The Information School at the University of Washington
Information Audits
Bob Boiko
UW iSchool
ischool.washington.edu
Metatorial Services Inc.
www.metatorial.com
The Information School at the University of Washington
What we will cover
• What is an audit?
• What’s the point?
• How do they fit with the other projects we have
discussed?
• The Concepts
The Information School at the University of Washington
What is an Information Audit?
What is any kind of audit?
Buchanan and Gibb have most befittingly defined it as
“the process of discovering, monitoring and evaluating an
organization's information flows and resources in order to
implement, maintain or improve an organization's
management of information.
Ibrahim Ramjaun
A systematic examination of information use, resources
and flows, with a verification from reference to both people
and existing documents in order to establish the extent to
which they are contributing to an organization’s objectives.
Orna P 69
The Information School at the University of Washington
What is Audited?
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The Information that leads to knowledge
Resources for making information
How info is used
The people who need and create info
Info capture, management and
presentation tools
• How info is valued
The Information School at the University of Washington
What’s the Point?
The overall goal is to produce an integrated information strategy
(Buchanan & Gibb, 1998). - Ibrahim Ramjaun
• Understand information
– What is it?
– How does it move?
• Manage (or at least exert influence over) information
– What should we spend on it?
– How should it flow?
• Give information its rightful place as something we pay
attention to.
– Money
– Material goods
– Processes
The Information School at the University of Washington
The Concepts
– The information resource
– An information policy
– An information strategy
The Information School at the University of Washington
The Information Resource
Something which holds information that people need to apply in
their work, to achieve their and the organization’s objectives.
- Orna P 86
• Data
– Financial
– Production, sales, inventory, etc.
– Customer
• Information
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Intelligence (suppliers, competitors, industry, world)
News and events
Research
Own publications
The Information School at the University of Washington
Be Careful What You Ask For…
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The introduction of the information
management idea into organizations
implicitly carries with it very substantial
structural change consequences. Horton in Orna P 62
Reorganizing people and jobs
Breaking info fiefdoms
Requiring non fuzzy communication
Removing hiding places
The Information School at the University of Washington
An Audit Project
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What are the goals of the project?
What is the overall process?
What are the deliverables?
What does the plan look like?
The Information School at the University of Washington
What Are The Goals?
• To assess what
information and flow the
org needs
• To assess what
information and flow the
org now has
• To make
recommendations about
how to get the two to
match
The Information School at the University of Washington
What’s the Overall Process?
1. Analyze objectives for ideal process
2,3 Get a mandate and support
4 Plan the audit
5 Perform the audit
6,7 Interpret and Present the results
8,9 Take action
10 Repeat
The Information School at the University of Washington
What are the Deliverables?
1. Analyze objectives
•One or more readiness deliverables
•A Goals-Knowledge-Info taxonomy
2,3 Get support
•One or more mandate deliverables
•Guardian and stakeholder profiles
4. Plan
•Audit methods plan
•Staging plan
5. Perform
•Information Analyses
6,7 Interpret and present
•Reports and presentations
8,9 Act
•Follow-up plan
The Information School at the University of Washington
Deliverables: A Goals-Knowledge-Info
Taxonomy
• Organizational objective 1
– Knowledge requirement 1.1
• Info that supports requirement
– Containers for the information
• People who need to know it
• Flow
– Creation
– Use
– Disposal
– Knowledge requirement 1.2
• Organizational objective 2
The Information School at the University of Washington
Deliverables: Guardian and Stakeholder
Profiles
Who will you approach in the org and how?
(note that Orna puts this in the next step)
• What: Word files, a spreadsheet or Db records
– Who are they?
– How will you approach them?
– What do you know without asking?
• How:
– Asking around
– Quick email or other communication
– Org charts or readiness results
The Information School at the University of Washington
What are the Deliverables?
