FPS Management Issues
In short, this posits managers and executives as the key decision-makers of which data representation styles will be accepted and used (subject to constraints set by the Architecture Review Board (ARB)). If they do have neither the knowledge nor acceptance of sophisticated data representation tools, then, simply, those tools will not be used within their domain of the FPS. At the moment, the three most commonly used by far are bar, line, and pie charts (as depicted below).Health Canada managers are responsible for managing information as an integral part of programs, service delivery and as a strategic business resource. While the Department has in place a structure to manage its information, there are still roles and responsibility gaps with respect to how information is managed and monitored for both integrity and completeness.
In the 2014 demographic snapshot of the FPS, it was discovered that under-40s comprise only 7.2% of all executives in the FPS. This exacerbates generational differences in terms of which data representation styles may or may not be accepted by gatekeepers. While it is unfair to assume managers and executives will automatically shun the use of more sophisticated data representations, it is fair to assume that, without exposure, it is unlikely that they will know such representations even exist (even if they have a data representation need they can articulate but not realize with ARB-approved tools (refer to the page on Standardizers & Gatekeepers for details on the ARB's role).
In addition, management needs to gauge the primary target audience of a (data-based) (web-)document, which can contain data representations. The needs of technical experts differ vastly from an average Canadian, which impacts the choice of delivery (to the primary target audience) and subsequent IT architectural requirements. (Note: The topic of information system analysis and design is beyond the scope of this primer.)
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For a general list of questions pertaining to the federal public service and data representation use therein, click here.
For a general list of questions pertaining to Health Canada and data representation use therein, click here.
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