Information systems

You will need an information system so that you can keep any necessary records and can communicate information to those who need it. The kind of information will depend on the kind of organization you are in.

You'll need to figure out:

• What information your organizations needs
• What you need it for
• How you'll get it and/or generate documents
• How it will get to the people who need it on time
• How records will be kept, and
• How you'll keep it up to date.

Sounds easy, and it could be. A small organization might have a regular staff meeting, simple paper records, phones, and email.

However, it soon gets more challenging if:

• you don't have clear procedures
• you need to keep some kinds of information in writing for legal purposes
• you operate on more than one site
• you have more than one language, culture or currency.
• you don't several databases that don't relate to each other

You may need to submit documentation system to supervisors or your board for approval. This is most important if you have legal and insurance requirements, especially related to visas or serious incidents.