Culture and community: IG in the global arena.

• Author: Barnes, Nancy Dupre
• Position: CASE STUDY - Information governance

In an increasingly volatile and often-troubled world where headlines of economic and political strife can predominate, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage work serves as a reminder that positive aspects of the human experience continue to thrive. These aspects, sustained through UNESCO's inter-continental efforts to retain cultural heritage and effected through proper information governance (IG), are fostered for the enrichment of present and future generations.

Cultural Stewardship and IG

To understand IG's relationship to cultural stewardship, it is helpful to examine the current state of practice for records and information management (RIM) professionals. The long-standing (and still relevant) RIM manager position has blossomed into a panoply of job titles, such as chief records officer and director of information governance.

Concomitantly, the foundation of knowledge supporting the practice and theory of RIM has expanded with the maturation of the profession, the sense of urgency generated by public awareness of data breach activities, and the burgeoning of complex technologies. To work most effectively in today's RIM community and demonstrate optimal professional preparedness, a broad set of capabilities --including cultural sensitivity--is advisable.

Identifying IG Skills

Recognizing that a professional transformation was underway, in 2013 ARMA International created and began administering the Information Governance Professional (IGP) certification program, which confers an industry-leading credential, the IGP. (See details at www.arma.org/igp.)

When earned by an individual, the IGP designation signifies the attainment of a defined range of expertise and readiness for tackling organization-wide information asset management responsibilities.

As part of developing the IGP certification, ARMA International used the Developing a Curriculum (DACUM) process for analyzing the types of knowledge, skills, abilities, and attributes that are applicable to the practice of IG in the 21st century. These are codified and enumerated in the IG DACUM chart, which is available at www.arma.org/docs/igp/ dacumchart1012.pdf.

Cultivating Cultural Sensitivity

As detailed on the first page of the DACUM chart, IG professionals should be expected to embrace a modern, cross-cultural work environment; cultural practices and sensitivities and the recognition of regional differences are highlighted as areas requiring knowledge and skills. Being attuned to cultural practices and sensitivities and cultivating an understanding of regional differences can facilitate negotiations with internal and external information stakeholders.

Regional differences can arise from any number of sources, including religious beliefs, communication styles, and language barriers; so, recognition of these differences can be the key to attaining a measure of success...