from my pgm here, post 2,
https://jazz.net/forum/questions/94776/assertionfailedexception-problem-with-getting-the-values-of-attributes

                                String[] iaval = ia
                                        .getValue(auditableClient, workItem,
                                                monitor).toString().split(":");
                                if (iaval.length > 1 && iaval[1] != null)
                                {
                                    List<ILiteral> enumerationLiterals = enumeration
                                            .getEnumerationLiterals();
                                    for (ILiteral literal : enumerationLiterals)
                                    {
                                        if (literal.getIdentifier2()
                                                .getStringIdentifier()
                                                .equalsIgnoreCase(iaval[1]))
                                        {
                                            System.out
                                            .println("\t\t\t\t --> attribute id="
                                                    + ia.getIdentifier()
                                                    + ", type"
                                                    + "="
                                                    + ia.getAttributeType()
                                                    + " literal="
                                                    + literal
                                                    .getIdentifier2()
                                                    .getStringIdentifier()
                                                    + " literal name="
                                                    + literal.getName());
                                            break;
                                        }
                                    }
                                }