Chief information governance officer (CIGO)

champions the value of information assets and their effective management at an organisational level
establishes an organisational culture that encourages and supports staff to manage and use information assets strategically
drives digital innovation and capability in information management
delivers expert and up-to-date advice on overarching information management strategy
leads information governance across the agency, including engaging with information and data managers and users to support best practices for information management.

The Building trust in the public record policy recognises the ongoing value of the CIGO role to an organisation’s strategic information governance. Action 3 of the policy recommends that agencies review and update the role and responsibilities of their chief information governance officer. This includes establishing a CIGO role if it does not exist.

Establishing a CIGO position or updating your agency’s existing CIGO responsibilities will help your agency implement this policy and ensure the role continues to deliver ongoing value for your organisation. This should include reviewing how responsibilities are entrusted across senior positions.

CIGO responsibilities

A CIGO’s core responsibilities can be divided into four categories: leadership, strategy, technical and engagement.

Leadership

Promote information and data management policies and strategies
Chair the information governance committee
Drive digital innovation
Promote best practice for information management
Promote the values of a data use and reuse culture
Promote improved digital capabilities and upskilling
Champion data literacy to support information management

Strategy

Leverage the value of information assets (records, information and data)
Endorse the information governance framework
Advise and report to executive
Perform information management workforce planning
Oversee information risk management
Facilitate interoperability by design
Endorse information security
Harness business intelligence for decision making
Keep informed of relevant legislation and policy requirements

Technical

Implement information and data standards
Provide resources for tools, research and development
Ensure good information governance of ICT investment, solutions and infrastructure planning
Develop enterprise-wide digital capabilities
Drive information access and re-use

Engagement

Build partnerships and collaborations
Facilitate relations between information and enterprise architecture
Cultivate internal and external stakeholder relations
Inform whole-of-government initiatives
Influence information and data legislation and policy

You can download these CIGO responsibilities as an A3 poster (PDF 36 KB)

Implementing a CIGO role in your agency

All Australian Government agencies should have assigned responsibilities at a senior executive level for a CIGO to support enterprise-wide information governance. A dedicated role for senior executive represents a best practice approach. Your agency’s size, resources and functions will influence how you implement the CIGO role.

Large agency

Implementing a CIGO role in a large agency may require a new position or redesign of an existing position, such as a senior executive or chief data officer (CDO).

Medium agency

Medium-size agencies may redesign an existing position such as the chief information officer (CIO) or chief technology officer (CTO), to raise their information and data management profile.

Small, micro or nano agency

Smaller agencies may need to redesign positions to entrust CIGO responsibilities to their most senior information management role. This sample position description for a Chief Information Data Governance Officer (CIDGO) (PDF 60 KB) demonstrates how an agency can combine duties to meet its needs.

Expanding professional networks

The National Archives provides strategic advice for agency heads and senior information management positions under the Building trust in the public record policy.

Resources that may help expand professional networks include:

the Government Agencies Information Network (GAIN)
Data and Digital Professionals members' community
communities of practice
professional associations
Commonwealth agency portfolio groups.