IMPORTREPLACEMENT-A COST EFFECTIVE RURAL DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY

THROUGH THE INTRODUCTION OF AN INFORMATION SYSTEM, RURAL GOVERNMENTS MAY EFFECTIVELY INITIATE SUCCESSFUL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES CURRENTLY BEING EMPLOYED ARE NOT SUCCESSFUL IN ASSISTING RURAL ECONOMIES AND ARE EXTREMELY COSTLY. PROGRESSIVE STRATEGIES WHICH ARE MORE COST EFFECTIVE AND CUSTOM DESIGNEDTO ADDRESS RURAL NEEDS MUST BE INTRODUCED. ONE SUCH STRATEGY IS BASED UPON THE IMPORT REPLACEMENT CONCEPT. THE OBJECTIVE OF PHASE I IS TWOFOLD: FIRST, TO ESTABLISH IN WHAT TYPES OF RURAL COMMUNITIES THE IMPORT REPLACEMENT CONCEPT IS SUPPORTED; SECOND, TO DETERMINE WHAT VITAL ELEMENTS SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE INFORMATION SYSTEM TO INSURE A COMPREHENSIVE AND COST-EFFECTIVE APPROACH IS TAKEN TOWARD ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.