Information Management in the Government of Canada - A Situation Analysis

4. Recommendations

The recommendations address immediate priority concerns related to the initial implementation of Government On-Line (GOL) and the management of government records, and the longer term need to establish a sustainable IM infrastructure. It is important to emphasize that while concerns over the management of electronic information were paramount in the minds of those participating in the consultation process, the recommendations expressed below were intended to address the management of information regardless of its physical form. Similar to the situation in many other modern organizations, paper based information remains a key component of most program and service delivery applications managed by the Government of Canada.

4.1 Government On-Line

• Design an information architecture and information content standards within the context of work underway to develop a data architecture for GOL;
• Develop navigation tools to facilitate information access and retrieval;
• Develop policies, standards and practices, and technologies for the management of the multiple forms of information (e.g. paper, electronic, etc.) normally found in the web environment;
• Identify/establish model web sites or best practices that reflecting IM considerations;
• Incorporate IM considerations into GOL awareness and education/training programs.

4.2 Records of Government

• Enhance the awareness of public servants about the role and importance of government records;
• Enhance records management education and training programs and remind deputy ministers / heads of agencies of their responsibilities for the management of records;
• Establish an accountability framework for government records and incorporate record keeping considerations into audit and evaluation tools and performance measurement;
• Develop a records management self-assessment guide for government institutions;
• Use the soon-to-be-approved international records management standard as the basis for a similar standard for the Government of Canada;
• Develop guides and best practices for the management of records;
• Identify model records management programs and establish a web site for the exchange of information on records management;
• Confirm a core set of functional requirements for record keeping systems;
• Develop enhanced technological and methodological approaches to managing records;
• Establish a competency standard for records management and develop relevant training, education, and recruitment programs.

4.3 Building a Sustainable IM Infrastructure

• Governance: establish a unit within the TBS to serve as a focal point on IM (e.g. advising the Chief Information Officer; leading government IM initiatives; etc.); establish an inter-departmental committee (possibly as a sub-committee of the Electronic Service Delivery Committee) on IM to serve as an advisory group on government-wide IM directions, initiatives, and issues and to help guide the work of the IM Forum and other IM groups and committees; clarify and strengthen (as necessary) the roles of lead agencies, government-wide groups and committees, and other IM related committees and groups.
• Awareness: develop an IM awareness program directed to senior executives, public servants in general, and those involved in building IM and IT infrastructures; incorporate IM considerations into courses, conference programs, etc.; establish a web site for the exchange of information on IM and develop a glossary of IM terms;
• Policy: conduct a review of the IM/IT policies with a view to developing a new policy addressing the development and maintenance of an IM infrastructure; develop model IM policy statements for use by government institutions;
• Standards: develop a standard approach to information description and classification to facilitate information access, retrieval, and preservation; develop standards and practices for the preservation of information; incorporate IM considerations in TBS-led initiatives and other related initiatives such as business resumption planning; establish a standards development process for IM standards based on the results of the review of the Treasury Board Information and Technology Standards (TBITS) program;
• Systems: incorporate IM considerations into systems development methodologies and related tools used to plan, design, install, maintain, and evaluate information systems; develop core IM functional requirements, model business cases, and pathfinder projects to facilitate the procurement and implementation of systems for managing the creation, use and preservation of information;
• People: incorporate IM concepts, strategies, etc. into the design of education/training and recruitment programs targeted at senior executives and public servants in general; identify IM work elements and competencies for public servants and use these as the basis for establishing accountability relationships, position descriptions, education/training and other development programs, recruitment strategies, rewards and recognition programs, and performance measurement programs; establish accountability relationships and job profiles covering the work involved in developing and maintaining an IM infrastructure, and, based on competency profiles, establish an IM community development initiative; within the context of the IM community development initiative, consider recruiting a small cadre of IM specialists to work in selected departments in order to "jump start" IM programs and to serve as the nucleus of a new IM community;