Networking and the Philippine population information network as an illustrative case.
G Feliciano · PubMed · 1984
The Philippine population information network is used as an illustrative case of networking. An exhaustive review of data from a national survey conducted in 1981-1982 to determine the state of population networks in the Philippines revealed that no organized and functional national population information network existed. Only 2 major studies dealt specifically with research on population information flow or networks. Existing information services were generally unrelated and poorly coordinated. The Philippine Population Information Network is discussed with specific focus on: the organizational phase; the prenetwork phase; objectives; the conceptual framework; the institutional framework; activities; and a work plan. The Philippine Population Information Network (Philippine POPIN) Project is the country's response to the need for a more coordinated and effective sharing of population information for policy making and the planning, implementation and evaluation of development projects at the national, provincial, municipal and village levels. Philippine POPIN is part of ASEAN POPIN, 1 of 7 development projects supported by the Government of Australia. ASEAN-POPIN has 2 main objectives: to further develop and/or strengthen the core of population information centers and existing supportive units within the larger national information network; and to further develop or strengthen the linkage or networking of the activities of the various libraries, population information producers or sources channels and users. The 1st major activity of Philippine POPIN was a nation-wide survey to determine the state of population information networking in the Philippines. The longterm objectives of Philippine POPIN are to establish and institutionalize a national population information network that will serve the information needs of the national population program being coordinated by POPCOM and other participating agencies. The short-term objectives are: to organize the national and regional population information centers into a network; to develop systems for the efficient and effective collection, processing, control, utilization, dissemination and exchange of information and the assessment of the network activities; to provide efficient and effective information services to population information sources, channels and users at the national and regional levels; and to expand gradually the structure, improve the system and broaden the services of the network. The major activities will include research, training, material development and processing, dissemination and utilization of the documentation.