14

Information Technology
Management
Valerie Bryan
Florida Atlantic University

Practitioner Consultants
Layne Young
Business Relationship Manager
Indianapolis, IN

Donna Goldstein
GIS Coordinator
Palm Beach County School District

Information Technology is a fundamental force in

reshaping organizations by applying investment in
computing and communications to promote competi-
tive advantage, customer service, and other strategic



-

because technology changes so rapidly, park and recre-

ation managers must stay updated on both technological

of terms crucial for understanding the impact of tech-



Details concerning the technical terms used in this






   





the managers responsibilities;

information resources;
disaster recovery and business continuity;

IT as a management tool;
understanding IT infrastructure; and



not part of the steamroller, youre part of the road.


What is IT?
A goal of management is to provide the right tools for


recreation organization may be comprised of many

 -




Information technology is an umbrella term
that covers a vast array of computer disciplines that
permit organizations to manage their information

a fundamental force in reshaping organizations by applying
investment in computing and communications to promote
competitive advantage, customer service, and other strategic




It lets people learn things they didnt think they could




Information Technology Management

305

Exhibit 14.1
Basic Functions of Information Technology
Input

Communication

Access and movement of data from place to place

Processing

Transferring of data from one form to another

Storage

Retrieval

Output

   



Evolution of IT Management
-

IT today, it is necessary to look at the three previous eras





blank registrations forms are distributed;

completed registration forms are received by

the recreation business unit;

forms are batched, by day or center, and taken

to data processing;
forms are entered and an edit report is cre-

The Data Processing Era


organized into a special division called data processing,

These divisions usually serviced the entire organiza-





The data processing model

programmed to capture the requirements of
the business units; and

306

This model required a pool of technically skilled IT


introduced to get more accurate and timely informa-
-

data processing is advised of any changes to

the batch, and if needed another edit report is

created and the batch is reconciled again; and


periodic report is issued to the recreation busi-


-


This model is a centralized method of managing
 

-



Information Technology Management


-



very frustrated and created a business need for smaller,


Management Information Systems Era


helped managers place terminals on their desks to

direct access to information changed the emphasis

    

-


entry, directly into the mini or mainframe computer;



-

control of computing from centralized management to

-
ments began hiring IT professionals to operate the com-



and city managers to put the responsibility of managing


began looking for a computer solution that supported



 



-





-


-







Information Services Era



 



non-event, only because companies and government

-







introduction of standards as a part of managing technol-
ogy costs, including standards for personal computers,

 -




Information Technology Management


-



Telecommunications became another service

 




 
-

-
age the enterprise and provide and enforce standards

Information Technology Era

 -
reation manager is going to have many choices about



sorts of communication, entertainment, and informa-

this is the information technology era

-

The focus of IT is to assist departments in becoming

-


data processingthe business process is key,

systems must enhance the process;

-

mation, not IT people;

-

tion is strategic; and

ITmany technologies, using the right tech-




been added to IT, and that is security, protecting informa-

management because not all departments have achieved



a real business need to change IT, park and recreation

Why IT?
-
ogy to make management decisions is the ultimate goal

technology management is a means to make the con-

IT Solves Business Problems


-
surement of service delivery and the consequential
-




 -
ager must learn to frame information requests so as


IT Increases Personal Productivity

-


manufactured today has a keypad, keyboard, or set of






  



simply looks at the screen and selects the options that

help on-screen in the computer program, instead of in


Information Technology Management







Any information resources are available to the small



-

The Manager and IT



organization, so are they responsible and accountable for




strategic importance of IT and subsequently allocating


direction of an IT resource is the ultimate responsibility

 -
tion culture change requires the manager to make all
departmental information electronically accessible for

There are three basic IT management scenarios for

IT as a core servicea park district is the best

the operations, management, and information

district report to the director, the director is

accountable to the park board, and IT decisions
are part of the business;
IT as a required support servicemany
municipal and county governments require

purchasing, human resource and IT services;
there are many variations of this model, and
all involve a cost recovery process to support
the services; and
IT as an elected servicemany private rec-


a fully deployed IT resource; they purchase
the equipment they need, and seek IT service

 -

Organizations that align their information resources

st 


managers, supervisors, and functional personnel do
not embrace it, and change their system of service

-
nization, but to be successful, it must be embraced from

 -






responsibility for IT is delegated to another level in the

 





