AUTOMATED PROJECT TRACKING INFORMATION SYSTEM FOR IMO STATE GOVERNMENT

Thesis Overview

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDYThe manual ways of sourcing, processing, storing and general handling of information by Imo State Government is a kind of cumbersome time consuming and at peak delay during project tracking, file finding when needed in the office, considering high level of bureaucracy adopted by governments in this part of the world with Imo State as a reference point. As this ugly development proceeds, during record keeping and other valuable files and information, therefore this usage of computers tracking projects and information was formed as it becomes imperative for improved information storage and tracking, stores large amounts of information, reduces so much paper work in various offices, institutions, organizations and ministries under Imo State Government. It also enables smooth distributions and enlarges information via transferring of files through computer networks. This would go along way assisting Imo State Government to take vital decision makings when it is due for it.STATEMENT OF PROBLEMBe it in government, private sector, institution, business etc. the usage of this manual method of information storage, organization and retrieval is always the talk of the day. This therefore poses a lot of problems which are as follows.

1. Inability to know when projects are awarded.
2. Inability to know when to receive projects.
3. Poor checkmating of project awarded.
4. Abnormal documentation of project statistics
5. Poor documentation, security in the offices, institutions etc.

OBJECTIVE OF STUDYThe research work is founded on the following objectives and they are described thus;

• To build an application that will store, process and activate information about all the projects awarded.
• To design and develop an application package that will be useful for the tracking of project information for Imo State Government. This design is made from a specification and office procedure that allow its development for Imo State government.
• Software that watches all projects step by step.
• Software that will secure and enhance adequate project security when used.
• Application that keeps tracking of projects and it statistics.

SCOPE OF STUDYThis project entirely covers specifically the projects and its information with focus on the design and development of application prototypes meant to be deployed in tracking information as well as storage and retrieval respectively.SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDYThe importance of this study to Imo State Government is tremendous as it will go along way in making great impacts on our state pride and social tolerance.However, this will ensure that accurate information is kept and this application will be capable of making our sate transparent in her profit dealings. This therefore goes a long wall in encouraging the stability of Imo State Government during project execution and can also be used by the government to attract more federal government projects considering the high sense of good project tracking system in use.LIMITATIONAs a result of poor fiancés during the beginning of this project, some information were not gotten as there were on money to travel to other parts of the state information sorting.Also little or no knowledge of program contributed to the limitation of this project as there was no written program in this project due to knowledge was far- fetched to the researcher.Again, as little or no time was given to the researcher to gather enough information, this thereby contributed in making the researcher not gathering enough information as required to her write-ups, lack of equipments like computer systems, compact dick (CD) Diskette etc. which would have been a way of letting the research to praticalize what she is writing about in school, for instance development of such software or programs, saving of such program in disk or compact disk (Burning of files) so as to access people out there. These therefore hinder the development of this new software as required by the writer.But as this research is solely for Imo State Government to document and implement, it is therefore opened for project tracking and the system opened for further research in other area.DEFINITION OF TERMS

1. AUTOMATED CONTRACT TRACKINGS (ACT): This means software used to retrieve or gain information concerning anything about a particular contract awarded.
2. Computer: This can be defined as an electronic device or machine capable of accepting input (instructions and data) through an input device such as keyboard, mouse etc. and with the help of stored logic (program0 performs series of logical operations on data to give out meaningful result called information through the output devices like the printer without human intervention.
3. Data: this is seen as raw materials with which the computer works with. It can in form of numeric, alphabet or alphanumeric.
4. Data flow diagram: this means logical model of system design that is of a special view, also the diagrammatical representation of a particular system.
5. Data base specification: this involves various variable names used in the program database development.
6. Information: this means processed data or the result gotten after process in data.
7. Structured system analysis design methodology (SSADM): this means the method used in analyzing, designing and structuring a system.
8. System analysis and design: this is the process of investigating analyzing, installating and evaluating of an information system.

However, a management system that in addition provides all necessary transaction processing for government or organization.According to Gordon B. Davis (2006) in a book titled “management information system” said that the advert of computers but computers made the idea feacible systems for data collecting, processing, storing retrieving and distribution of information. The computer has added a new and powerful technology to information systems. Hence computer based information system can radically differ from other systems using manual or electromechanical process. Organizations and government change their information system in response to this technology, consequently their adjustment backs adequate understanding of it’s nature when the changes are made.Oparah C.C. and Oguike O.E in their book “management information system (MIS) viewed computer as a versatile system that has the ability to store and retain information and data. This achieved because the computer systems are equipped with both internal and external memory. The quantity or volume of information or data that the computer can store depends on the Storage capacity can store depends on the storage capacity of the computer memory.Anuonye Inno Vin C. in his book “computers and computing” viewed computer as an electrical and electronic machine that is capable of accepting instructions and data through an input device such as keyboard, mouse and with the help of stored logic programs and perform series of logical operations on data to give out meaningful result called. Information through an output device without human intervention. From this definition, computer has the ability to input, store, process and brings out output which is regarded as information.