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		Connections		Issue One
TFPL Connections			Issue One

Welcome to the new customer newsletter

With best wishes for the New Year, from Darron Chapman, MD TFPL, and his TFPL colleagues

Darron Chapman, Managing Director, TFPL Many of us had a challenging 2007 – it certainly wasn’t dull! We hope that 2008, for you and for us, is a year full of interest, a year to enjoy, and a year in which you feel that you are achieving some of your goals. It may not be easy, because analysts and commentators are predicting a possible economic downturn in 2008. If it happens, then we can expect things to get tough in the workplace too, with every investment and potential investment under scrutiny for its value to the enterprise. As organisations strive to make the most of their investments in technology, in people and in information, knowledge and information management (KIM) strategies and practices should continue to gain recognition as key drivers of corporate control and growth. We believe that the opportunities for information and knowledge professionals will continue to evolve and expand in 2008. It may be a tough year but it could be the year in which many of us take big steps in the KIM world.

This newsletter is the first of a regular series that will keep you in touch with TFPL and developments in the knowledge and information world. We hope you find this overview of the past year, and predicted themes for this year, interesting. Do let me know if there is a regular feature that you would find useful.

'Star' TFPL events in 2008

ebic ... imagine, Berlin, 1–3 October 2008

EBIC venue - Kempinski Hotel Bristol We are planning ebic ... imagine, TFPL's 19th conference for knowledge and information leaders, which will be held in Berlin, 1–3 October 2008, at the Kempinski Hotel Bristol in the heart of the city. The theme is 'Connecting with the Future' and the focus is innovation. Keynote speakers and panel sessions will provide input from thought leaders and experienced professionals. Group work guided by expert facilitators, discussion and debate will ensure that participants have the opportunity to work with a wide range of their peers. Generous coffee and lunch breaks and evening social events will help delegates to continue to build their contacts and networks. Read more ›

The programme for 2008 ebic ... imagine will be out soon and the next newsletter will also contain details. Do visit the TFPL website to register your interest in receiving full details as soon as they are available.

SharePoint Summit, 1 April 2008

How are organisations that are looking to manage records, documents and other unstructured electronic information using SharePoint? Speakers from a range of organisations, including Defra, KPMG and Christian Aid, will present case studies and share their experiences. Additionally, there will be expert sessions on data migration and information design. Read more ›

The full event programme can be viewed here: http://www.tfpl.com/thought_leadership/sharepoint.cfm

This event is kindly sponsored by Smartlogic.

TFPL Connect – launch at the RSA, 21 February 2008

On 21 February 2008, at the RSA House in London, we are launching our new learning network for knowledge and information people in all sectors. TFPL Connect will host three meetings each year on topics of interest to the broad KIM community. Special-interest groups will hold additional, targeted meetings on specific sector or topic foci. Watch the TFPL Connect website for details of meetings and special-interest groups. Read more ›

The pan-sector meetings in 2008 will be on the theme of 'the future of work' and all will be held at RSA House, between 14:00 and 17:30, followed by drinks, canapés and networking in the vaults.

Speakers at the February meeting, 'the future of work – people', include Tony Sheenan, learning director, Ashridge Management College, formerly CKO with Arup; Alun Davies, director of knowledge management, Lovells; and Alison Wellens, head of data protection practice: public sector, Information Commissioner's Office. For full details of the programme visit the website: http://www.tfpl.com/thought_leadership/tfplconnect.cfm

People Management Matters

Following the enormous success of the 2007 programme, this collaborative continuous learning model will continue with a new group of delegates in 2008. People Management Matters is a ten-month development programme for information professionals preparing to move into more senior management roles. Working together, and with their programme director, they benefit from monthly face-to-face sessions, a dedicated online forum and a supportive delegate community developed throughout the programme.

Training

On demand training

In 2008 we will increase the number of courses we offer 'on demand' – as coaching options that delegates can schedule to suit their own timetables. We will also, of course, continue to launch new courses, revise [or drop!] existing ones and work to keep in touch with the needs of the information, knowledge, web and records professional. As a leading training provider, we're always working hard to offer flexible and relevant training for a flexible workforce.

Keeping in touch

We will continue to add special events to the year's calendar and will keep you up to date with these as they are arranged. Our programme of regular training courses and details of our recruitment and consultancy services can always be found at www.tfpl.com.

The highlights of 2007

CKO Summit

The ninth Chief Knowledge Officers' Summit for the private sector took place in October 2007 at Cliveden House Hotel in Berkshire. Working with the sponsors, Dow Jones, we hosted an intensive two-day event for 24 knowledge management leaders from Europe and the US. Read more ›

The summit is designed to enable participants to exchange experiences, build on others' ideas, reflect on the challenges that organisations face, and explore the value of knowledge management (KM) in today's climate. The discussions were stimulating and wide-ranging – reviewing the 'mega trends' that are currently affecting all businesses, assessing the effects of emerging developments, and indulging in a little horizon scanning. The outcomes included as many questions as answers, but participants were convinced that KM is a key management process for organisations that are keen to adapt and grow.

The report of the summit, 'Meeting the challenge of change', will be freely available on our website from February.

Future demand for knowledge, information and library specialists

Following the publication, early in 2007, of our report 'Who's Managing Information' and the Information Responsibilities Framework, we have continued to monitor developments in the employment of KIM specialists. As part of this focus we undertook, on behalf of a UK university, a survey about KIM specialists and skills currently required by employers. Read more ›

It was interesting to note that while new skills relating to web 2.0, social computing and information architecture, and skills previously identified with other disciplines such as data management and business analysis, were rated as important, the traditional information management skills were still highly valued. The caveat, as always, was that those highly prized technical and professional skills must come as part of a skillset that includes business, contextual and political awareness, customer orientation and the ability to learn and adapt.

