Use of the Marine Safety Information System Data Base in Program Management

摘要

The Marine Safety Information System (MSIS) is an automated data base designed as an integrated system for providing information to support the operation, management, and decision functions of most of the US Coast Guard's marine safety activities. In order for MSIS to fulfill its designed purpose, the information in the data base must be limited to that of value to users at the field unit, district, and headquarters levels, and there must be sufficient Marine Safety Program activity feedback available to users for program and resource management purposes. While currently available feedback is useful for some operational, management, and decision making functions, a perceived need exists for additional data to be extracted and made available to marine safety field units and district (m) division staffs. Additionally, questions have arisen as to the value of the current data base elements and whether more elements should be added. Information for this study was gathered primarily through a questionnaire distributed to marine safety field units, district (m) divisions and Commandant (G-M) and (G-W) staffs, supplemented by personal and telephone interviews. MSIS is fulfilling its designed function but specific additional activity feedback is desired by field units and district (m) division staffs. MSIS would further enhance program management if the current data base were modified by the addition and deletion of data elements and simplification of some system software processes.