The use of geographical information in local authority planning departments.

Information is perceived to be a vital resource by most organisations. In
the case of local authority planning departments the majority of the
information utilised has a geographical component. Technological advances
in the last ten years have made it practical for most planning authorities
in Britain to store and process a substantial proportion of their data
needs using computers. However, despite the removal of many of the
technical barriers which inhibited the development of computer based
systems the experiences of planning authorities have been mixed.
With these considerations in mind the research examines three areas which
are regarded as likely to influence the effective utilisation of
geographical information by planning authorities. These are firstly,
factors affecting the development of automated systems, secondly, the role
of information in the process of formulating planning policies and
thirdly, factors directly influencing the utilisation of information
including automated data. The investigation explores through empirical
studies the validity of a range of theoretical perspectives which have
sought to describe and explain the use of information in organisations.
The conceptual framework underlying the research draws on the findings of
a series of major studies based in local government in the United States
undertaken by the Public Policy Research Organisation of the University of
California at Irvine. The framework suggests technology and more
particularly the utilisation of information is embedded within the social and political processes of organisations. Three groups of organisational
factors are identified as significantly influencing the experiences of
local authorities. These are: (i) the organisational context; (ii) people;
and (iii) change and instability.
The empirical investigations are based on the findings of two in depth
case studies undertaken in Hertfordshire County Council and Glasgow
District Council. A two stage case study approach was adopted. The
methods utilised include exploratory and semi-structured interviews, an
analysis of existing documentation, attendance at meetings and observation
of the activities of the department.
The research findings support the arguments underlying the conceptual
framework that organisational factors have a significant impact on the
development of computer based systems and the utilisation of geographical
information in planning authorities. The link between information and
policy making was found to be complex with information often performing
tactical, background and even political roles rather than the substantive
function often assumed by systems designers. These findings also have
important implications for planning practice. Given the significance of
human, institutional and organisational considerations to the effective
utilisation of geographical information a user centred strategy is
proposed. This approach provides a framework which enables the social and
political as well as technical nature of computer based systems to be
incorporated into the development process. With these considerations in
mind there is a need for further work which explores the impact of
organisational factors if the current technological opportunities are to
be realised in practice.