Timescale 
Owner 
Observations 
Delive
Recommendation 
 
Actions 


Priority 
High/Low/ 
Medium 
High 
On-going 
Chief Operating Officer 
1. The Management Committee needs to monitor and champion 
Knowledge and Information Management within Defra. 
The Management Committee 
has endorsed Defra's response 
to the Information Management Assessment. The Chief Operating Officer will oversee further work on this. The Management Committee has agreed to support a programme of work to ensure that staff have access to the right tools to support effective information 
management and collaboration.  
 
High 
January 
2013  
Develop a Knowledge Strategy 
for Core Defra and the Defra network. 
Head of 
Knowledge, Transparency and Resilience Strategy and Portfolio 
2. Knowledge 
Transparency and Resilience Team (KTR) to develop a Knowledge and Information Management Strategy and revised Plan for Core Defra 
Medium 
On-going 
Head of Knowledge, Transparency and Resilience Services 
Implement plans to harmonise appraisal of physical and electronic material as a single process, making use of appropriate project management techniques. 
3. Knowledge 
Services Team to continue to develop a process to appraise the legacy of electronic information. 
Progress on implementation 
red? 
Yes/N
o 
Information Management is to be reported annually to the Permanent Secretary and Management Committee; next report due June 2013. 
In part 
Will need to take opportunities to engage Ian Trenholm and use him for communications to DGs and Directors. Possibly report progress to him during 2013. Update 7/11/12:  COO engaged & on board, as is Exec C'tee & P/Sec.  
 
No 
In hand Update 7/11/12:  Devt of a cross-Network Knowledge Strategy in hand & aim to deliver end Mar 2013  
Investment already completed in identifying legacy electronic information. Process developed and agreed with TNA to flag up key records as well as low value material. Deletion script developed and tested. 
In part 
Update 26/09/12 (KA): Orphaned info on 3 Defra servers has been appraised & results are being assessed ahead of TNA progress meeting on 28 Nov. Overlap with ICT work on overburdened Defra servers recognised & will feed into appraisal programme (i.e. removal of low value/very old material). Planning to discuss revised policy re jpeg issues 
with Standards + revisit 
proposal to remove pre-2001 information from all servers. A 
Timescale 
Owner 
Observations 
Delive
Progress on implementation 
Recommendation 
 
Actions 


Priority 
High/Low/ 
red? 
Medium 
Yes/N
o 
new procedure to remove info older than 3 years from a problem server into a new large storage server is to be tested & results analysed with a view to a rolling programme on other problem servers. Update 6/11/12 (KA): Action in hand to delete orphaned & old data from one server (request to run deletion script with IBM). Info older than 5yrs has been removed from problem servers 
by ICT & placed in new holding server.  Planning to raise issue of where to prioritise limited eappraisal resource once overlap servers i.e. servers with orphaned info that are also near capacity, have been checked. DRO has approved deletion of pre2001 info. Planning to update policies idc. Update 7/11/12:  In hand - info analysed & deletion programme progressing as detailed above Update 30/11/2012 (KA): Agreed with Strategy to bring KS/KP/ICT interests together as a major project. TNA comments (meeting on 28): wherever possible a macro-appraisal approach to servers should be adopted but 
accept that this is difficult if 
important info is buried in substructures. Will compare server 
Timescale 
Owner 
Observations 
Delive
Recommendation 
 
Actions 


Priority 
High/Low/ 
Medium 
Review and develop the IAR as part of the project to implement 
Defra's Open Data Strategy and 
implement. 
Medium 
July 2013 
Head of Knowledge, Transparency and Resilience Strategy and Portfolio 
4. KTR Team to expand the scope of the Information Asset Register (IAR) for Core Defra to create a 
management tool which captures the business requirements of 
the organisation.  
 
Build on work already done to develop a Digital Continuity Plan in conjunction with Defra / Group ICT and IT delivery partners. 
Medium 
March 2013 
Head of Knowledge, Transparency and Resilience Strategy and Portfolio 
5. KTR Team to put in place a digital continuity plan to ensure that Defra maintains its ability to use its digital information over time and through change 
Medium 
March 2013  Head of 
A revised Core Defra Information Services Strategy will be developed covering both Knowledge and Information 
Management and ICT. 
Knowledge, Transparency and Resilience 
Strategy and Portfolio 
6. KTR Team to ensure that individual 
elements of the 
ICT Strategy are developed collaboratively 
Progress on implementation 
red? 
Yes/N
o 
size to equivalent paper file size in order to help understand the breadth of a server macro-appraisal. TNA not accepting e-info for preservation until at least 2014 as already overwhelmed. 
 
