Computerisation of the Planning Control Unit

Abstract

Project Brief and Aims : My job at the Planning Authority of Malta is situated at the Planning Control Unit. In all, we are eight people, two Planning Technicians, four students of the Planning Technician course and two supervisors. For all these eight persons, there are four computers, resulting of two persons using one computer. But the thing is the computer themselves. Three of them are 486 DX2 - processors, with two of them having a local hard-disk. One of these cannot be connected to the network system as there is a fault in the terminal junction of the plug. Also, its disk-drive for diskettes is not working. So one could imagine what is the use of this computer. Then there is another one with a 386 processor. With today's computer technology, when compared with this computer, one could see how much time is spent in waiting this computer to process something! These were some remarks on our office computer hardware. Giving a look at the software situation, it is not much different from the hard one. From those eight staff persons, six of them have a login name and facility, while the other two are forgotten. From these six persons, four of them have only rights for accessing the Development Control Information System Database (DCIS) for the inputting of a movement of a file. The other two have Windows rights and one of them has also the (GIS) Geographical Information System, which is a graphical database running on Windows. So, if someone from the remaining six wants to access the Windows, for example to write a letter to an architect, he has to plead the other to load him his Windows! In my opinion, this is a dreadful thing. But though one of our staff has the GIS rights, his computer is that one which has a 386 processor. So one could imagine how everything is. The GIS could be loaded on this computer, as it has eight Megabytes of Random Access Memory, but it is very slow to process things. Also the GIS the persons in charge gave us is the old version of this program and sent two of the staff to learn how to use it and program it. They thought that a Planning Technician could do the work of a programmer! Our staff is always pleading for some more computers and if possible good ones. This dissertation is aimed for the planning of the computerization of the Planning Control Unit to help the staff members of this unit in their work and also with the public who come to the office. In the following Chapters, further details of the situation at present and the proposed computerization are seen in detail. Also, in these chapters, interviews and discussions with the staff members are made so as to see their opinions about the present work situation and the future proposed computerized system. My aims of this project is to make the work of the Planning Control Unit more easy and efficient so as to improve the processing of the files. All the files that come into our office; which are all the PA (Permit Application) files and even all the GF (General Files) are considered and computerization of them is analyzed, so their process time would be minimized as much as possible. Also the public that come to our office is taken care, so as to minimize their need to come to our office as much as possible, as they are an obstacle to the processing of our files.