This year’s theme for IM Month is…

“Freshen Up Your IM Knowledge”

April is recognized internationally by industry and government as Information Management Month (IM Month). The Management of Information Act outlines IM requirements for the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador and public bodies.

This year, the OCIO would like departments and other public bodies to focus on reviewing areas of their IM Program that have already been implemented. For example, are there policies that need to be updated to reflect emerging technology? Are approved disposition authorities being implemented in a timely manner?

Re-evaluating IM policies and practices currently in place in departments or other public bodies, will keep IM Programs fresh and continue in the success of managing and protecting government information.

IM Month – TIPS:
	The Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) is responsible for administering the Management of Information Act and establishing IM related policies, directives, standards, guidelines and best practices for departments and public bodies.		When sharing information, it is important to ensure it is only shared with people who require it for government business purposes.
	Employees are not permitted to use their government email addresses for personal use on any social media platforms (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Hotmail, Yahoo, Google, etc.). This practice would result in the potential merging of government records with personal information, making it impossible to differentiate the two when disclosing records for access requests, litigation, etc.		The Management of Information Act sets out specific requirements for record retention and destruction. Departments and public bodies should annually review approved disposition authorities in order to properly manage record holdings.
	Employees should create records, document department and other public body decisions as a regular course of business.		Clicking on links or attachments in an email from unknown organization or person could put Government’s network and information resources at serious risk of cyberattack and security breach.
	Government-issued usernames and passwords should be treated as confidential. Employees have an obligation to protect usernames and passwords from unauthorized use or disclosure.		Individuals creating government records using email, must properly manage this information by cataloguing to an appropriate recordkeeping system, and where appropriate disposing of transitory records.
	The Management of Information Act outlines the legal obligation for employees and contractors to manage and protect the information they maintain on behalf of departments and other public bodies.		When an employee transfers to a new position, changes roles, or leaves a department or public body, all government records, regardless of format, must be transferred to the employee’s manager or the department’s Director of Information Management.

In celebration of IM Month the OCIO has designed a poster for departments to print and circulate.

The OCIO Encourages Employees To:

• Visit the OCIO IM Website.
• Complete IM@Work: Making Information Management Work For You. This e-learning course is available through the Centre for Learning and Development’s Learning Management System.
• For further information about Information Management Month, contact the OCIO at IM@gov.nl.ca.