While research in academic and professional information technology (IT) journals address the need for strategic alignment and defined IT processes, there is little research about what factors should be considered when implementing specific IT hardware standards in an organization. The purpose of this study was to develop a set of factors for…

One of a series of research reports examining objective principles successfully used in other fields which can lend integrity and legitimacy to evaluation, this report presents an overview of operations research (OR) as a potential source of evaluation methodology. The nature of the methods common to this discipline are summarized and the…

It seems possible and appropriate to apply the same notions commonly associated with good social work practice to curriculum revision. (Editor/KE)

Describes the origins and developmental requirements of the Informant Panel, an inexpensive, time-efficient, retrospective method for obtaining consequently meaningful information needed to guide organizational change projects. The panel combines features of the Nominal Group and Delphi Techniques. (WAS)

This paper compares and contrasts two types of social research--policy-oriented research (practical and/or applied social discipline research) and academic social science research (theory-oriented experimental research). Data are based on 120 projects of social policy research conducted in The Netherlands in the areas of industrial and labor…

An intergovernment program implementation framework is shown to be strongly affected by the way federal expectations and administrative actions interact with the state and local education agency programs. They can influence the components of categories of implementation factors, process variables, and the agency role orientations. (CM)

This report describing the use of operations research techniques to determine which courseware packages or what microcomputer systems best address varied instructional objectives focuses on the MICROPIK model, a highly structured evaluation technique for making such complex instructional decisions. MICROPIK is a multiple alternatives model (MAA)…

The major aim of this paper is to try to develop a cost analysis system model appropriate to the projects of the Center for Urban Education. Cost analysis can be viewed as an application of the economic concept of system analysis. The analysis always moves from a base that represents the existing capability and resources. The problem is to…

Explains the need for meaningful performance measures in libraries and the Total Quality Management (TQM) approach to data collection. Five tools representing different stages of a TQM inquiry are covered (i.e., the Shewhart Cycle, flowcharts, cause-and-effect diagrams, Pareto charts, and control charts), and benchmarking is addressed. (Contains…

This paper explores the fault-tree analysis approach to isolating failure modes within a system. Fault tree investigates potentially undesirable events and then looks for failures in sequence that would lead to their occurring. Relationships among these events are symbolized by AND or OR logic gates, AND used when single events must coexist to…

This text provides educational administrators with a working knowledge of the problem-solving techniques of PERT (planning, evaluation, and review technique), Linear Programming, Queueing Theory, and Simulation. The text includes an introduction to decision-making and operations research, four chapters consisting of indepth explanations of each…

The goal of this study was to determine the level of educational expenditure necessary to make ample provision for the education of all students, providing all students with the skills to meet long-term academic standards, pursue additional learning beyond high school, and become productive citizens and contributing members of society. This study…

Research was conducted to develop and gather evidence of validity for a normative process model to be used by community adult education councils in establishing priority among community-level needs. The study design was based on a five-stage problem solving, systems model involving exploration, model building, design and development, validation,…

This presentation outlines, in operational terms, the components and products of a longitudinal evaluation model for teacher education programs, and discusses an approach to program evaluation that embodies activities within three taxonomical phases referred to as formative, summative, and confirmative evaluation. When applied to competency-based…

Research in Australia on evaluating the application of action research as an action learning tool and its impact on the learning of students, educators, industry, and training providers, explored how that learning, in turn, has impacts on research, learners, educators, and the community. In the field of social and community services, in…