-





information, service performance data, and marketing

 -
tion is that departmental information is leveraged for




These individuals understand the requirements of pro-

viding good service and are very skeptical about doing


administrative tasks, the more service delivery can be

 -

provide important information for operations, man-



Information Technology Management

managers to identify systems that are redundant and

-

An organization may need to be reorganized to


develop the guidelines for making decisions

-

personnel, system redesign, upgrades, and
development of design;
create a uniform information infrastructure

databases, information policies, methods, pro-
cedures, and practices;

-

users, and as an integral player in the business
model; and

Information Resources
An organizations information resources are character-

Sources



paper and electronicthat an organization creates

governance
of incorporation, charter, or enabling legislation of
 best
practice of management, -

resources are created as a result of the professional dis-
cipline or historical practice.
the information resources that commonly originate as



Administrative and Service

Statistics/Information
Organizations should maintain appropriate service sta-
tistics in order to plan, interpret, and evaluate park and


Appropriate records on individual participants

and groups should be maintained in a form that lends
itself to summarization and provides useful informa-

receiving services; number of participants registered;
-
-
stituency, including age, gender, cultural background,
marital status, educational level, occupation, length of
-

 -
loads, determine personnel and other resource needs,
-



records and reports should conform to uniform and
current methods of maintaining records and reporting

-



same month during the previous year, and year-to-date,

monthly report may also permit the heads of organi-



provide comparative data and statistics and account for

Information Types

personal information, operational information, admin-

Personal Information
Personal information in IT language addresses all items


-
-

Information Technology Management

information is that it may be stored either locally on

a personal computer or in a private area on the net-


-
sonal information accumulates it becomes a resource

to strict policies regarding the creation and storage of

Operational Information
Operational information

information is used for day-to-day business manage-





increases the number of organization services

Administrative Information
Administrative information refers to applications that are

resources, payroll, and accounting applications are IT


organization that does not administer one of these appli-


make sure the systems are correctly used and to ensure
-

Departmental Information
Departmental information
-
nization business such as marketing and assessment

The distinctions among these information types



-
must be stored on the


-


Typically, the standards for creating this information


-


 -

-




have access to any information resource necessary to




lacks a technology plan and engages in unre-

Information is the result of collection, manipula-





an immediate turnaround, and

-






IT as a Management Tool




Information Technology Management

Exhibit 14.2
Value of Information Factors
Correctness

Accessibility

Timeliness

Precision
Security
 

Response time:
Information retrieval from request to

Accuracy:


On-line:
Information can be accessed from

Up-to-date:


Bug-free:


Barrier-free:
Information in not requested


Data entry to information output is

Utility:


Equipment:
-

Reliable:




-



case, all systems should provide reliable information
-
priate information system should encompass personal
information, business information, and administrative


-





a teaching technologies team that assists faculty

a security team that manages the login

accounts;
a desktop team that installs and maintains the

computer assets;
a consulting team that provides assistance to

-
tions; and



Records Management








 
-


quality and backup of the accident reports, the police




connecting users to all the databases and providing a

The primary function of good record keeping is



the use and status of organization resources and adds



must be standards for all record keeping systems, elec-


Information Technology Management

transaction processing systemssystems that

systems include activity registration, facility

scheduling and membership systems, to name

building a shelter or playground; and

case management systemsthose systems that

or case event such as the records associated

Administrative systems are those that provide

assistance to the operational divisions and other agency







documentation system for risk management is essential


The Internet


   


 


-

 
.

of information to be routed from one host to another
as necessary, regardless of the computer creating the


to each other using this universal language, and other

languages that have been created since the original

-



common language, and to transmit and receive data via

dedicated, high-speed telecommunications lines using


 
Internet use by entities in the public sector, private-for-

browsers

   





  
-

search engines -
 
  
  
and Infoseek; today, users are generally more
  

Internet Service Providers (ISP) set up shop to

pay a modest cost to access the Internet; compa-
nies and recreation, park and leisure agencies
presence on the net

the move to the Internet;

Information Technology Management

 E-travel revolutionized the hospitality industry

to include airline, rental car, hotel, restaurant

and entertainment;
E-commerce
money electronically to enable business


transfer, Internet marketing, electronic data
interchange, inventory management systems,
and automated data collection systems;
wikis have provided a forum for a group of
Internet users to collaborate, create, maintain,
and verify the authenticity of information to

free encyclopedia at

forums in action; sites such as this can be used
-
cal information about parks and monuments,
or make summary reports of the state of leisure

video or audio streaming is a technology that
compresses and transports the video or audio

the quality of the video or audio and high; This

and training to a variety of audiences, in-house

and beyond;

of e-mail; in many cases, the Internet has also
become the access point for phone service and
digital voice-mail centers, both in home and in
business environments;
a webinar
people to participate in a live training program
on the Internet that includes audio and video of

