This text is the foremost compilation of information about managing the public sector fixed assets function. No two-fixed assets management functions are alike and there is no real collective information bank for the managers to use. Not only are management principles provided, but also definitions of some key settings in managing fixed assets from defining fixed assets to accountability for those assets. This text was written to help better operate the day-to-day affairs of the public sector fixed assets management function. The information presented here is not new; however, the information is not contained in one concise location. The concepts and principles presented here are of interest to all-public sector administrators. However, those individuals working in the day-to-day operations are those who will find this text most interesting. It should be used to stimulate conversation and communication on the subject of personal property management. In so doing, the expectation is that these conversations and communications will increase the effectiveness and efficiency of personal property management. The public sector is an area that relies on sound management practices and the management on those assets entrusted to us is no exception. Within the confines of this text will be found sound management practices to further the overall effectiveness of fixed assets management.

Organisations are using data, information and knowledge as a competitive weapon. Their data, information and knowledge are arguably their most valuable assets. Yet, this fourth asset is managed badly when compared to the other three assets, namely money, people and infrastructure with considerable risk to the organisation. Executives are accountable for the success of their organisations, and those who don’t manage this critical resource and business enabler effectively can be regarded as negligent. Information Assets carry enormous risk and value. Most boards and executives don’t know how to govern and manage IAs effectively and nobody is held accountable. Given this, organisations should govern and manage their Information Assets the way they manage their Financial Assets. The benefits of managing IAs well are compelling. These benefits include increased efficiency, productivity, employee satisfaction, improved decision-making, mitigating business risk and improving product, protecting corporate reputation and service delivery. Drawing on ground-breaking research, this book explains why Information Assets are so important to organisations and the barriers to managing them well. This book is unique in the sense that it takes a fresh look at this topic, is based on experience and research, and includes interviews from more than 70 industry leaders. In short, this book is written by executives and explains where to start.

This research study seeks to understand the nature of organisational change with respect to offshore outsourcing of information technology services in a multinational pharmaceutical company, and to examine the effectiveness of approaches used to manage this change so that lessons may be drawn from these experiences. Despite the abundant literature on effective organisational change management, the key factors that need to be managed properly at different stages of the offshore outsourcing process are not well understood. The research adopts a processual view to paint a broad picture of the issues involved in these different stages. A generic process model of change, based on the review of the change literature, was first developed to represent how change was intended to occur. This model focuses on the following four stages in the change process: context, diagnosis and planning, implementation, and institutionalisation. The research employs an interpretive case study approach and draws on fieldwork from three independent information systems departments (cases) of the company, where offshore outsourcing programmes were implemented. Qualitative data from semi-structured interviews, direct observation and document analysis are analysed by applying the generic process model to produce a detailed account of the way in which change was managed in the case organisations. The findings reveal that a combination of contextual factors, both external and internal to the company, influenced the adoption and use of offshore outsourcing in the case organisations. Externally, the economic forces were found to be the main catalyst for the change, while internally the role of the executive leadership and the lack of internal resources further explain the motivations behind the adoption of offshore outsourcing. The study illustrates that achieving successful outcomes from offshore outsourcing activities critically depends on the organisation adequately addressing a number of factors, such as conveying a sense of urgency, developing and communicating the vision, identifying the benefits of change and how they will be delivered, generating short-term wins, providing education and training, developing a fit between the change and organisational culture, etc., throughout the change process. The findings also highlight the effects of offshore outsourcing on the case organisations, including change in job roles and responsibilities and organisational learning activities that enable corrective actions to improve change management efforts. An important contribution of this research is the development of a model providing a more comprehensive understanding of the change process associated with the implementation of offshore IT outsourcing. Recommendations for policy makers and change managers to improve change management practice based on the research findings, as well as recommendations for further research, form a significant part of the conclusions.