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MONITORING AND EVALUATING RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS BARRIERS TO THE UTILIZATION OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS (FROM TRANSLATING EVALUATION INTO POLICY, 1979, BY ROBERT F RICH - SEE NCJ-63680)

NCJ Number
63684
Author(s)
E R MORSS
Date Published
1979
Length
10 pages
Annotation
FINDINGS ON BARRIERS TO THE UTILIZATION OF MONITORING/EVALUATION SYSTEMS ARE PRESENTED WITH A MAIN FOCUS ON UTILIZATION PROBLEMS OF MANAGERS OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS.
Abstract
PROJECT MONITORING/EVALUATION SYSTEMS SHOULD TRACK INPUTS AND OUTPUTS AGAINST SCHEDULES, MEASURE PROJECT EFFECTS (IMPACTS), IDENTIFY CURRENT AND UPCOMING PROBLEMS, DIAGNOSE REASONS FOR PROBLEMS, AND PRESCRIBE PROJECT SOLUTIONS. CONSIDERABLE CREATIVITY IS REQUIRED FOR THE DESIGN OF AN INFORMATION SYSTEM TO MEASURE SIGNIFICANT PROJECT EFFECTS AT REASONABLE COST. TO BE OF GREATEST USE, A PROJECT MONITORING SYSTEM SHOULD ALSO BE CAPABLE OF IDENTIFYING UPCOMING PROBLEMS, DIAGNOSING THE REASONS FOR THEM, AND GENERATING INFORMATION THAT LEADS TO THEIR RESOLUTION THROUGH PROJECT MODIFICATIONS, PROJECT REDESIGN, AND ATTEMPTS AT PROJECT REPLICATION ELSEWHERE. VERY FEW INFORMATION SYSTEMS EVEN BEGIN TO REALIZE THESE POTENTIALS. INFORMATION UTILIZATION IN RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS MAKE LITTLE USE OF MONITORING AND EVALUATION SYSTEMS FOR SEVERAL REASONS: (1) THE THREAT TO PROJECT MANAGEMENT, (2) MANAGEMENT INABILITY TO ANTICIPATE INFORMATION NEEDS, (3) EXCESSIVE COST, (4) EXPENSE OF RELEVANT DATA, (5) TIMING, (6) NONUSABLE RECOMMENDATIONS, AND (7) RIGID PROJECT DESIGN. TENTATIVE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE OFFERED. PROJECT DESIGNERS SHOULD INCREASE THE RATIO OF CUSTOMIZING (INFORMATION SYSTEMS) TO CONCEPTUALIZING TIME, BUILD THE INFORMATION SYSTEM INTO THE PROJECT DESIGN SO THAT PROJECT MANAGEMENT HAS THE RESPONSIBILITY TO DELIVER, (3) AVOID INTRODUCING AN INFORMATION SYSTEM INTO AN ONGOING PROJECT UNLESS PROJECT MANAGEMENT THOROUGHLY SUPPORTS IT, AND (4) USE VARIOUS INFORMATION SYSTEMS THAT ARE ALREADY IN PLACE IN A PROJECT AREA INSTEAD OF CREATING NEW AND PERHAPS REDUNDANT SYSTEMS. REFERENCES, FOOTNOTES, AND APPENDIXES ON INFORMATION SYSTEMS ARE INCLUDED. (PRG)

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