-
-

-
ence phones, more interaction is feasible for

-

to connect using the Internet for point-to-point

video phone calls and PC to phone calls

conferencing calls to other users of the service

mobile phones can be made for a fee;

podcasting







access social networking 
-
mation about leisure programs and services to
a global market;
video conferencing 
a technology that communicates audio and
video for a live meeting so that participants can
see each other and materials being discussed; in
some cases, the conferencing is from one host
site to many sites, and in some cases from desk-
 

narration and multimedia content to transform


instant messaging (IM) is a form of real-time

communication; the user is enabled to send



-
ing services integrate both video conferencing

electronic auction sites

for items, locate parts for outdated equip-

in some cases, the sites suggest marketing and
revenue-producing strategies for departments
to emulate;
RSS feeds are replacing the old listserv as a
method of pushing information in the form

of receiving an e-mail that is circulated from a
listserve, users receive a notice that the informa-

blog sites are postings displayed in reverse

chronological order using conversational

Individuals across regions, or even continents,

The Internet is the most used and versatile of the

technologies for all organizations, private and public,


information useful in the administration of the orga-


Information Technology Management

  




as a means to collaborate to solve problems

nets or lists set up by organizations for

to obtain information on a given problem situa-

listserv@




only for advertising a service or product,
but also to make reservations, or purchase a
 



 




as a source for government documents or


 

or communication back to the organization,


as a professional organization contact for infor-




;

    

; and
as a means to train employees at their desks, for




problems of viruses, unscrupulous vendors, marketing

the use of telecommunications has become more and

 
  



 for additional infor-








-

 
 
 










-





Information Technology Management

Exhibit 14.3
Worldwide E-commerce Growth
2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

percent of total sales





Source: 

Intranets and Organizational

Communication

Exhibit 14.4
Users of the Internet

  
technology is fundamentally the same as Internet tech-






The intranet is the method of implementing

-
ming and interfaces, an entire organization can be run

sound, intranet technology makes it easier to manage
and handle the vast amount of information necessary


-

Arizona, an intranet is used to connect the recreation

-

The information on the intranet is not for custom-







organization can maintain and use information very



document management;
departmental training;
policies and procedures;
corporate directories; and

 -
ings, employee handbooks, calendars of events, and

Another component of the organization intranet is the



Electronic Messaging
   
  
-

 -


Electronic messaging references the collective tech-

e-mail;

push technology;
list servers;


activated kiosks;
on-line chat mode;

Information Technology Management

Exhibit 14.5
Comparison of Friendly Yellow Pages and the Internet
STEP



The Internet

If you are seeking a supplier for a special product,

 


There are a million and one products, or in this case,

bits and pieces of information, for the customer to


selected that best represents the information that
 


Once you have located the product, you must then

  

of the page, or the placement of the page, that the
information presented is factual and can be taken

to verify they are still in business and are indeed

-

images transition from one form to another, or even

 





order

video conferencing;






becomes more important to day-to-day operations,
-

Spamming, using electronic message systems to send
unsolicited bulk messages, and , posting delib-
erately hostile messages on the Internet or an intranet,
can become a problem 

 

possible to misrepresent an agency by using anothers



-

voice and data functions has led to the development

This technology makes it possible for national and
international companies to provide services to users


The discipline of data communications has intro-



-
-


Information Technology Management




-


have been able to communicate more reliably, in a timely


Electronic messaging is the collective technology that


telephony technol-
ogies.



-
ing component moves to conduits such as cable, the speed
of processing the ever-increasing amounts of information

-

As park and recreation organizations evolve

technologically, they adopt a number of messaging



the communication tool of choice by businesses around

Internet becomes more popular the demand for more

voice-grade telephone services have increased dramati-

alpha paging systems;


credit card validation;



security systems; and




Today, a telephone bill can contain numerous services




costs, in order to ensure telephone lines are not going


have direct and immediate access to people and ser-



complicated policies are developed to prevent abuse;


-


These are considered call points, meaning the person

caller or be able to route the call to the proper section



 call center
-
-


dials one number, and the calls are logged using an

is a tool used to guarantee prompt service for callers and

An alternative to the call center is an automated

voice response (AVR) system 
customer calls a central number and gets an automated

systems are good for screening and routing calls, but




Information Technology Management

Exhibit 14.6
AVR System Responses
Typical AVR System Initial Response to Customer
Thank you, for calling