No 
In hand Update 7/11/12:  Identified where our IAs are, who owns them, etc., work now in progress to populate IAR 
 
No 
Need to take stock of work done and discuss with key stakeholders in KTR and Defra / Group ICT before developing a plan. Update 7/11/12:  Project progressing - PMgr appointed, established contact with TNA to identify solutions 
 
No 
Have agreed with Nick Teall that the IS Strategy will be a very high level document underpinned by a Defra 
Network Knowledge Strategy (to be developed under action 2) and an updated ICT 
Timescale 
Owner 
Observations 
Delive
Recommendation 
 
Actions 


Priority 
High/Low/ 
Medium 
with IS colleagues and embed knowledge 
management. 
 
Medium 
On-going 
Head of Knowledge, Transparency and Resilience Strategy and Portfolio 
Improve technical change process to ensure that Knowledge and Information Management issues are fully considered. The Departmental Records Officer represents the Knowledge, Transparency and Resilience Team on the Defra 
NOW Programme Board. 
7. KTR Team to ensure that every technical change project includes formal representation from a skilled Knowledge and 
Information Management representative. Defra NOW Programme need to ensure that information and records management, information assurance and Data Protection requirements and concerns are fully represented on the Programme Board. 
 
 
Progress on implementation 
red? 
Yes/N
o 
Strategy. Regular meetings with Nick arranged to progress this. Update 7/11/12:  Regular mtngs with NT to progress  
Defra NOW Programme expects to start actively working with business areas within the next three months and to complete the full rollout of a single electronic information repository 
within two years. 
In part 
KPs now attending meeting with DNOW team to ensure KIM principles raised in discussions. Update 7/11/12:  DRO engaged with DNOW Prog to ensure compliance with IMR 
standards, etc. Update 4/12/12: Programme Team have worked with the Business Relationship Team (BRT) and Knowledge Transparency and Resilience (KTR) Team within Information Services to determine the most suitable candidates for the early initiatives. From a potential list of twenty five, three have been selected to take forward. 
Review Knowledge and Information Management roles 
across Defra to ensure they are able to support the business and meet legislative requirements effectively under the new Defra organisational structure. 
Medium 
March 2013 
Head of Knowledge, 
Transparency and Resilience Services Head of Knowledge, Transparency and Resilience Strategy and Portfolio 
8. KTR Team to raise capability by 
retraining staff 
with Information Management responsibility, this must include Information Asset Owners (IAOs), 
Local Information Managers (LIMs) and Information Management Representatives (IMRs). 
|                                   | No    |
|-----------------------------------|-------|
| networks (e.g. Transparency       |       |
| contacts) also need               |       |
| considering. A high level map     |       |
| is needed of the various          |       |
| networks to help plan actions.    |       |
| MKi will initially pull this      |       |
| together and work with SL.        |       |
| Liaison and communication         |       |
| with the Network can be done      |       |
| under the banner of the           |       |
| Knowledge Strategy                |       |
| development.                      |       |
|                                   |       |
| Update 6/11/12 (MKi):             | For   |
| core-Defra, Table listing         |       |
| current IM roles,                 |       |
| responsibilities & options        |       |
| regarding possible future IM      |       |
| roles, has been drawn up for      |       |
| review within KTR.  Once          |       |
| agreed, this will be shared with  |       |
| core-Defra Business to seek       |       |
| their views.                      |       |
|                                   |       |
| Update 4/1/212 (MKi):             | As a  |
| result of listing current roles & |       |
| responsibilities, opportunities   |       |
| to rationalise identified.        |       |
| Feedback from core-Defra          |       |
| Business indicates high level     |       |
| of satisfaction with support      |       |
| received from KTR &               |       |
| willingness to support review     |       |
| of roles - proposals will be      |       |
| shared with Business at           |       |
| workshop to be scheduled for      |       |
| Jan 2013.                         |       |
|                                   |       |
| High                             |
|----------------------------------|
|                                  |
|                                  |
| Throughout                       |
| 2012                             |
|                                  |
|                                  |
| March 2013                       |
|                                  |
|                                  |
| Head of                          |
| Knowledge,                       |
| Transparency                     |
| and Resilience                   |
| Standards                        |
|                                  |
| Head of                          |
| Knowledge,                       |
| Transparency                     |
| and Resilience                   |
| Services                         |
| Revise information policies to   |
| improve advice to business       |
| areas.                           |
|                                  |
| Provide support to help business |
| areas manage their information   |
| during the Defra organisational  |
| restructuring.                   |
|                                  |
| Develop ongoing information      |
| management support to            |
| business areas through new       |
| Knowledge Partner roles.         |

