Industry Canada - Management Information Network

The report to Ministers form the Small Business Working Committee "Breaking Through Barriers" had recommended the creation of a business skills network. The focus of the network is on skills development and is to provide access to:

• materials which can help identify skills development needs and point to solutions;

• information about training modules and skills development opportunities; and

• expert advice on assessing, planning and implementing skills development.

The major role of government in the process is to facilitate the sharing of information. Industry Canada is in the process of developing a pilot project on a electronic management information data base.

The Management Information Network is an electronic tool linking providers of management information, intermediaries and small businesses. Its purpose is to disseminate practical information on management issues, provide access to experts, product information and management skills development.

Industry Canada will provide an electronic bulletin board to link the providers, disseminators and users of skills information. The prototype will contain information and expertise in areas of money, people, operations, marketing and customers. Appendix III Chart 1 provides a snapshot of what the user can expect to find on the data base.

Based on the topics and areas covered in the prototype it appears that many of the competency blocks and skill sets are referenced here. The actual use and impact on the learning process for a small business owner/operator will be influenced by the characteristics outlined in Tables 1 and 2. It is important that the information is packaged and delivered in a way that motivates the small business person to interact with the intermediaries or directly with the data base to effectively use it. The access to information identified in Chart 2 of Appendix III with multiple delivery mechanism suggest that this flexibility will encourage use. Also, the data base will be dynamic and inter-active.

Although management skills will be an important part of the Management Information Network, the data base will provide information on a much wider scale and cover opportunities for business development.

There is no shortage of publications on ways to manage a small business. The Complete Canadian Small Business Guide lists over 300 such publications and this is before 1990. The network will not only contain this information but information on workshops, seminars, multi-media products and advice and expertise provided in a dynamic and interactive way.