Part I: The independent information professional as government contractor

Phyllis Smith is the owner of In the Know Research and Information Consulting. In addition to working with the government client discussed in this article, Phyllis provides research and information product development services to professionals and consultants. She can be reached at psmithin-the-know.com. M any government agencies are heavy users of information. Some publish information for distribution, and they value information from reliable sources, including other government agencies, private industry and academia. Many departments are supported by information centers – special libraries – that focus on highly specific areas of interest. Despite having information expertise in-house, an independent information professional (IIP) can also add value. It is not necessarily easy for an IIP to get individual projects from a government client. There can be processes to follow that make it difficult for a department to hire an IIP unless they are contracted for services over time. The IIP remains independent and may have other clients, but is also committed to the department for the duration of the contract. The IIP who wins such a contract can find it to be a rewarding experience. One of my longest-standing and probably favorite clients is a Canadian federal government department. The department frequently acts as an advisor to the different levels of government in Canada and abroad and also to private industry. Staff members have a broad range of education, experience and expertise. Their information needs are equally wide-ranging. I have been on contract to the department’s information center for several years. On a daily basis, the information center team responds quickly to client requests for access to specialized resources, and they gather obscure data to support department obligations. Their priorities change quickly with those of the department. To say the information center is busy is an understatement. They also train new hires, develop proprietary information resources and monitor a rapidly changing environment on behalf of their clients. Through the information center, I get to work for many people serving a variety of roles in the department, knowing that their needs somehow revolve around information. I’m frequently asked to provide research services, but the subject matter varies greatly depending on who is doing the asking. However, research is only part of what I can do. I have also conducted training and written user guides to help department staff make better use of key research tools developed by the information center. I’ve ventured into marketing by conducting and analyzing client surveys, looking for ways to improve services. Sometimes I create presentation and training materials for others to deliver. I have consulted on decisions to improve or change their services. I frequently support the information center team, allowing them to focus their energies on the services that can only be handled in-house. Occasionally I am offered assignments that are labor-intensive and timeconsuming. One such large project took several months to complete and offers a good example of how an IIP can provide value to a government department. The department often partners with municipal, provincial and federal government agencies involved in the preparations for international events being hosted in Canada. To support their partners during one such international event, they decided to develop a publication that would provide background information and highlight issues that could pose problems at the event in question.