This paper provides a summary of four projects currently funded through Australia's National Center for Vocational Education Research (NCVER), including what they propose to achieve and their preliminary findings to date. After an introduction, an overview of preliminary findings from the four projects is presented. The following barriers to…

Strategic planning, accountability, and restructuring efforts often exacerbate targeted problems because the accurate information required for success is unavailable. This document offers a model monitoring system for utilizing important information by schools and districts. Part 1, "Basic Assumptions About Schools and Districts," explores how…

The Massachusetts General Hospital/Surgical and Special Services study, an information processing system for redesigning an outmoded existing hospital, structured information into small-scale elements that could be analyzed, reassembled into different solutions, and the solution selected that best accommodates all of the complex requirements. (MF)

The paper describes a linear programming model which generates explicit quantitative information about (1) the optimal allocation of resources inside the public university (2) the "shadow price" attached to each input used in the academic process; and (3) the optimal mixture of academic outputs produced by the university. (KM)

A selective review of attempts to investigate urban systems that includes a 66-item bibliography. (MLF)

Offers an analysis of the impact of Federal intervention and major criticisms of the notion of programistic aid as opposed to general aid. (Author)

Article discusses systems engineering, a method of handling theoretical technology in its adaptation to environment. (Author/IR)

Describes computer program which converts text of user input and system responses from online search system into fixed format records describing interaction. Query language syntax, format of output record produced by parser, problems in constructing parser, its performance characteristics, and recommendations for improving process of logging…

Examines "A Planning Process for Public Libraries," published by the Public Library Association in 1980, discussing the mission of the public library, survey research and data collection, library goals and objectives, planning strategies, budgeting, the political environment, and output measures. Twenty-six references are cited. (EJS)

Explains the relationship of two Public Library Association publications concerning measurement of public library service: "Performance Measures for Public Libraries" (1973) and "Output Measures for Public Libraries: A Manual for Standardized Procedures" (1982). The importance of data collection methods is noted in discussing…

A general convex polytope technique for exploratory data analysis and its particular application to analyzing the input-output relationship in universities is discussed. Its use is illustrated by means of a simple analysis of data from Australian universities. (MLW)

Describes a study conducted at a multicampus community college district in northern California to determine whether general education (GE) was structured and implemented for the primary purpose of generating large amounts of revenue and whether a disproportionately higher rate of return is generated from GE compared with non-GE curricula. (27…

Examines the relative contributions of human and physical resources in the production of private undergraduate higher education. The parameters in the output equation suggest a traditional recipe: a relatively high ratio of quality faculty to good students in a facilitating environment reflected by academic expenditure. Better students are drawn…

Uses input-output analysis to develop a model that assesses the effect of changes in final-demand work on employees at a South Carolina community college. Model uses matrices and the Leontief inverse function to monitor employee workload impact and analyze simulated scenarios. (YKH)