9. Using its understanding about its information requirements, KTR Team to introduce and enforce policies about the structure and use of corporate digital repositories, including Accredited Shared Drives, Shared Drives and SharePoint 2007. 

 

| Medium                         |
|--------------------------------|
| Knowledge,                     |
| Transparency                   |
| and Resilience                 |
| Services                       |
| While maintaining the baseline |
| information generated from the |
| Information Audit, KTR will    |
| refocus on providing direct    |
| support to business areas      |
| through the new Knowledge      |
| Partners to help make          |
| improvements.                  |

10. The KTR Team, with support from senior management, needs to maintain the Information Audit Programme and develop a plan to increase the use of what to keep within business areas. 

11. The KTR Team to provide 
adequate 
induction training, educational work 
Knowledge, Transparency and Resilience Services team to provide front line support 
through the new Knowledge Partner roles. Assess scope to 
make better use of induction 
Medium 
March 2013 
Head of Knowledge, Transparency 
and Resilience Strategy and 
Portfolio 
In part In part In part 
Revision of policies to improve advice to 
business areas is complete. Knowledge Services Team are supporting business areas in management their information through the organisational restructuring. Further support will be provided as the new Knowledge Partner posts are filled. 

Update 7/11/12 (KW):  Policies revised & updated & avail on intranet. Plan to rationalise across Delivery network. Approach is to improve IM culture rather than enforce. New team established to engage with the business to encourage best practice. Initial engagements are going well. Team still carrying vacancies. Update 4/12/12 (MKi): Support to Bus Areas going well. KPs engaging with teams. Engaged with 60% of business areas so far to solution IM issues and promote best practice. 

The Knowledge, Transparency and Resilience Services Team will incorporate information audit as a technique to be used where appropriate in understanding information management in business areas. This will help provide more effective support in managing information and applying What to Keep guidance. 
In part 
Update 7/11/12 (KW):  KPs working directly with teams to help solve IM issues raised in Information Audit programme. Aim to achieve better understanding of information holdings as more teams operating in structured environments. WTK to be updated if appropriate. Update 4/12/12 (MKi): Revised approach is to  conduct initial risk-based Diagnostic Health Checks 
 
No 
Update 25/9/12 (SL): MKi to kick off work on this and to liaise with SL. Update 6/11/12 (MKi): 
development of KTR 
and refresher courses for staff.  
training and other learning services. Head of 
Knowledge, Transparency and Resilience Services 
Evaluate future requirement for the Vault Email archive under the Defra NOW Programme. 
12. Evaluate the appropriateness of the use of a separate email archive system. 
Low 
March 2013 
Head of Knowledge, Transparency and Resilience Standards 
 
 
specialists is progressing in 
line with wider Defra 'Staff 
Professionalisation' initiative - SL appointed as Head of Profession for KIM & workshop held 5/11/12 to help implement initiative.  Work in hand to pull together material to help induct new KTR recruits to KTR. Action to up-skill wider Defra staff is in hand: Knowledge Partners are actively engaging with teams in the core Dept; the Intelligence Hub, situated in the London complex & offering a range of KIM services & advice, has attracted a range of staff since its opening at the beginning of 
Oct.  Induction of Defra staff in general down to local Activity Mgrs to direct staff to intranet which contains KTR-related info Update 4/12/12 (MKi): Catalogue of KTR Services & Products about to be launched which will help communicate to staff & educate them about the range of information management resources at their disposal 
It is currently intended that that Vault, the current email archive system will be removed once a formal EDRM system with proper lifecycle management of emails 
 In part 
In hand. Mike Kaye to ensure that the need for Vault is removed by Defra NOW. Update 7/11/12:  work progressing in line with corporate policy until DNOW completes