Introduction

In Chapter Four, the building blocks of integrated information management were outlined, including the relationship between ICT and non-ICT information management. This chapter will:

• • emphasise the importance of channel in relation to content, and underline how ICT is supplementary to other channels;

• • introduce the importance of the ‘value chain’ in information management; and

• • highlight three areas of attention with regard to information integration: within the organisation, between organisations, and over organisations.

This chapter will aim to show how integrated and cross-agency perspectives of inter-organisational information management can improve social welfare outcomes.

Information management and appropriate channels

Information needs of service users

Any information management strategy needs to ‘flow’ from the function and tasks of the social welfare organisation. In turn, this is determined by the organisational objectives, professional perspectives and the needs (and views) of users. As was explained in Chapter Four, communication is an integral element of the information management strategy.

In the process of communication the choice of channel is critical. If, for example, the welfare issue to be communicated is about current housing legislation and homelessness, there will be a number of channels available to reach a number of audiences. The sequence may consist of:

• • the development of general material around housing and homelessness (content);

• • the broadcasting of this material to particular audiences via specific mechanisms, like a leaflet or poster (channel);

• • the development of audience-specific material; for example, it may be desirable to produce specific material for the needs of young people who are, or are at risk of becoming, homeless (content). This material may need to be broadcast via specific channels, such as youth magazines and websites (channel). Other audience-specific material (content) will need to be developed for partner agencies to ensure coordinated service provision (channel);

• • the further development of distinct channels for distinct user groups, including minority ethnic languages, Braille and audiotape to maximise accessibility. (For a fuller discussion of these principles and application, see Harrison, 1995.)

Different channels have distinct strengths and weaknesses. It is a mistake to assume that one form of channel automatically has primacy over another – for example, that the printed word has primacy over the electronic word or vice versa. Indeed, the electronic word can have very specific problems (see Chapter Seven).