Refining Skills for Electronic Data Management

In "Skills for Electronic Data Management" I looked at which of the Skills Framework for the Information Age (SFIA) skills would be applicable to an ANU course in Electronic Data Management (COMP7420). The list I came up with was too long for a 6 week course, so I need to trim it down. The largest area of applicable skills is under the category "Strategy and architecture", subcategory "Information strategy", followed by "Business change". But I need to cut out some of these.

The first to go is Corporate governance of IT in SFIA, this applies only at levels 6 and 7, above the level level 5 I am aiming for. In other words, this is a skill at a higher level than applicable to this course.

Information management appears very applicable, at Level 5, the description is:

Takes responsibility for planning effective information storage, sharing and publishing within the organisation. Maintains and communicates the organisation’s information management strategy. Devises and implements document and record systems, including classification, retrieval and retention processes. Maintains an inventory of information subject to data protection and other appropriate legislation. Reviews new business proposals and provides specialist advice on information management, including advice on and promotion of collaborative working and assessment and management of risk. Responsible for ensuring compliance with organisational policies and procedures and overall information management strategy.

Information policy formation also looks relevant:

Drafts and maintains the policy, standards and procedures for compliance with relevant legislation. Reviews information systems for compliance with legislation and specifies any required changes. Ensures that formal information access requests and complaints are dealt with according to approved procedures. Creates and maintains an inventory of data which is subject to data protection legislation. Prepares and reviews the periodic notification of registration details and submits it to the data protection authorities.

However, the next, Information security, looks too specialised and so I have dropped that, as does Information assurance. The skill "Information analysis" appears to be one applicable to the companion course to this one Data Mining and Matching (COMP7410).

As to if "Information content publishing" is applicable is debatable. The record manager will have a hand in the publishing but not doing it all, but for the moment, I will leave this in:

Develops standards and procedures to support content publishing. Designs overall support information structures. Takes responsibility for publishing assignments, including, for example, design of the overall structure and graphical style for substantial, complex or high-profile web sites. Selects appropriate tools, templates and standards for publication in various forms, appropriate to customer expectations (differentiating, for example, between needs such as optimisation and ease of modification). Sets design and coding standards, taking into account bandwidth and compatibility.

Solution architecture and Continuity management are too specialised and technical and can go.

Methods and tools is a bit vague, but I will leave it for the moment:

Promotes and ensures use of appropriate techniques, methodologies and tools.

Portfolio management is about timetables and targets which I don't find every interesting and will drop.

Project management is about taking "full responsibility" for "medium-scale projects" over 6-12 months, with 3-5 staff. This is more than I can teach in a short course ( there are numerous ANU courses on project management).

Business analysis is applicable, as records need to support what the business is doing:

Takes responsibility for investigative work to determine business requirements and specify effective business processes, through improvements in information systems, information management, practices, procedures, and organisation change. Applies and monitors the use of required modelling and analysis tools, methods and standards, giving special consideration to business perspectives. Conducts investigations at a high level for strategy studies, business requirements specifications and feasibility studies. Prepares business cases which define potential benefits, options for achieving these benefits through development of new or changed processes, and associated business risks. Identifies stakeholders and their business needs.

But Business process testing is getting a little specialised, as is Organisation design and implementation , Benefits management and Business modelling.

Data analysis is directly applicable:

Sets standards for data analysis tools and techniques, advises on their application, and ensures compliance. Manages the investigation of corporate data requirements, and co-ordinates the application of data analysis and data modelling techniques, based upon a detailed understanding of the corporate information requirements, in order to establish, modify or maintain data structures and their associated components (entity descriptions, relationship descriptions, attribute definitions).

Requirements definition and management is too much on the business side.

Database/repository design may be a little too technical but I will leave it in for the moment l (this is what I originally trained in at the Australian Bureau of Statistics):

Maintains and applies up to date, specialist knowledge of database concepts, object and data modelling techniques and design principles, and a detailed knowledge of the full range of database architectures, software and facilities available. Analyses data requirements, to establish, modify or maintain a data model. Takes account of specialist requirements (e.g. geocoding, for geographic information systems). Interprets the model into an appropriate database schema within set policies. Demonstrates, installs and commissions selected products.

Information content authoring is about creating the content and so is less applicable and I have dropped that.

Usability requirements analysis and Human factors integration are too specialised. However Usability evaluation is of use. One problem I have found with many records management systems is unusable interfaces. Under this category can also be covered accessibility for the disabled and access on portable devices (smart phones and tablet computers, such as the Apple iPad):

Advises on what to evaluate and type of evaluation. Ensures that the results of evaluations are understood by system developers.

Capacity management and Availability management are topics I would like to cover, but don't have room for.

This then leaves a cluster of skills under "Procurement & management support", mostly user "Quality management". I need to pause and consider if these are relevant.

Category	Subcategory	Skill
Strategy and architecture	Information strategy
		Information management
		Information policy formation
		Information content publishing
	Advice and guidance
	Business/IT strategy and planning
	Technical strategy and planning
		Methods and tools
Business change	Business change implementation
	Business change management	Business analysis
	Relationship management
Solution development and implementation	Systems development
		Data analysis
		Database/repository design
	Human factors
		Usability evaluation
	Installation and integration
Service management	Service strategy
	Service design
	Service transition
	Service operation
Procurement & management support	Supply management	Procurement
	Quality management	Quality management
		Quality assurance
		Quality standards
		Compliance review
		Safety assessment
		Technology audit
	Resource management
	Learning and development
Client interface	Sales and marketing
	Client support