Abstract

During the last decade, Information Technology and Management Information Systems (MIS) in particular have performed an important role in the world of Social Services Departments (SSDs). They have affected social services in different ways, in terms of organisational outcomes, performance improvements and technological advances. However, these developments neither take place synchronously in every single SSD, nor they were always successful. That is a result of the lack of financial investment on IT and the inability to recognise the advantages of its utilisation. Therefore, the main concern of this paper is MIS implementation within social services and how they affects social work practice and management of the organisations. More specifically, how could IT contribute to improve social services in the way they function as organisations and in the way they provide services to their clients? The paper suggests that social workers participation in MIS implementation can reduce resistance and increase the system’s usability for practitioners. As a consequence of that they will consider MIS as a practice tool rather than as a controlling tool. Moreover, they will use the system to record and document their professional knowledge consisting of intervention, skills and observation.