Enhancing the chances of successful OR/MS implementation: the role of the advocate

This paper extends understanding of the role of the advocate in the implementation of Operations Research/Management Science models in governmental agencies. The first part of this paper presents and analyzes the data resulting from interviews with 39 criminal justice agencies regarding the model implementation process. The interview data indicated that the advocate performed important problem-solving and mediation functions needed to introduce the technology. The second part of this paper provides a case study describing an advocate's successful introduction of a Patrol Car Allocation Model (PCAM) in the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. To assess the overall effectiveness of their implementation strategy, the project team conducted a questionnaire attitudinal survey of lieutenants, sergeants and officers in two of the pilot stations prior to PCAM implementation and after staffing changes. Overall, the attitude of the respondents was more favorable at the time of the second survey. The analysis of the interviews and the PCAM case study suggests a simple normative model for enhancing the chances of successful implementation of Operations Research/Management Science models.