Exploring information flows at Nottingham City Homes

This article presents the results of an information audit carried out in a public sector organisation in the UK. The value of the exercise in raising otherwise hidden issues for action is confirmed. The lack of responsibility for information and the importance of context in conferring meaning were significant findings. The process was a catalyst for new thinking about the importance of information in cross-functional working. Some limitations of the information audit process are considered, with emphasis on the need to be sensitive to context. The necessity of relating such tools to the broader literature on organisational politics is suggested, especially in the context of responsibilities for classifications.

► We report the process and results of an information audit.
► Issues with definitions and sharing are reported.
► The term ‘audit’ is found the be problematic in some contexts.
► More attention needs to be paid to the politics of information use.
► Links are made to literature on organisational change.