Course: Strategic approaches to information

Lesson: Introduction
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Strategic approaches to information Introduction

In this lesson
LEARNING OBJECTIVES.................................................................................................................................. 2
THE WORLD OF DIGITAL INFORMATION....................................................................................................... 2
INFORMATION IS AN ASSET .......................................................................................................................... 3
WHY IS INFORMATION STRATEGIC? ............................................................................................................. 3
THE CHALLENGE OF INFORMATION MANAGEMENT IN THE DIGITAL WORLD ............................................. 3
WHAT IS INFORMATION MANAGEMENT? .................................................................................................... 4
THE INFORMATION CYCLE - THE MAIN ACTIVITIES IN INFORMATION MANAGEMENT ............................... 4
WHY IS INFORMATION MANAGEMENT IMPORTANT? ................................................................................. 6
WHAT IS AN INFORMATION STRATEGY? ...................................................................................................... 7
WHY IS AN INFORMATION STRATEGY IMPORTANT?.................................................................................... 7
AN INFORMATION STRATEGY SHOULD RELATE TO THE OVERALL CORPORATE STRATEGY ......................... 7
STARTING TO PLAN AN INFORMATION STRATEGY - A COMMON SCENARIO .............................................. 8
A COMMON SCENARIO ................................................................................................................................. 9
STRATEGIC APPROACHES TO INFORMATION ............................................................................................. 10
SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................................... 11

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Strategic approaches to information Introduction

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

• understand that the world of information is changing quickly in the digital environment;
• know what an information strategy is and what information management is;
• understand why information management and an information strategy are important for your
organization;
• see how an information strategy and information management involve different parts of the
organization and must be developed in a collaborative way; and
• understand that an information strategy needs to fit with other strategies in the organization.

THE WORLD OF DIGITAL INFORMATION

In our digital world computing, storage and networking power are growing exponentially. The volume
of information and data is growing just as fast. This is having a huge impact on people’s daily lives.

The growth of digital information is changing the way we work - through our research, education,
libraries, and communication.

Email and the Web connect professionals and researchers from around the globe. A growing range of
other tools (blogs and other "social media") further enhances informal communication.

Most new research, development and education literature is now created digital-only ("born digital") or
can be fully understood only in digital form.

Large amounts of digital literature have also been converted from the original print ("reborn digital").

Before the digital world of the last 30 years scholarly information was mostly print reports (and other
"grey" material), books and journals. And mostly they were produced by publishers or other
intermediaries.

Now we have these products in digital form, but as well there are data sets, images, social media
communications, web pages and institutional repositories, often with free access.

What is more, a lot of this new digital information is managed and made available by the same
organizations that created it - no longer only by publishers.

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INFORMATION IS AN ASSET
By linking together researchers and other professionals and the many different sources and types of
information, we can work in a digital world that develops new ideas and solves old problems in a much
more informed way.

Research and ideas are more valuable when they’re shared.

Although these issues are complex, we should always remind ourselves that:

Information is an asset and also that Information is strategic

WHY IS INFORMATION STRATEGIC?

When considering the ways in which our information and the information of others is created and used,
we need to think strategically, because without information, your staff and stakeholders will not know
what they need to do or how to do it. Moreover, whatever your staff “need to do” will almost always
involve collecting, exchanging or processing information.

There are more reasons why information has a strategic significance.

It guides decisions, and particularly the important ones that impact in the future.
For instance, the type of computer system or software you buy now, may affect many other
areas of operation for years to come.

Expanding your physical library services with a "virtual" library system may improve access to
information for your staff, as well as avoid the need for them to spend time going to the library.

One purpose of strategic planning is to identify and address long term issues which may arise
from any decision.

It is a fast changing area of work with many new opportunities, which can imply substantial
investment.

Strategic thinking is particularly important at times of change, because unless you have a clear
idea about what you are trying to achieve, it can be hard to assess the many new opportunities
presented in a consistent way.

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Strategic approaches to information Introduction

Large investment decisions are nearly always strategic because if you have invested resources in
one area, it usually means you are less able to invest in another.

Deciding not to implement changes can be as radical as making them, for instance if
stakeholders (users or founders) are expecting them.

THE CHALLENGE OF INFORMATION MANAGEMENT IN THE DIGITAL

WORLD
Decision-making in this new digital world can seem very challenging. Both within and outside the
organization the sources of potentially valuable information are diverse.

WHAT IS INFORMATION MANAGEMENT?

Information management (IM) is the process by which an organisation efficiently plans, creates,
purchases or captures, organizes, stores, accesses, retrieves, disseminates, transforms, communicates,
and disposes of its information, communication and associated resources.

Information management is a way for organizations of all types and sizes to acquire and organize
information, whether originating internally or externally, to exploit the value that the information has
for making informed decisions and for solving problems.

Almost all organizational activities have information components and depend on timely, reliable,
accurate, usable, and relevant information.

