At AVATAR we concern ourselves often with how individuals interact with information. Or, more precisely, how information that an individual desires can be delivered in a way that meets that individual’s expectations. Epistemological issues with the acquisition of knowledge being a subject for a separate work, let’s establish that communicating large amounts of information into reasonable categories for the uninitiated is a complex task and that this is particularly a concern for information delivery for Government bodies.

Looking at the general make up of a Government body we see a breakdown of their information into the following rough categories: processes, forms, documents, individuals and services.

Processes
Processes (any interaction with particular action, age requirements, and date-related info). Increase transparency of the process of Government by educating citizens on the roles of departments, funding, individuals and the community will result in more balanced information.

Forms
Forms (specific materials that are used to communicate requests or intentions)

Documents
Documents (written record of facts, laws or definition of processes, forms)

Individuals
Individuals are often the largest repository of assistance and information, streamlining access to those individuals will maximize their effectiveness.

Services
Any action performed by a department or individual as defined by a process.

Communication Factors
Communication factors are physical and non-physical barriers that require special consideration when designing the information flow. For Government bodies, these factors are:

Security
Access to information by appropriate parties and interaction with official content such as specific forms requiring physical signatures.

Accessibility
Many citizens with disabilities can be better served by being provided access to services and assistance from the comfort of their own homes.

Legality
The imposed requirements of most Government bodies to provide information has given many file clerks headaches. Being aware of the need to provide unilateral access to information and documentation will allow information management to be designed to simplify and improve how this information is distributed.