|
|
The Different Areas of Information Technology Usage in Social Services in Hong Kong John Y. C. Fung The Hong Kong Council of Social Service
Being an international financial centre, Hong Kong is one of the places in the world where information technology is widely used in the commercial application. Information Infrastructure, on the hardware side, is also particularly advanced as compared to other Asian countries such as Singapore and Japan. In 1997, Hong Kong has around 200,000 km optical fibre laid under ground, almost doubling the total length of that in Germany (Cheng & Mok, 1997:194). The length has increased to 300,000 km in 1998. It is a place with the highest penetration rate of mobile phone in the world and is the first city to establish commercially the technology of Interactive TV. These technological advancement, however, have not been reflected at all in the local social service sector. Compared to what Information Technology could do, its utilisation in social services is still at the embryonic stage. Not until recently, computers were still being considered as a luxury in most social service settings. While most social workers of the younger generation are familiar with word processing now, there is a paucity of knowledge of the potentials in adopting IT in social services. Discussion of IT in the local social work and social services journals is basically in scarcity. Associated with this scenario is the lack of training perspective. Only 2 out of the 6 social work training institutes in Hong Kong included the use of IT in social services as part of their formal curriculum at the master level, as elective subjects. Around 10 years ago, Caputo claimed that human services were decades behind the business world in using IT (1988:5). Cnaan described further that we were lightyears away from using computers in service provision (1989). Their views were echoed by Kerslake that social services departments in UK are clearly at the peripherals of information technology potential (1996). While these descriptions might by and large still stand for most social service agencies in Hong Kong, the speed in which we are narrowing the gap between social service and IT has gained much attention in recent years. Four Areas of IT Applications The utilisation of information technology in social service settings in Hong Kong could be described in four different areas. They are namely Administration; Client and Services Information; Direct Service Delivery and Communication. It is not too surprising to find that for most agencies in Hong Kong, the four areas could also be understood as stages of their IT development. Mostly limited by tight budgets, social service agencies usually started with simple, straight forward applications. As knowledge and confidence in using computers increase, attempts to explore into other new areas were made. The four so-called stages however, comfortably coincide with the stages of advancement in computer technology. The first generation of commercial used application was in the financial area (Zwass 1992: 198). We witnessed then how text editors gradually replaced typewriters later. Development of databases and fourth generation languages became popular in the last two decades while advanced users were attracted to the use of expert systems & decision support systems. The current wave of Internet and telecommunication technology then followed to be the centre of attention in the computer field. Although technological advancement does impact on the use of IT in social services, agencies’ use of computers seemed to be more driven by needs rather than by technology. And there is no reason why agencies cannot develop Internet applications before they establish a client database. Examples given below in the four areas of usage will show how agencies put together available technology and financial resources to fulfill their own IT needs. Administration The most direct use of computers within the social service sector is word processing. The findings of a recent survey reflected that it was still the most common type of IT application (HKCSS 1997). In most offices, only a small number of electronic type writers are retained for forms filling purposes. The same survey, which covered 464 social service units and 2500+ staff, revealed that only 20% of staff were reported to be having no knowledge in word processing. 54% of the total were reportedly having medium or good knowledge in word processing. Among those who had knowledge of word processing, 34% were frequent users. Apart from word processing, one would have thought that IT based financial management would be embraced by social service agencies. The reality could be a little bit frustrating to the enthusiasts. In the early 90s the Hong Kong Council of Social Service, the peak body for 256 NGOs, solicited funding for 40 agencies to purchase one accounting software system. Only around 20 agencies are using the system at the moment. Feedback from agencies suggested that the system might have been too advanced for their accounting practices and that the amount of training for users were beyond what the agencies could afford. Most of the agencies only have their accounting system partially computerised. For instance, while it is not uncommon for the head office of medium to large organisations to have their general ledger managed by computers, it might be rare to find service centres issuing computer printed receipts to customers. An information survey done by the government revealed that around 50% of all government funded agencies rely on manual accounting systems. It