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Lesson #06: Information management

Description

Material for a lesson, part of the 1-week Intelligence course, developed by the Kosovo Police Service School

Summary

Information management is designed to support you in handling and arranging information.

Any large organisation has the need to store documents in its files in a way that allows them to find and use every single document when needed. This basic principle is even more important to law enforcement. Documents, pictures, video, information in any possible format needs to be quickly retrievable for use.

Different kinds of information need to be made accessible to different levels of specifically authorised users. Within a large bank, for example, only a few employees have access to some sensitive data, such as the conditions applicable to major business customers. When an organisation is really large it is also important to have in place a system that permits those who access information to evaluate how accurate that information is. This arises as often it is not possible to have direct knowledge of the person who introduced the information into the organisation’s file. So it is not possible to estimate his/her competence, diligence, reliability and feelings. In any business and law enforcement is not an exception, there is also a requirement to set up criteria to determine availability and dissemination of information. If you have a computer Software business you have to be sure that your latest product is made available only to those who pay for it.

All these principles apply to criminal data for law enforcement and the overall rules, principles and regulations dealing with these issues encompass information management.