Civil servants struggling with move away from paper

Nearly half of civil servants have admitted sending out wrong documentation, while some government departments still rely on paper rather than electronic documents, according to new research.

The information management survey carried out by researcher YouGov on behalf of software supplier Hummingbird, suggests that Whitehall departments are struggling to meet efficiency and accountability targets.

Some 44 per cent of civil servants have admitted sending out wrong documentation, increasing the risk of breaching regulatory legislation such as the Freedom of Information Act and indicating failings in meeting objectives outlined in the Gershon report, which focused on increasing efficiency levels.

Meanwhile, around 13 per cent of civil servants say they still find it easier to find paper-based documents over electronic ones, despite the move to egovernment services.

The failure to find the correct version of documents has caused 22 per cent of public sector workers to have disagreements with a colleague, according to the research.

Pressure on public sector bodies to adhere to compliance legislation has increased in the wake of the Bichard Inquiry and the Pendleton Report, with policy demands for the management of information.

But the research highlights efficiency failings, as 27 per cent of respondents admit to losing an important document because it was saved as an email attachment, while one in four spend more than 30 minutes per day looking for documents on the shared network drive.

This is exacerbated by 54 per cent of respondents saving documents on their hard drive and not on the network, making it difficult for colleagues to find and access vital information.

‘The public sector still faces compliance challenges presented by a lack of single silos of information, email and data filing,’ said Tony Heywood, European senior vice president at Hummingbird.

‘It is increasingly important for public sector bodies to have clear guidelines on how to manage information that is circulating inside and outside companies in order to achieve the twin objectives of meeting compliance regulations and organisational efficiency. Organisations must assess how information is stored, how it can be accessed, what electronic transactions are legally binding and above all, the appropriate enabling information management systems to control information flow.’

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