Creating Effective Information Governance (IG) Documentation Is Critical to Program Success

Implementing an effective information governance (IG) program requires more than just going through the motions of gaining executive buy-in. In conversations with Michelin USA’s Gene McKelvey and Exterro’s Nishad Shevde, key insights emerged regarding the strategic and operational aspects of IG implementation, as reported in a blog post by Exterro.

At the core of a successful IG program is an executive steering committee comprising C-level stakeholders from corporate IT, risk management, compliance, and legal. To effectively engage these top-level stakeholders, Legal Ops professionals need to address strategic high-level metrics and articulate the value of IG, aligning with high-level organizational goals like litigation, risk management, and intellectual property protection. 

One or two levels down the org chart, leaders of risk management or compliance need something different — operational metrics like those for audit programs to manage their programs effectively. Crafting IG policies, on the other hand, presents additional challenges to Legal Ops: 

1. Policies must be simple, clear, and actionable to ensure comprehension and compliance among team members.
2. The focus should be on prioritizing areas with the highest risk or benefit to the organization. Attempting to cover every aspect of IG can lead to convoluted documents that are neither practical nor effective.
3. Understanding the unique needs of the organization is vital. Legal, regulatory, and compliance requirements — as well as knowledge preservation needs — vary across industries. In addition, considering the value of different types of data to the organization aids in developing tailored IG policies.
4. Data security also needs to be a focus of IG policies. Addressing the creation, management, and disposal of privileged data is essential to reduce the risk of data breaches. 

By adhering to these principles, organizations can develop robust IG programs that not only comply with regulations but also enhance operational efficiency and mitigate risks associated with data management.