Agenda - 05-19-1998 - 9g - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

Attachment I 4 Prapossl to Orazzge County Government: Assessing, Clpdating and Supporting the Orange Resource Cannectioa T'he Humsn Services Smart Agency The Human Services Smart Agency is a program of the University of North Carolina's School of Social Work. Established in 1992, the program is designed to improve the quality and efficiency of human services for the people of North Carolina and the nation through promoting the eF'cctive use of autocnatiorz technology. The Smart Agency promotes evaluation, aiucatioa, research, and demonstration models of new and useful technology far the human sezviccs. Sgecif~cslly, the Smart Agency provides: • assistance with automation planning and implcmcntativn for public and private human services agencies, . training for human service professionals and students about current and developing trends in autQmation.and information systems, • dcvelopmevt and demonstrations of model environments which simulate human service agency operations and their decision-making processes, and • `~uation-of new automation-models and informatio~te~alogies~Lhuman ~zas~s. As part of the School of Social Work, the Smart Agency also serves the teehtrieal support needs of the School and of community agencies working with the School of Social Work_ Ia our work with human sazvice agencies in past years, we have become convinced of the importance of automaziofl fvz the following reasons: • Human service agencies can reap the benefits possible through limited automation Judicious use of technology should slow the expansion of staff and improve the quality of services offered. . • Automation is greatly aided by developing a plan. An automation plan allows everyone to know and share expectatioru and then work toward similar goals. Staff training is central to the successful use of computers in human service agencies.. Timely and effective training is the best way to prevent personal computers from becoming expensive paperweights. • UnderStandiug the needs of the agencies that request automation will help reduce unnecessary technology. The following project proposal uses the experience of the School of Social Work faculty and the staff of the Human Szrviccs Smart Agency (HSSA} to help the Orange County support the continued work of the Orange Resource Connection. Specifically, this proposal wi11 give Orange County the opportunity ro assess the current Information and Referral, update the system, give system support to the users, and help develop a .marketing strategy. The HSSA is submitting this proposal because of our interest in and c,Yperience with Information and Rcferzal in North Carolina. Faculty and staff i.n this program have been directly involved with the evaluatio~a of the software, and irnplcmcntation of the IRis system in Orange and Durham Coundcs, as we11 as Pitt, Beaufozt, Martin, Bcnie and