Survey: information governance not being embraced.

• Position: INFO GOVERNANCE

Most businesses have not yet seen the light regarding the importance of information governance (IG) despite increasing public attention to data breaches and information leaks. A recent study from AIIM determined that only 8% of organizations have IG programs in place and working. One-third of organizations reported they have undertaken or are planning to undertake IG projects, but the policies are not being referenced or enforced.

IG best practice ensures that the policy addresses all content, whether it is being stored, accessed, or transferred among servers, websites, users, or mobile devices. In reality, few if any IG programs in place today meet that standard.

"It seems that many organizations are more prepared to accept the consequences of non-compliance with information governance rules than to implement and mandate improved policies," observed Doug Miles, head of AIIM's Market Intelligence Division and the author of the survey report "Automating Information Governance --Assuring Compliance." He noted that 52% of the respondents reported they have had issues of non-compliance during the last two years. Nearly one-quarter (24%) overall--31% of larger organizations--have had external litigation and discovery issues.

There is a variety of reasons for this state of affairs, to be sure. Creating a comprehensive IG program is not an easy undertaking. The biggest obstacles typically reported are getting executive support and getting the right people at the table (40%). Once a program is in place, adherence becomes an issue largely due to a lack of training. Only 40% of organizations allocate any time at all to IG training, and only 12% regularly train staff. A scant 4% hold specific update sessions for senior management.

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