Knowledge and Information is critical to business

Knowledge and information are assets that critically underpin the work of government. Excellent management of these assets is needed to unlock their value.

Government recognises knowledge and information management as a formal profession and a critical business activity, in the same way as Finance, Information Technology, Communications and Human Resources.

The challenges within information management are similar to those facing the other functions: the skills we need now are different from those we needed in the past. The Knowledge and Information Management Function must build its capability to deal with the emerging challenges of a complex digital society.

Knowledge and information management practitioners

The Knowledge and Information Management Function supports people whose defining part of their work enables the creation, storage and accessibility of knowledge and information: such as librarians, information and records managers, knowledge managers, information rights professionals and archivists.

The Knowledge and Information Function works with the Knowledge Council to:

• Build recognition among senior members of the civil service of the expertise of knowledge and information (KIM) practitioners and the value they bring.
• Develop professionalism and a competency framework to equip KIM professionals with the most up-to-date skills and career paths.
• Unify the specialist disciplines and professions within the KIM profession to build a stronger community.
• Raise core skills in managing knowledge and information across government.

Developing core skills

The Knowledge and Information Management Function is also building an understanding across government of the need to embed a stronger knowledge and information management culture, and to develop the core skills that many staff need in order to use the information and knowledge assets in their organisations effectively.

Enhanced skills benefit senior leaders with responsibility for organisational effectiveness; policy makers, statisticians, scientists, researchers and others who produce and apply knowledge and information; and all staff who need to use knowledge and information effectively to produce quality outputs.

Governance

Natalie Ceeney, The Chief Executive of The National Archives, is the Head of the Knowledge and Information Management Function and Head of Profession.

The Knowledge Council is the formal governing body for the Function.

The Government Knowledge and Information Management Network team provides the overall co-ordination of the Function, drawing on expertise from departments across Whitehall and the wider public sector.