Managing Information for Transparency November 15, 2010 Monica Fuijkschot Director, Information Management

Why transparency ? Transparency is key to fostering greater public trust Some recent media coverage: Skepticism valid on central bank transparency Globe and Mail Global report reveals poor transparency and accountability in government spending BusinessGhana Russia Asset Sales to Be Undermined by Lack of Transparency, Kasyanov Says Bloomberg Public dissatisfied with federal transparency FierceGovernmentIT

How does transparency happen ? Formal reporting Annual reports Reports to parliamentary committees Information requested by General public under various Acts or through informal means Media for reporting Parliamentarians Proactive communication via websites Specific communication to stakeholders and the public Presentations Speeches Policy papers

How does IM relate to transparency ? What would happen if... The wrong version of a document was posted on the Web, and consequently the organization’s position on a major initiative was mistakenly reported? Following a major announcement, the relevant documents were not available? You were faced with five different versions of a report and you didn't know which was the approved one? Your boss needed a copy of a document to brief the Minister and it could not be located? You are part of an organization that has not done formal IM and all of a sudden, new legislation, or policy or guidelines mean you need to provide proactive disclosure on records?

The transparency enabling cycle 2. Reliable access and retrieval in both mediums means authoritative records can be identified 3. Accurate information is available to support sound decision making 4. Sound decisions can be comfortably communicated publicly – electronic formats facilitate publishing 1. IM Standards and tools support classifying paper and electronic records for access and retrieval

IM Building Blocks Identify an IM function within the institution keeping in mind IM is too big for any one function – some responsibilities will need to be shared Develop, or better yet, re-purpose the tools you need such as: Policies and guidelines IM infrastructure –Retention and Disposition authorities –Corporate records repository –Universal file classification system –Training

IM Building Blocks – Policies and Guidelines IM Policies and guidelines should clearly set out: The management of all records of corporate value within the institution – Unstructured records Structured data Electronic documents Electronic mail Governance and accountability Roles and responsibilities Institutional IM tools IM Business Rules Use of information Information security IM support

IM Building Blocks – Retention and Disposition Authorities Deal with retention and disposition of records. Define what has business value and what is considered to be transitory. Develop and implement retention and disposition authorities (RDAs) Ensure transitory records are disposed of and records with business value are kept. Ensure consistent disposal for paper and electronic. Enable electronic retention and disposition features.

IM Building Blocks – Corporate Records Repository Corporate records repositories are a key tool to ensure oversight and consistency in organizational IM. Automation and full implementation are recommended Support Function should be accounted for Physical location my be required as well as electronic repository Physical location must be secured Network security must also be monitored

IM Building blocks – Universal Classification System The records structure must be universally available to ensure transparency. Universal Classification System and description of records should be: Function based Universally accessible Consistent regardless of paper or electronic format Governance and responsibilities should clearly set out: Where the central control resides and how de-centralized control elements are covered How changes to file structure can take place What the naming conventions are

IM Building Blocks - Training Training is essential to ensure that tools and IM requirements are understood. Training collateral should be: Readily available and in a variety of formats Easily adaptable to rapidly evolving milieu Regularly reviewed Cleary adaptable – soliciting user feedback and incorporating it

IM Building Blocks – Medium for IM Storage and management issues for paper records Cost of supplies Space has to be fitted and secured Dedicated personnel are required Disposition is lengthy Environmental issues Must be transformed to be published in today’s formats Advantages of electronic records Ease of publishing Lower cost to maintain Easier to secure Disposition can be automated Very little physical space required Easy to locate authoritative information High rates of retrieval Speed of access

Managing IM for Transparency In conclusion, institutions that want to foster public trust should align their resources to reflect that: 1.IM is a critical enabler of transparency 2.An investment in electronic tools is an investment in transparency