Managing Information Resources (PUAD 680)
Fall 2002

SYLLABUS

Basic Course Information

Time/Place: Tuesday, 7:20 p.m. – 10:00 p.m., rm. 301, Arlington “Original” Building

Instructor: Jonathan L. Gifford

Office Location: Arlington Campus, “Original” Building, rm. 266

Telephone: 703-993-2275; fax 801-749-9198

E-mail: jgifford@gmu.edu

Office Hours: Generally Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Tuesdays, 5:30-6:30; and by appointment.

Course Organization and Objectives

This course is about the information revolution, its impacts on society, and the new environment for organizations these impacts create, with­ a particular focus on gov­ernment and non-profit organizations. Information technology generally, and the Internet in particular, have brought extraordinary pressures and opportunities to bear on government and non-profit organizations. The course examines how information and information technology can enable or inhibit organizations’ successful achievement of desired results.

Designing and implementing new systems or modifying and enhancing existing systems pose a challenge to both the line manager and the information technology (IT) professional. The line manager needs the skills and capacity to define information needs and the ability to ensure that systems acquired to manipulate and analyze information meet the business process requirements of all users. In particular, information needs of senior executives and their ability or inability to develop a vision for the potential use of information and information technology can seriously impede successful deployment of information systems.

For the IT professional, the challenge is developing and maintaining the systems and information nec­essary to lead change and support workers in producing the services and goods needed to fulfill the organiza­tion’s mission. Meeting this challenge can be all the more difficult in public and non-profit or­ganizations because of the procedural, personnel and budgetary limitations that they face.

Course topics include the role of information in the management of the public and non-profit sectors, the use of information systems in re-engineering organizational processes and in adapting approaches to providing information to mission accomplishment. In addition to these functional topics, the course surveys applications of information systems in a variety of public and non-profit settings of the students’ choosing. Candidate settings include (but are not limited to) associations, human services, defense and national security, public works, law enforcement, legislative bodies, and the judiciary.

The specific course objectives are to teach students to:

1.      Understand the impacts and opportunities of the new information age for government and non-profits;

2.      Recognize the value and problems of using systems to meet management challenges;

3.      Recognize and describe the value and performance of information systems relative to mission results;

4.      Recognize the practical, managerial and ethical dilemmas related to the development, implementation and use of information systems; and

5.      Understand the role of information in managing change.

In addition, the course seeks to enhance student skills in several areas:

6.      Finding, reading and critically reviewing professional and scholarly literature, since the latest information on managing information resources are often available in scholarly journals and government and consulting reports;

7.      Writing clear, understandable, concise, balanced and technically accurate papers and memoranda, complete with easily understandable charts, tables and graphs. The tendency to use jargon and unnecessarily technical language is often a serious problem for writing in this subject area;

8.      Professional presentation and commu­nication, both discussion of issues and options, and the presentation of analyses and results; and

9.      Fair and objective peer review of analytical procedures, conclusions and recommendations.

Requirements and Grading

Paper No. 1 (15% of grade)

Complete a “Work System Description and Evaluation,” approximately 500 words in length, plus appendices if desired (due in week 6), describing and evaluating a work system with which you are familiar. Your paper should both describe the work system you’ve chosen, and evaluate it. Use Alter’s work system, DFDs, and/or ERDs as appropriate to organize and present the description and evaluation.

Paper No. 2 (25%)

Write a 2000-word “Sector Application Survey” about information technology applications in a sector of your choice (housing administration, law enforcement, etc.), due in week 9. The instructor must approve the sector you select. The paper should describe state-of-the-art and emerging approaches to managing information resources in a sector of interest to the student. The paper should not be limited to a single organization or a single application. The point is to look at a sector—for example, law enforcement, highway operations and management, medical information systems, personnel management, housing administration or university data warehousing. Of course, the paper cannot survey an entire sector like law enforcement or higher education completely. You should identify some emerging business processes and functions within the sector that interest you and focus on them.

It is essential that the paper not only describe the technology but that it also critically analyze its potential for improving business processes, and touch upon the management and implementation challenges it poses. Be careful to avoid simply reporting unsubstantiated vendor claims. As appropriate, use Alter’s work system framework to describe your technology. Also make appropriate use of other assigned class readings. Try to identify quantified results.

The paper should be approximately 2000 words in length, and may include appendix material at your option.

You should carefully identify and cite source material. For a paper of this type, you will probably need to rely on a wide range of sources, including subject area experts, industry and trade publications, and promotional and marketing materials by vendors. Some of these may be from the Internet.

Examples of selected topics in the past include: ¶ ballistic imaging technology; ¶ smart cards; ¶ vessel navigation systems; ¶ medical records; ¶ “smart” battlefield technologies; ¶ global positioning systems and geographic information systems in highway asset management; ¶ internet technologies in higher education; and ¶ call center technology. In each case, the emphasis has been on a technology applied in a particular government or non-profit sector and the management and implementation issues it raises.

