Summary: One of the major recommendations in a recent report on national productivity was the establishment of a productivity clearinghouse to provide national and international data and knowledge on various aspects of productivity. This would include effective methods, their costs, and how long it takes to provide results. It would benefit all sectors of the economy.
Currently, no unified system exists for the collection, processing, analysis, and dissemination of information, documents, or materials in the field of productivity. Although the National Center for Productivity and Quality of Working Life established a clearinghouse, it was not effective in reaching wide audiences. A clearinghouse should be equipped to provide the following: copies of reports and publications from its own or outside collections, information about new findings and events, special information analysis, general publications on various aspects of the field, special handbooks and guides, responses to telephone or mail requests for actual statistics or information, and assistance in locating information outside the clearinghouse. The clearinghouse should also: set standards for communications within the field; review, index, and abstract its collection; and monitor current research, produce state-of-the-art reports, and research reviews.
