The evaluation of the large scale implementation of a computer-assisted management information system in Hong Kong schools

The School Administration and Management System (SAMS) project of the Hong Kong Education Department started in 1993. The Scale of the project is unique in the world since all 1,200 Hong Kong primary and secondary schools in the government and aided sector eventually will work with SAMS. It provides an excellent opportunity to study the implementation of a computerized school information system, the factors promoting successful implementation, and the impact of SAMS. The research findings indicate that system use is still very limited and especially of an administrative instead of managerial nature. There is considerable room for improvement in the quality of SAMS and the process via which it is introduced into schools. Although SAMS, according to users, has led to positive effects, overall it has not (yet) led to the expected improvements in school efficiency and effectiveness. Variance analysis of respondents who use SAMS and those who do not pointed to interesting differences concerning the perceived SAMS-quality, features of the implementation process, and of the schools into which SAMS has been introduced. Regression analyses showed that some of these factors explain considerable variance in the extent to which SMAS is being used. The article concludes with suggestion for a more successful implementation of school information systems in general and SAMS in particular.