Typical AVR System Information Dissemination Response


Typical AVR System Information Fax-Back Response




leave a voice mail message or be transferred to an opera-

to get to a live person is considered voice mail jail. This

The success of these systems depends on an easy

-



It may take three to four seasons of operation before

that management understands that this type of system

Centralized faxing











regarding the successful or unsuccessful transmission of



-




E-mail is the most versatile of the messaging tech-





 
 -

on the Internet so it can be accessed from around the








-










Information Technology Management


list servers 













the organization by using anothers e-mail to order

considered a public document, and under the Freedom
of Information Act, the media and others may request



 -




a neighborhood;
display property values surrounding park

lands; and

locations and services;

-



 
calculate under-served areas;
plan public transportation routes to parks and

facilities; and

 
identify desirable open space for land acquisi-

tion;
create an impact scenario should services be

create plans for inventorying and managing

Geographic Information Systems

 
analyzes, manages, and presents data that is linked to a

presented in visual form, managers can make decisions

 -

-


decision makers and service providers to see the impact



other forms of data, an integrated approach can be

 
on the Internet at
 
economic development, park services, recreation ser-



display capital improvement dollars spent by

Organizations are increasingly required to oper-

-

Organizations must digest an immense amount of

information to perform their duties in a fair and sound
 

-


What is GIS?

 


hydrant or telephone pole;

-
tion in a series of imaginary lines referred to as
contour lines; and

Information Technology Management

 polygona multisided shape identifying area,

 
-




 



 enhance the
  special layers. 

boundary layersimaginary lines around

political and service areas such as country,

state, and county, such as zip codes and school
districts;

middle of a street; each feature is a segment

and each segment contains information about
 
   
  



contains the street name, speed limit, direction
of travel, from address, to address and much
more; the centerline is one of the key layers used

parcels have a physical address; a parcel layer
is used to distinguish private from government

actually surveyed, so that the boundaries can

base map layersare typical layers used on

streets, parks, lakes, and rivers; if the area of
interest is a city, the base map layers might

and industrial areas; and

aerial photographya collection of many

Aerial photography is one of the most used lay-




For practical reasons, aerial photography is done once


-

a geographic area and is good for measuring

area and computing distance; and

 

Research/query.  



Inventory. A schools layer is an inventory of all

county; inventories are generally maintained by the

Analysis

-

age of a neighborhood, youth crime in neighborhoods

of dots represent citiesthe bigger the dot, the higher

the population;
Map-making or cartography is the design and
production of maps, or visual representations of spatial


-



a descriptive title;
a symbolized map key;

a properly cited data source;
an appropriate scale bar; and

Routing is the process of determining a path from



Information Technology Management

map services have made this function very popular for





 -

This model can be used to ponder solutions for these

identify the best emergency routes to use dur-

Public presentations. The visualization component

-
tion, so that more time can be spent on decision-mak-
ing in public meetings; from poster-sized color maps,

throughs, all are tools for public presentation that tell

people; and


-

 
is much too costly for a typical park and recreation
 
of a county or regional government entity that can lever-

that leisure service agencies participate as users of the


It is not unusual for a department to pay an annual



solutions for creating simple data layers using Google



 -



GIS as an Industry

-

in schools, colleges, and universities throughout the

-
 
government, military and utility companies to manage


planners studying the impact of construction in urban

 


 


 




public information should be available and

Components of a GIS
 


data;

impossible; and
-
ogy that could tie the data of multi-government

money is not a problem;

political control is not a problem;

availability of technology is not a problem; and




 
Anyone can purchase devices the size of hand-held
calculators that identify hotels, restaurants, and gas
 

Information Technology Management

Exhibit 14.7
GIS Components

 
 -
 


-









Data

 


 -


People

  
 -


maintain a parks layer and create maps for public presentation at board, council, and public meet-
 
 

Methods

 -




drivers pinpoint accuracy in determining their loca-



 -


 



contours, and others available for use by state and fed-

resources; most regional governmental units



 

functions; organizations should specialize in
creating layers of data and not in maintaining



is limited to basic features that do not change

 


 
    

Information Technology Management

Exhibit 14.8
Case Study: Fire Management Interactive Application of GIS at Point Reyes National Seashore
  





  








-

 


 


 



 

 





  


 

Global Positioning Systems

A global positioning system (GPS) is a constellation of






 -
-

Information Technology Management





.
On these carrier frequencies are broadcast codes, much
like radio or television stations broadcast information



 

