Public policymaking institutions and their operations should be viewed as complex systems, to be analyzed and improved with the help of basic general systems theory ideas and concepts. Possibilities of and needs for changes in the policymaking system can be illustrated by eleven improvement proposals: explicit strategy decisions, explicit learning…

This paper presents a brief description of a basic model for planning, monitoring, and evaluating educational programs using managerial concepts. The model involves the use of five steps as follows: (1) identification of a need; (2) a statement of desired outcomes (objectives); (3) the development of a program, including processes and resources;…

This review surveys documents, previously announced in RIE, that are concerned with the (1) development of planning-programing-budgeting systems (PPBS) for educational planning, (2) models of PPBS implementation, (3) specific applications suitable for libraries, and (4) bibliographies available on the topic. PPBS decisionmaking models enable…

A 40-hour course in systems design is described. The course was developed for presentation to non-data processing management personnel whose responsibilities include utilization of data processing services. All course material is included. (Author/JY)

As a result of a survey made to identify and classify the emergency repairs being made in the Memphis Public Schools, an "Emergency Repair Manual" was developed to provide the basic guidelines and information required to obtain maximum benefits from 2-way radio with select call and paging provisions. Each emergency is coded on the…

A new conceptual approach to the analysis of educational systems is defined. It centers attention on the instructional management decision making process, which serves to mediate the activities of the students and learning environment, so that much of the present confusion surrounding the design of educational systems is eliminated. Instructional…

The objective of a two-day Symposium on Systems Approach to Environmental Pollution of the Operations Research Society of America at the 137th Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, December 27-28, 1970 in Chicago, Illinois, was not to raise the litany of a systems approach as the answer to all environmental…

This paper presents a model of how organizations adapt to the uncertainty in their environment by making changes in the way they structure themselves for decisionmaking. The research reported here indicates that it is not just a single change in organizational structure, but rather a shifting between a more rigid and more flexible decision…

This booklet outlines the conversion of the Western Wayne (Indiana) Schools from a traditional school accounting and budgeting system to a program accounting and budgeting system. The Western Wayne Schools became the first district to adopt Indiana's new program accounting and budgeting system in 1975. The Indiana approach to program accounting is…

Discusses the benefits of having an inventory and appraisal of school buildings and equipment conducted annually by a professional appraisal company. (JG)

Discusses and responds to criticisms of ten indices proposed for monitoring the operations of a training development group as a means of detecting problems and evaluating the impact of management decisions: productivity, timeliness, effectiveness, project efficiency, curriculum efficiency, cost, value, developmental process, personnel development,…

Emphasizing that the Indian future does not have to be bleak if only Indians take greater control over energy development on their lands. Two-thirds of the total Indian population control 33 percent of U.S. low-sulfer, strippable coal; 80 percent of U.S. uranium reserves; and about 10 percent of petroleum and gas reserves. (Author/RTS)

A remarkable transformation has been accomplished by Japanese industry. One factor leading to the success of this transformation has been the development of a unique approach to quality problems and the formation of national program to assist in the implementation of this approach. Describes this manufacturing process and contrasts it with…

Reviews organizational development as a management system, stating that a content-oriented or task-requirements approach may be an appropriate intervention to help managers learn process training. Suggests a career development or management system study by a consultant for organizational development training. (MF)

Explores impact of management by objectives (MBO) on the perceived managerial effectiveness of community college student personnel departments. Although there were no significant differences between the samples, a substudy that investigated four student personnel functional areas did find some significant differences. (Author)