Renovating Your Forms: Step 3

Analyze The Form

Before renovating a form, carefully consider the following:

• What information does the form gather?
• Does it gather all the information we need?
• Why is this information needed?
• Are we collecting information we do not need?
• Who will use this form? How will they access the form?
• How will the data be collected, input, stored, and managed?
• Does newly collected information need to be compatible with historical information?
• Should this form be developed as an online form, which can be completed and submitted online via the government website? What are the costs and benefits of producing an online form? Can it be processed by alternate means to support your department’s business continuity plan?
• Is there a financial transaction involved with this form? Is online payment a cost-effective or feasible option?
• Is a signature required on this form? If yes, is this a legal or financial requirement or is it a habit to collect a signature? If a signature is truly required, the client should be required to date the form as well. Refer to the Nova Scotia Government authentication policy (Information Management) for more information.
• How confidential or sensitive is the information to be collected? How secure does it need to be? (Online forms are more secure than forms that are e-mailed as attachments.)

For more information about online forms see: Electronic Forms.