Introduction

Information resource management, abbreviated as IRM, is a belief of

management that identifies and calls for creation, identification, capture and

management of information resource as a corporate asset to support in devising policy

and decision making. IRM is a theoretical and practical approach to manage

government information. IRM offers an integrated view for managing the complete life

cycle of information, from creation. Distribution, to archiving and/or destruction for

maximizing the overall usefulness of information, and improving service delivery and

program management.

Information Resource Management (IRM) is a broad term in IT that refers to the

management of records or information or data sets as a resource. This can relate to

either business or government goals and objectives. Information resource management

involves identifying data as an asset, categorizing it and providing various types of

active management. Experts describe IRM as the process of managing the life cycle of

data sets, from their creation to their use in IT architectures, and on to archiving and

eventual destruction of non-permanent data. The term IRM can refer to either software

resources, physical supplies and materials or personnel involved in managing

information at any stage of use.

The roots of modern IRM have a very long history, and may logically be traced

back to the College of Notaries and the nascent bureaucracies of the Italian city-states

and Signorie beginning in the mid-14th century, the great state chancelleries which

emerged in England and France during the 15th and 16th centuries through to the

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appointment of a new class of public records administrators and archivists, seminally in

France in the period immediately following the Revolution of 1789 (Brown, 1997; Cox,

2000; Leroux et al., 2009; Moore, 2008). By the end of the 19th moving into the early

20th century, codifications of rules and procedures for records management emerged in

a series of administrative manuals, ultimately leading to the rise of a new professional

class of bureaucrats uniquely occupied with the administration of documents and

records (Jenkinson, 1922; Muller et al., 1940; Schellenberg, 1956). Western

democracies also recognized early on that the effective management of their

documents and records was fundamental to effective public administration. By the early

1970s, the rapid production of information and the gradual introduction of the computer

in organizations everywhere led to the emerging notion of an information age in which

information processing was acknowledged as having become a fundamental

component of many jobs in industrialized nations. For instance, in the field of public

administration, IRM or Information Management is conceptualized as the “planning,

organization, development and control of the information and data in an organization

and of the people, hardware, software and systems that produce the data and

information” (Fox and Meyer, 1995). In essence, the emergence of IRM reflects the

impacts and influences of the digital age and related socioeconomic transformations

within public administration. Looking at the contemporary roles and responsibilities now

associated with IRM within the context of public administration and government, the

continuous creation, capture, management, and preservation of authentic and reliable

documentation has become a fundamental component of 21st-century administrative

accountability consonant with transparent governance, effective corporate stewardship

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and the efficient delivery of programs and services to citizens through public business

enterprise (Caron, 2011; Caron 2010). Today, the production and preservation of the

documents and records of the state and its public administration in open and accessible

form – especially in relation to policy development, decision-making, and interactive

relationships between citizens and the machinery of government – is increasingly

central to the constitution and maintenance of a democratic consensus conceived under

the rule of law.

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 Review of Related Literature

1. What is Information Resource Management?

IRM provides an integrated view for managing the entire life-cycle of information,

from generation, to dissemination, to archiving and/or destruction, for maximizing the

overall usefulness of information, and improving service delivery and program

management. IRM views information and Information Technology as an integrating

factor in the organisation, that is, the various organisational positions that manage

information are coordinated and work together toward common ends. Further, IRM

looks for ways in which the management of information and the management of

Information Technology are interrelated, and fosters that interrelationship and

organisational integration. IRM includes the management of the broad range of

information resources, e.g., printed materials, electronic information, and microforms,

the various technologies and equipment that manipulate these resources, and the

people who generate, organise, and disseminate those resources. Overall the intent of

IRM is to increase the usefulness of government information both to the government

and to the public.

2. Five major Components of Information Resource Management.

Resource management IRM views data and information, as well as computer

hardware, software and personal as valuable resources that should be effectively and

efficiently managed for the benefit of the entire organization. If plant and equipment,

money and people are considered valuable organizational resources, so should its data,

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information, and other information system resources. This is true if organization is

committed to building a strategic information resource base to be used for strategic

plan, and if it wants to develop innovative system technology. ( Guimaraes,1988;

