Management Analysis in Public Organizations: History, Concepts, and Techniques

fact the analysts have often dealt with information, especially in providing it to managers and decision makers. First, analysts have long been involved with automation. In addition, management analysts have frequently worked in records management and micrographics, two of the other elements that constitute IRM. Further, in some federal agencies organizational changes have actually incorporated MA units into larger IRM organizations. Recently, there has been evidence in these agencies of a trend to remove MA units from IRM organizations and have them report directly to a separate top management official. Management analysis units reporting directly to top management obviously can be more independent and objective and are less wedded to a particular technology than those organizationally located under the IRM officer.

IRM is a "natural" for management analysts and an area in which their skills are much needed and in which they can excel. One needs only to look at the goals of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980 to see potential roles for MA. Two of the most important goals of the act are to minimize federal cost of information handling and to ensure that ADP and telecommunications technologies are acquired and used to improve efficiency and effectiveness.

Further, the time is right to bring a stronger MA perspective to IRM. Up to this point IRM has been mainly technology driven with a strong technical ADP perspective. This is largely because ADP shops became the focal point for new IRM organizations. Now, however, with increasing cost-consciousness and a growing belief that many systems may not be worth what they cost, the focus of IRM can change from ADP and hardware to "resources" and "management" and thereby achieve greater balance. The traditional concerns of MA with information, resources, and management, make it perfectly suited to play a leadership role in IRM.

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