Information management design for higher education

Background of the study: The existence of information management unit is important for the continuity of information life cycle. However, in reality, not all institutions have this unit. This research was conducted to provide an overview of information management at universities that do not yet have a special information management unit.

Purpose: This research aims to provide a design information management that can be applied, especially at the UIN Malang or other public universities; especially those that have similar conditions with this university.

Method: This study utilized a qualitative method and a case study approach. Through in-depth interviews with parties who understand the flow of the university's work. In addition, observations were conducted at other institutions with comparable structures to develop a workable information management design for this institution.

Findings: An information management design at Universitas Islam Negeri Malang can be implemented with policies and division of work in certain units owned by this university.

Conclusion: A workflow, especially for information management, must be implemented with commitment from all units involved, so that the absence of a related unit does not become a barrier to information management.

Introduction

Information plays an invisible but critical function in every institution and must be managed effectively. Small or large organizations have great relevance to information management, to communicate in any language or form here the need for information is the main element(Radovic-markovic & Vucekovic, 2015)The existence of regulations regarding Freedom of Information (FOI) or some countries call it the Right to know is one of the trigger for the preparation of information management frameworks, especially for public. Freedom of information itself was recognized historically by the United Nations in 1946, and was established by 190 world leaders as a Sustainable Development Goal in 2015(Halligan & Cronin, 2020). Most countries that have passed and implemented freedom of information regulations also have information management frameworks for their public institutions. Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and several other countries have information management frameworks in their respective government systems. For example, Australia's information management framework has even been implemented up to the local government level and made Australia Connected Government country in the early 2000s. Meanwhile in Indonesia, a similar regulation on freedom of information only emerged in 2008 through Law No.14 on Public Information Disclosure and was implemented 2 (two) years after its endorsement in 2010. The Law on Public Information Disclosure explains that every public body is obliged to provide and serve information needs in fast, timely, low-cost, and simple manner.

The concept of information management is often translated as managing information technology, especially in network or application design, as in a study related to organizational aspects and collaboration with information management at the Thai Provincial University Libraries, which resulted in a local network design between libraries(Nonthacumjane et al., 2022). A similar point of view is also found in research on analyzing information management strategies in higher education in China, which refers to the means. The results of this research state that information management for higher education requires information technology devices, networks, and the information management platform itself(Wang, 2024). The information management referred to in this paper is the management of information itself, which involves many potential resources in an organization or institution.

A research review of the information management literature proves that it is specific because it combines skills and resources in various fields(Opoku, 2015). Therefore, an organization with many resources must design various ways and strategies for implementing information management. Several studies have proven the importance of information management for organizations. One of them is research on the importance of information management for education, where information management is one of the components for achieving the goals and work efficiency of the world of education, starting from professional staff to schools and other educational institutions. This research also concludes that online services and information exchange forums support information management activities(Khamzah et al., 2017).

Furthermore, information management in an organization can be studied based on an evaluation of its implementation. The information management process implemented based on a strategic plan will significantly impact its effectiveness and alignment with the organization's goals(Azhar Mohamad et al., 2022). In line with this research, another study on evaluating information management processes was conducted at Nigerian Universities. A good information management process impacts the effectiveness of an organization's decision- making, especially in research studies at universities(Stephen, 2015). Apart from evaluations, implementation studies of information management efforts have also been carried out, not at higher education institutions but at library institutions. The results of this research show that collaborative and sustainable implementation of library programs can be one of the strategic efforts in implementing information management in libraries(Banerjee & Maity, 2023).

In Indonesia, public boards are institutions that carry out their main functions and duties related to the administration of the State, some or all of which are funded by the State Budget(Source Title, 2021). Many public institutions have prioritized information management since 2008, when the law on public information disclosure was first drafted. This requirement necessitated the hiring of documentation and information manager in all public institutions. While this should be standard practice for all public boards, there are still many public boards that only have an Information Documentation and Management Officer (PPID) and do not actually manage their information or documents. Monitoring data from the Central Information Commission (KIP) in 2022, shows that only 24.63% of all public boards are informative (Communication and Information Technology, 2022).

Higher education as a public institution also has an obligation to provide information needs for the public. Information management is carried out to process information and distribute it efficiently, so that the value of the information can be received appropriately according to its use(Opoku, 2015). This need for relevant and timely information can only be obtained if the organization or institution carries out a good information management process. In the case of universities, several universities in Indonesia that have been awarded the title of Informative Public Agency by the Central Information Commission of the Republic of Indonesia, such as Brawijaya University and Gadjah Mada University, are universities that have organizational structures that have information management institutions ranging from Information Management and Documentation Officers (PPID), Information Systems and Information Technology Centers, Archive Centers, to well-managed libraries. Just as information management involves many resources, research related to information management will often be implemented with information technology as a means and