7. A system for regulating user action affecting one or more work items of a work item tracking system for a software development environment, the system comprising: a computing device comprising a processor and a memory, the memory containing a software development environment including a first work item rule engine that, when executed by the processor, is configured to provide software development work item rules that regulate user action affecting work items during software development using the software development environment, each work item comprising a software element that can be accessed or modified by a user based on one or more of the software development work item rules, the software element being an element under development in the software development environment, the software development work item rules selectively authorizing user access and modification of specified work items, to determine, in response to a first user action, by a first user, affecting a first work item of the work item tracking system, one or more software development work item rules corresponding to the first work item, to interpret the one or more determined software development work item rules, and to respond to the first user action by authorizing user access or modification of the first work item based on the interpretation, wherein the work item tracking system comprises a plurality of work items organized in a logical hierarchy, the plurality of work items including the one or more work items, wherein a first work item corresponds to a first level of the hierarchy, and a second work item corresponds to a second level of the hierarchy having precedence over the first level, wherein the first work item rule engine is operative to determine a first software development work item rule corresponding to the first work item, and determine a second software development work item rule corresponding to the second work item, and wherein the first work item rule engine is operative to interpret the first and second software development work item rules, and to control an overriding of the interpretation of the first software development work item rule with the interpretation of the second software development work item rule based, at least in part, on the second level of the hierarchy having precedence over the first level, wherein the first work item rule engine resides on a first network element, and the first work item rule engine is operative to receive input from a user specifying the first user action, the system further comprising: a second work item rule engine residing on a second network element connected to the first network element by one or more communication media, the second work item rule engine operative to interpret the one or more determined work item rules differently than the one or more determined work item rules were applied by the first module.
7. A system for regulating user action affecting one or more work items of a work item tracking system for a software development environment, the system comprising: a computing device comprising a processor and a memory, the memory containing a software development environment including a first work item rule engine that, when executed by the processor, is configured to provide software development work item rules that regulate user action affecting work items during software development using the software development environment, each work item comprising a software element that can be accessed or modified by a user based on one or more of the software development work item rules, the software element being an element under development in the software development environment, the software development work item rules selectively authorizing user access and modification of specified work items, to determine, in response to a first user action, by a first user, affecting a first work item of the work item tracking system, one or more software development work item rules corresponding to the first work item, to interpret the one or more determined software development work item rules, and to respond to the first user action by authorizing user access or modification of the first work item based on the interpretation, wherein the work item tracking system comprises a plurality of work items organized in a logical hierarchy, the plurality of work items including the one or more work items, wherein a first work item corresponds to a first level of the hierarchy, and a second work item corresponds to a second level of the hierarchy having precedence over the first level, wherein the first work item rule engine is operative to determine a first software development work item rule corresponding to the first work item, and determine a second software development work item rule corresponding to the second work item, and wherein the first work item rule engine is operative to interpret the first and second software development work item rules, and to control an overriding of the interpretation of the first software development work item rule with the interpretation of the second software development work item rule based, at least in part, on the second level of the hierarchy having precedence over the first level, wherein the first work item rule engine resides on a first network element, and the first work item rule engine is operative to receive input from a user specifying the first user action, the system further comprising: a second work item rule engine residing on a second network element connected to the first network element by one or more communication media, the second work item rule engine operative to interpret the one or more determined work item rules differently than the one or more determined work item rules were applied by the first module. 8. The system of claim 7 , wherein at least one of the one or more determined work item rules corresponds to the first user or a group of users to which the first user belongs, wherein the first work item rule engine is operative to interpret the at least one determined work item rule.