THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND WELFARE (DHEW) IS ONE AGENCY THAT IS UNSURPASSED IN MOTIVATION AND NEED FOR CHAMPIONING COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY. DHEW NEEDS A POLICY STATEMENT THAT COMPUTER SYSTEM MANAGEMENT IS AN INTEGRAL FUNCTION OF RESPONSIBLE MANAGEMENT IN DHEW FUND DISBURSEMENT AND FUNDS RECORDKEEPING ORGANIZATIONS. THIS POLICY STATEMENT SHOULD RECOGNIZE THE HIGH-RISK ACTIVITIES OF DHEW. IN HIGH-RISK ORGANIZATIONS THERE MUST BE UNRELENTING ATTENTION TO RELIABILITY OF COMPUTER SYSTEMS. MANAGEMENT DOCTRINE MUST BE RESPONSIBLE FOR KNOWING WHEN A COMPUTER IS NOT PERFORMING ITS INTENDED FUNCTIONS AND WHEN IT IS PERFORMING A FUNCTION WHICH WAS NOT INTENDED (THE COMPUTER RELIABILITY EQUATION). LOOKING AT THE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH COMPUTERS SHOULD ENABLE MANAGERS TO HIGHLIGHT THE COMPUTER'S BENEFITS AND TO ASSOCIATE RISKS WITH COSTS. THE COST OF ALLEVIATING THE RISKS OF COMPUTER SYSTEMS THROUGH THE USE OF SAFEGUARDS CAN BE COMPARED WITH THE COST TO THE PUBLIC OR TO INDIVIDUALS IF THE RISKS CANNOT BE ELIMINATED THROUGH APPLYING SAFEGUARDS TO COMPUTER SYSTEMS. COMPUTER RISKS CAN BE DEALT WITH REALISTICALLY BY DRAWING UPON SUCH RESOURCES AS COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY, AUDITING, GOOD MANAGEMENT PRACTICE, AND LEGAL AND REGULATORY KNOWLEDGE. OVERALL, MANAGMENT POLICY IN HIGH-RISK ORGANIZATIONS MUST IDENTIFY COMPUTER MANAGEMENT AS A MOST IMPORTANT INTEGRAL COMPONENT OF MANAGEMENT FUNCTION, WITH COMMUNICATIONS OPENED BETWEEN COMPUTER SCIENCE AND MANAGEMENT. (MHP)