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Using IT, Part 4: How information technology can help us help each other
Author(s) -
Davis Cheryl K.,
McPherson James,
Smith James F.,
Curtis Catherine,
Shah Anup
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
journal ‐ american water works association
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.466
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1551-8833
pISSN - 0003-150X
DOI - 10.1002/j.1551-8833.2010.tb10056.x
Subject(s) - workforce , documentation , workforce development , relation (database) , knowledge management , workforce planning , business , information technology , engineering management , computer science , engineering , political science , law , database , programming language , operating system
This final article in a four‐part series on how information technology can address workforce challenges focuses on how utilities can help each other maximize the cost‐effectiveness of their investments. The article discusses how BAYWORK, a San Francisco Bay Area collaborative of water/wastewater agencies working together in the area of workforce development, has maximized the cost‐effectiveness of workforce development investments through collaboration. Using IT to support interagency collaboration is an ambitious goal, representing the intersection of two areas in which water utilities have historically not excelled: collaboration on basic workforce development processes (e.g., recruitment and staff training); and, use of IT to support these processes. This article discusses current activities and future possibilities for using IT to help each other in relation to: workforce development‐related research; shared websites; video‐based documentation and training materials; webinars and video conferencing; and, employee knowledge management systems.