Electronic information systems in human service organisations:
the what, who, why and how of information
Digital technology and configuring the user: implications for
the redesign of electronic information systems in social work and
initiatives to improve social work practice with children and
families1Dr Philip Gillingham, University of Queensland
Information systems (IS)MIS Management Information System
CMS Client Management System
ICS Integrated Childrens SystemCRIS Client Record Information
System (Victoria)Dr Philip Gillingham, University of
Queensland2
The ResearchElectronic information systems and human service
organizations: the development of systems for the future
3 years (2013 to 2015).
Funding: Discovery Early Career Research Award, from the
Australian Research CouncilSee flyer. Dr Philip Gillingham,
University of Queensland3
The ResearchEthnography observation, interviews,
participation.
4 non-government social service providers Queensland, New South
Wales and Victoria.
2 local authorities in England. Developments in child protection
systems in Ireland and New Zealand.
Dr Philip Gillingham, University of Queensland4
Problems with IS - org levelTime spent entering data up to 80%
(Gillingham, 2009; Samuel, 2005, cited in Parton, 2008)
Concerns about data integrity (Shaw et al, 2009; Ombudsman,
2009; Wood, 2008; Carrilio, Packard & Clapp, 2004)
In Victoria, Australia, the Ombudsman (2009):My investigation
also identified fundamental flaws in the integrity of the data used
by the department to track and measure its performance against its
responsibilities. (Point 579)
Dr Philip Gillingham, University of Queensland5
Problems with IS practitioner levelAas (2004) - loss of
narrative
Parton (2008) - from the social to the informational or from
depth to surface.
Substantial obstacle to good practice (Munro,2011,p.114)Dr
Philip Gillingham, University of Queensland6
The problemInitiatives to improve social work practice Signs of
Safety (Stanley and Mills,2014) , Looking after Children
(Barnardos, 2014)
Redesign of IS.
Dr Philip Gillingham, University of Queensland7
Technology configuring the userIntrona (2007), Latour (2002),
Heidigger (1997)
Technology not a neutral tool.
Design subject to the aspirations, interests, power, values,
assumptions, beliefs, etc. of a diverse set of potential
stakeholders (Introna, 2007, p. 13). Dr Philip Gillingham,
University of Queensland8
End ResultIS contain ideas and beliefs about how work should be
done:
How information is to be recorded and categorized.
Workflows and business rules.
Embedded structures to be enacted by users as
technologies-in-practice (Orlikowski, 2000; Gillingham,2013)
Dr Philip Gillingham, University of Queensland9
Burton and van den Broek (2009): the introduction of new public
management coupled with developments in computingand other
technologies constitute, we propose, substantial change in
expectations and accountabilities (p. 1327).
Current embedded structures from NPM: audit, control and
surveillance (Gillingham and Graham, forthcoming)
Combine with affordances of IS information storage and retrieval
(Faraj and Baran, 2012).
Dr Philip Gillingham, University of Queensland10
Through repeated interaction with these embedded structures over
time social work practice has been
reconfigured/restricted/changed.
Changed how social workers think about their work . leading to
identified problems
Dr Philip Gillingham, University of Queensland11
Turn things around?Good social work practice configuring the
design of IS.
Ideas and beliefs about what constitutes good assessment and
intervention as embedded structures rather than the logics of
NPM.
Lots of challengesDr Philip Gillingham, University of
Queensland12
ChallengesCost.Organisational change.NPM.Audit.Work
practices.
Dr Philip Gillingham, University of Queensland13
An exampleLACES Looking After Children Electronic System
Developed by Barnardos Australia
Contains all the assessment forms for LAC guided case management
(Barnardos, 2014)
Dr Philip Gillingham, University of Queensland14
ButTwo week evaluation with two foster care teams using
LACES(Gillingham, in press)
Given the choice they didnt use it didnt need to guide their
practice priority was working with children, carers and families
rather than filling in electronic formsDr Philip Gillingham,
University of Queensland15
For the future IS design has to be aligned and embedded with
good practice approaches
But, in doing so, cant repeat the mistakes of the past
(excessive form filling, lack of flexibility in approach).
