TY - JOUR
T1 - Strategic planning for municipal information systems
T2 - Some lessons from a large U.S. city
AU - Smith, L. Douglas
AU - Campbell, James F.
AU - Subramanian, Ashok
AU - Bird, David A.
AU - Nelson, Anthony C.
PY - 2001/6
Y1 - 2001/6
N2 - In 1995, the City of St. Louis undertook a major strategic planning effort for its municipal information systems. The project was initiated in the midst of acrimonious debate regarding mainframe bottlenecks, the proliferation of independent computing systems, organizational problems in the delivery of management information systems (MIS) services, and rapidly changing technology. A strategic planning process tailored to this complex environment was developed and executed, engaging individuals at all levels to articulate needs for information, identify problems with existing systems, suggest organizational changes, and define potential MIS projects. As in most governments, organizational issues and managerial processes proved more daunting than technical issues. The implementation of technical recommendations proved much easier than changing the organizational culture to take full advantage of new technologies. To realize fully the benefits of new information technology, more effective ways must be found to facilitate the spanning of formal organizational boundaries.
AB - In 1995, the City of St. Louis undertook a major strategic planning effort for its municipal information systems. The project was initiated in the midst of acrimonious debate regarding mainframe bottlenecks, the proliferation of independent computing systems, organizational problems in the delivery of management information systems (MIS) services, and rapidly changing technology. A strategic planning process tailored to this complex environment was developed and executed, engaging individuals at all levels to articulate needs for information, identify problems with existing systems, suggest organizational changes, and define potential MIS projects. As in most governments, organizational issues and managerial processes proved more daunting than technical issues. The implementation of technical recommendations proved much easier than changing the organizational culture to take full advantage of new technologies. To realize fully the benefits of new information technology, more effective ways must be found to facilitate the spanning of formal organizational boundaries.
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U2 - 10.1177/02750740122064893
DO - 10.1177/02750740122064893
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0039740254
SN - 0275-0740
VL - 31
SP - 139
EP - 157
JO - American Review of Public Administration
JF - American Review of Public Administration
IS - 2
ER -