Presentation (10%)

Develop and deliver a 15-minute class presentation on the sector about which you are writing your second paper. Your presentation should utilize presentation software. The classroom is outfitted with Microsoft PowerPoint. You may use other presentation software at your option, but you are responsible for ensuring that the necessary software is available for presentation in our classroom. Presentations will be graded on both content and style. Presentations will be scheduled throughout the semester.

Paper No. 3 (40%)

There are two options for paper no. 3.

Option 1. Review and critique a recent, ongoing or anticipated information technology acquisition or procurement.

Option 2. Write a paper on how the information age, along with other broad trends in the management of public or non-profit organizations, affects the environment of organizations and can be used (positively and negatively) to respond to changes in an organization’s environment, both externally and internally.

The paper should be approximately 2500 words in length, plus appendices if needed. At your option, the paper may focus on the sector that was the subject of the “Sector Application Survey” (paper no. 2).

Use the assigned readings from the course as source material for your paper when appropriate, as well as additional source material you find on your own. As appropriate, use the tools and concepts examined in the course, including the work system framework and concepts of system performance.

Resubmitting Papers

Students may resubmit paper to be re-graded, subject to the following conditions.

1)      Resubmissions are accepted up to 1 week after papers are returned

2)      Must …

a)      be a substantive rewrite; papers should have been grammatically correct the first time.

b)      … visit the Writing Center (http://writingcenter.gmu.edu)

c)      include a writer’s memo discussing how the paper is improved, and why it’s worth my time to reread it.

d)      include the original submission.

3)      You may also include up to 2 additional revisions of papers from the semester in an end-of-semester portfolio. Same rules apply re writer’s memo and including earlier submissions.

Class Participation (10%)

You should participate in class discussions demonstrating command of the assigned material and the ability to relate the concepts to other management issues. You should also subscribe to a computer-oriented periodical and scan it regularly for items related to your areas of interest. Candidate publications include Government Computer News (www.gcn.com), Government Technology (www.govtech.net). You may select another relevant publication if you wish. You can read these on-line, or subscribe to the hard copy version. (Note: eligibility for free hard copy subscriptions sometimes depends on how you answer the questions on the subscription form, which the publishers use to promote their publication to advertisers. Don’t lie, but make the most of anything that would make you attractive to their advertisers.)

A regular part of every class session will be a discussion of current events or “found objects” that are relevant to the subject matter of the course. These “found objects” might be incidents or situations that you encounter in your work or personal life that highlight or exemplify particular issues before the class. You should actively seek out such discussion items as a part of your regular everyday perusal of news and other events.

Note: Students who are unable to attend classes during which graded work is to be submitted or presented will be asked to provide appropriate documentation of the necessity for their absence. Also, note that the GMU’s unusual graduate grading system allows grades of A, A-, B+, B, C and F. There is no B-. Work that does not merit at least a B is generally not considered acceptable graduate quality work.

Textbooks

The texts below have been ordered through the campus bookstore and should be available for purchase.

1.      Steven Alter, Information Systems: Foundation of e-Business, 4th ed. (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2002);

2.      Herbert A. Simon, The Sciences of the Artificial, 3rd ed. (Cambridge: MIT Press, 1996). This book was ordered late, but is not needed until late in the semester, so it will be available by then in the bookstore.

3.      A course pack provided through www.xanedu.com, a new online service provided by the ProQuest database provider. You will receive information from me regarding this course pack via your GMU e-mail account. You may purchase your course pack at http://www.xanedu.com/login?PackId=168626.

Note: used or discounted textbooks may be available online at Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com and other booksellers.

In addition to the above, the instructor may provide selected outside readings, which will be made available at student expense or on the Library’s electronic reserves (http://ers2000.gmu.edu/ers/srch.html).

Schedule

The course schedule and assigned readings are all included in the Xanedu cousepack mentioned above.

Instructor

Jonathan L. Gifford is an associate professor of public management and policy in the School of Public Policy and directs the Master’s in Transportation Policy, Operations & Logistics. He also has a teaching appointment in the Department of Public & International Affairs and serves on the faculty of the Environmental Sciences and Policy program. His teaching interests include: the planning, analysis and development of information systems in government; public policy analysis; transportation system planning and development; and management information systems.

His primary research interests are the use of information technology in public organizations and facilities, and transportation system analysis and planning. Recent research topics include:

·        Institutional issues in the implementation of advanced transportation information and control technologies;

·        The influence of standards on the pace and extent of technological innovation and technological adoption; and

·        Increasing the public acceptability of infrastructure improvements.

His professional experience includes short stints with the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, the Congressional Budget Office, and the U.S. Office of Technology Assessment, as well as a number of consulting assignments with government and private clients.

Prior to joining George Mason University, he served on the faculty of the School of Urban and Public Affairs at Carnegie Mellon University. He received his M.S. and Ph.D. in civil engineering, with a specialization in transportation engineering, from the University of California, Berkeley, and a B.S. in civil engineering from Carnegie Mellon University.

