Information governance in digitized public administration

Abstract

As the public sector increasingly transforms itself and its processes through digital technologies, information—the prime resource—the governance of information, and the need for advanced information skills, have moved to centre stage. Information governance processes form a critical bridge between the legacy systems of the past and the agile and mobile platforms of the future. Describing the forces at play, which include new information formats, modes of transmission and uses but also new skills and governance requirements, this article proposes an information governance-centred research agenda. Considering information governance through a holistic lens is essential to ensure that the new possibilities available through technology can be leveraged to transform government, while government information itself is preserved as the essential tool for current and future government decision-making, as a critical service to the public, as public memory, and as the foundation for public sector accountability and transparency.