When is it a good time for organizations to build an Information Governance Program?

When is it a good time for organizations to build an Information Governance Program?

Building an Information Governance Program within an organization feels like a daunting task, quite overwhelming, and requires serious commitment. However, I want to give a different perspective on this for all those who feel this way. In my mind, it is a myth and almost an excuse that makes it easy to put it on the back burner. Organizations routinely suffer from information related challenges, yet, there is so much reluctance in taking on a program that could potentially solve several challenges for the foreseeable future. Granted that building an IG Program will come with its own set of challenges. However, these challenges will eventually result in streamlining the organization’s entire information platform. I would like to attempt to break this down and simplify (and hopefully not oversimplify) this initiative such that it does not seem too unattainable.

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1.      It is a program, not a project: This is a long sustaining program built with a multi-year strategy in mind. There are built-in flexibilities that allow you to go at your own pace based on the organization’s priorities, current needs & challenges, resources, budget, etc. Although there are certain dependencies, it still has the capabilities to pick and choose from a myriad of projects that be undertaken under this initiative.

2.      Structure: An Information Governance program relies heavily on putting together a structure within the organization that brings key stakeholders together to solve a common information related problem. By merely formalizing this structure itself, organizations can achieve some unbelievable results. What can’t be solved with the right type of talented individuals sitting around the same table?

3.      The Technology conundrum: Most organizations have gotten into a habit of throwing technological solutions to every problem. In my opinion, when not implemented correctly, it often ends up adding to the woes as opposed to solving them. An IG program does not immediately mean bringing in new technologies and revamping your entire IT world. In several cases, organizations already have the tools in place that need to be tweaked with the right level of governance to bring out the best results.

4.      The People aspect: Information is being handled (or more likely being mishandled) by the people. Having said that, no one goes to work thinking about what I can do wrong today with my information! Employees, for the most part, try to do their best based on the knowledge, training, education, and awareness they have on the information and tools they work with. This is, in my opinion, the most important and key aspect of implementing an IG program: Education, Training, and Awareness for doing the right thing with the information you work with.

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5.      Policies and Standards: There is not a single organization that does not have the right set of policies in place. The problem is in socializing the policies properly and accurately with the employees, enforcing them, and the most crucial part, monitoring & obtaining feedback. Governance is not just bringing in the stick but to find the right balance between practicality and compliance. Many organizations have policies that are so theoretical in nature that they are almost impossible to enforce. Similarly, several organizations have policies that employees are simply unaware of thereby leading to non-compliance.

None of the points mentioned above require that much commitment nor a budget that could break the bank. While these are not the complete set of ingredients to building an IG Program, they are definitely crucial starters to get this program going.

When organizations are dealing with the question: When is it a good time to build an Information Governance Program? My answer to them is: NOW. There will always be an excuse if you are looking for one. When the economy is good and the business is thriving, organizations think an IG program will break the momentum and slow them down.  Again, a definite myth in my opinion. When the economy is suffering and business is down, organizations think, this is not the right time to devote any effort in this area! Ultimately, several remain stagnant when it comes to managing their information-related challenges, continuing to extract less value from their information, making business decisions based on incorrect, untrusted sources of information, impeding their ability to come out ahead in this competitive world! 

Diane Walker, CRM, CMC

Records/Information Governance and Risk Professional

3y

My favorite thing to do!

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