is doubtful if agencies are using computerised financial management systems in any sophisticated manner, apart from simple figures manipulation. Decision support systems and/or integrated Management Information System etc. are hardly known to exist in the sector. Recently, the government is considering a new subvention system which allows agencies to use the allocated fund flexibly but also put more pressure on the administrative side. If the system was adopted, agencies’ ability to apply more advanced techniques in computer assisted financial management will become an even more obvious issue of competitive advantage. Other administrative use of computers had also started to emerge occasionally, starting from mid 80s when secondhand personal computers were donated to some social service agencies. That covers a wide range of applications from printing invitation cards and banners for programs to general desktop publishing and specially designed room booking systems within an organisation. To date, as compared to other areas of usage, administrative use of computers is still the easiest to justify and explain to funders and financial controllers of social service agencies. Therefore most agencies started their computerisation schemes with the general administrative function. While office automation is generally being accepted now as necessity rather than luxury, the coverage and depth of automation varies widely across agencies. Client and Service Information One advantage of computerisation is the easy storage and processing of huge volume of data. After agencies had gained enough confidence in using computers, they would go beyond general administration and started to contemplate the use in storing clients’ data. When asked what they would like to do if they had an information system put in place, most respondents indicated 𩂈ecording clients’ particulars” & 𢖯erforming database functions” as their choice. (HKCSS 1997) The Clientele Information System of the Hong Kong Council of Social Service was established in late 70s to collect client and service statistics from NGOs to provide information for service and policy planning. It was the first and the only system for all NGOs of 7 major service areas to contribute their data to form a big picture of the service in Hong Kong. Being a centralised batch processing system, it required social workers in different organisations to send paper forms back to the Hong Kong Council of Social Service for processing. Statistical tables were output for analysis and summary reports were supplied to agencies at the end of the annual cycle. Over the years, the Council has changed from a mini-computer system to personal computers of several generations. The data generated by the system had been used in several critical issues in the local social service field and is now a rich bank of information for research initiatives. It is believed to be the largest computer based statistical system in the field. On the individual agencies side, there were also quite a few attempts in using database systems to handle client and services information. It could be traced back to as early as 1980 (Law 1994). Most of these attempts however, could not be classified as successful because they were mostly ad hoc and driven by a small group of enthusiasts. Law (1994) described the failure as mainly resulting from the lack of careful and long term planning. Other contributors are the lack of resources and trained personnel. The Council𠏋 survey (1997) found that around 60% of the responding service units have their computer systems supported by amateurs. To date, the maintenance and support of computer systems are still not recognised as subventible recurrent items. And in fact, most of the applications were developed in the early days by social workers, volunteers or students. For those agencies who were fortunate enough to hire professional consultants from outside for systems development, the problems were reportedly centred around communication with the consultants in terms of specifications and contracts. It is generally believed that one key factor of the under-development of IT in social service field is the limited support from the government, who is responsible for around 80% of all NGOs activities in the field. After years of negotiations and deliberation, in 1996 the government for the first time allocated funding for subvented NGOs to purchase computers. To date, more than 1600 personal computers have been allocated to service units in the field. Allegedly, more computers will be allocated to specific service units in the future. This provision of hardware had not only helped to create a foundation for long term IT development plan but also had enhanced NGOs’ interest in using computers to fulfill some short term information needs. The biggest software development factory in the social service field is the Council. Starting from 1993, the Council has been developing computer based information systems for service units mostly in relation to the Clientele Information Systems (CIS) mentioned above. Service units would be able to fulfill their internal needs for statistics as well as case management while at the same time outputing CIS data to replace the paper forms. Some systems have already been rewritten twice while some are just at the beginning phases of development. The range of products covers a wide spectrum: Outreaching Youth Work; Home Help Service; Elderly Centres; Children and Youth Centres; Family Casework Services; and Community Centres. The systems provides simple interfaces for managing clients/membership