Information Management and Governance: Reinventing an Information Asset Register
- X4 Consulting
- Nov 14
- 3 min read
Information asset registers (IAR) are an integral part of information management (IM) practice. Archives New Zealand | Te Rua Mahara explain IARs as being a structured list that captures information about an organisation’s information assets, National Archives of Australia acknowledges that an IAR may also be called an inventory, or a catalogue.
Regardless of terminology, knowing what information and data is held, its value, location, access conditions, and use and reuse all support effective governance decisions.
IARs have other benefits beyond being just a great IM artefact, capturing meaningful attributes or metadata about information and data can support security and privacy activities. IARs also provide value in supporting sound risk management, investment decisions, and enables disposal decisions.
At X4 we work with multiple organisations in different scenarios from starting IARs from scratch, to coming on board for support when things are a bit stuck, to reviewing and refreshing existing IARs.
Size and Shape of Information Assets
Defining what an asset is can vary depending on:
Who is involved and how they use the information.
How the information is re-used.
Where and how information and data is organised.
Which business process the information supports.
‘Right-sizing’ assets will depend on the organisation. In general, systems are not assets, they contain assets, and documents which are only created and used once will not be an asset.
It’s important to get an agreement on how the term ‘asset’ is going to be understood by the organisation. Organising content into information assets needs planning. Equally important to understand is that the IAR is not a ‘one and done’ – it’s very much a living artefact and will evolve and change.
The Challenge
X4 Consulting was approached by a government agency looking to review and improve their information asset register (IAR). Following our initial review, it was determined with the IM team that the register was not fit for purpose, with key concerns including:
The current register was too complex, resulting in very few recorded assets.
No clear visibility of the IAR for the business.
Information of high value or risk wasn’t articulated.
No ability to support decision-making around investment, access, and retention.
Alongside the IM team it was decided to redesign a new IAR. This new register was to be initially focused on the most important assets across each section of the agency and identifying those of High Value and High Risk. This would provide a basis for future practical maintenance through business-as-usual activities as a living document, while identifying key information for decision making in the short term.
Defining the Right Metadata
We engaged with Information Management and Security teams in the organisation to define what metadata was needed. We used best practice templates as a base to work from to ensure that the IAR would provide insight for the organisation by being useable. It was also functional and flexible so the IM team could support continued development.
Capturing Information Assets
Individual Information gathering workshops were held with key members of teams across the agency to ensure an accurate picture of their important assets. These information gathering workshops provided the detail needed to record key assets from each team and analyse their value and risk.
Captured assets were reviewed by both the workshop participants and the IM team to ensure accuracy and sufficient detail throughout the register.
The Result
Following the capture and review of the information assets, we:
Delivered a modern and usable IAR,
Reported insights into their high-value and high–risk assets, and
Provided detailed guidance for effective maintenance of the IAR to maximise its future use and value.
The Outcome
The result was a comprehensive, refreshed and maintainable IAR for the IM team to use as a detailed starting point. Our information gathering sessions connected teams with information asset management and the IM team, laying the foundation for them to develop a community of practice in the future.
Ready to Strengthen Your Information Governance Capability?
If your organisation is looking to uplift information management maturity, build visibility of key information assets, or support smarter decision-making, we’re here to help.
Get in touch with us at X4 Consulting today.
