Report 7 - Access to Information Review Task Force

INFORMATION MANAGEMENT AND ACCESS TO INFORMATION - A VIEW INTO THE FUTURE

11. Elements Required to Move Forward

The report has described a scenario for information management in the future. It has not focused on technology because the solution is not solely technology dependent. As more and more information is created, stored and maintained electronically, there will be a greater need to ensure that it is captured, maintained and disposed of in accordance with an approved set of policies and standards. In addition, it will be critical that the workforce is aware of its roles and responsibilities for information management. By strengthening the information management infrastructure, the government will ensure improved access to its information resources.

The steps required to develop and implement the information management infrastructure have been articulated in

• Information Management and the Government of Canada: A Situation Analysis" (2000).
  
• Chapter 2 of the 2001 Information Commissioner's Annual Report a series of steps are proposed to "Resuscitate Information Management
  
• The "Framework for Information Management in the Government of Canada" as articulated by the Chief information Officer Branch of TBS

The first two documents underline the significance of the IM issue and recommend that the Treasury Board Secretariat assume a leadership role in the establishment of an effective and relevant IM infrastructure. Both documents also propose that TBS establish a comprehensive action plan supported by lead agencies such as the National Archives and the National Library and advisory groups comprising senior officials from a cross section of government institutions. TBS has responded to these recommendations through the establishment of an IM unit within the Chief Information Officer Branch and the development of a draft IM Framework outlining the government's information management strategy.

The proposed IM Framework will:

• Provide guidance for managing government information as a key resource in line with existing legislation and policies;
  
• Enhance awareness, improve understanding, and provide practical approaches to deal with the information;
  
• Manage government resources across channels, programs and jurisdictions; and
  
• Provide guidance to those performing desktop tasks, those preparing information products for clients and those providing custodianship and management of IM resources.

These efforts on the part of TBS need to be supported actively. But they also need to be supported by a comprehensive approach to the establishment and maintenance of the information management infrastructure, an infrastructure that is supported by the following:

• A commitment to open government;
  
• Resources to support a "resuscitated" information management infrastructure;
  
• A workforce that is aware of information as a corporate asset to both the government and the Canadian public;
  
• A collaborative environment for information sharing;
  
• An accountability framework for government information management that recognizes the rights of Canadians to access Government information;
  
• A government-wide set of goals and objectives for information access and information management;
  
• A government-wide technology architecture that enables the effective access by Canadians to Government information;
  
• A rewards and recognition system for public servants managing and sharing information; and,
  
• A performance review system that sanctions public servants for not managing and sharing information effectively.

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12. Recommendations

The authors were asked to look forward 10 years and look at a future for information management. Regardless of the changes in technology, there will be a continued need to manage and make available Government information. Based on the findings of this report and on the premise that an effective information management infrastructure leads to better information access, the following recommendations are presented for consideration:

• The appropriate Parliamentary committees should give greater attention to thex Government's efforts to establish and maintain a comprehensive, relevant, and sustainable information infrastructure in support of, in part, enhanced information access;
  
• The various information management initiatives currently underway across the government should be more closely coordinated (possibly through one central group) in order to maximize the use of resources, ensure consistency in policy and standard development, and offer to government a 'single window' on matters pertaining to the management of the government's IM infrastructure;
  
• Responsibility and accountability for the successful implementation of the information management infrastructure discussed in this report should be confirmed, documented, and measured;
  
• The accountability of public servants, at all levels, for the management of information should be codified and communicated widely across the public service under a code of practice similar to that used in Great Britain;
  
• Initiatives undertaken in response to recommendations included in the TBS/NA "McDonald" Report and the Information Commissioner's Report as well as TBS led initiatives such as the IM Framework should be given emphasis in the annual report of the President of the Treasury Board to Parliament. Lead agency contributions to the development and maintenance of the IM infrastructure should also be reflected in their respective reports to Parliament;
  
• The TBS-led Information Management Framework and the results of other related initiatives led by TBS and lead agencies should be supported by relevant government-wide groups and committees such as the Electronic Service Delivery Committee and the Treasury Board Secretariat Advisory Committee's Information Management Sub-Committee (TIMS);
  
• A coordinated and sustained approach should be adopted to promote the implementation of the new MGI policy (once approved) and supporting standards and practices, systems (including shared IM systems solutions such as the RDIMS), and human resources strategies;
  
• IM awareness sessions which include information about related strategies should be delivered to public servants across the government to foster the emergence of an information sharing culture and to advise them of their responsibilities for the sound management of information;
  
• Auditing strategies should be established to measure and assess the level of implementation of and compliance with information management policies, standards and practices, including those that support enhanced access to government information and,
• Human resources strategies should be developed and implemented to ensure that an inter-disciplinary cadre of information specialists is in place to support and maintain the IM infrastructure through time and thereby ensure that ATI is addressed as an integral part of the IM process.

Each one of these recommendations will influence the success of a government-wide information management infrastructure designed to enable the more effective delivery of government programs and services while at the same time enhancing the ability of Canadians to access government information. Some recommendations can be implemented immediately while others may take longer to address. The key however is to view each of these recommendations as a part of the solution, not as a solution in itself. If all of the various components, i.e. the people, standards and practices, systems and technology, and policies, are not treated as a whole then the infrastructure that emerges will be fragmented and ineffective.

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13. Conclusion

In the fast paced, information intensive, and Internet- enabled environment that characterizes this first decade of the 21st century, openness, transparency, the free flow of information, and the concept of information anywhere at anytime, have become realities rather than intellectual concepts.

Similar to so many organizations around the world, the Government has found itself in a situation where the only way forward is towards a citizen-centric government supported by an information management infrastructure that fosters openness and transparency. And that can only be achieved by breaking down the barriers that are inhibiting the ability of Canadians to access government information. This means that a shift in organizational culture has to take place so that everyone is accountable for and values information as an asset.

As has been pointed out in this report, many of the building blocks of the information management infrastructure required to reflect these concepts are already being put into place. The key is to make sure that when they are in place, people recognize information management as a key component of successful governance and accountable government.

While the challenges are substantial, Government officials (not just in the federal government but across all jurisdictions) are recognizing the need to adopt a comprehensive approach to building an infrastructure in which technology considerations are balanced with those addressing policies, standards and practices and, above all, organizational culture.

The information management infrastructure as described in studies such as the Treasury Board Report (McDonald, June, 2000) and reinforced in the Treasury Board Secretariat's emerging IM Framework must be seen in a comprehensive manner that embraces policies, standards and practices, systems and technologies, and people. It must also be seen as an integral part of the overall infrastructure supporting the delivery of government programs and services including those that enable citizen access to government information.

As mentioned elsewhere in this report, such an infrastructure is challenging to establish especially in an environment that is technology-driven and where government culture still reflects information hoarding rather than information sharing. This is why it is strongly recommended that the Information Commissioner and other stakeholders (e.g. the National Archivist, the National Librarian, etc.) who have an interest in the management of government information should assume an active role in overseeing the progress being made in building the IM infrastructure - an infrastructure that will enable a vision not only of information management but also, more broadly, a vision of a government that is truly transparent and open.

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