Tony Farnum graduated in 1978 from Queens University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada with a B.Sc. (Honours) degree in Computing and Information Science. APM was formed after 22 years of working as project leader or team member on donor, public, and privately funded management information and data processing projects in developing countries and emerging economies in Africa, Asia, Central & South America, Europe and the Caribbean.

APM’s mission is to provide rapid-implementation management information and data processing solutions using field-tested lead consultants with at least 15 years experience. APM’s consultants are matched with suitable local resources wherever possible, to maximise technology transfer and enable local maintenance and long-term development.

Experience has shown that a major obstacle in delivering the expected benefits of computerisation is the legacy internal operating procedures and organisational structure. The technology alone does not deliver anticipated efficiencies or benefits.

Departmental managers, supervisors, and staff are often threatened by change unless there is early buy-in for business processes review and refinement. APM promotes the concept of prototyping and working out a set of business processes to support the initial implementation. The initial set of tailored business processes is refined at agreed fixed time intervals after implementation and as the organisation becomes more familiar and comfortable with the new business tools.

The anticipated benefits of this approach are more effective use of information and communications technology, lower implementation cost, and greater client self-sufficiency achievable through user training and technology skills transfer. The target is large and small agencies preferably in developing countries and those with emerging economies.