Implications of managing health related records and relevant information systems within intergovernmental agencies

The implications of intergovernmental agencies may forever change the way in which governments provide common services within a federated Australia. As governments seek to reduce duplication and inconsistencies across state and territory borders, intergovernmental agencies, born out of intergovernmental agreements, without any link to specific state or territory legislation, are challenging managers to develop, new approaches to procurement and implement information systems within this new legal dynamic framework. This paper considers the implications to managing health related records and their IT systems, having common legislative obligations across all Australia jurisdictions, to determine whether these new forms of government allow for the disposal of information, aimed at saving costs, improving the quality of data and reduce litigious risk. The paper also investigates the more general implications for any organisation operating nationally, to data sovereignty and how legislative ownership of records may predetermine how and where intergovernmental agencies can manage information assets.