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Why is it called the Forest Information Mall? |
The term speaks the to fact that we are all looking for information to do our jobs. We are in essence "shopping" for information. Until now, information has been spread out across a wide array of websites, guidelines, manuals and systems. The Forest Information Mall will provide the customer with one consolidated information resource.
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Is the Mall another system? |
No, not in the traditional sense. The Mall is intended to be a pointer to the information and systems people need to do their jobs, not another system. Information already exists in one form or another for the most part, but finding it is a major concern for government and licensee staff. In order for the Mall to present information and links efficiently, it may track information internally such as user viewing preferences and security access protocols. From that perspective, there may be some information collected and used within the Mall, but this will be transparent to the user.
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Will the Mall replace existing websites such as branch intra and internet sites? |
No. The Mall is intended to complement existing systems and websites. Where stakeholders have said they want improved or consolidated access to a group of websites, other online resources and systems, they will be able to do that through the Mall. Therefore, those on-line resources will be referenced from the Mall, not replaced or duplicated.
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How will security and privacy issues be managed, given that the Mall will be accessed by licensees, their contractors and government staff? |
The same security and privacy procedures will continue to apply. Although access will be improved through consolidation and improved presentation, the business procedures and standards won't necessarily change. That said, we are working with each business area to assess whether their approach to security and privacy is up to date and efficient for their stakeholders.
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Is the Mall part of the Single Point of Contact government initiative? |
No. That initiative is government-wide and is intended to improve client service with the public who requires a more approachable interface with government and information. The Mall is a much smaller initiative since it only applies to operational forestry - planning, practices and reporting. The Mall is intended to be used by stakeholders in government, industry and their contractors who understand the forest information cycle, but who want an improved interface and better access to the information they need to do their jobs.
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Will all of the Ministry of Forests and Range mandate be serviced by the Mall? |
No. The plan is to get a functional tool to help operational staff do the bulk of their day-to-day tasks more efficiently. This addresses a significant business need uncovered by the Information Access team of the Streamlining Forest Information Project. In the future, should the Mall prove itself in the limited operational planning and reporting scope, other modules for other aspects of the business may be added.
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The MoFR developed a Business Information Centre (BIC) last year that provided improved access for government clients to the business processes, systems and information associated with operational forestry. Will that product continue? |
Maybe. At this time, the Mall will link to the BIC in the government view and not replace or duplicate it. As the Mall is improved over time, licensee access to the BIC and consolidation of the BIC and the Mall will be considered. At this time we would like to develop the Mall with as little change as possible to related infrastructure.
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Although there is overwhelming support from district and licensee staff for the Mall, who will ensure it continues and is updated? |
That is a good question and is being addressed by the Mall project team and information owners. The short answer is that there will be a plan for maintenance of the Mall.
The longer answer is that the Mall represents a significant shift in approach from system based information grouping to a task oriented view of information, tools, and resources. This shift challenges our systems and program areas to consolidate and co-operate to a greater degree and do it in ways that support operational business tasks. Although this isn't entirely new for components of our business, it is a new level of co-operation from the perspective of shared ownership and maintenance.
The maintenance will require some sort of cross program group, like an editorial board, to manage Mall content and structure. We expect this group will have significant representation from the operational practitioners to ensure changes are task oriented and operationally relevant.
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