Dr Philip Gillingham, University of Queensland16
QuestionsCan we embed elements of good practice in IS?
Can we use IS to configure good practice?
Dr Philip Gillingham, University of Queensland17
QuestionsIs this just procedurally modelling social work when
contextual modelling is required (see Hollnagel, 2002; Gillingham,
2014)?
Procedural = standard response to predictable event
Contextual = flexible response according to circumstances to
unpredictable event
Dr Philip Gillingham, University of Queensland18
QuestionsTo what extent is it useful to embed practice
approaches for practitioners?
Careful and critical evaluation
See Gillingham, P. (2014) Technology configuring the user:
implications for the redesign of electronic information systems in
social work. The British Journal of Social Work. Published online 5
December 2014. DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcu141.
Dr Philip Gillingham, University of Queensland19
ReferencesAas, K. F. (2004) From narrative to database:
technological change and penal culture. Punishment and Society,
6(4), 379-393Barnardos (2014) Looking after children in Australia.
http://www.pdc.org.au/lac/category.php/view/id/55Burton, J. and van
den Broek,D. (2009) Accountable and countable: Information
management systems and the bureaucratization of social work,
British Journal of Social Work, 39, pp. 132642.Carilio, T. E. ,
Packard, T. , Clapp, J. D. (2004) Nothing in - nothing out.
Administration in social work, 27(4), 61-75Gillingham, P. (2014a)
Technology configuring the user: implications for the redesign of
electronic information systems in social work. The British Journal
of Social Work. Published online 5 December 2014. DOI:
10.1093/bjsw/bcu141.Faraj, S. and Bijan, A. (2012) The materiality
of technology: An affordance perspective, inP. M. Leonard, B. A.
Lardi and J. Kalinkos (eds), Materiality and Organizing: Social
Interaction in a Technological World, Oxford, Oxford University
Press, 23758.Gillingham, P. (2014) Electronic information systems
in human service organizations: using theory to inform future
design. International Social work. Published online 8 December
2014. DOI: 10.1177/0020872814554856Gillingham, P. (2013) The
development of electronic information systems for the future:
practitioners, embodied structures and technologies-in-practice.
The British Journal of Social Work, 43, 430-445.Gillingham, P.
(2009) The use of assessment tools in child protection: an
ethnomethodological study. University of Melbourne
http://repository.unimelb.edu.au/10187/4337Heidegger, M. (1977) The
Question Concerning Technology and Other Essays, New York, Harper
Torchbooks.
Dr Philip Gillingham, University of Queensland20
Hollnagel, E. (2002) Time and Time Again, Theoretical Issues in
Ergonomics Science 3(2): 14358. Introna, L. D. (2007) Maintaining
the reversibility of foldings: Making the ethics (politics)of
information technology visible, Ethics and Information Technology,
9, pp. 1125.Latour, B. (2002) Morality and technology: The end of
the means, Theory, Culture andSociety, 9(5/6), pp. 24760.Munro, E.
(2011) The Munro Review of Child Protection: Final Report: A Child
Centred System. London: Department for Education. Ombudsman (2009)
Own motion investigation into the Department of Human Services
Child Protection Program. November 2009.Orlikowski, W. (2000) Using
technology and constituting structures: A practice lens forstudying
technology in organizations, Organization Science, 11(4), pp.
40428.Parton, N. (2008) Changes in the form of knowledge in social
work: from the social to the informational? British Journal of
Social Work, 38, pp. 253-269.Stanley, T. and Mills, R. (2014) Signs
of Safety Practice at the Healthand Childrens Social Care
Interface. Practice: Social Work in Action,
DOI:10.1080/09503153.2013.867942Wood, J. (2008). Report of the
Special Commission of Inquiry into Child Protection Services in New
South Wales. The Hon James Wood, AO, QC. November 2008. Dr Philip
Gillingham, University of Queensland21
