core elements of requirement contracts and show how misalignment arises when underlying assumptions shift while technical conformance is maintained. The proposed perspective clarifies recurring failure scenarios and provides a structured lens for requirements elicitation, documentation, change management, and traceability. Rather than introducing a new method, this work offers a conceptual model that integrates socio-technical considerations into requirements artifacts and supports improved alignment between stakeholder commitments and technical realization.