Information Management in the Government of Canada - A Situation Analysis

Executive Summary

Preface
At no other time in the Government of Canada's history has information management been as important as it is today. As it enters the new millennium, the Government is implementing plans to connect Canadians to all government information and services by the Year 2004. Central to the success of these plans is Government's capacity to manage that information. The stakes are high. Citizens will expect their government to manage the information they provide in a trustworthy environment. Public servants will expect an infrastructure of policies, standards and practices, systems and qualified people to be in place to help them manage the information they need to support program and service delivery and, above all, to hold themselves accountable. Government is in the information business and the extent to which it manages information effectively will mark the extent to which it continues to be a responsive and responsible government within a democratic society. As government programs and services are increasingly delivered electronically, however, the government's ability to manage its information will be challenged significantly. This report and the three supporting background papers ("Issues", "Concepts", "Recommendations") are designed to help government orient itself to meet this challenge.

The author would like to thank all of those who participated in the consultation sessions associated with this initiative. The valuable comments and observations, often expressed with deep conviction and concern, reflected the seriousness with which IM issues are being considered by various communities across the government. Thanks also to the Chief Information Officer (CIO), the Deputy Chief Information Officer (DCIO), the National Archivist, and the Assistant National Archivist for their leadership in launching this initiative, and to Ian Sinclair, Director of Information Policy at the Chief Information Officer Branch (CIOB), for his guidance and support throughout the project. The Advisory Committee for this initiative, co-chaired by the Deputy CIO and the Assistant National Archivist, provided excellent guidance and much valuable input to the final product. The author also thanks Paul Sabourin, information analyst at the National Archives, for recording and compiling the wealth of comments and observations expressed during the numerous consultations. The contributions of Jens Laursen of Inkron Inc., while under contract with the CIOB, are also gratefully acknowledged and appreciated

This report of the IM Initiative did not emerge from a vacuum. The contents of the report as well as the recommendations benefited considerably from the dedicated efforts of a relatively small group of individuals who, over many years, have believed strongly in the role and importance of information management. To these individuals and the knowledge and experience they have contributed to the field of information management (and which was drawn upon to help prepare the report), the author is especially grateful.

John McDonald