For additional information, see http://mason.gmu.edu/~jgifford.

Computer Proficiency Requirements

Students enrolling in 680 must have basic proficiency in the use of a spreadsheet, database, word processing and presentation packages. Students lacking proficiency in spreadsheet or database but otherwise conversant in the use of computers may take PUAD 680 and PUAD 730 simultaneously. PUAD 730 may not be substituted for PUAD 680.

Students who need to gain proficiency have several options to do so. The right one for you depends on your situation, including how much you already know. Here are some options:

1.      Enroll in 730.

2.      Video-based tutorials for Excel, Access and PowerPoint are available from STAR (Student Technology Assistance and Resource Center), JLC rm. 229, 993-8990.

3.      Complete training in Microsoft Office through an off-campus training program. Such programs are sometimes available through an employer.

General Paper Guidelines

1)      Student papers should be original work specifically undertaken for the purpose of this course. If a student is utilizing his own work undertaken as part of a job, for another course, or from other extracurricular activity, he must specify that in a preface or footnote. If a paper relies substantially on work undertaken for extracurricular activities, the student should seek explicit instructor approval.

2)      Papers are graded on the basis of three distinct sets of criteria: 1) the quality of the content, their structure and organization, and their “mechanics,” which refers to their proper use of grammar, citation, punctuation, and so forth. A sample “grading criteria” sheet is attached.

3)      Paper Length. Word counts specified for papers are exclusive of footnotes, endnotes, or appendix material. Please note the word count on the cover page.

4)      Papers must be typed.

5)      Papers should have a cover page, but do not put papers in covers, binders or any other kind of package.

6)      No late assignments will be accepted without the instructor’s prior approval.

7)      The instructor may ask to review your source material. Do not discard it for at least a month after your final paper is turned in.

8)      Plagiarism. Be careful and systematic in the way you quote and credit source material in order to avoid plagiarism, which may result in Honor Code violations.

9)      Finding and evaluating source material. Remember that some sources are more credible than others, and it’s up to you the researcher to evaluate the credibility of a source and the particular facts, ideas or positions it advances. All sources are not created equal!

10)  Style

a)      The term “style” refers to the way a paper treats headings, footnotes, bibliographic citations, illustrations, tables, etc. In professional writing, it is important to be aware of style and to follow the appropriate style guidelines for what you are writing. You should choose and adhere to a particular style.

b)      In addition, papers for this course require the following: (i) identify your sources in footnotes; (ii) include source information for all figures and tables; (iii) include a bibliography of all source material at the end of your paper.

c)      The use of source material from the internet or other electronic forms is increasingly common. If you use such material, you must cite it correctly. Refer to the guidelines on the GMU library website (visit http://library.gmu.edu and click on “Reference,” and then “Style Guides and Manuals”).

Honor Code Policy

The Honor Code policy endorsed by the members of the Department of Public & International Affairs relative to the types of academic work indicated below is set out in the appropriate paragraphs:

1.      Quizzes, Tests and Examinations. No help may be given or received by students during the taking of quizzes, tests or examinations, whatever the type or wherever taken, unless the instructor specifically permits deviation from this standard.

2.      Course Requirements. All work submitted in fulfillment of course requirements is to be solely the product of the individual(s) whose name(s) appears on it. Except with permission of the instructor, no recourse is to be had to projects, papers, lab reports or any other written work previously prepared by another student, and except with permission of the instructor no paper or work of another type submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of another course may be used a second time to satisfy a requirement of any course in the Department of Public Affairs. No assistance is to be obtained from commercial organizations which sell or lease research help or written papers. With respect to all written work as appropriate, proper footnotes and attribution are required.

3.      Required Reading. A signed pledge that reading required for a course has been completed may be made a condition of receiving credit in that course. Inability to sign the pledge when required on the final exam will result in the assignment of a grade of I.


WRITING EVALUATION CRITIERIA

Name:

Date:

Assignment:

Grade:

Excellent

Good

Satisfactory

Unsatisfactory

Comment

Quality of Content

 

Addresses assignment

 

 

 

 

Analytical clarity/persuasiveness

 

 

 

 

Objectivity

 

 

 

 

Quality of source material

 

 

 

 

Use of evidence/methodology

 

 

 

 

Structure & Organization (S&O)

 

Clear intro, thesis, conclusion

 

 

 

 

Use of transitions, headings and other cohering strategies

 

 

 

 

Logical & coherent paragraphing in support of main points

 

 

 

 

Mechanics

 

Correct citation, documentation

 

 

 

 

Required elements (title page, works cited [if more than those in footnotes]), length (word count), page #

 

 

 

 

Grammar, spelling, punctuation, article use

 

 

 

 

Abbreviations/symbols in comments: ¶ = paragraph; # = number agreement; awk = awkward; frag = sentence fragment (incomplete sentence); wc = word choice; pv = passive voice