1. Information is a valued asset

1. Information is a valued asset

Information is an asset which is fundamental to the efficient and effective delivery of public services and should therefore be understood and valued in the same way as buildings, people, machinery or money. 

Information has a purpose, and in order to fully understand its value it is necessary to understand the purpose for which it was created and managed, as well as any possible future secondary uses.  

Knowing what information exists, along with an assessment of its use and value, is a prerequisite for appropriately protecting and fully utilising and exploiting the information. 

Putting it into practice

Creating a culture where information is a valued asset requires that information management is seen as an integral part of people’s roles not just something to be done when there is some rare quiet time. This can be done through:

1. A declaration from GCC that establishes the importance of information to the business - this can be seen in the Information and Data Management strategy and the Digital strategy which sets information at the heart of providing a smarter, more agile public service.
2. The provision of training – making sure that information management is part of new starter inductions and regular refresher sessions to remind staff of the importance of information and their responsibilities.
3. Adding information management to job roles – information management should be part of all job roles, not just departmental administrators. Having it as part of their job description will help give staff the permission they need to spend the time managing their information without feeling that they are not making the best use of their working time.
4. Consistently identify, categorise and catalogue information assets and their purpose – using the Information Asset Register to identify and categorise all information assets across GCC and the purpose for which they are put. This will need to be reviewed regularly as information assets, their value and purpose may change over time. If you would like to view a copy of the Information Asset register, please contact dpo@gloucestershire.gov.uk
5. Transferring records of permanent value to Gloucestershire Archives, to preserve corporate memory for future generations.