 


developed to help apply precise amounts of chemicals;

of liquid nitrogen is applied to the areas being fertil-

on the front of the sprayer that correspond to the nozzle



detect the level of nitrogen in the plants, adding nitro-



Disaster Recovery and

Business Continuity
 
-


for department information resources, because he is the


agency to encourage people to engage in safe-comput-


restrict Internet usage to those sites that are

business-oriented and trusted;

the day; and

Disaster Mitigation and Security



computer room security;
data security; and

Computer Room Security


servers mitigate the issues of intentional and acci-







Data/Application Security
This pertains to the policies and procedures a depart-







-


to protect the information assets should something
 


user activity assists in determining the cause of such





 -

Information Technology Management

   

Network Security












 -

is to prevent an event that disables an agencys ability

Business Continuity Plan (BCP)

 


-

-


-

When Disaster Strikes

Given there are information resources, a business oper-





No Recovery
 
have no -
mentation, no backup , and no contingency



Tier 1: Data Backup with No Hot Site






and shipped, these organizations must be prepared

Tier 2: Data Backup with a Hot Site

 

hot site

Tier 3: Electronic Vaulting

 
Additionally, some mission-critical data are electroni-







physical or virtual tape devices, and an automated tape


  



greater data currency and faster recovery than users of



data loss are still possible, but it is easier to make such


Tier 5: Transaction Integrity

-


-


Tier 6 business continuity solutions maintain the high-


Information Technology Management



have no dependence on the applications or applications

require some form of disk mirroring 
synchronous and asynchronous solutions available
from the mainframe 

recovery point and recovery time-


Tier 7: Highly Automated, Business

Integrated Solution


 


-
-




can be computed by identifying the components needed

-


disaster recovery plan is for the information resource

delete them; and


-



payload, such as a worm or Trojan horse program

disk drive;
send itself to everyone else on your e-mail list;



-

ence of infection;
get some of the best protection available from

Malware: Malicious Software

Malware 

-


Threats from Viruses

 -





properly protected are at higher risk of contracting a






you open them;
-
virus vendor; let the program help protect you
by automatically updating the virus signature

your antivirus program to check your system

on your task bar regularly to make sure your

  -
tact your IT department if any of these occur on your

unauthorized activity going on in the back-

ground; and

Information Technology Management

Exhibit 14.9
Virus Protection










Zone Labs





 

 





unusual behavior of your computertake

notice if applications are not operating cor-

Threats from Adware and Spyware

 -
-
 


Adware programs try to intercept and redirect your
Spyware

personal information so that it can be transferred to an

is to identify your preferences so that ads for products
-



-

cookies.
Want a cookie?
-




 
accounts. 

access information on your computer, such as

change your mailing address, and have items

buy or sell stocks;

apply for loans, including mortgages; and
pretend to be you in online chats or other online
activities, such as auctions;
change access to devices, applications, and

If an identity thief changes the mailing address for

Information Technology Management




that you can remember, but is hard for anyone else to


not easily be guessed by someone else or is not easily




is at least seven characters in length, and the

als, symbols;
has at least one symbol character in the second

numbers;
does not use any part of your log-in name for

language;
does not use numbers in place of similar let-
ters;
does not reuse any portion of your old pass-


keep it to yourself;

needs a high level of protection;

months; and
if you had reason to tell someone your pass-

Restriction.
environment is to harden the server operating system

for an intruder to use a client machine to hack into your









help protect your privacy is much the same; it involves

The management component



to keep information current and accurate;

to provide training and develop documenta-

tion as needed;
-

-
cuted and their procedures understood; and
to put in place a plan for disaster recovery for

These database managers, or super users, could

be those

-


-
ment problem that can be corrected by implementing a

1. personal information: documents, spreadsheets,

and databases that have no operational bearing
on the organization; and
2. department (organization) information: Informa-
tion that has a direct bearing on the manage-
ment, operation, and administration of organi-

The policy should state that all organization infor-

mation must
-




Information Technology Management

Exhibit 14.10
Survey Results of Senior IT Executives

Exhibit 14.11
Article on the Need for Security


 data are vulnerable to being
 lost in the event of a disaster









-











and procedures affecting domestic preparedness,
response, and consequence management for terror



-

and consequence management programs, and ongoing

federally-directed reorganization and redirection of




 

tested the capacity, adequacy, and limits of disaster policy

Source: 

Disaster Recovery
Our customers tell us that their greatest challenge
isnt backing up their informationits recovering and







-

-





    


more aligned on disaster readiness, according to the


330







-

Another management concern is business continuity




  




