This post has been a long time in coming because I’ve been trying to process everything that happened this year. Once again, InfoGovCon was a great event and the Information Coalition should be proud at the quality of speakers that they assembled. After all, how many conferences score a governor and get them to talk about something relevant?

Conferences like InfoGovCon are critical for the industry. We are still building a template for consistent success. As Shannon Harmon, whom I had the pleasure to meet this year, put it,

The best practices are still being developed. The body of knowledge is under construction.  This makes information governance an exciting space within which to work.  It can also be immensely frustrating for those who want a well-defined structure in place.  Working in this space requires a certain comfort level with the unknown.

After decades of working in this space, I agree that there are still some unknowns. We have learned a lot about what NOT to do. It is the way we can get things done consistently that we are still putting together.

Building the InfoBok

One topic of discussion was the InfoBOK (Information Body of Knowledge). The Information Coalition (IC) has been working on this for a bit and it is taking shape. Led by D Madrid, it is meant to capture information across all the relevant information areas of Information Governance.

It is a valiant effort that the IC is undertaking. Will it work? Time will tell but they are definitely focusing on a need that exists. There are books and training courses but creating an universally accessible body of knowledge has the potential to be a great benefit to the profession.

Thinking Outside the Box

Once again, Nick Inglis brought in a keynote speaker that was impactful and unexpected. This time it was the governor of Rhode Island, Gina Raimondo. She gave a great talk about implementers can work with clients to better understand and share risks. She stressed that there is no shame is taking a step back to make sure that something is done correctly. If every client had Governor Raimondo’s attitude, there would be a lot more successful tech implementations.

This year there was another panel on Increasing the Inclusivity of the Information Profession. D Madrid, Shannon Harmon, and Donda Young gave some great perspectives on what we all can do to increase diversity. It isn’t enough to recruit and train diverse people. You have to make sure that the environment is inclusive so the people you recruit stay and encourage others to join. There was a lot of good information and perspectives shared and kudos to the Information Coalition for putting this talk on the main stage where it belongs.

Making a Difference

One thing is clear, the Information Coalition is working hard to serve the members of the Information Governance Community. While still a young organization, they are gradually expanding their services and starting to make a real impact.

Next year I’ll be back at InfoGovCon. It will be in Providence again and I have to admit, that city is starting to grow on me. In addition, the speakers and other attendees are slowly making InfoGovCon the must attend conference for practitioners. Not sure what the IC is going to do for next year’s conference but I can’t wait to find out.