The Online Conference and Exhibition

Online Conference and Exhibition

This year's Online Conference was judged to be an outstanding success by everyone that we spoke to. Our congratulations to the organising committee.

TFPL certainly enjoyed being there, meeting old friends and making new ones. Besides spending time on our redesigned stand, we presented two workshops and some of us began networking early at the excellent SLA breakfast.

Information provider recruitment

TFPL is well known for placing knowledge and information professionals, but few people realise that one of our busiest sectors is in the business information and publishing areas. In 2007, our IP team, Liz Ryan and Claire Valentine, saw a huge demand in new business sales, account management, product marketing and editorial roles. Liz and Claire place candidates at all levels in both large and niche information companies.

Fascinating assignments for TFPL

We have been fortunate to have worked on some absorbing projects in 2007. Read more ›

Examples are:
	Helping the Arts Council of England combine diverse regional intranets
	Records audit and recommendations for NHS Education for Scotland (NES)
	Knowledge-sharing strategy and techniques for Macmillan Cancer Support
	Website migration tool for Trinity Expert Systems
	Staff development for the British Medical Association (BMA)
	Helping an international insurance group put knowledge harvesting into practice
	Supporting the building of an information architecture roadmap at BUPA
These are just the tip of the iceberg – knowledge, information and records management remains an area of development and interest requiring a range of skills and expertise, consultants, interim managers, project teams, contract staff and permanent employees.

2007/2008 themes

TFPL recruitment: information and communications technology (ICT) group

ICT roles As effective information management depends more and more on ICT, the boundaries between information management and ICT are blurring. In response, TFPL has expanded its expertise in the ICT arena. Much of our work in this area focuses on the legal technology arena for software suppliers and end users. Recently, we have also started working with several of the country's leading financial service companies at senior levels.
Read more ›

We are currently inundated with requests for developers with experience of Visual Basic, SQL Server and CSS. Early in 2008 it seems that web and intranet development are firmly on law firms' agendas for the first part of the year. Candidates with experience working in the legal sector are in short supply; consequently there appears to be a premium on salaries for experienced candidates. ICT roles for which we are currently recruiting:
	Team leaders – support and development
	DBA – SQL
	Applications and technical services team leader
	Web developer
	Visualfiles and Legis senior developers
	Business analysts
	Technical sales specialists
	Project managers
	OIP/network analysts
	Enterprise architects – financial services
	Implementation consultants

Content management

Content management remains a key concern for many clients, resulting in a focus on intranet redesign and taxonomy strategy and development projects. A common theme is intelligent information architecture – organising and describing content effectively so that users can access it naturally and efficiently, to the benefit of the business AND the individual; and reviewing and redesigning intranets as communication channels and interfaces to essential information. Taxonomies continue to be important – their effective design allowing users to manage and navigate content. A growing related need is the complex task of migrating web content from disparate sites into centrally managed content management systems.

Knowledge and information management

Economic, social and technical drivers have resulted in organisational developments that are dependent on robust knowledge and information strategies to support business objectives.
Read more ›

These include:
1.	Making more effective use of the workforce and workspace
2.	Implementing flexible work patterns, to accommodate the trend for staff to want to work from home more
3.	Making the most of new technology (web 2.0) and more robust communication networks to ensure that knowledge is captured and transferred, information effectively delivered, and that learning continues across the organisation and with its partners, suppliers and customers
We have conducted knowledge and information audits and strategy development projects for government agencies, local councils, and the not-for-profit sector and are currently receiving a steady stream of requests from clients wishing to review the impact of knowledge and information management on their performance. These clients typically want to assess how to rationalise the procurement of published material, provide secure and effective access to internal information, and avoid 'silo working'.

Information service reviews

We work with in-house information services to ensure that the services and products offered are fresh and relevant. Challenges facing information services include:

	Detachment from target audiences
	Remoteness from senior management
	Hesitation over service development
	Subjective spending decisions

Records management (RM)

Records management

Records management continued to be a key concern for organisations in 2007 and all indications are that this requirement will remain very strong across public and private sectors in 2008, as organisations build good RM practices to support the realisation of benefits from their investment in technology.
Read more ›

The implementation of electronic document and records management systems (EDRM) and alternatives such as Microsoft SharePoint and other collaborative tools is producing a need for RM strategies and tools to bring sense to the e-records environment. Information architecture and user-friendly corporate fileplans with appropriate metadata frameworks and controlled vocabularies are all high on the agendas of our RM clients, as is the migration of legacy records into the e-environment and the rationalisation of applications that hold records. Information governance has emerged as an area of real concern, including the development and application of retention schedules for legal and regulatory compliance.

Training

Until relatively recently, many people viewed training as something that was done to them or that they were passively sent to, rather than something that they directed. The world of work has changed and workplace learning has changed with it. We are all expected to take charge of our own learning and professional development, and this learning can take many forms. Read more ›

In 2007 we introduced new types of training to our public-access programmes. We began to offer delegates the opportunity to undertake one-to-one coaching with trainers. We also developed courses that we call 'intensive' one-day sessions: not only is the training day itself longer, but delegates engage with the trainer both before and after the event to derive maximum benefit and develop customised outputs. This is an example of how training can 'morph' into something more consultative. For other courses, we created special websites so that delegates had access to updated resources even after the course was completed.

People Management Matters, which we've mentioned above, demonstrated our commitment to employing a range of learning techniques and support processes tailored to suit the topic and delegates.