What can better information do for your organisation?

The main benefit of better information for most organisations will be to help meet the needs of users and clients. This is the central purpose for most organisations and better information will help them to improve their service to the public.

Information that helps people avoid problems in the first place can help reduce the demand on advice services and the justice system. Similarly, information that encourages people to take action earlier will stop problems escalating, reduce the complexity of problems taken to advice agencies, and ease the load on tribunals and courts.

Where better information increases people’s capacity to deal with problems effectively, it will help more capable individuals achieve satisfactory outcomes themselves, and help everyone use advice and support services more efficiently.

More precision in producing information and more accuracy in targeting will increase the effectiveness of what is produced. This will produce better outcomes for priority groups and reduce the waste of an unfocussed approach.

Good information can promote an organisation and its services. Many organisations, both government bodies and those in the independent sector, would benefit from increasing their profile and improving public understanding of the services they provide.

Better information about process and procedures, such as how to access and use services like courts and tribunals, will reduce pressure on staff and lead to greater efficiency and reduced costs for these organisations.

Advice services can use better information to reach out to a wider audience, which will broaden their user base and increase their visibility. Too narrow a focus on casework and the absence of a preventative role will reduce their appeal to local communities and funders alike.

The process of producing better information requires you to build good working relationships within your organisation and with other peer organisations. This will bring the benefits of better signposting and referrals and make the most of the available resources.

Where information is integrated into other service provision it can support wider work, and its use can be more readily evaluated.

Advisers can underestimate the usefulness
of information to their clients

Evaluation of a series of information leaflets⁶ revealed that advisers can underestimate the usefulness of leaflets.

The researcher asked both clients and advisers whether they found information materials useful.

The clients said that they did find information useful, making comments like, "They tell you so much that it is really hard to take it all in and remember it. I found it really useful to have some information to take away to read later."

But when he spoke to the advisers, they said that they didn't find information useful, making comments like "I can tell my clients everything they need to know."

⁶ _{Evaluation of ASA Advicenow’s LSC funded guides, May 2006.} _{Evaluating Advicenow's Guides}