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Keeping score in the public sector

The performance management and information access reality

Reg research A recent Reg Reader survey looked at how public sector organisations are managing to address the complex challenges of information management in an age when everyone expects to have instant access to information while simultaneously insisting on stringent security being enforced.

The results are unlikely to be much of a surprise to anyone working in the area, with the possible obvious exception of politicians, but there are lessons to be learned from drilling into some of the specific challenges and issues.

The survey reveals that reporting to external regulatory agencies is handled reasonably well but the provision of management reports internally is generally far less effective. And the pressure to increase the scope and frequency of reporting, both internally and to provide visibility to outside agencies is adding significant challenges to information management and reporting.

While there is considerable noise surrounding ‘social media’ systems as a means of making information available to citizens and enhancing communications with them, it is clear that there is still much work to do simply enhancing websites to support basic on-demand functionality.

Beyond this, many public sector bodies recognise that they could make far better use of the tools they already have deployed; this is no small matter given the difficulty in obtaining investment for new solutions. However, it is also interesting to note that organisations who have more effective information reporting capabilities already in place find it more straightforward to obtain further investment. While some in the public sector are striding ahead of the pack, many others are falling further behind.

Full details of this latest Reg reader study can be found in the Freeform Dynamics report entitled “Keeping Score in the Public Sector”, which is downloadable from here.

This research will also feature as a highlight on our next Regcast. Our panel of experts will deliver practical advice on how to Unlock the business value of your information can now register for this free event here.

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