Te matawai i ngā rawa mōhiohio

Information assets overview

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Information and records are at the core of government business. They are a key strategic asset. Like other assets, information assets need to be identified and managed effectively to get the best value from them. Information assets enable your organisation to:

• deliver better public services

• make informed decisions

• avoid and reduce costs, and

• comply with legislation.

An information asset is an aggregation (grouping) of information and records that can be defined and managed as a single unit. This way, it can be effectively:

• understood

• shared

• protected, and

• used.

Information assets have recognisable and manageable value, risk, content and lifecycles.

All the information and records associated with a specific project may be considered a single information asset. For example, this could include spreadsheets, text documents, images and emails to and from project staff.

A database of contacts is an example of a single information asset. Each entry in the database is not treated individually — the collection is considered one information asset.

What an information asset is not

An information asset is not the technology used to store, process, access and manipulate the information — the asset is the information itself.

For example, information and records with varied content managed in an enterprise content management system should not be identified as a single information asset. The system is the container only.

Supporting strategic and operational objectives

It’s essential to identify what information assets your organisation needs to:

• enable it to work efficiently

• deliver outcomes effectively

• operate legally, accountably and transparently.

This includes identification of any information assets which are underutilised, or which could have wider uses and business benefits.

Managing risk and compliance

You need to understand how to manage any information assets that are high-risk or high-value. You also need to understand how to mitigate risks associated to these through effective governance, ownership and accountability. This includes identifying areas of your organisation where insufficient or untrustworthy information and records may be a barrier to efficient business practices or public trust.

Using and sharing

To enable better use and sharing of your information assets — both within your organisation, between related organisations and with the wider public — you need to understand:

• what information assets you have

• what you can do with them

• what you can share

• how you can share them.

This includes improving your organisation’s understanding of the cultural and historical value of information assets, as well as any obligations under te Tiriti o Waitangi and Treaty settlements in relation to assets that may also be tāonga.

Digital continuity

You can use information assets to better understand the complex interdependencies between those assets, your organisation’s business needs and your technology systems. This will enable you to better manage the digital continuity of your organisation’s information assets so they remain complete, available and usable over time.

Managing retention and disposal

You need to determine what information assets your organisation should retain to meet business needs and legislative requirements, including:

• how to store and access them efficiently

• how long they need to be kept

• when they can be disposed of legally — for example, by transfer to us or by destruction.

This will also enable your organisation to reduce information asset redundancy and duplication. It can also lead to cost savings.