Information managers, you’re not alone

Justin Stanton

Editor, DC+

2 November 2026

Information managers are often the only person in their organisation that understands information management and must answer their colleagues’ questions about the practice. So who do they turn to when they need support? Operam Academy has set up a peer-to-peer support network for its alumni to address the issue.

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More than 8,000 people from 80 countries have achieved Information Management Practitioner certification via Operam Academy. Common feedback from those who have completed Operam Academy’s training is that they want somewhere to get advice on the practical application of the information management process. Operam Academy founder Paul Shillcock explained: “I thought we could facilitate connecting all of these people and provide a way in which they could ask questions and support each other through the implementation of standards.”

The solution is Operam Academy Alumni, a community platform that is free to join for those who have achieved the Information Management Practitioner certification. It offers discussion rooms, the practitioner’s guide (which pulls together key learnings from Operam Academy’s courses), access to two Alumni events a year (in October and April), a member directory and an annual report.

Alumni is intended to be “by information managers, for information managers”, so members will have their say in the direction of the community. Representing and supporting Alumni members are six voluntary committee members:

Andy Boutle from ALEC in the UAE looks after the events;

Amedeo Papi from GHD in New Zealand looks after member voice and recognition;

Silvia Gioja from Arcadis in Belgium looks after welcome and connection;

Johannes Visagie from Zutari in South Africa looks after the annual report; and

Dan Jones from GHD in New Zealand and Ronnie Bharaj at Elliott Group in the Republic of Ireland look after the discussion rooms.

Safe discussion space

Initially there are two discussion rooms, one focused on information management and the other on information production, but Shillcock expects the number of rooms to increase as members engage with the platform.

The discussion rooms are not moderated, but are stewarded. There is a charter that Alumni members agree to when joining that covers online behaviours. Shillcock wants the discussion rooms to be a safe space for people to ask questions without being shouted down [as used to happen on Twitter and now regularly occurs on LinkedIn – ed.].

The Alumni platform was introduced at an event last month, which also featured presentations on the progress of information management in the US, Ireland, South Africa, Australia and UAE. The next event will be held on 14 April 2027.

Shillcock is at pains to note that the Alumni initiative is not meant as a rival or replacement for existing associations and networks. He told DC+: “It isn’t trying to compete with industry, national and regional communities. They do important work moving things forward in their sectors and countries. I’ve supported many of them over the years, still do, and would encourage every member to get involved. Alumni does something different: everyone in it has done the same courses and assessments, so they can skip the basics and help each other with the day-to-day problems of making information management work on real projects, wherever they are in the world.”

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Topics:

information management Operam Academy

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