Our original mission for this project was to describe the state of information technology at Massachusetts CAAs and to identify the needs and issues associated with it. Soon after this project got under way and we began visiting Massachusetts’ 25 CAAs, we quickly realized that the issues related to information technology within these agencies are not simply "technological and technical," but also were organizational. Moreover, many of the problems identified by those we interviewed at the various agencies were the same: for example, staff IT skills, training, and support; lack of resources to keep up with rapid changes in computer technology; a host of issues related to data collection and reporting.
Given these similarities, many of those whom we interviewed could see the benefits of collaboration with other Massachusetts CAAs in addressing some of their problems. In fact, some of them felt that key issues related to resources and data systems only could be resolved through collaboration with other CAAs, since it would take CAAs working together with their public sector funding sources to successfully address such issues over the longer term.
Virtually every CAA saw some form of collaboration with other CAAs—through MASSCAP—as a means of addressing one or more of their IT-related issues. And in nearly all cases, they saw the need for MASSCAP to take more leadership and to increase its role as a statewide vehicle to help CAAs solve their problems related to information technology.
During each site visit, staff at the CAA were asked to respond to a list of specific ways in which MASSCAP could do more to promote collaboration among CAAs and/or take action to address IT-related issues faced by CAAs. They were also asked to add their own ideas to the list. Every agency responded positively to at least a few items on the list, and at most CAAs those interviewed added a few ideas of their own. Those suggestions for MASSCAP related to addressing IT issues and problems at CAAs that received the most widespread support among CAAs were:
jointly working through MASSCAP to encourage state agencies to streamline and standardize data reporting systems
finding new funding resources through MASSCAP to expand and enhance information technology infrastructures at CAAs
staff training and education: utilizing MASSCAP as a vehicle to collaborate, through regional or statewide training workshops
sharing IT product experiences and information
sharing IT expertise
sharing IT-related policies, procedures, and job descriptions.
All these suggestions and others related to collaborative efforts by CAAs utilizing MASSCAP in solving common IT-related problems are covered in foregoing sections of this report.
Those interviewed at a few CAAs also mentioned the possibility of working collaboratively with either other CAAs in their respective regions, or those CAAs with which they share common interests, as a strategy for addressing IT-related issues. In fact, at least one precedent of such collaboration exists: earlier in the 1990s, several Massachusetts CAAs formed a consortia to develop software that ultimately led to the emergence of Community Networks, and the predecessor of its "Octopus" central database program.
While many of the information technology-related problems Massachusetts CAAs face point to intra-agency collaboration in finding solutions, the revolution in electronic communications also has opened the door to new possibilities for collaboration among CAAs in other areas. In particular, the Internet offers a rapid, relatively inexpensive means for administrators and direct services staff working at CAAs scattered across the state to share information, to conduct dialogues, and to work together on an ongoing basis to address common problems and to develop new initiatives.
Increasing Communications via the Internet. Most of the staff at CAAs who were interviewed recognized the potential of the Internet to raise communications among CAAs to a new level. Virtually all of them, when asked, endorsed the suggestion that MASSCAP should promote and develop new ways for CAAs to communicate and share information on a wide range of common issues via e-mail and the MASSCAP Web site. Most of them felt that such statewide communications should include many staff working within individual CAAs, and not be confined to executive directors, staff responsible for MIS/IT, or other select administrative staff. They offered many reasons why ongoing, increased contact via the Internet among staff within programs would be beneficial to their respective agencies. Among these reasons staff cited were:
n finding ways to solve common problems
n improving service coordination among CAAs in adjoining geographical areas
n sharing tips about useful informational resources on the Internet
n discussing ways in which their agencies might collaborate to develop new programs and to secure new sources of funding.
Staff at numerous agencies thought that the MASSCAP Web site should offer mechanisms to communicate on an ongoing basis, such as "chat rooms," bulletin boards, etc., specific to different types of staff at the state’s CAAs and their programs. For instance, these might include interactive parts of the site where CAA staff across the state from Head Start, or energy programs, or job training programs, or housing programs might communicate. Some suggested that the site should include such electronic forums for executive directors, finance directors, planning/development staff, and MIS/IT staff.