records and capacity to handle frequency and volume of services provided to the clients. According to needs specified by user agencies, some systems also provide features to monitor clients’ progress during the service period and the evolution of problems encountered by clients. Supervisors could also use the systems to control caseload and adjust service directions. For the three centre-based systems, i.e. Elderly Centres, Children and Youth Centres and Community Centres, the systems provide tools to process enrolment, payment, receipting and roll calling of programs and activities. The most difficult part of system development in the Council is the fact that specifications have to fit in with a large group of audience. For instance, there are around 200 Children and Youth Centres in Hong Kong. To involve all potential users of the systems in specification development meetings would be most demanding and time consuming. However, it is also the most crucial step to go through. One positive side effect is that these discussion forums provide most vivid opportunities for agencies to examine and exchange understanding of their own work processes. And there were occasions where flaws in procedures were discussed and rectified. With a few exceptions, most of these database systems were not designed as part of an integrated MIS. Full integration with the finance operations of the whole organisation, for instance, is uncommon. This is also partly due to the fact that the systems were initiated by social work personnel rather than by decision makers higher up in the hierarchy who had the authority to prescribe a direct service / finance integration. To conclude, most agencies in the sector have already gone beyond the administrative aspect and are in different stages of developing their own client databases. The use of such database also varies from simple membership listing to program evaluation. A large number of agencies however, face financial difficulties in such development and are more dependent on collective effort in system development. Direct Service One organisation in the field of elderly service is studying the feasibility of computerising their assessment process so that workers could have more accurate and objective parameters to refer clients to elderly homes of various care level. This would be one rare example where a real decision support system is being contemplated. According to the classification of Schoech (1990: 399), most information systems in the field are more inclined to data processing or information systems. The more advanced features of knowledge systems and decision support systems are generally not found. The most advanced type of agencies in applying information technology directly to client are the ones in rehabilitation field. Starting from the 80s, the Spastic Association of Hong Kong had already been enabling clients to use computers to learn life skills. They are also one of the few exceptions where administration of the organisation has come later than direct service in terms of computerisation. The Hong Kong Blind Union was one of the first to run an electronic bulletin board service to disseminate newspaper readings to clients. The Hong Kong Society for the Blind uses computer technology for braille production while The Rehabilitation Society provides training courses for people with disabilities to learn a wide range of computer skills applicable in general office settings. As part of its rehabilitation programs, one agency trains up ex-drug abusers to work as technicians in its computer shop. It is also quite common for agencies providing rehabilitation services for children to use computers in their therapeutic processes. Application systems are used to either engage clients in the rehabilitation programs by providing stimulation and motivation, and also to improve clients’ skills in areas such as language, visual perception, sensory-motor and logical thinking. The biggest hurdles common faced is the fact that software in these areas are mostly in English. Given the rehabilitation field is not considered as a very marketable area in Hong Kong, it has not been very attractive to commercial software companies. As the computer culture among youngsters in increasing rapidly in recent years, some rehabilitation agencies are considering running software competitions in secondary schools to maintain a supply of Chinese rehabilitation software for the field. Agencies do not necessarily go through the administration and database steps before they use computers for direct service. The most important determinants are the financial and human resources to develop and maintain systems. Being equipped with more knowledge of the potentials of IT, agencies’ creativity in applying IT in direct service will just flourish. Communication and Internet Having computers connected has been more than a fashionable trend. For some offices, it was just a natural development to network computers to enhance the efficiency of general administrative and financial functions. Our findings indicated that around 24% of all the service units responding to the questionnaire had local area network installed. Communication amongst remote sites via computer technology, however, is very uncommon. Wider area network had never been financially affordable in the sector. One drug abuse treatment agency, which had a need to do on-line verification of client𠏋 identity so as to minimize abuse of service, adopt the 𡞫ial-up remote control” technology for various centres to share one common database. This turned out to be the best solution for