Assessing Information Needs Survey Results

Additional Commentary

Question 2

In terms of the high level results from Question 2 it is little surprise to see Finance/Costing (28%) and Student Data/Information (21%) as by far and away the most popular areas of interest; reflecting not only the 'core business' of higher education but also the uncertain economic climate in which it now operates. Though these results might be considered largely predictable they still provide valuable data to the rest of the Strategic Management Information programme by confirming where the perceived need is and where effort should be focused.

The breakdown of this data by job profile offers some further interesting food for thought; not least the clear preference from Vice Chancellors and Pro Vice Chancellors for benchmarking data; an interest also shared by Heads of Department in both academic and service departments. It is worth noting that the Benchmarking category as defined for this analysis refers specifically to "How institutions... compare with others within the sector" and does not include issues relating to benchmarking current performance which are included within the 'Performance measurement and management' category thus suggesting a clear demand for access to comparative data from across the sector.

With the sector keenly anticipating the forthcoming Research Excellence Framework and the impact this could have on their future funding it is surprising not to see a greater appetite for 'Research Data/Information' - especially within Heads of Academic Departments where it did not register a single entry. This result is also out of kilter with the findings emerging from other work that JISC infoNet is currently involved with in relation to Research Information Management which indicates that internal drivers (such as improved service delivery to end users and improved management information about what research is being carried out within the institution) are actually major drivers for investment in Research Information Management.

Question 3

The basic assumption underlying the JISC infoNet Strategic Management Information Programme: that "it is essential that senior managers have access to timely, accurate and relevant information about their institution, its stakeholders, its competitors and the wider context in which it operates in order to facilitate effective evidence-based strategic decision-making" is certainly borne out by the results to Question 3 with 'improved decision-making' and 'better strategic planning' the most keenly anticipated benefit expected from investment in this area.

Given the overwhelming interest in information which provides finance and costing data it is surprising that perceived benefits which could be seen to directly flow from such data (for example 'improved competitive advantage'; 'improved income generation'; and 'efficiency gains') did not rank higher. Though perhaps it was understandably felt that these and other more specific benefits are all ultimately reliant on sound decision-making and good strategic planning.

Question 4

Although it is initially tempting to focus on the fact that 'None' was the single largest response received to the question 'Do you have any BI projects or initiatives underway or planned?' this, of course, masks the fact that an overwhelming majority of those institutions who responded to the survey (79%) are either planning or are actively engaged in activity in this area; albeit in a range of different areas.

The appetite for 'integrated business reporting' (15%) is particularly telling and is consistent with the belief that the most widely perceived potential benefits anticipated from such work as cited in responses to question 3 are 'improved decision-making' and 'better strategic planning'; both of which require holistic access to data which may be stored in multiple business systems.