Sharing Materials via the Internet. Others pointed out that CAAs could share commonly used documents by placing them on the MASSCAP Web site. These might be forms, boilerplate copy, policies, procedures, and statistical documents relevant to the work of Massachusetts CAAs that could be downloaded easily for use by any CAA.
Some staff whom we interviewed wanted to learn more about innovative programs at other CAAs—and how they might replicate them at their own agencies. They suggested that those agencies which have developed such programs could share descriptions of their efforts by placing such material on the MASSCAP Web site. (Already, MASSCAP has begun adding to its Web site a profile of such an innovative program at a CAA each time the site is updated.)
Staff at most CAAs strongly supported the idea of placing specific information about programs and services offered by CAAs across Massachusetts on the MASSCAP Web site so that it can be accessed easily by clients, potential clients, and by case managers at other state and private agencies—who increasingly are using the Internet to locate services to which they can make referrals. In fact, many agencies have provided to MASSCAP specific information about their own programs, services, and geographical areas covered in response to this idea.
Need for More Face-to-face Interaction among Massachusetts’ CAA Staff. Some of those interviewed who strongly endorsed the idea of expanding ongoing communications among different levels of staff among Massachusetts CAAs via the Internet also brought up another point. It is expressed best in the following statements made by two administrative staff at different CAAs:
"I think the idea of communicating via e-mail with other CAA finance directors about common problems we encounter is a good one. I can see the benefits. Yet I’ve been here several years, and I think I’ve met only two other CAA finance directors. I’m sure there are others who are very knowledgeable about the same federal and state programs that our agency has, but I don’t know them. MASSCAP has a monthly forum for executive directors to get together. Even a yearly forum for CAA finance directors would benefit me. It’s a lot easier to e-mail or call somebody you’ve met in person—even if it was only once or twice. Why can’t MASSCAP organize occasional meetings of finance directors?"
"I oversee many of our agency’s programs as well as our computer systems. Could I gain by finding out what other agencies are doing to solve some of the problems I’m facing? The answer is ‘yes.’ I do talk with a couple of other administrative staff from nearby CAAs from time to time, to compare notes or discuss common problems. But you know, I don’t think I’ve been to more than a couple of MASSCAP meetings or events in all the years I’ve been here.
It should be noted that staff from some federal and state programs that many Massachusetts CAAs have do bring together staff for statewide or regional training sessions and meetings. According to a number of those who were interviewed, many of these events are valuable for the CAA program staff who attend them.
Yet many CAA staff seem to have no significant or ongoing communications with their counterparts in other CAAs in Massachusetts—even with those in nearby agencies. Of course, the fact that such intra-agency contact in many cases is infrequent or nonexistent probably does not adversely affect the quality of services or the efficiency of service delivery. But the lack of such communication keeps the doors closed to new opportunities for information-sharing and collaboration that might benefit individual CAAs—and their clients.
The need for increased communications and collaboration among Massachusetts CAAs around a wide range of issues—IT included—was expressed by representatives from practically all of these agencies during the assessment phase of this project. Moreover, this need was confirmed by the high attendance and level of participation by the state’s CAAs at the 1999 MASSCAP conference on IT issues.
(On a national level, the Electronic Networking Group (ENG) recently has been established to serve as a nationwide listserv (e-mail correspondence group) for CAAs. The ENG is based on the premise that Internet connectivity can effectively eliminate many of the geographical barriers that isolate many CAAs. The idea is for colleagues across the U.S. to share their expertise and to address IT challenges together. For more details on the ENG, click here.)
While the technological revolution has created new demands and stresses on Massachusetts CAAs, at the same time it has also generated new needs for greater communication and collaboration among these agencies. Moreover, it has brought forth new mechanisms through which an unprecedented level of intra-agency communication and collaboration can take place.
