INTRODUCING COMPUTER AND NETWORK SERVICES AND TOOLS IN FOREST SERVICE AND THE HR FACTOR

摘要

Forest service in Greece offers multiple services within the protection and preservation of forest areas. This paper studies the contribution of the factor 'human resources'(HR) in the new changing work environment, with the introduction of computer and network services, tools and techniques in Forest Service. A survey was performed in the region of Epirus, a distant mountainous region, with many productive forests and national parks. Questionnaires were addressed to foresters, technician foresters and administrative employees in Forest Service units between July and November 2008. The results indicate that HR exploits moderately new technologies although they believe that computers and network services, tools and techniques would increase productivity and improve decision-making. Regarding the critical points for the effective use of IT tools and network services, they consider as important parameters the creation of a network-based national forest database, the sufficient computer training of forest personnel, the lack of forest software, the high cost for the implementation of an integrated e-government project within Forest Service.