Information audit

What is an information audit?
Auditing is a management technique providing an overview of the present situation regarding specific resources and services within an organization. An information audit will focus on the information resources by identification of the users’ information needs as well as how these needs are met.
The following questions are central:

• Who does what?
• What information – in what formats - enters the organization?
• What happens with the information once it is inside the organization?
• What are the tools, processes, time lines, and costs?
• Is there a lack of information or, on the contrary, an information overload?
• Are there search and retrieval problems?

Why auditing information?
An information audit is an instrument to help the organization deliver “the right information, to the right people, at the right moment for the right price”.
Most organizations receive, process, store and also produce a lot of information. This will not change in the immediate future. It effectively tends to increase with the booming use of Internet and digital internal and external networks.
An information audit has diagnostic benefits by the identification of the strong and week points of how the information ‘flows’ inside the organization. At the same time it helps to focus staff members’ attention on the value and benefits of the use and share of information.

For whom?
The audit is an organization wide affair. A cross-organizational team is a good approach and top management endorsement is critical.
InfoFluxo has experience in information auditing in small to medium sized non-governmental organizations.