As noted in previous sections, many problems CAAs face in their struggle to adapt to "The Information Age" realistically cannot be solved by individual agencies acting alone. Some of them are rooted in the public-private human services delivery system of which CAAs are a part and therefore lend themselves to collaborative problem-solving by CAAs as a group, working with their governmental partners.
Increased communications and collaboration among CAAs may not be essential to overcoming other IT-related problems faced by individual agencies. Yet in some cases, it could be an important part of the solution. Probably all CAAs would benefit by sharing information with one another about experiences with different aspects of information technology—one agency’s successes may offer models for others to emulate, just as its failures may prevent others from making similar mistakes. Given the shortage of technical expertise that exists within many CAAs, it makes sense to find ways to pool the expertise that does exist in CAAs across the state to address common problems. Also, CAAs may find that it is less costly and difficult to tackle some IT-related problems by collaborating with each other than by going it alone.
Most of the staff at CAAs around Massachusetts who were interviewed for this project did not need to be convinced about the benefits of enhanced communications and collaboration with other CAAs in the realm of information technology. Most reacted positively to questions on the topic and offered specific suggestions. Many added their own ideas—most of which appear in this report.
In fact, one unexpected by-product of this project was that it uncovered significant support among CAA staff for more communications and collaboration among their organizations in other areas—not just those related to IT. Numerous staff suggested that the MASSCAP Web site and e-mail should be used for statewide communication and information-sharing among various types of staff and programs found at Massachusetts CAAs. And several of them suggested that regular forums be held statewide for finance directors, planners, and other categories of staff to meet face-to-face.
The Expanding Role of MASSCAP. Strong support among CAAs for more intra-CAA communication and collaboration points to an expanded role for MASSCAP. In recent years, MASSCAP has become more than a regular information-sharing forum for CAA executive directors. It has become a more effective advocacy force on the state level on issues affecting low-income people and the needs of its member organizations. Through annual conferences with CAFCA, its counterpart statewide CAA association in neighboring Connecticut, it has served as a vehicle to bring together Massachusetts CAA staff at all levels to discuss common issues with each other and with their Connecticut colleagues, as well as to participate in educational workshops. In 1997, MASSCAP conducted a study on poverty in Massachusetts. That same year, it launched a Web site. More recently, it has developed and implemented an Information Technology Project that has resulted in assessments of IT capacities and needs at all 25 CAAs in the state, a statewide IT conference, and this report.
Taken together, all these activities and accomplishments indicate that the role of MASSCAP is already expanding. The association has demonstrated an ability to carry out a multi-pronged agenda; and it has begun to offer the means for CAA staff other than executive directors to come together and communicate.
Thus, MASSCAP seems poised to take another leap forward in its development as a statewide advocacy and "trade" association. And if expanded intra-CAA communications and collaboration is to develop to carry out the recommendations in this report related to IT, and to respond to other needs articulated by many of its members, MASSCAP will have to take another large step. Simply put, Massachusetts CAAs have no other statewide organization to meet these needs.
The New Information Technology: Its Role in Enhancing Intra-CAA Communications and Collaboration. Ironically, while problems associated with information technology seem to be propelling Massachusetts CAAs toward increased communications and collaborations, it is the recent advances in this technology that offer these agencies the means to communicate and collaborate more effectively than ever before. Computer technology—now widespread at CAAs—and growing access to the Internet within the state’s CAAs make it possible for these agencies and their staff members to rapidly communicate on an ongoing basis, and to work together on collaborative ventures, in ways that were not possible in the past. These mechanisms include: utilization of e-mail, file exchange, downloading material from Web sites, and video-conferencing via the Internet. These new communication and resource-sharing tools open up a new set of possibilities for the exchange of information and for collaboration on joint ventures among Massachusetts CAAs that were impractical, if not impossible, in the past. This potential can be realized by CAAs—if CAAs come to realize that potential and take steps to effectively tap it.
