Evaluation of Information Resource Management: Measuring change in a federal bureaucracy

This is a case study of a federal bureaucracy and its Information Resource Management (IRM) organization. The Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), a federal power marketing agency and part of the Department of Energy, significantly impacts the western United States. BPA is responsible for developing electric power resources, transmission of electric resources, power conservation programs, and fish and wildlife programs.; The focus of the study is the perception of the quality of information supplied to management, assuming that better information makes better decisions. The study uses a pre-experimental research design to evaluate the satisfaction executive and middle management with information they use to make decisions. The study uses both questionnaire and interview methodologies to examine management opinions before the establishment of IRM and two years after the establishment of IRM.; Literature on bureaucracy indicates that decision making has limits and processes. Channels of communication, both formal and subformal are used by decision makers to gather information to fill information gaps. The gaps exist because formal channels of information do not supply sufficient information. Consequently, decision makers constantly search for information.; There is a great deal of literature addressing IRM and other similar organizations. The technical and operational sides of information management are occasionally conflicting but, adequately addressed. Information assessment and evaluation are approached inadequately.; Questionnaires and interviews provide congruent methodologies to provide complete data for analysis. Questionnaire data was statistically analyzed and content analysis was used to analyze interviews.; Analysis revealed that information in BPA is better since the installation of the IRM organization, but probably not because of the IRM. Information is difficult to see in use, but can be found in formal and subformal communication networks which often mirror formal and informal organizational structures in bureaucracy. If formal channels that supply information fail then subformal channels must supply information. Subformal channels are used in times of crisis. However, subformal information channels are the least reliable. Therefore, an organization in crisis may use the least reliable information to make decisions. Automation of the least reliable sources of information has both positive and negative consequences.