Freedom of Information (910083) – LearnOnline

Learning Outcomes

Lesson 1: Overview 

• FOIA is designed to encourage a culture of openness and transparency in government and the public sector. 
• Openness and transparency help to increase public trust in government, benefiting both the general public and the PAs. 
• FOIA is overseen by the ICO. 
• PAs are obliged to release information requested unless there is a good reason not to, and all requesters must be treated equally. 

Lesson 2: Information requests 

• PAs must handle FOI requests neutrally and in a timely fashion. 
• While the spirit of FOIA is to promote openness and transparency, there are a number of acceptable reasons for a request to be denied. 
• The ICO can intervene in cases of dispute between requester and PA. Both parties have the right to appeal decisions made by the ICO. 

Lesson 3: Publication schemes 

• FOIA encourages PAs to proactively and routinely publish information. 

• PAs should follow the ICO’s publication scheme and definition documents to ensure compliance. 
• Information not available through the PA’s publication scheme should be requested via a FOI request.