11/06/2023
The 2021-22 Information Management Maturity Assessment Program (IMMAP) report was recently released by the Public Record Office Victoria (PROV). This report provides an evaluation of the state of information management across various government departments and agencies.
The results, derived from completed surveys, are really interesting. The surveys sought to identify areas for improvement and inform the strategic priorities for Information Management decision-makers across the government.
11 organisations participated in the survey, each answering 17 questions regarding their information and data management maturity. These questions spanned four areas: people, organisation, information lifecycle and quality, and business systems and processes.
Three key recommendations came out of this report📝:
1️⃣ Information and data management within an organization should be coordinated so strategies, plans, and practices are aligned.
2️⃣ Information and data management should be designed into new systems and processes and actively maintained.
3️⃣ Sufficient and ongoing resources should be provided to manage information and data effectively, in line with legislative and regulatory requirements and business needs.
I found the second point particularly interesting, 🤔 and I challenge this recommendation. Don't get me wrong, I'm a technologist and an enthusiast for innovation, I love shiny new things, but shouldn't the systems, processes, and technology serve the Information Management strategies?
If we design our information and data management strategies to align with each new system, we would be locked into an endless cycle of adaptation given the rapid change of technology. This process would be like stepping onto a perpetual treadmill of redesign and implementation. This is not the direction we want for our Information and Data strategy.
Designing our strategic information and data management framework around a technology stack could also potentially lead to a compromised strategy because the strategy design is molded to fit the tech. The priority should always be to align technology with the strategy, not the other way around.
In my view, a better recommendation would be:
Information and Data Management should have a clear strategy, and new systems, processes, and technology should be continually assessed as potential enablers to achieve that strategy.
Interested in your thoughts, go check out the report and congratulations on the initiative.
The Information Management Maturity Assessment Program (IMMAP) takes place every two years. IMMAP requires departments and key agencies to undertake a survey assessment of their information management practices. This helps PROV and participating agencies determine areas for improvement and informs t...
