Human Resources Information Systems: Concepts, Functions andObjectives

In Pakistan, there is a growing appreciation of the fact thatthe country’s economi~ and social development is greatly dependent uponits ability to effectively develop and utilize its human resources.Moreover, it is increasingly realized, that, to effectively influencedevelopments in this sector, it is essential to base the formulation andimplementation of plans and policies on comprehensive (i.e. relevant,reliable, systematized and up-to-date) infonnation on key aspects ofhuman resources. Unfortunately, such comprehensive information is notavailable to its users. As a result, it is almost impossible to obtain arealistic appraisal of the country’s major labour market or, moregenerally, human resources problems, options and priorities. Besidesbeing of limited use to formulate realistic plans and policies, the taskof monitoring and evaluating the impact of policy implementation almostbecomes unmanageable.