Special Interest Group: Government

 View Only

We looked the data explosion in the eye!

  • 1.  We looked the data explosion in the eye!

    Posted 04-01-2016 09:38

    The FEDSIG wrapped up its second online meeting on February 25, 2016 and we are hoping that the participants found it as inspiring and motivational as the planning committee did.  We were fortunate to have Dr. David Bray, Chief Information Officer from the Federal Communications Commission share his ideas on leadership and change.  The meeting also included a question and answer session, which generated discussion on the implications of policy and requirements on data explosion, and a look into the crystal ball for what records and information management may mean in the future.  If you missed it, the session was recorded so you can still catch up!

    A resounding theme in our discussion was that with the exponential growth of data and technology, change is a must, and technology must be part of the answer.  That statement may be as popular as recent blogs where authors discuss the fate of certain professional organizations over others.  But, resistance to the fact that technology is essential to reasonably and efficiently manage information is likely setting an organization up for failure on a grand scale.  Information professionals must retool and retrain themselves to optimize the human/technology interface, not resist it.  The very nature of work is changing and although federal employees face unique challenges and restrictions which our private sector contemporaries may not, we are not immune to dealing with the data explosion.  We need to do some things differently.

    Furthermore, as information professionals in areas such as security, privacy, access, discovery, and records all compete for money during a time of budget austerity, we owe it to ourselves to pull together and figure out common solutions.  This abundance of data and content in which we are all swimming lead a friend and records compatriot to exclaim recently, “I am not sure how we direct development of records and information management as a profession on its own anymore!”

    That declaration is why you need to join the FEDSIG community--we can’t work in silos, we must come together.

    Our meetings observe the “Chatham House Rule” and are open to anyone who creates an online account (membership is not necessary).  Our aim is to provide a collaboration and discussion space for information professionals whether you come at the problem from an IT, legal, privacy, access, security, or records management perspective.

    Join the broader Federal iTribe today and help guide the information future for our government.  While you’re at it, invite your Federal friends!

    ------------------------------
    Deborah Armentrout
    Agency Records Officer
    US Nuclear Regulatory Commission
    ------------------------------