THE INFORMATION CYCLE - THE MAIN ACTIVITIES IN INFORMATION

MANAGEMENT
There are many alternative models which summarise the information management cycle. You may find
this one useful. Information management includes at least five activities:

1. The creation of information content; e.g. a researcher might write a paper or article for publication,
or create data from his or her research. A photographer might create images. A software developer
might create a new piece of software. You can probably think of many other examples.
2. The purchase or capture of information content (from both external and internal sources); e.g. an
Information or ICT Manager will capture digital information from a variety of sources, from both

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Strategic approaches to information Introduction

within and outside an organization, to build them into a resource which is accessible for users. A
librarian will purchase or obtain under licence digital resources for the library’s collections. A
publisher may communicate with an author and decide whether or not to publish his or her work.
Remember that more and more information is openly and freely available because of the Open
Access movement.
3. The storage, access and retrieval of information content that has been purchased or captured; e.g.
digital information content will be managed and stored by an Information or ICT Manager, or a
publisher, or other distributor of information, in a way that makes it accessible to users and allows
them to retrieve the information in an efficient way. An electronic publication or a dataset may be
stored in a subject-based or institutional repository. An IT developer may create a repository
interface to allow people to access and retrieve documents. A researcher may store and then access
research data and results on his or her computer in an information management package. In the
print world a publisher may store a paper book in a book distribution centre, or a librarian may
catalogue and shelve new publications.
4. The dissemination of information content for users; e.g. information will be disseminated by a
publisher, or by an information management system, or by an individual, which targets the end
users who have interest in using that information.
5. The communication of content and knowledge appropriate for users. Communication can also be
called repackaging. Information content may be transformed (or repackaged) by various
intermediaries (such as video makers, developers of mobile phone networks, or publishers) into
forms which are more directly usable by other end users such as policy makers, the media, farmers
or poor communities. A developer may create an infographics app from a dataset.

When the information has been disseminated and/or communicated it is then utilized by users who may
start the creation process, and therefore the cycle, all over again. Remember that on the internet not all
information is equally valuable or equal in quality. Trust information from sources that you know and
trust!

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Strategic approaches to information Introduction

The information cycle

Creation

... and then

Purchase or
the cycle
capture
starts again

Storage,
Communication access and
retrieval

Dissemination

WHY IS INFORMATION MANAGEMENT IMPORTANT?

Studies have shown that corporate executives spend more than 20 hours a week looking for
information, while middle managers spend up to 25 percent of their time searching for information
required to do their jobs. Finally, knowledge workers spend from 15 to 35 percent of their time
searching for information.

To be well resourced and efficient an information management operation needs:

information sources and resources;

qualified human resources;

information and communication technologies and networks;

information systems and applications;

other physical facilities;

and an Information Strategy.

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WHAT IS AN INFORMATION STRATEGY?

An information strategy is a plan of action or roadmap, designed by an organization, regarding the
objectives, processes, and resources to effectively and efficiently acquire, utilize, and communicate
information to achieve the organization’s goals and objectives.

WHY IS AN INFORMATION STRATEGY IMPORTANT?

An information strategy helps organizations to have a clear vision for:

What information to acquire and use.

What specific information management capabilities to develop (staff skills, technologies,
systems, and so on).
How and when to implement information management activities.
Monitoring and evaluating the information management activities towards the realization of
organizational goals and objectives.

An information strategy provides a framework for efficient and effective information management
across the organization.

AN INFORMATION STRATEGY SHOULD RELATE TO THE OVERALL

CORPORATE STRATEGY
Now that we know what an Information Strategy is, and why it is important, it’s also important to
consider the relation between an Information Strategy and the overall Corporate Strategy of an
organization.

The Information Strategy should not be an independent entity; it should necessarily be related to the
goals and objectives of the organization as a whole.

If your organization has an overall corporate strategy you will be able to identify the information
activities which are important to achieve its general objectives and these will be central to the
information strategy.

Therefore, your Information Strategy will become an essential link between the broader strategic goals
and the more detailed information-related processes in your organization.

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STARTING TO PLAN AN INFORMATION STRATEGY - A COMMON

SCENARIO
Dr. Kibaka is the new Director of a scientific research and teaching organization in his country. He has
already talked to some of his staff about the problems and the needs they have in accessing, using and
producing information.

He is now concerned that there is not a consistent vision across the organization showing how these
various issues can be brought together and addressed in ways that will benefit the whole organization.

EXAMPLE:

Dr. Kibaka knows that his main objectives for information should be:

• to provide more efficient access to information across the organization; and

• to improve the production and dissemination of information for all his stakeholders.

