NCJ Number
51562
Date Published
1978
Length
23 pages
Annotation
A MANAGEMENT INFORMATION AND PLANNING SYSTEM (MIPS) FOR ORGANIZATIONS WHOSE SERVICES ARE PRIMARILY INDIRECT (E.G., CONSULTATION OR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO SERVICE PROVIDERS) IS DESCRIBED.
Abstract
MIPS WAS DESIGNED FOR UNITED COMMUNITY PLANNING CORPORATION (UCPC), A BOSTON, MASS., ORGANIZATION THAT CONDUCTS LONG TERM AND SHORT TERM PLANNING PROJECTS, RESEARCH, AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROJECTS IN A VARIETY OF HUMAN SERVICE AREAS. THE ORGANIZATION ALSO PROVIDES TWO DIRECT SERVICES: INFORMATION AND REFERRAL, AND VOLUNTEER SERVICES COORDINATION. MIPS WAS DEVELOPED TO MEET THE ORGANIZATION'S NEED TO IMPROVE INFORMATION FLOW, MONITOR RESOURCE UTILIZATION, AND GAIN ACCESS TO INFORMATION RELEVANT TO DAILY OPERATIONS AND TO PLANNING. CONCERNED PRIMARILY WITH THE UTILIZATION OF PROFESSIONAL STAFF EFFORT, MIPS CATEGORIZES PERSONNEL TIME INTO PRODUCTION ACTIVITIES (THOSE GENERATING USEFUL PRODUCTS OR SERVICES FOR INDIVIDUALS OR ORGANIZATIONS IN THE UCPC ENVIRONMENT) AND MAINTENANCE ACTIVITIES (THOSE CONDUCTED PRIMARILY TO SUPPORT UCPC). MIPS ALSO DISTINGUISHES BETWEEN TIME-LIMITED AN ONGOING ACTIVITIES, BETWEEN UCPC-SPONSORED PROJECTS AND PROJECTS SPONSORED BY OTHER ORGANIZATIONS TO WHICH UCPC LENDS STAFF ASSISTANCE, AND BETWEEN PROJECTS ORIENTED TOWARD CURRENT CLIENT SERVICES AND THOSE ORIENTED TOWARD FUTURE UNDERTAKINGS. MIPS PROVIDES MANAGEMENT WITH AN OVERVIEW OF STAFF TIME EXPENDITURES WITHIN A FRAMEWORK CONSISTENT WITH A SYSTEM-ENVIRONMENT MODEL OF ORGANIZATIONAL LIFE. MIPS INPUT DOCUMENTS AND OUTPUT REPORTS ARE DESCRIBED, AND MIPS USES IN PLANNING, MANAGEMENT, COST FINDING, RATE SETTING, BUDGETING, INTERNAL EVALUATION, EXTERNAL ACCOUNTABILITY, AND PERSONNEL DEVELOPMENT ARE DISCUSSED AND ILLUSTRATED IN TABLES. PRINCIPLES FOR IMPLEMENTING MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS INVOLVE UNDERSTANDING MANAGERIAL DECISIONMAKING, SECURING MANAGEMENT COMMITMENT, ASSURING STAFF PARTICIPATION, AND USING AN INCREMENTAL APPROACH. A LIST OF REFERENCES IS INCLUDED. (LKM)