Strategic Information Systems Planning and U.S. County Government

This article presents the second in a series of public sector studies conducted by Syracuse University in cooperation with the University of Nebraska at Omaha. The research reported here investigates Strategic Information Systems Planning (SISP) at the county level. The first study described SISP at the state level. Because the questionnaire and research methodologies are almost identical, this study of countywide SISP closely follows the format of the SISP study conducted at the state level. The entire series of SISP studies is based on data from the Government Performance Project (GPP) survey of U.S. governments (state, county, and city) conducted by Syracuse University from 1998 through 2002. The findings for counties mirror those for states, and indicate an absence of SISP

STRATEGIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS PLANNING IN U.S. COUNTY GOVERNMENTS: Will the Real SISP Model Please Stand Up?

This paper is the second in a series of studies examining strategic information systems planning (SISP) in U.S. governments based on information technology performance data and ratings generated for the Government Performance Project (2000 re states and 2001 re counties). The first study examined SISP at the state level (PPMR, June 2002). This study investigates SISP in county government using data from the 40 largest U.S. counties in terms of revenue within regions. Findings suggest that structural features of county government inhibit translation to counties of successful business models for strategic use of information systems, and they support the conclusion that models need to be adapted to meet the challenges of government planning. Examples of successful planning in some counties where the county CIO or the central county information technology office plan strategically within the limits of their authority may point a way toward a model for government. Further study is needed to develop a reliable U.S. government model for SISP

Evaluation of Long-Term Care Workforce/Community Partnerships Model

CPACS Urban Research Awards Part of the mission of the College of Public Affairs and Community Service (CPACS) is to conduct research, especially as it relates to concerns of our local and statewide constituencies. CPACS has always had an urban mission, and one way that mission is served is to preform applied research relevant to urban society in general, and the Omaha metropolitan area and other Nebraska urban communities in particular. Beginning in 2014, the CPACS Dean provided funding for the projects with high relevance to current urban issues, with the potential to apply the findings to practice in Nebraska, Iowa, and beyond

Coming to America: Cohort Students, Community Engagement, Linked Courses in Geography, Gerontology, and English Composition, and a New Sense of Place

Our cohort was made up of sixteen University of Nebraska Omaha students that received the Honors Learning Community scholarship. We met together four days a week and studied Gerontology, Geography, and English Composition II in a linked class system. This allowed us to study the differences in elder care around the world due to cultural differences while writing proficient academic papers for all three classes. The skills and perspectives gained in these classes culminated in our Coming to America Project, wherein were corded the story of a refugee elder who migrated to the United States

Can Private Sector Strategic Information Systems Planning Techniques Work for the Public Sector?

This study investigated strategic information technology planning (SISP) at the statewide level. Even though thirty-eight states reported having a strategic information technology plan in place and ten reported having a plan in progress; analysis of the data shows that the executive and legislative or highest levels of state government are not involved in SISP. A lack of integrated statewide governmental strategic information systems planning (SISP) suggests that SISP as defined by private sector models may not be accomplished easily in the public sector. Significant differences in the process of setting organizational objectives, planning horizons, and stakeholder involvement are barriers to public sector application of private sector SISP models which few states seem to have overcome

In Pursuit of Performance: Management Systems in State and Local Government

Chapter contribution, Information technology management in U. S. states, counties, and cities by Dufner, D. L., Holley, L. M., & Reed, B. J. (2007). Information technology management in U. S. states, counties, and cities in Patricia W. Ingraham\u27s In Pursuit of Performance: Management Systems in State and Local Government . Based on five years of extensive research by the Government Performance Project, this volume offers a comprehensive analysis of how government managers and elected officials use management and management systems to improve performance. Drawing on data from across the nation, it examines the performance of state, county, and city governments between 1997 and 2002 within the framework of basic management systems: financial information, human resources, capital and infrastructure, and results evaluation.Key issues addressed:• How governments strategically select elements of management to emphasize the role of leadership• How those governments that aim to improve performance differ from those that do not • What effective management looks like Through this careful, in-depth investigation, the contributors conclude that the most effective governments are not those with the most resources, but those that use the resources available to them most carefully and strategically. In Pursuit of Performance is an invaluable tool for government leaders and the scholars who study them.https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/gertontology_books/1000/thumbnail.jp

Faculty Senate Survey of Full-Time UNO Faculty 2014

An ad hoc Faculty Senate Survey Team was formed following the Faculty Senate approval of a motion coming from the 2013-2014 Faculty Senate Goals of Directions Committee to : Lisa Scherer (President), Lyn Holley (Vice President), Amy Morris (Chair, Rules Committee), Matthew Harden (Chair, Faculty and Personnel Welfare Committee), Carol Morris (Chair, Goals and Directions Committee and Faculty Representative to the UNO Strategic Planning Committee), Sue Bishop (Faculty Senate Administrative Technician)

New Strategies for Public Pay: Rethinking Government Compensation Programs

Chapter contribution, \u27Job Classification\u27 by Lyn M. Holley and J. R. O\u27Connell in Howard Risher & Charles H. Fay (Eds.), New strategies for public pay: Rethinking government compensation programs (pp. 76-97). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. The survival and success of public organizations depends on employee satisfaction and motivation to improve performance. New Strategies for Public Pay addresses one of the strongest motivators?compensation. The book outlines proven strategies, many of which are successfully used in private industry, that are also well-suited for government organizations. Specific programs are described and analyzed by experts from government, academia, think tanks, labor unions, and private business, running the gamut from merit pay to competency-based pay to gainsharing.New Strategies for Public Pay introduces a range of alternative pay systems that show public sector managers how they can:? Set standards that match the unique needs of individual organizations? Stimulate desired new behaviors necessary to overcome the fear of change and business as usual mentality? Energize employees and provide a fresh incentive for continuing improved performanceThe decision whether or not to revolutionize pay systems is fundamental. The way compensation is addressed and managed can either hinder or help accomplish an organization\u27s mission. New Strategies for Public Pay offers a useful framework for planning compensation programs that are in line with the times and that will help create more efficient, flexible, and responsive public organizations.https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/gertontology_books/1001/thumbnail.jp

Modelling for the Complex Issue of Groundwater Management

Groundwater management is a complex issue that in many instances has all the features of messy or wicked problems. These are defined by there being multiple stakeholders and decision makers with competing and conflicting goals, and where the systems of interest are complex - being social, economic, and ecological - and are subject to a range of uncertainties caused by limited data, information and knowledge. Modellers can nevertheless play a key role in resolving and providing support for framing the issues of concern, clarifying decision options for managing environmental issues, and appropriately engaging with identified stakeholders. A key policy issue in Australia is how to deal with the over-allocation of groundwater in many catchments. In this paper we present the elements of an integrated approach to support the ongoing resolution of the over-allocation problem. With a collaborative multi-disciplinary research team we have developed an integrated model to identify the social, economic and environmental trade-offs in the Namoi catchment in Australia under various water policy decisions and climate variations. The model allows the exploration of adaptation mechanisms, identified by our social science team, that water users are likely to accept in order to minimise the impacts of climate change and reductions in their water allocation