O’Brien, 1988). Technology Management IRM emphasizes that all technologies that

process and deliver data and information must be managed as an integrated system of

organizational resources. This includes telecommunications and office automation

system, as well as traditional computer based information processing (Benjamin,

Dickinson and Rockart, 1985). Strategic Management the IRM concept stresses that

the information services function in the firm must be more than a provider of computer

services. It must also make major contributions to the profitability and strategic

objectives of the firm (Cash,1988; Porter and Milar, 1985). Functional Management

the IRM concepts stresses that the management of an organization must apply common

managerial functions and techniques to the management of information resources. They

must use managerial techniques (like planning models, financial budgets, functional

organization, etc.) just as they do with other major resources and activities of the

business (Guimaraes, 1988). Distributed Management finally IRM emphasizes that

managing information system resources has become a major responsibility of the

management of the organization at all levels, and in all functions. This is especially true

as developments such as distributed processing, end user computing, departmental

computing, and strategic information systems distribute the responsibility for developing,

operating, and managing information system out all of an organization and work group

managers (Sprague and McNurlin 1986).

3. The Information Resource Management numerous benefits today.

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 IRM assists in development of systems that are targeted to support strategic and

operational objectives. There is increased integration of technologies, which

improves the sharing of information across the organization and makes it easier to

obtain information for changing decision-making needs. IRM Assist in identification

and adoption of appropriate information technology standards, minimizing

dependence on specific suppliers of hardware or software. Help also in identification

of opportunities to improve the relevance and adequacy of information provided and

activities performed. And also offers a technological infrastructure that will support

the strategic business plan. It also helps in minimization of duplicate, and possibly

inconsistent, data and processing capabilities within the organization's portfolio of

information systems. There is prioritization of projects to be implemented and

greater cost-justification of system development and maintenance activities.

4. The goal of Information Resource Management

Paperwork Reduction overseeing agencies' information collection requests,

issuing guidance on the exercise of controls, and proposing changes in legislation to

remove impediments. This involved facilitating sharing in information collection, the

development of a Federal Information Locator System, and establishment of central

collection agencies. Finally, standards were to be set for records retention and

disposal. In Data Processing and Telecommunications establishing policies for

effective acquisition and utilization of computer and telecommunications resources.

These included promoting the use of information processing technology and

enforcing standards. Statistics developing long-range plans for improved

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performance of Federal statistical activities and the development and coordination of

Government-wide statistical policies. Records Management correcting the

deficiencies in existing records management practices and coordinating them with

other IRM functions. A related objective was the development of standards for

record retention for all sectors. Information Sharing and Disclosure managing

decisions relative to the threat to privacy and confidentiality. Policy guidance on

disclosure of information, confidentiality, and security of information would be set. To

enhance general management practice, it recommended legislation to remove the

inconsistencies. Information Policy and Oversight establishing a strong, central

management function responsible for the development of uniform and consistent

information policies. To insure success, the agencies were to be given adequate

guidance in the conduct of their information management activities. And in

Organization Development and Administration creating the steps necessary for

the establishment and funding of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs.

5. What Makes IRM a New Concept?

Increased specialization of IS professionals to improve their effectiveness

which leads to the creation of mutually dependent specialty groups within IS

department. It increased also integration of IRM subfunctions to improved their

individual and overall IS performance. Top managers increased acceptance of

information technology as corporate assets (Paxton & Guimaraes, 1988) rather

than expenses. Increased acceptance of the IS department as a profit center

rather than a cost center. This view implies a shift toward business people being

treated by the IS department as clients, rather than just as end users.

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 Conclusion

The IRM help businesses and organization to become successful and achieve

their goals to help people to reduce many processes and improve efficiency and

productivity of systems. IRM can support better management decision making. As

organization become increasingly dependent on information technology to operate and

manage their business activities, the number, variety and complexity of an organization

computing requirements demand new ways to manage its computing resources.

Information Resource Management is used to represent the expanded and improved

set of old IS function and the wide collection of new policies, methods, tools, and

techniques potentially useful in performing these functions and in managing their

integration. The term also represent a better understanding of the management of IT

which today call for its recognition as a critical corporate asset, capable of providing

competitive advantage to the organization.

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 Methodology

The researcher used devices like laptop, smartphone, for the completion of this

term paper. The researcher also used dictionaries and the internet to look for all the

definitions and additional information about of my studies. The researcher also used

Social networking site like Google and other webpages to finish my term paper. With the

great help of technology and my studies, the researcher gained more knowledge and

information about IRM.

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 Bibliography

James A. O’Brien, James N. Morgan A Multidimensional of Information Resource

Management

Tor Guimaraes, St. Cloud State University Information Resource Management :

Improving the Focus

https://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Management/notes/information-resource-
management.html

https://cio-wiki.org/wiki/Information_Resource_Management_(IRM)

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