MASSCAP’s Web site can serve a hub of communications among Massachusetts CAAs and staff at various levels within these agencies. This interaction can lead to a new level of collaboration among all MASSCAP members—as well as collaboration among groups of agencies that share things in common: geography, needs, interests, etc. Placing detailed information on services provided at MASSCAP member agencies for public access represents an important step forward. However, adding communications centers within the site for different programs and staff interest groups within CAAs would provide a new tool for exchanging news and ideas, and solving common problems—as well as links to other resources available on the Internet. The Web site also could become a repository of documents that CAAs wish to share with one another.
Finally, the Web site also can enhance CAAs’ public relations efforts. Already, the MASSCAP Web site has included stories adapted for public consumption about innovative programs at several member agencies. However, MASSCAP’s effort to collect this material from CAAs for its Web site has unveiled only a few of the innovative programs within Massachusetts CAAs.
The Internet’s Impact on Organizations. Paradoxically, the Internet thus far seems to be a driving force for both centralization—and decentralization. How can this be so? Perhaps the best explanation is that while the technology is leading to centralization in some areas that were until now discrete and disparate entities, it also is producing an opposite effect in others. In other words, "The Information Age" is rearranging many relationships we have come to take for granted.
So, what does this rapid reshuffling of the deck mean for Massachusetts CAAs—and for MASSCAP? Of course, in the long run, no one can be certain. At present, however, CAAs should take into account—if they have not already done so—that the revolution in electronic communications has created some issues that cannot be resolved within their own organizations. Increased communications and collaboration with other CAAs as well as with other organizations and governmental entities will be necessary. Some of these issues will need to be addressed through statewide structures—such as MASSCAP.
At the same time, this revolution has a decentralizing effect: it offers new resources for organizations such as individual CAAs that can help them address their own needs and strengthen their independence. The Internet offers new means for individual CAAs to reach out into their communities—to attract new supporters for advocacy and new financial contributors, to bring in new clients, and to create new alliances with other organizations. Thus, individual CAAs now have the opportunity to benefit from the dual and seemingly conflicting impacts of this technological revolution. Yet two large questions remain: 1. Do Massachusetts CAAs fully recognize this opportunity? 2. If so, are they prepared to take advantage of it?
MASSCAP should continue to explore new ways to expand and to enhance communications and collaboration among its member CAAs on IT issues as well as other areas of interest.
MASSCAP should develop its Web site as a communications hub for member CAAs. For instance, this could be done by creating sections of the site devoted to communications among staff at CAAs who work in particular programs and in similar positions, and by collecting resources from individual CAAs that would benefit other CAAs and placing them on the site.
MASSCAP should regularly collect news and information from its members for its Web site to showcase the work of CAAs.
MASSCAP should promote more extensive use of e-mail as a means of ongoing communication among CAAs. A key step would be to develop a statewide list containing e-mail addresses of all Massachusetts CAA staff with external e-mail. Another would be to begin broadcasting via e-mail relevant news and information to CAAs across the state on a regular basis.
MASSCAP should create regular statewide forums geared to the needs of particular groups of staff, such as finance directors, planners, and MIS/IT staff. Even yearly gatherings of these staff might be beneficial for these staff members and their agencies.
MASSCAP should explore the idea of holding special statewide forums on significant topics of common interest to its members, such as the 1999 conference on information technology. These forums not only could be valuable for information-sharing and education, but could lead to more collaboration among CAAs.
MASSCAP should explore the feasibility of obtaining discounts on products and services utilized by its members.
Individual CAAs should consider making available materials they have developed that may be of use to other Massachusetts CAAs, and submit them to MASSCAP for Web site placement.
Individual CAAs should get in the habit of regularly submitting information and news about significant activities and developments at their agencies to MASSCAP for placement on the MASSCAP Web site to inform other CAAs and/or the public.
Individual CAAs should poll their own staff members to get their ideas about areas where they could benefit from increased communication/collaboration with other CAAs. They should then present these ideas to MASSCAP.