Exploring information flows at Nottingham City Homes

This article presents the results of an information audit carried out in a public sector organisation in the UK. The value of the exercise in raising otherwise hidden issues for action is confirmed. The lack of responsibility for information and the importance of context in conferring meaning were significant findings. The process was a catalyst for new thinking about the importance of information in cross-functional working. Some limitations of the information audit process are considered, with emphasis on the need to be sensitive to context. The necessity of relating such tools to the broader literature on organisational politics is suggested, especially in the context of responsibilities for classifications.