MeetUp: Information Management in Government: Progress, priorities and the road ahead

Description

Join us for a timely conversation with Josephine Secis, Assistant Director-General and Sean Wright, A/Director, from the National Archives of Australia, to discuss how effectively Australian Government agencies manage information as an enterprise asset, and what needs to change as government becomes increasingly digital, data-driven, and AI-enabled.

The National Archives’ latest whole-of-government Check-up report provides an important assessment of information management maturity across 175 Australian Government agencies. The results show continued improvement, including stronger information governance frameworks and increased attention to agency capability. They also identify ongoing gaps in metadata, the use and reuse of information, interoperability, disposal, monitoring and reporting, staff capability, and legacy systems. Agencies with established information governance practices and active senior management support generally achieved stronger information management outcomes.

The discussion will cover:

• the main findings from the latest Check-up report and what they reveal about information management maturity across Australian Government agencies;
• the emerging challenges from AI adoption across government, including the information foundations required for trusted AI, and the challenge of demonstrating value and return on AI investment;
• the practical barriers and enablers affecting agency progress, including capability, resourcing, systems and organisational culture; and
• the National Archives’ priorities for supporting and enabling agencies in accordance with its Strategy 2025–2030, including responsive and proactive engagement, targeted advice, capability uplift and trusted partnerships with agencies.

This Meetup will provide an opportunity for participants to engage directly with the National Archives, share experience and feedback, discuss practical barriers and enablers, and contribute to an effective dialogue about the guidance, support and partnerships agencies need.

Event Details

Date: Wednesday 19 August 2026

Time: 12 noon to 1.00 pm AEST

2.00 pm to 3.00 pm NZ time

Location: Teams Online

Facilitator: Dr Susan Bennett PhD, LLM(Hons), MBA, FGIA, FIP, CIPP/E, CIPT
Founder and Executive Director InfoGovANZ
Principal, Sibenco Legal & Advisory

Please note that this MeetUp will not be recorded and will be conducted under Chatham House Rules to support open and candid discussion. To help create an engaging and collegial environment, we ask attendees to have their cameras on during the discussion. This helps make the session more interactive and enjoyable for all participants.

Cost:  Free for InfoGovANZ Members

Enquiries: infogovanz@infogovanz.com