The goal of this project is to develop and evaluate an interactive CD-ROM based software product to help social service agencies produce a policy and procedures manual. The value of such a product would be to help achieve accreditation from state and federal oversight agencies and from national standard-setting organizations. Similar to products such as Quicken Financial Advisor. Turbo Tax and Quickview Social History, the proposed product begins by interviewing the user. Based on an expert knowledge system using algorithms, stored decision trees and a text editor, the product interacts with the answers provided by the user to produce a working final product. This product will allow an agency to produce a working policy and procedures manual based on information supplied by the user. The Phase I goals are: 1) to develop a prototype CD-ROM-based software product to address the development of 5 generic standards which share commonality with the major national accrediting organizations; and, 2) to evaluate the feasibility and technical merit of the prototype. Phase II goals include: 1) expanding the expert knowledge system software to cover a comprehensive set of policy and procedures, both broad and practice area specific; 2) continue the R&D efforts initiated in Phase I, including a more comprehensive evaluation of the expanded prototype on larger population, including agencies and accreditation reviewers; and, 3) expanding the software from the CD-ROM prototype to a server or Web-based product.
Approximately 125,000 child & family, social service and mental health agencies across the country are required to develop policy and procedure manuals for licensing and national accreditation. This product can help agencies with the development process. It may be possible to expand the product to cover such development for medical and correctional organizations.