Dr. Kibaka organizes a meeting of some important members of staff with different roles in information-
related parts of the organization and he asks them to write down a number of information-related
issues that concern them and their team in their everyday work and in the longer term.
Let’s see the lists of issues and needs that the different people at the meeting have made:

The researcher:
“How can I have better access to our library collections, and maybe other external collections as well?”
“Do I know enough about how to access a variety of digital information sources? ”
“Should we have a digital repository where I can deposit my research data and other outputs? ”
“I’d like to be able to access our old research reports online. ”
“Can I use Web 2.0 platforms and tools to improve the communication of my research? ”
“I need more information about Intellectual Property Rights (IPR). ”
“How can I maximise the readership of my research by using the internet? ”
“I’d like to have more information about publisher’s Open Access policies. ”

A senior manager:
“How can we get the best value from our library budgets? ”
“Do we need to have more information literacy training? ”
“How should we preserve our research outputs for the long term? ”
“Can we develop new revenue streams from creating information products for sale? ”
“Do we need an Open Access policy for publishing our research? ”
“Is Web 2.0 communication an opportunity or a threat to our research? ”
“Does some of our information have value to other audiences – could we sell it to them in some form? ”
“Do we need to integrate our research management systems with other internal systems? ”
“Should we have our own institutional repository or collaborate with others? ”

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“We need to develop policy governing copyright and other IPR issues. ”

The librarian or information manager:

“How do I negotiate better licence terms with publishers? ”
“How do we keep the cost of e-journals down? And what about e-books? ”
“I need to understand more about researcher needs. ”
“Could we link up access to our collections with those of other organizations? ”
“Should our information literacy courses cover more than just searching for information? ”
“We should make sure it’s easy to deposit materials in our repository. ”
“Should we train researchers in accessing information that is free? ”
“We need to make more information available about licences and copyright. ”
“Do we need better access controls for valuable or confidential content? ”
“Should I be lobbying senior management for better library resources? ”

The research manager:

“How can I improve access to information for my department? ”
“I need to encourage researchers to think about Open Access. ”
“How do we encourage the use and reuse of our research outputs by others so that their impact is
increased? ”
“How does Open Access affect our thinking about publishing? ”
“I should encourage the use of open content licenses like Creative Commons. ”

A COMMON SCENARIO
These lists provide much food for thought for Dr. Kibaka. After the meeting he sits down to think about
the many aspects of the organization and its activities which will be affected by his ideas. He now starts
a more detailed list of what will need to be done:

Strategic planning  Plan and coordinate the various information-related activities and

and evaluation evaluate their impact to allow modification of the activities if necessary.

Access to  Improve the accessibility of sources of information both internal and

information external to the organization.

Dissemination  Improve the efficiency of dissemination and the quality of the

information products and services.

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Organization and  Improve effectiveness of the managers and staff working in information-

Management related activities by addressing organization, management and staff

skills.

Technology  Improve the way that the existing technology is used and introduce new
technology if needed.

Dr. Kibaka’s list shows us how to start thinking strategically about our information management. Let’s
see how this Module will approach this process in a similar way.

STRATEGIC APPROACHES TO INFORMATION

Like Dr. Kibaka’s list, the Lessons in this Module will introduce you to the various information-related
activities necessary for working strategically with information in your organization.

Unit 1 - Information Management in a Digital World

The Lessons in Unit 1 describe the rapidly developing world of digital information and why it is
important for your organization to continually develop its information management capabilities. They
also provide an introduction to the types of digital information now available globally.

Unit 2 - Developing your Information Strategy

The Lessons in Unit 2 show the importance of an information strategy for effective information
management in your organization. Detailed guidance is given on planning and developing an
information strategy, as well as on the implementation and continuing evaluation of the impacts of the
strategy.

Unit 3 - Making Information Available

The lessons in Unit 3 show how information usage has been changing in the digital world and explain the
importance of properly managing access both to external information for your organization and to your
organization's internal information.

Unit 4 - Providing Your Audiences with the Information They Need

The lessons in Unit 4 look in detail at how to deliver your information to other users, and the importance
of understanding the needs of these users in terms of the media, content and format of your
information services.

Unit 5 - Organizing and Managing Your Information Activities

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Finally, the lessons in Unit 5 look at the implications of developing your information management and
strategy. To carry out all the activities we have looked at in the previous Units will mean that there are
many effects and impacts on how your organization works on a day to day basis.

So this Unit covers these more detailed aspects of how your organization should work, looking at
organizational structures and processes, staff and their necessary skills, the new information
technologies that you may need, how to manage costs, and finally the importance of intellectual
property rights (IPR) in this new world of information management.

SUMMARY
The new information environment, with its many possibilities, presents challenges for the modern
organization. Because the digital world is changing so quickly information management in an
organization must be flexible and always open to change. This affects not just what we do, but how we
do it.

Developing and improving your information management will require the involvement of different parts
of the organization. Key areas are information access and dissemination, organization and staff skills,
and technology. Information management issues both internal to the organization and external to it will
need to be assessed as part of this collaborative process.

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