Management information systems form a bedrock of IT use in the public sector. They are therefore found in all sections of the public sector and in all countries. Of course, different people use the term ‘management information system’ differently. The term should therefore not form the basis for arguments about(71)an MIS is and is not. So long as one and those with whom one works understand and agree on a definition, that is good enough. Similarly, when dealing with written material, one needs to be able to(72)and communicate, not get locked into doctrinal debate. Many public service providers have developed management information systems to monitor and control the services that they provide.Both the US(73)UK Social Security agencies have developed MIS to report on the welfare payments and services that they provide . The British public healthcare system has also been a major investor in MIS as it tries to control healthcare costs and simultaneously improve delivery standards. Individual schools can also(74)use of MIS. Hobmoor Junior and Infant School, a public school in Birmingham, UK, introduced a computerised attendance system to produce MIS reports that monitor pupil attendance. This improved the Principal’s ability to understand and control absence patterns,resulting in a 2.5 per cent(75)in attendance rates.
