The Race for Data Reports

The existence of an information system allowed the development of the Management Database. At best, the Management Database was an electronic collection of selected operational data for auditing reports and compliance reports, with little consideration for data needs for academic program planning and evaluation. For example, the enrollment database dynamically recorded the latest changes to the enrollment figures. There were no information system components designed to track historical trends, transient enrollment patterns, policy effects, or schedule changes. The result was multiple sets of enrollment figures depending on the time the data reports were generated from the Management Database.

For compliance with external expectation, as well as potential improvement in internal control, management began to expect data reports as required support for internal reports. This became a major challenge throughout the organization in the absence of a data collection and data distribution scheme to support the new management mandate.

Senior managers assumed that standardized data reports prepared by the Computer Center would be sufficient for all data needs, and special data report could be researched and generated by the Institutional Research Office. The reality was that while the Computer Center prepared standardized reports, it was not designated as a data distribution center. The reluctant functional managers avoided their assigned roles in data distribution, triggering a mad race for data reports. When available, the functional data reports provided very low value for other applications.

On the other hand, the Institutional Research Office became overwhelmed with requests for data requests. There were long delays in preparing customized data reports as the Institutional Researcher juggled requests among deadlines for other institutional reports. In many instances, the Institutional Researcher would produce different data reports to users for similar needs because the users have stated their needs differently. The mad race for data reports ended in meetings where participants arrived with different versions of data reports, with a variety of formats in data presentations, and the hottest issue during the meetings became the accuracy of conflicting data from the various data reports. Evidentially, there was more interest in obtaining data reports, than quality data through the reports.

Challenge Three: Management must meticulously plan data acquisition, data preparation, data distribution, and data usage, and fully understanding the required organizational incentive and associated costs for maintaining information flow within the organization. This is especially important in cultural environment where data-driven decision-making is a new practice.