SSAS HELP MANAGE PROGRAMS IN KEEPING WITH GOALS OF DECENTRALIZATION IN FEDERAL-STATE REVENUE SHARING AND HAVE ASSIMILATED FEDERAL DATA REQUIREMENTS INTO THEIR OWN ORGANIZATIONAL AND INFORMATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS. SSAS IN 50 STATES AND FIVE ADDITIONAL COUNTIES WERE VISITED OR INTERVIEWED BY TELEPHONE; VERBAL INFORMATION WAS SUPPLEMENTED WITH EFFORTS TO GATHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS. THE SURVEY ALSO CLASSIFIED THE DATA BANKS INVOLVED BY DESIGN, PROCESSING TECHNOLOGY, AND EXTENT OF MANAGEMENT USE. THE FINDINGS DISCUSSED COVER THE LEVEL OF MIS IMPLEMENTATION, DECISIONMAKING ASSISTANCE EXPECTED FROM MIS, SYSTEM MECHANICS AND TECHNOLOGIES, MIS TYPES, AND MOST FREQUENTLY ENCOUNTERED PROBLEMS. IT WAS FOUND THAT OVER HALF OF THE STATES WERE PLANNING OR EXECUTING MIS CHANGES TO IMPROVE SERVICE OR MEET GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS. THE SSAS USED MIS MORE OFTEN TO MONITOR OR EVALUATE PROGRAMS OR DO BUDGETING THAN TO COLLECT CLINICAL INFORMATION. A TOTAL OF 84 PERCENT OF THE STATE SYSTEMS USED THE CLIENT ORIENTED DATA ACQUISITION PROCESS, DESIGNED TO PROVIDE CROSS-PROGRAM COMPARABLE INFORMATION FOR FINANCIAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL. MOST STATES EMPHASIZED QUALITY CONTROL PROCEDURES, AND ALMOST ALL THE SSAS USED AUTOMATED DATA PROCESSING. THE GREATEST PROBLEMS REPORTED WERE STAFF LIMITATIONS AND ORGANIZATIONAL OBSTACLES. THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SHOULD ASSIST SSA/MIS WITH PLANNING, MONITORING, AND EVALUATIONS, AND INTERSTATE COOPERATION CONCERNING MIS SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED. HOWEVER, BECAUSE THE COMPLEXITY OF MIS AMONG STATES VARIES WIDELY, NO MODEL MIS FOR ALL STATES CAN BE DEVELOPED. REFERENCES AND TABULAR INFORMATION ARE INCLUDED. (PAP)