Strategies &; Considerations in the Development of Computerised Client Information Systems in a Welfare Setting

This paper aims firstly to describe the existing Melbourne Family Care Organisation (M.F.C.O.) Service Information System (S.I.S.) and how it was developed. Although the system was developed to meet our own needs, it has also from the outset been considered to be an innovative demonstration to the field with the hope that other welfare agencies will organise their own systematic data collections to allow for pooling of information and thereby facilitating advocacy, lobbying and social comment. A copy of the computer program, therefore, is available free of charge to any agencies who consider it may be appropriate for them. Secondly, M.F.C.O. would like to share some of their experiences in the hope that other agencies interested in undertaking development of their own systems, may be able to avoid some of the pitfalls we encountered.