Making a Difference: Professional Skills in a time of

changeDavid A. Smith

Chief Knowledge OfficerDepartment for Communities and Local

Government

Time of change?

• Change of Government

• Change in resourcing levels

• Change in organisational structures

• Changes in technology

• Changes in user needs

• Changes in governance

• Changes in professional institutions

Change of Government

• Change in policy focus

• Localism

• Deregulation

• Transparency agenda

Key impacts on Government info services

• Agile and personalised, responsive public services

• Joint service delivery to citizens

• Public has right to public data

• Citizens have a right to their data

Change in resourcing levels

• Significant resource reductions

• Reductions in both Pay and Non-Pay

• Greater drive for shared services

• Close activities rather than salami slicing

• Pressure on remaining resources

…every expense spared…

• More for less – end duplication

• Sharing info adding to pressures to ensure it is accurate, current and well organised

• Fewer resources driving process/service refinement

• Fewer “traditional” library posts

• Disappearance of the physical library

Change in organisational structures

• Departments downsizing

• Reduction in Arms Length Bodies

• Low level MOG changes

• Centralised approval mechanisms for large scale spend

Picking up the pieces

• Help in locating right people and resources

• Dealing with orphaned information

• Customer care skills provide a bridge systems and people

• Additional RM requirements

• KM support for MOG changes

Changes in technology

• Government IT strategy

• Cloud computing

• Rise of social media

• Mobile devices

Tripping the IT fantastic

• Possible move to open source apps – demise of the LMS?

• Cloud computing raises data security issue

• Keeping up with the tweeters

• Access to/Provision of information on the move

• Linked datasets

Changes in user needs

• Decline of mediated searching

• Greater interaction with the Public

• Cross disciplinary information needs

• Context for data

• Advice on the regulatory compliance environment for information

Adding value

• Reassessment of value add to e-services

• Exploit people skills in “front line” information services – IR, IA training etc

• Provision of explanatory information underlying data sets

• Information compliance assurance for information handling, sharing and release

Changes in governance

• CRAG implementation

• Increased use of FOI

• Increased penalties for DP failures

• Security Policy Framework requirements

• Government Information Management principles

Delivering the policy agenda

• Increased demand for RM file review and sensitivity checking

• Increased demand for FOI services

• Ensuring DP and FOI embedded in processes

• Role in supporting SPF processes

Government Information Management Principles

• Information is a valuable asset

• Information is business driven

• Information is fit for purpose

• Information should be reused

• Information operations are minimised

• Linked information is more useful

• Information always has an accountable owner and a source

Government Information Management Principles

• Information is governed by law and regulation

• Information has a lifecycle

• Public has right to public data

• Citizens have a right to their data

• Information must be governed

Changes in professional institutions

• CILIP’s Big Conversation

• Creation of the Information and Records Management Society

• BCS – ISEB Information Rights

• Knowledge Council – KIM SFG

• CDL, NGLIS, ADRO

Professional professionals

• Creation of a one-door pan-professional institution/alliance for accreditation

• Address issue of the place of IR and IA

• Greater co-ordination between sectorial bodies – GIG/NGLIS/CDL/ADRO/KC

• Integrated skills framework

• Assessment of level of proficiency

KIM Professional Skills Framework

• Career DevelopmentAssess existing skillsPlot areas for development

• Performance AppraisalIdentifies gaps in your knowledge and experienceAssists with preparation for appraisals

• Capability planningDefines standards for future/changing roles

• Identifying training needsSupports development required to reach next levelForms basis for business case for funding training

KIM profession Self assessment tool

• Recent launch of KIM profession self assessment tool

• To help assess levels of proficiency against the standards set out in the government KIM Professional Skills Framework, and

• To help to identify those skills already possessed and any learning and development needs

Quo Vadis?• Expert in finding info/using search facilities

• Able to make information more usable: Info Literacy and Info Arch

• Ensuring information is in same format and can be easily shared or joined up

• Organising information

• Encouraging a culture of info sharing

• Customer orientated

• Practical KIM needs and outcomes

Information professional roles evolving

• Web management

• Information architecture

• Records management

• Information assurance

• Information Rights

• Information Services and training

• Research

CDL Guideline 1

• “Organisations employ library and information professionals in specialist posts where their skills are required to meet business needs”

• Where can I add value?

• Where can I with my skills contribute more than a generalist?

New CDL Bursary

• Bursary attend CILIP’s next Umbrella Conference

• 200 words how you will benefit

• Applications to CDL Secretary Penny Scott by 31 May