Understanding IT Infrastructure


-


Information Technology Management

Exhibit 14.12
Effects of 9/11 on IT Security


Out of 100 CEOs



Added crises communications


plans


plans each year

park and recreation publications have advertising from

 
-

There are numerous companies that provide IT services,


that standards be adopted for each component of the


The four components of IT infrastructure are listed in



Workstations

Source:    -
 


and communication services that are used to perform
  
infrastructure determines an organizations ability to

Larger organizations are usually supported by a spe-

 

the specialists, it is important to understand and be able


 

size machine that can provide all of the basic computer


manufacturers compete to provide the best solution for

-

for business applications are the Intel-based computers

   


Laptops have become a popular alternative to


to a normal-sized monitor, keyboard, and mouse; or it





Exhibit 14.13
The Components of an IT Infrastructure
Component

Description

Typical Managed Objects

Workstations

Device used to access agency

information resources


mobile devices



received







a central coordination of data

transmission


systems

Data Center

Location of mainframe, super

computers or global servers

Information Technology Management

A thin client device



keyboard and mouse, and enough memory for a user to


-


Mobile devices
other combination cell phone and data devices are

 


Ergonomics-

carpal tunnel syndrome, headaches, and back prob-



-


-





 

terminals for doing the com-



computer processing capability and is referred to as a
-
-





-

Networks

 -










Fileserver
Servers

of large disk storage systems and large amounts of

important because they centralize data storage func-

In larger organizations, a number of servers may be


e-mail server -
fax server

application server


-
communication servers are used

Another technique for using servers is client/server

technology
client.
the application needs data, it is requested through the



Wiring (Topology)






Information Technology Management





functionality of buildings, provide enhanced resale


Gateways
A hub




packets must be held up or re-sent because a device on



A router
another, assuming they have the same standard proto-

A switch


generally a simpler and faster mechanism than a router,

A bridge is used to route packets from one kind of

A gateway is a more sophisticated bridge, needed

 -

Network Interface Cards (NIC)

 network interface cards, are






-

Network Operating System (NOS)

-

-


-

-

A wide area networkWAN-



resources, it may be necessary to link the administra-








A campus area network (CAN) -





A local area network (LAN) is a group of computers

and associated devices that share a communications


storage that are shared in common by multiple com-

There are other options for sharing data resources


This option eliminates the need for a dedicated machine







-




Information Technology Management

333

Enterprise Networks

-
cols, from multiple locations around the city or across


recreation organization becomes part of the enterprise

requires that each entity on the enterprise conform to


-

The enterprise provides the best opportunity


for campground reservations throughout a state park
system or for a recreation event calendar for citizens,
encompassing not only the public recreation centers,

Data Centers
In large government organizations and businesses, the


It has a special environment that includes temperature

-
vices as daily backup of data, running reports, archiving
and restoring data, doing routine maintenance of sys-


 -



of data center services are usually charged back to the

Help desk. The manager must see that a help desk is








specialists or technicians if the problem requires an





analyzes the call log and makes recommendations to the
-

The Information Technology Plan

The development of an IT plan must be facilitated by
the manager through a planning process and a plan-
 -


Assessment of needs, determination of costs, and in-
service education programs are essential to a sound and


The Planning Process

It is probably safe to say that there is no such thing as



-
ner or business partner in the process, organizations



plan, and updating, upgrading, or changing technolo-

-
-


An organization may develop an IT strategy that

desired outcome of this strategy is to make the organi-

Although cost is an issue, the primary focus must be


enhance the end product become overhead costs for



decisions, improve their use of technology, and use

clarity and long-term direction for both management

-


Information Technology Management

Exhibit 14.14
The Steps in Developing a Technology Plan
Step 1: Determine programmatic issues and
business goals
Step 2: Develop a preliminary vision for
technology use
Step 3: 
technology and available resources
Step 4: 
technology
Step 5: Identify technology solutions
Step 6: 
technology vision and priorities
Step 7: 
Step 8: Develop a technology budget
Step 9: 
Step 10: Develop a technology implementation
timeline
Step 11: 
technology plan
Source:     



To develop a successful IT plan, each park and

involve all the relevant stakeholders in creating

the plan;
-

and training all the stakeholders;




applicable to planning and implementation of a technol-

ogy plan for recreation, park, and leisure service agency



Paradigm Shifts in
Information Technology




 


-

-


the need for the organization to communicate and be






 -

-



-

among all the managers, instead of four individual






For years, divisions and sections of an organization

have been delegated the responsibility and authority
for producing services and accounting for their cost and