1. Analyze objectives
A Goals-Knowledge-Info taxonomy
One or more readiness deliverables
2,3 Get support
One or more mandate deliverables
Guardian and stakeholder profiles
4. Plan
•Audit methods plan
•Staging plan
5. Perform
•Information Analyses
6,7 Interpret and present
•Reports and presentations
8,9 Act
•Follow-up plan
The Information School at the University of Washington
Deliverables: Audit Methods Plan
What are the available methods (Orna p. 56)?
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Analysis of docs and Dbs
Observation
Trying yourself
Interviews
Meetings
Surveys
Mapping
The Information School at the University of Washington
Deliverables: Audit Methods Plan
How will you assess the information resources of your organization?
• What: Word, spreadsheet or Db
– Analysis, resource, method
– Date, time, and staff
• How
– Try each method
– Discuss with guardians and stakeholders
– Design for change
The Information School at the University of Washington
Deliverables: Staging Plan
In what order should groups and information resources be done?
• What: Word Doc, spreadsheet or DB
– Groups and sources identified
– Dates, times and staff for each
• How
– Arranged by
• Strategic importance and potential for a win
• Amount of support and ease or simplicity
• Fair representation of all information
The Information School at the University of Washington
What are the Deliverables?
1. Analyze objectives
A Goals-Knowledge-Info taxonomy
One or more readiness deliverables
2,3 Get support
One or more mandate deliverables
Guardian and stakeholder profiles
4. Plan
Audit methods plan
Staging plan
5. Perform
•Information Analyses
6,7 Interpret and present
•Reports and presentations
8,9 Act
•Follow-up plan
The Information School at the University of Washington
Deliverables: Information Analyses
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What are the analyses you must
perform?
Information Resources
Guardians and Stakeholders
Information flow
Systems
Cost and value
The Information School at the University of Washington
Deliverables: Information Analyses
The assessment of each dimension of
the organization's information.
• What? Word, spreadsheet or Db
– Data collected
– Standard set of
– Information Resources
• How
– Apply methods and plan
– Collect data, analyze and revisit if needed
The Information School at the University of Washington
What are the Deliverables?
1. Analyze objectives
A Goals-Knowledge-Info taxonomy
One or more readiness deliverables
2,3 Get support
One or more mandate deliverables
Guardian and stakeholder profiles
4. Plan
Audit methods plan
Staging plan
5. Perform
Information Analyses
6,7 Interpret and present
•Reports and presentations
8,9 Act
•Follow-up plan
The Information School at the University of Washington
Deliverables: Reports and Presentations
What are the analysis
methods available?
• Side-by-side comparison
• SWOT
• CATWOE
– Clients
– Actors
– Transformations
– Ownership
– Environment
The Information School at the University of Washington
Deliverables: Reports and Presentations
The official results of the audit
• What
– Word files, Slide decks
– Email messages, meeting agendas
• How
– Lots of trial inside the team
– Test results to supporters
– Trial presentations to insiders
– Multiple methods to communicate
The Information School at the University of Washington
What are the Deliverables?
1. Analyze objectives
A Goals-Knowledge-Info taxonomy
One or more readiness deliverables
2,3 Get support
One or more mandate deliverables
Guardian and stakeholder profiles
4. Plan
Audit methods plan
Staging plan
5. Perform
Information Analyses
6,7 Interpret and present
Reports and presentations
8,9 Act
•Follow-up plan
The Information School at the University of Washington
Deliverables: Follow-Up Plan
What should the org do and how will its
success be measured?
• What
– Word file, project plan
– Action
– Preliminary scope, schedule, and budget
• How
– Work with appropriate guardians and execs
– Focus on highest return projects first
– Give lots of leeway to the formation of the exact
solution
– Caveat the heck out of your estimates
The Information School at the University of Washington
The Team
• Audit manager
– Understands the org’s business
– Ability to listen
– Respected
• Auditors
– Technology analysts
– Interviewers
– SME (Subject Matter Experts)
• Tool designers
– Survey construction
– Data analysis and presentation techniques
• Consultants
– Specialist support in the background
The Information School at the University of Washington
In Sum…
• The goal of the project
• Compare what is,
• To what should be
• To bring the two together
• The process is:
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Establish what should be
Get support
Find out what is
Create results and recommendations.