This module considers how public authorities meet the requirements of section 12 in terms of the culture of openness and transparency and advice and assistance, the review of practices, training and lessons learned, and how monitoring helps improve compliance. The appropriate use of section 12 protects your ability to carry out your public functions. When used correctly it provides a balance between transparency and the protection of resources.
Criteria
Good:
- The public authority has a culture of openness and transparency. Where reasonable to do so, they always offer advice and assistance to help people access the information they are looking for.
- The public authority regularly reviews their practices and procedures in relation to searching and estimating.
- The public authority regularly reviews section 12 training arrangements and requirements. Staff keep up-to-date with changes to procedures or practices.
- The public authority regularly monitors section 12 cases.
- The public authority always identifies and shares lessons to be learned and these lead to improved compliance with section 12.
- Leaders and staff at every level of the authority are accountable for the provision of helpful, meaningful and timely advice and assistance and recognise it is central to the public authority’s FOI procedures and practices.
Adequate:
- The public authority tries to have a culture of openness and transparency. They sometimes offer advice and assistance to help people access the information they are looking for.
- The public authority sometimes reviews their practices and procedures in relation to searching and estimating.
- The public authority sometimes reviews section 12 training arrangements and requirements. Staff sometimes keep up-to-date with changes to procedures or practices.
- The public authority sometimes monitors section 12 cases.
- The public authority sometimes identifies and shares lessons to be learned and these lead to improved compliance with section 12.
- Some leaders and staff at some levels of the authority are accountable for the provision of helpful, meaningful and timely advice and assistance and recognise it is central to the public authority’s FOI procedures and practices.
Unsatisfactory:
- The public authority does not have a culture of openness and transparency. They rarely offer advice and assistance to help people access the information they are looking for.
- The public authority seldom reviews practices and procedures in relation to searching and estimating.
- The public authority rarely reviews section 12 training arrangements and requirements. Staff are not kept up-to-date with changes to procedures and/or practices.
- The public authority rarely monitors section 12 cases.
- The public authority rarely identifies and shares lessons to be learned and misses opportunities to improved compliance with section 12.
- Few staff are accountable for the provision of helpful, meaningful and timely advice and assistance or recognise it is central to the public authority’s FOI procedures and practices.