Summary

This is about monitoring, obtaining and improving the materials needed to provide an up-to-date business information service. The materials may include paper-based reference materials such as books, periodicals, leaflets as well as multi-media materials, such as web-pages, DVD and CD ROMs.

This unit is imported and tailored from Ento’s National Occupational Standards for Advice and Guidance unit AG 21 Provide and maintain information materials for use in the service.

What you need to show

You must make sure that your practice meets the following requirements

a      Review the information materials currently used by the service and its clients.

b      Identify clearly the way the information materials are used.

c      Consult with all relevant sources on the effectiveness of the information materials currently used.

d      Explore the future requirements for information materials.

e      Identify any trends or developments in the dissemination of information materials.

f       Identify the resources available for obtaining the information materials.

g      Specify clearly the information materials that should be obtained.

h      Determine suitable methods to obtain the information materials.

i        Comply with procedures for accessing and obtaining information materials.

j        Agree realistic time scales and resources for obtaining the information materials.

k      Obtain suitable information materials that contribute to the service.

l        Identify any problems with obtaining the information materials.

m     Record and store the information materials in the appropriate systems.

n      Maintain sufficient sources of freely available information materials to meet the requirements of clients.

o      Protect information sources effectively from damage and inappropriate use or alteration.

p      Identify any aspects of the information materials that could be improved.

q      Assess the overall effectiveness of the information materials against the agreed evaluation criteria.

r       Identify the most appropriate methods for improving the information materials.

s      Identify the resources required to implement the improvements.

t       Present a clear rationale for the improvements and support it with suitable evidence.

u      Consult with all relevant people on the improvements.

v      Record the results of the consultation in the appropriate systems.

w      Ensure the information materials and any proposed improvements comply with legislation, codes of practice, guidelines, and ethical requirements.

 

What you need to know and understand

You need to know, understand and be able to apply each of the following.

Identify the requirements for information materials in the service

1      What types of information materials are used.

2      Which aspects of the service they cover.

3      Who the clients are who use information materials.

4      What format the information materials are in.

5      How many people use the information materials.

6      Who can provide information on the use of the information materials.

7      Which potential clients would use the information materials.

8      What the potential future requirements of the information materials might be.

9      What the seasonal or other variations in demand for information materials might be.

10   Who can provide information on future requirements.

11   What types of trends or developments might occur.

12   How to assess the impact of information and communication technologies.

13   Which resources might be available.

14   What the constraints of the resources are.

15   Who requires information on the information materials being obtained.

Obtain information materials for use in the service

16   What methods could be available for obtaining information materials.

17   What the organisational guidelines and procedures are for accessing and obtaining information materials.

18   Which factors might affect the time scales for obtaining information materials.

19   Which resources are required for obtaining information materials.

20   How to assess the information materials’ contribution to the service.

21   What types of problem could occur, what actions can be taken to address them, why it is important to address problems and the implications are of not addressing them.

22   What the systems for recording and storing information materials are, the procedures for using these and why it is important to use the systems.

Maintain and improve the use of information materials in the service

23   How often the information materials/ sources should be updated.

24   Who should be involved in reviewing the information materials and sources.

25   How to protect different types and formats of information materials and sources.

26   The potential types of damage which could occur to information materials.

27   How information sources could be inappropriately used or altered.

28   What information can be collected on the effectiveness of the information materials.

29   Which aspects of the information materials have the potential to be improved.

30   How to asses the effectiveness of the information materials.

31   What the evaluation criteria are for the effectiveness of the information materials and sources.

32   How to improve different types of information materials.

33   What types of improvement could be suggested.

34   Which resources are required to implement different types of improvement.

35   Why it is important to provide a clear rationale for improvements.

36   What types of evidence may be necessary to support the rationale for improvements.

37   Who should be consulted on improvements to information materials.

38   What the systems are for recording evaluations, the procedures relating to the use of these and why is it important to use the systems.

Comply with legislation and guidance

39   The relevant national, local, professional, and organisational requirements that relate to equal opportunities, discrimination, health and safety, security, confidentiality, and data protection.

40   Why it is important to comply with different requirements.

41   What the consequences are of not complying with different requirements.

42   How to obtain information on the requirements.

Links to other National Occupational Standards

There are other NOS suites which you may want to refer to if you would like to develop your knowledge and abilities to a greater depth in certain topics covered by the Business Information standards.  Those in a supervisory role may wish to refer to the Managements Standards Centre Management and Leadership unit:

E8. Manage physical resources