To overcome that obstacle, departments reorganized,


centralized versus decentralized management because

In todays business environment, success equals



Information Technology Management

335

information roles every time there is a change in man-



department, organization, vendor or public entity


  -


required to support the information function of the

engineered to create an information resource that is

on IT resources must move the organization closer to


Through the vastly enhanced connectivity capa-

bility, businesses have recognized the potential for



-






performance business teams, composed of informa-




IT functions are delegated to departments or


departments are held accountable for informa-

training as needed;
systems are developed based on the strengths

the tasks;

systems in place;
-

-
erations; and

of the organization and the subsequent per-

various services;

-
neered so that the customer receiving the ser-

Exhibit 14.15
Summary of Shift from Personal to Work-Group Computing
Organizational hierarchy


Accountable business teams




Designing technology

Tailorism

Technical users

Installing technology

Leadership for change

336

Group performance

Information Technology Management

 training and support are available to everyone

Groups, not individuals or divisions, are account-


increase intradepartmental cooperation, so that the

 -



-
 

There are many tools, such as e-mail, teleconferencing,


Integrated Systems

other organizations or vendors, become contractors, or

continue at the same service levels, using available
-

-



access to all operational or administrative information


an organization must develop and implement informa-
tion standards for document management, database


management provides infrastructure and sys-

personal information generated by all users is

kept to a minimum; and




Government entities, businesses, and universities are

organizations moving from being service producers to


-


  




Enterprise Computing


organizations that provide park and recreation ser-

 -


recreation organizations, environmental education

groups, hospitals, libraries, sporting goods stores,





to each organization to determine if it is practical and
 


Assessing IT Needs
-



methods and techniques to manage an agencys infor-



costs for planning, developing, implementing, and
training, and the indirect cost of change and its impact
 

First, organization must be able to identify a clear

produce services in-house or manage services

of contractors;
organize tournaments, manage facilities, or

both;
operate as one organization or autonomous

divisions or sections;

Information Technology Management

service groups; and




should be moved from an information-producing to an


business need component provides guidelines as to the

information resource required for making the organiza-

commits to beginning or continuing the evolution-
ary process of integrating department information

-
lecting facility rental data and printing a schedule,




 make IT part of your business
planembrace technology 
information-producing to an integrated information




-

-
lar competing products or acquisition through grants,

There are many approaches to IT needs assess-

-


One of the greatest emotional forces for acquiring

IT is PC envy.












business practices, planning for global training, or using


The easiest task in the IT continuum is to buy a






purchasing process, and has a computer delivered, it

-



-
tive disposal of old and unused equipment requires


are in the 
 



It is possible for an organization to be dismantled

cannot respond to the information needs of the public,
upper management, governing boards and councils,


no longer can be reduced to the direct costs associated


Information technology systems assure that appropri-

-
nel, and program records are being maintained and
-


Information Technology Management

a manual process to an automated process introduces



-


  -



must continually reevaluate their plans and reset their

A primary function of a recreation organization


determining client needs, developing programs, mar-
keting program ideas, and tracking user involvement





-




because of the additional administrative time needed to



There are even options to host the service in-house, or

-
puter use by patrons, banking fees are all considerations

The IT Business and Planning Team



management supports the use of teams to solve busi-


The planning team must have an agenda that improves


and recreation organization, the manager and chief


Another member of the team should be an IT

-
bers of senior management from each of the operational


Once the team is assembled, specialists and techni-


-




 

-






-
ness and the director understands the basics of the IT
 
agencies, directors must learn more about IT in order

Information Technology Management

Exhibit 14.16
Members of the IT Planning Team
or

Director of park and

recreation organization




An administrative assistant



Costs of a Growing IT Infrastructure


 -
tions evolve and become more computer literate, their
 

For the strategic system to operate at a high level

of reliability and to provide information services to

funds for needs analysis and design;

purchase and implementation;

Connectivity, the ability to access information

The administrative process must have a certain



Management
of the park and recreation business and information

-
opments, customer trends, computer industry

provide special reports and respond to infor-
mation requests; and
enforce conformity or notify proper authorities

Professional and Staff Development






the verb to know

to know


-




recreation, park, and leisure organizations on the value
of information technology remains an ever-present


Information Technology Management

Exhibit 14.17
Assets: Information Appliances

Technology



Desktop computer

Digital camera

55 percent

Laptop computer

30 percent





Source:


-


-
-


ager is an integral part of the information culture, as


culture change requires the recreation, park and leisure
manager to move the management information systems

