The topic
This course examines information as an indispensable resource for the functioning and management of any public or private organisation, just like the human and financial resources that are the subjects of other IDHEAP courses. We could even assert that (public) information is both the raw material for and the principal product of the State and its administration. The course approaches this fundamental resource from the twin angles of information systems and statistics.
- Information systems look after the efficient and effective circulation of information within the organisation;
- Public statistics involves using digital processes to analyse public information.
These two disciplines enable managers to analyse pertinent information and make decisions. They are therefore indispensable for good public management. Today, both disciplines rely on computing power and information and communication technologies, and their inherent challenges and how to manage them are also discussed in the course.