The University of Sheffield
Corporate Information and Computing Services

2 Information needs

General principles

Key to the Information Strategy is an understanding of the information needs of the University and its members, and the way information flows through the organisation. This understanding must start with the academic processes that are at the heart of the University´s mission. Stakeholders include academic staff, ranging from Deans to individual contract research staff and research students, senior officers and those engaged in corporate planning; administrative and support service staff and managers; graduate and undergraduate students; the University´s key partners, such as the NHS; and its customers and external communities.

Heads of academic planning units should play an active part in identifying and understanding the flows of information involving their staff and students. Directors of interdisciplinary research centres should also consider the information needs of their units: interdisciplinary research is often data-intensive and may involve meeting particular information management challenges. At an institutional level the University will assist this process, for example by providing a range of information to support academic planning.

Operational considerations

All business areas of the University, including academic planning units and central services departments, should consider information requirements and flows in reviewing their policies and operational procedures. Business processes should be reviewed to improve efficiency and reduce information overload.

The information management overhead of new policies, projects and procurements must be fully assessed and costed.

Members of the University should use the appropriate channels for responding to external requests for information, for example consulting with the Division of Marketing and Communications in respect of media enquiries, with CiCS in respect of data protection, and with their departmental contact in respect of enquiries under the Freedom of Information Act.

Documentation