TELEMATICS IN RESEARCH PLANNING PROCESSES - AN EXAMPLE FROM GLOBAL HEALTH

It is increasingly recognized that the appropriate application of info rmation and communication technology can substantially improve communi cation and cooperative work processes in terms of quantity, quality an d cost-effectiveness. Within large organizations, strategic decision m aking is one of the key cooperative processes which have to be faced. In this paper the authors discuss one example of this class of coopera tive processes: research planning within the World Health Organization (WHO). The paper presents conceptual details of a process designed to assist in creating global networks of scientists, planners and field workers interested in cooperating to promote health development activi ties of WHO. The implementation of this process was realized in an Int ernet-based system to support global research planning. In particular, this application shows that the utilization of information and commun ication technology can not only quantitatively change existing process es, but can create new ones-and on a qualitatively improved level.