Information Management Programme (IMP) Update

Work on the Information Management Programme (IMP) is progressing; the key activities that the NW Pilot will deliver are:

• A central data sharing facility which can be accessed by all, in the form of a repository. This must include excellent tools to access and retrieve the data for all parties whether or not they have direct XML exchange capacity. The second phase includes the development of a discovery service
  
• A unified data collection front end, with support, for LA derived new data, which should also include the collection of BVPI type data. This should be at an equivalent or better standard than the existing Audit Commission BVPI system, including validation and quality assurance checks. N.B. this has a second phase of collecting existing indicators at a lower level through the same mechanism so that it becomes the single collection point for all Government data.
  
• LAA progress reports and risk management framework. This has the potential to feed other reports. Reporting is formally out of scope but necessary in parallel.
  
• Day to day support and maintenance arrangements for these.

Since the last edition of LAA News the pilot authorities (Cumbria, Oldham, Lancashire & Wigan) have been identifying how data is currently collected for a set of dummy indicators to ensure collection from the data source and delivery into the repository is clearly mapped.

Over the next month the pilot authorities will be working with John Hampshire (Hampshire County Council) to upload a number of indicators and associated data into the Hampshire repository to test the exchange facilities.

Testing the repository will:

• Produce a more efficient way of collating supplier data
• Ensure readily available data for performance monitoring and analysis
• Feed into the development of guidance
• Build confidence in data interchange

In the next edition of LAA News we'll feed back the views of the authorities on how the testing went and hopefully have news on the building of our own North West Repository.

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