Simon Froude, Director-General National Archives, talks about how the Senior Executive Service can stay ahead in information management. 

1. Know your responsibilities

Compliance with legislation and being accountable for your decisions means you lead with integrity, can withstand scrutiny and support business needs.

• The Archives Act 1983 provides the basis for setting your agency’s obligations.
• Make sure your agency creates and manages data, information and records strategically with appropriate governance, accountability and reporting.
• Champion an information governance framework in your agency.
• An enterprise-wide information management strategy will support clear roles and responsibilities.
• Take responsibility when information management obligations are not met.

Be ready to take action

You are prepared for scrutiny. You have an ‘integrity by design’ approach.

2. Influence the culture

Effective information management by agency staff and contractors requires close collaboration by the leadership team to set clear expectations and improve accountability.

• Model best practice by creating good records documenting your activities and champion information governance in your agency.
• Call out and address questionable or improper practices.
• Support National Archives' annual Check-up survey to demonstrate a commitment to accountability and good governance. Use it for improvement.
• Set expectations so your leadership team prioritises enterprise-wide information management.

Be ready to take action

You have fostered internal trust so your agency can meet its responsibilities and provide reliable advice.

3. Resource for success

Good outcomes cannot be achieved without expertise. Under-resourcing information management has cumulative effects which can negatively impact your agency and the services and programs it is responsible for.

• Ensure your agency employs qualified information managers and support their ongoing professional development.
• Your agency should conduct strategic assessments of its information needs.
• Ensure plans exist to address information management capability gaps.
• Endorse the role of agency information management professionals to break down silos to help implement fit-for-purpose processes, practices and systems.
• Embed good information management practices and proficient staff across business areas, including data management.
• Adequate resources can support good information management and deliver trusted information assets.

Be ready to take action

You have confidence to meet your information management challenges.

4. Control the whole life cycle

Creation, management, use and disposal of government information all play a key part in leading with integrity, building trust, accounting for decisions and upholding stewardship of the APS.

• Your agency should control the whole life cycle of records beyond delivering an immediate outcome.
• When your agency no longer has a business need for information assets, it may still be obligated to keep or transfer them to National Archives.
• Information can also have value for reuse beyond its original purpose.
• Your agency should use Records Authorities for lawful destruction of records.
• Public access under the Archives Act is different to other legislation.

Be ready to take action

You are ready for any need and do not serve any needs that are redundant.

5. Use standards and best practice

Information created by an agency should be authentic, reliable and accurate. The quality and interoperability of information assets influence their discoverability, reuse and business efficiency.

• Comply with government policy, information management and metadata standards such as the Protective Security Policy Framework, the Information Management Standard for Australian Government and the Australian Government Recordkeeping Metadata Standard.
• Champion data interoperability in your agency and across government which can drive efficient delivery of services to the Australian community.
• Ensure that your agency creates information that can be preserved, accessed and reused.
• Enact Machinery of Government changes and effectively deal with legacy information assets as part of the changes in functions.
• Good metadata and information management practices can help to reduce the time spent searching for the right information.

Be ready to take action

You have fostered agency efficiency. You do it right the first time. You manage information digitally.

6. Manage the risks

Practices in your agency directly impact business decisions and the rights of employees and citizens. Incorrect application of legislation and standards can impinge on these rights in multiple ways.

• Ensure that your corporate risk register and business continuity plans include information management.
• Prioritise the protection of information assets (data, information and records) from breaches, loss or fraud.
• Resource the work to destroy information assets when no longer required and ensure destruction occurs only in accordance with the Archives Act.
• Be compliant with obligations and ready for audits, parliamentary scrutiny and a Royal Commission.

Be ready to take action

You have certainty in the face of crisis and have built external trust and integrity in your agency.

Download the 6 actions

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