Staffing intelligence services: a survivor's guide

Work at the Department of Health on the information needs of District Health Authorities as purchasers demonstrates the need for co-ordinated information services that handle both numeric and text data--termed intelligence. The DHA Project has built information implications into its health needs assessment protocol and has shown, through pilots, the steps involved in developing co-ordinated provision. These developments contrast sharply with the long-established NHS dichotomy between the roles of librarians--often narrowly perceived, and those of information officers--equally narrowly defined but with a greater command of resources. Consideration of how intelligence services are to be staffed raises issues which involve appreciating wider changes in information education. Most current courses no longer perpetuate the skills divide between those who will be at ease handling text information (librarians) and those who are able to create and use database management systems holding numeric data (information officers). Skills needed for the intelligence function cross the boundary. Some librarians are already able to encompass the required range of skills, but without retraining many will face unequal competition with the new generations of graduates from information management and information science courses. Local training opportunities are essential, but there is also a growing number of higher degree courses which can be used for career enhancement and some of them are available on a distance learning basis. The NHS Training Directorate has begun the process of assisting courses it deems relevant to NHS information management training, but the Department of Health should specify the staff competencies required as part of quality assurance standards for intelligence services.