them although it was a most rudimentary kind of network. As in other parts of the world, Internet is providing a new kind of experience to people who desire to commune. Everyday, thousands in our population start their surfing in the cyberspace. This time around, colleagues in social service sector are not slow in exploring the opportunities of using new technology to enhance services. Expedition into this new world have been made and some had returned with fruitful experience. These attempts are classified into 4 areas. They are namely Administration, Public Education and Fund Raising, Information Dissemination and Direct Service. Administration. A multi-service agency in the Children and Youth field is constructing the first intranet in the social service sector. All their internal circulars and memo are now done via the intranet to their more than 50 service centres. Response from the users has been quite positive. The next phase in their plan includes monthly financial information and service statistics transmission. This project will demonstrate to the rest of the field the actual potential of internet technology. The government attempted to implement a centralised on-line computer registry for residential elderly service a few years ago. The plan was abandoned eventually partly because the cost of establishment was too high. A new integrated team for elderly service is now being piloted and specifications for its information system is being developed. As compared to a few years ago, the field is now more ready to use internet for inter-agencies communication as computer hardware have been made available. Public education and fund raising. Colleagues in the children and youth field has attempted three internet projects in the last two years. The first involved encouraging youth participation in responding to the first annual address of the Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong. Youth could comment on the annual address and sent greetings cards of various content to the SAR Chief Executive via the Web Site. Around 8,000 visitors had come to the site and around 1800 opinions on the annual address were collected in three weeks. Although the rate was not comparable to any popular websites, the project has proven that internet as a medium for the youth to express their views was too important to ignore. The second and third attempt on Youth Charter and First Direct Election in the SAR had received similar popularity. Techniques such as interactive stories, voting on the net and so on were experimented. The field is considering pushing the use of internet technology to a further extent. Last year, a fund raising organisation carried out its first net fund raising activity. Auction on the net was run and around HK$400,000 was raised in a month. Although it only occupied a minute portion of the total fund raised in the year, it is perhaps one of the most cost-effective way of fund raising. Currently it is estimated that the whole social service sector depends on public appeal only for 15% of its total expenditure. Agencies wanting more financial independence from government are starting to learn from the NET how internet fund raising was run in other parts of the world. Information Dissemination. The women service field is constructing a Women Service Resource Page to act as a one stop information kiosk for public as well as professional interested in women service. The page includes statistics for women, a service directory and a forum for visitors to exchange views. Unemployment is an emerging social problem in Hong Kong. Information of agencies providing support services for the unemployed had been displayed on the internet as a first step. The government had just approved the setting up of Support Centres for Unemployed to supplement what the Labour Department had been doing in job placements. These centres will further utilize internet technology in job listing and matching to empower clients in acquiring employment. The Council published its first Social Welfare Information Kit in CD-ROM format last year. The kit includes full text of all important social service policy papers for the last 50 years, a chronological display of all major events in the field, a rich collection of statistics and a complete social service directory. The next version of the kit is now being worked on and will be released on Internet. This will be part of a SocialNet project which aims at encouraging the use of Internet to enhance communication and service delivery in the field. Direct Service. Around 34% of Hong Kong𠏋 families possess personal computers and the number of Internet subscribers is already over 400,000. These numbers are increasing everyday rapidly. To provide social service directly on the Internet is emerging as a hot discussion topic. Two youth service agencies had started their exploration into the provision of services via internet. They constructed a prototype of what could be called virtual youth centre on the Web. One of the centres were visited by 7000 people in their first week after launching. Similar to the 200 youth centres in real life, members of the virtual youth centres 𠁆isited” each others’ sites and make friends. They joined in forums to exchange views on various social issues and expressed themselves in a range of activities. Some of the members were so active that eventually they were invited to host their own 𡤧hannels”. As a new mode of service, virtual youth centres generate a lot of issues for discussion. That include the authenticity of identities and quality of such friendship, responsibilities of