Providing state of the art information systems for small government agencies: a case study in technology transfer

Data base management systems, utilizing advanced techniques and methodologies, are being designed and developed by research groups on university campuses today. This paper describes how the capabilities and resources of one such system, normally used by faculty, students, and staff in a university environment, are being introduced and incorporated into a non-academic professional planning application. As a case in point, we present a plan to integrate the resources, talents, and needs of small size city and county planning departments with the facilities and expertise of information specialists based on a nearby university campus. The stated goals, the resources, the methodologies, the difficulties, and the successes are presented. Also discussed is the concept of “technology brokers”—people whose function is to bridge the communications gap that is often present between technology developers and potential users.