Information Skills


-
ment, brokering services, pay-for-performance, cus-

-
-
tions, there is a corresponding information skill that


In many cases; an even greater change is taking

placea culture change from the manager as a non-

information, to the manager becoming a user, collector,
and interpreter of the information through graphs and
 -

Exhibit 14.18
Paradigm Shift Related to Information Control
From

To





Information protecting

Information sharing

Source: 

Information Technology Management

Exhibit 14.19
Training Materials Study
Traningmag.com 2003 Industry Report
-








In some cases, the use of Intranet-based and

-





their various multi-media components and multiple
techno-toolsas a more enticing and less stressful

  

 


reducing the cost of sending training materials

basis;



The training can be made more consistent, standard,

-

 


-


A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan

an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a build-

a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders,

problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a




Other training-related savings can be realized

updates, facility information, and various announce-
ments are updated each quarter and either placed on a


The current multimedia training budgets in cor-




 

Information Technology Management

Exhibit 14.20
Top Reasons Companies Are Using
Multi-media Based Training
Question to the reader: Have the reasons altered over time?











Source:

Training

 

the participants are less likely to zone out and more

The participants in this study said that discussion

groups
role playing

those surveyed; and the inclusion of PowerPoint presen-

tations

and employ a message or image that related to the

All three of these methods are adaptable to a tech-

nology-rich environment, through a host of technology-

methods used, recreation and park professionals must

-

continuously addressed in recreation and park agencies
 Computerworld, v. 3
aliens, the technology- based training can be a chal-
 
Generation, technophobia remains a real issue, despite


-

-



groups through employment training modules designed
-


skills are less apprehensive about entering the techno-

recreation, park, and leisure service agencies in service
area positions such as landscaping, maintenance, and
-

individuals, specialized training is needed to not only
address the technology skills, but in some cases, to


 


Talk to your IT department.


IT can but make sure that the systems and

Choose the right medium.

 -


of the technology and reduce the time for the
-


Tailor the multimedia to meet the needs of the

Determine if pre-tests or assessments or post-

Information Technology Management

Make your multimedia interactive.

multimedia as interactive as possible and

-
ing as possibleif material is more suited to
deliver by paper, then multimedia may not be




-
ing, interacting, and as a laboratory for discuss-

 -
media have the same level of sophistication in
using technology and multimediaprovide
varying levels of interaction for the varied lev-

 -

Manage the learning.



incentive for employees to be selected for

-
trol over the content of the training and the

Use carrot and stick approach.

-

Dont neglect pilot testing your multimedia

Aim for blended learning.


Try to have a human tutor to address questions

or concerns if the multimedia training is not





Model, pilot, test.

-
ing the system early is less costly than full
scale implementation that may not meet your

-
ences and feed the information back into the

The recreation and park managers of the future

Information Technology Management

Resources
Older Americans, broadband and the future
of the net

pdf
Quotable business: Over 2,800 funny,
irreverent, and insightful quotations about corporate
life.

    
public Policy, and focusing events

   What the surveys tell
us about use and information technology in higher
education  
  
    


School Administration: Knowledge, Constructs
and Theory.

 

Introduction to homeland secu-

rity. 

  
Convene, X, 10
The internet and busi-
ness: A lawyers guide to the emerging legal issues. The





Managing information: The challenge and

the opportunity.

   -

Computerworld, v.31

What is a GIS? 




  Survey sees tech divide on data

disasters   

 

     
T H E Journal


Greenberger, M. (1971). Computers, communication, and the

public interest, Baltimore: Johns Hopkins.
The lifelong learner


 
Schole: A
Journal of Leisure Studies and Recreation Education,
11

  A typology of information and

communication technology users.





  



   


   


   
 

   





 


  
 

System under stress: Homeland security

and American politics. 

Computerworld, 31
The Internet for dummies
(2nd ed.). 
     
Computerworld Online


-

   


Information Technology Management


Technological
Horizons in Education, 24
   Homeland secu-
rity law and policy.    

  Beyond maps: GIS and deci-
sion making in local government. 
   

Managers guide to purchasing an
information system.





-
ing needs in the use of distance education for
International Journal of Educational
Telecommunications, 1


-
 









Multimedia training: Top 10 tips for man-
agers

  Facing
the unexpected: Disaster preparedness and response in
the United States

Techno Vision: The executives survival

guide to understanding & managing information tech-
nology.


Technological Horizons
in Education, 24

 -


  














 

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What you should know



Information Technology Management

Authors, Consultants, and Contributors





 
-

Donna Goldstein  

     
 
 

-

 












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Information Technology Management