DIT action plan to achieve FOI timeliness compliance
Published 7 October 2022
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DIT action plan to achieve timeliness compliance in Freedom of Information (FOI) following receipt of an Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) enforcement notice.
Mandatory action 1: respond and close all outstanding FOIA requests by 10 October 2022
| Action | Owner | Date to complete | Completed Y/N |
|---|---|---|---|
| The department will respond and close all outstanding FOIA requests by 10 October 2022. | Head of Information Rights Unit | 10 October 2022 | Y |
Mandatory action 2: publish an action plan supported by a lessons learned exercise
| Action | Owner | Date to complete | Completed Y/N |
|---|---|---|---|
| The department will undertake a lessons learned exercise into FOI timeliness compliance and agree an action plan to ensure future compliance. | Head of Information Rights Unit | 10 October 2022 | Y |
| The department will agree clearance timings for all FOIA requests, including contingency arrangements to ensure timeliness is not impacted by staffing changes or absences. | Head of Information Rights Unit | 10 October 2022 | Y |
| The department will implement a revised clearance process that is proportionate and aims to reduce the number of times a response is subject to review. | Head of Information Rights Unit | 10 October 2022 | Y |
| The department’s Information Rights Unit will deliver additional training on the FOIA to civil servants responsible for drafting and reviewing FOI responses. | Head of Information Rights Unit | End of 2022 | N |
| The department will put in place additional expert quality assurance of all FOI responses. | Head of KIM or relevant Deputy Director | 10 October 2022 | Y |
Practice recommendation: improve timeliness of internal reviews to deliver best practice
| Action | Owner | Date to complete | Completed Y/N |
|---|---|---|---|
| The department will undertake a further investigation into its handling of internal reviews of FOI responses to improve timeliness. | Head of Information Rights Unit | End of November 2022 | N |
| The department will ensure time for conducting internal reviews is ringfenced and that capacity is increased. | Head of Information Rights Unit | End of November 2022 | N |
| The department will prioritise any internal reviews that remain ongoing beyond 20 working days to ensure these can reach a conclusion within a maximum of 40 days. | Head of Information Rights Unit | End of November 2022 | N |