Rural county governments are confronted with deteriorating road networks, intense demand on revenues, greater demands for accountability, and the necessity for more efficient management. New tools are needed to transfer accurate information on rural roads to local decision-makers and subsequent levels of government. Research objectives include evaluation of merging a rational technical system into existing socio/political conditions. A panel of end-users will provide their perspective, knowledge and experience concerning rural road management needs. Compatibility of end users' needs with the potential of computer application will be evaluated. Evaluation will focus on reliability of system input, local control of local standards and priorities, usefulness, and affordability.Applications:Implementation of the proposed informational system by local governments will provide accurate information on rural road networks to decision-makers. Having information available in a useful form will improve communication, thereby fostering more intelligent management. The computerized data base for a road network will allow interactive analysis of data, and subsequently, more dynamic management. The end result will be improved communication of quality information and wiser resource utilization at all levels of government.
