DHS Information Management Strategy Principles
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The Human Services sector is a demanding and intensive user of information. Information must be timely, relevant and accurate in order for providers, policy-makers and managers to deliver integrated client-centred services to protect and enhance the health and social well-being of Victorian citizens.
Every hour or dollar DHS spends as a result of missing, inaccessible, incorrect or misleading information is an hour or dollar not spent on delivering better human services to clients.
Seven Information Management Principles have been developed to guide how information should ideally be managed and used in the Department.
Background
DHS's Information Management Principles were founded on the need to develop a set of guidelines to assist staff in managing information at both a strategic and practical level.
Consultation has been carried out with staff from across the Department and also with a small group from the funded sector.
The Information Management Principles provide simple statements that support DHS staff in making strategic, tactical and operational decisions in three key areas:
- Investment – How we ensure that information we collect and create is appropriate to business needs.
- Management – How we ensure information is managed effectively, efficiently and within legislative and policy requirements.
- Use – How we ensure we get the best possible value from our information.
The principles cover all types of formal information (e.g. text, graphical, audiovisual, electronic, hardcopy, databases, and publications).
While ensuring that information is secure and privacy is respected, the principles also encompass information flows:
- within DHS
- from external bodies to DHS
- from DHS to external groups (e.g. citizens, service providers, community organisations, other government bodies).
Summary
The seven core information principles summarised here are based on a conceptual framework that reflects the Department's expectations of information management.
- Ensure the information we collect meets business needs and priorities:
DHS only collects information that has a clear purpose. Given our finite resources we will prioritise investment in information to areas that best support the Department's strategic directions and key operational requirements. - Minimise the cost and burden of information capture:
DHS reduces the cost of collection and the burden on clients and providers by capturing information once and once only, using the best available tools and technologies. - Get the best value from our information:
DHS enhances the value of its investment in information by sharing information, making it accessible, using it productively and managing it efficiently. - Produce quality information:
The Department's information is of a quality which makes it fit for purpose. This encompasses issues of: relevance, completeness, accuracy, timeliness and accessibility. - Protect and preserve information:
Information is managed with due care and diligence throughout the information lifecycle to ensure that it is protected and preserved in accordance with legislative and policy requirements, such as the Information Privacy Act and Victorian Electronic Records Strategy. - Enable good practices - Competencies:
DHS staff have the necessary skills, knowledge and experience to perform their information management responsibilities. - Enable good practices - Governance:
Clear accountabilities, controls and coordinating mechanisms are in place and observed to ensure that information is managed efficiently and effectively in DHS.
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The principles are described in full in the paper Improving Information Practices in DHS. Each principle is accompanied by a rationale, implications for the Department of accepting the principle, and actions to progress implementation.
