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This report, the result of developmental research on a planning information system for North Carolina, describes the planning process at higher levels of State government, defines a general information system and derives a planning information system from various types of planning, provides guidelines for system design and evaluation, and describes the development cycle of an information system. The research attempted to determine the basic objectives of a State planning system, define the State planning environment, and provide a conceptual basis for the preparation of an integrated description of the State planning information system. (A related document is EA 003 195.) (Author)

This report reviews the basic characteristics of an information system to be used in statewide planning, and derives the objectives of such a system for the State of North Carolina. The design and implementation calls for three stages: (1) an initial demonstration system to provide experiences in the use and implementation of the system, (2) an initial operational system to provide basic planning information for State planning, and (3) a first modification to the operational system to provide information to specific State agencies. Design details for each of these stages are included in the report. Also provided are estimates of staff and equipment costs, system size, memory requirements, and system operation times. (Author/RA)