social workers in this new mode of service and the engagement of youth who had problems accessing Internet. An agency which provide counselling service had done more than just advertising services on their site. They invited people to submit problems and identifying information too via email. While the engagement of client into the helping relationships via electronic means is not too surprising , the true meaning of virtual counselling is yet to be discussed. At the moment, counsellors would still encourage clients to show up in person in the counselling room. As connectivity to wide bandwidth services improves, good quality on-line video transmission will become more accessible to both clients and social service agencies. The helping profession must be prepared to face this challenge and opportunity. Social services budget (excluding social security) occupies only 3.5% of total government expenditure in Hong Kong. The government gives high priority to remedial services in allocation of funding. Family Life Education (FLE) is one of the few preventative services in the sector concerning the promotion of positive family relationships and parent-child experience. One FLE agency is constructing an internet project to supplement the more traditional intervention methods of community programs and group work. Apart from the wish that Internet would help to reach out for a wider general population, the agency also aims at reaching new clientele groups. For instance, as participants of parenting programs are mostly female, it is believed that this new media might be helpful to engage the male too. To conclude, Internet is throwing new lights on the previous areas of using computers. It has given new meanings to the use of computers in administration, client database and direct service delivery. Given adequate mutual support and support from funders, this emerging trend is going to open up a new horizon in service modes and new issues for professional reflection. The Road Ahead The social service sector in Hong Kong has come a long way in the use of IT. Recent development has brought excitement as well as new challenges to the field. To take the recent development further, stakeholders in the social service sector need to collaborate and be responsive to the challenges. Early writers believed that 懀he goal of computer training for social workers would be to produce graduates who are informed, comfortable and creative in their understanding of the role of, limitation and potential for computers in human services activities” (Nurius, Hooyman & Nicoll, 1998). With IT entering the formal curriculum of secondary schools, social workers in the future will be equipped with basic computer skills. Social work teachers therefore need to focus on issues around potentials and applications of IT in actual work settings. It is also important to document and evaluate local attempts of IT development in the field so that experience could be consolidated. Without a facilitating infrastructure, development of IT in social service sector is almost impossible. The Hong Kong SAR government has, in many open forums, announced the direction towards an information society. While the government endeavours to create a favourable environment for the commercial sector to develop these infrastructure, social service sector must also be provided with adequate financial support to take advantage of the infrastructure. The allocation of computer hardware is only part of the equation and recurrent IT costs must also be recognised as subventible items. Other areas such as on-the-job computer training for social services personnel, IT planning and system development costs, and support for innovated IT applications in various facets of social services must also be considered. Phillips & Bermann (1995) warned us of the intra-professional conflict between the what might be called 𦽳cientific’ versus 蘔umanistic” social work. Social workers in Hong Kong must keep on exploring what IT is and what it does so that IT could be positioned appropriately within the social service structure. On the other hand, IT is obviously confronting the comfort zone of the profession. It requires us to re-examine what the core nature of social work is before we could prepare ourselves adequately for this potential shift of paradigm. Virtual youth centres and counselling on internet are only the beginning. More challenging issues will come when the use of expert systems and decision support systems arrive at the region. Kerslake (1996) mentioned that 䥲reater expenditure would not have solved the information problem, indeed higher funding might only have generated more expensive and complex systems”. It is important for NGOs to have long term information technology strategies. But as a contrast, IT planning is what missing in general (LAW 1994). Inadequate resources for IT planning is only part of the reason. Some of the managers as well as social workers are themselves not too convinced that analysis and design work should cost a lot more than programming tasks. It is therefore not unusual to find a group of social workers who are advanced users of computer programs driving an IT development project at the most crucial stage of system analysis. A more desirable scenario would be characterised by the rise of a group of middle persons who possess enough knowledge to link up social workers and computer professionals at the two ends. This of course will depend on the support of the government, the self-strengthening of the profession and proper curriculum offered in social work training institution.
Reference
|