No. 11 (1986): Information Systems Management

Information is a vital resource for the planning and execution of all aspects of public sector policy. From this perspective, public sector institutions must collect, process and disseminate better information if they are to manage their programs more effectively and efficiently.

A problem in increasing efficiency and productivity in public sector institutions is the inadequate development of systems to collect data, organize it, and produce the information needed to make and execute decisions. In addition, there is a lack of knowledge about the information requirements that institutions have in order to execute their policies.

Information is essential for the planning of public programs, which are crucial for the development of a country and for obtaining greater self-sufficiency. However, the availability of information is not always known, and access to it is not necessarily easy. Information is often out of date and its authenticity can be questioned. If we add to this the fact that what information is available on the different activities of society is generally incomplete and therefore of limited value for analytical purposes, the picture is not very rosy.

A suitable way for public institutions to increase their effectiveness is to develop a knowledge base of the information needed to carry out their policies. The analysis of these requirements can serve as a basis for the planning and operation of systems and networks that provide essential information for public policy decision-making.

Likewise, it should not be forgotten that scientific and technical information is a key element for development and that it is up to us to work so that this knowledge base exists and improves day by day.