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  • Written Evidence From The University of Lincoln

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    saveFOI
    19 tayangan4 halaman
    The University of Lincoln supports the aims and objectives of the Freedom of Information Act. However, we submit that its effectiveness is undermined by the growing cost of compliance. We call for parameters to be established for the reasonable use of public access requests based on the information being in the public interest.

    Deskripsi Asli:

    Judul Asli

    Written Evidence From the University of Lincoln

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    The University of Lincoln supports the aims and objectives of the Freedom of Information Act. However, we submit that its effectiveness is undermined by the growing cost of compliance. We call for parameters to be established for the reasonable use of public access requests based on the information being in the public interest.

    Hak Cipta:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Unduh sebagai PDF, TXT atau baca online dari Scribd
    Tandai sebagai konten tidak pantas
    19 tayangan4 halaman

    Written Evidence From The University of Lincoln

    Diunggah oleh

    saveFOI
    The University of Lincoln supports the aims and objectives of the Freedom of Information Act. However, we submit that its effectiveness is undermined by the growing cost of compliance. We call for parameters to be established for the reasonable use of public access requests based on the information being in the public interest.

    Hak Cipta:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Unduh sebagai PDF, TXT atau baca online dari Scribd
    Tandai sebagai konten tidak pantas
    dari 4

    FOI66

    WrittenevidencefromtheUniversityofLincoln
    ExecutiveSummary 1. TheUniversityofLincolnsupportstheaimsandobjectivesoftheFreedomofInformationAct (FOIA);howeverwesubmitthatitseffectivenessisunderminedbythegrowingcostof compliance,exacerbatedbytheincreasinguseofpublicaccessrequeststogaininformationthat isnotinthepublicinterest.Werecommendanumberofwaysthatthecostofcompliancecould bereduced,includingchangestothetimeframe,costlimitsandFeesRegulationsforpublic accessrequestsandanalternativetothepublicationscheme.Wealsocallforparameterstobe establishedforthereasonableuseofpublicaccessrequestsbasedontheinformationbeingin thepublicinterestandtherequestjustifyingtheuseofpublicresources. IntroductiontotheSubmitter 2. TheUniversityofLincolnwasestablishedin2001,havingopeneditsfirstbuildinginthecityin 1996.Theinstitutionhasareputationasauniversityofinnovationandenterprisewithan emphasisonresearchandresearchengagedteaching.Itcurrentlyhas11722studentson campusandemploys1331academicandservicestaff. 3. TheUniversityhasexperiencedacontinuousyearonyearincreaseinthenumberofpublic accessrequestsreceivedsincetheFOIAcameintoeffect,with25requestsin2005risingto108 requestsin2011. Issues DoestheFreedomofInformationActworkeffectively? 4. TheUniversityofLincolnsupportstheobjectivesoftheFOIAofopenness,transparency,public accountability,effectivedecisionmakingandpublicinvolvementindecisionmaking.However,it isourviewthatinpracticetheFOIAdoesnotworkeffectivelyinanumberofwaysandour concernsaredetailedinparagraphs6to12below. WhatarethestrengthsandweaknessesoftheFreedomofInformationAct? 5. WeconsiderthemainstrengthoftheFOIAtobethatithas,inarelativelyshortperiodoftime, beensuccessfulinbringaboutaculturechangeingovernmentandotherpublicauthorities. Whilethereisstillsomewaytogotobeforethekeyobjectivesofopenness,transparencyand accountabilityarefullyrealisedeverywhere,thelegislativeambitiontoimprovedecisionmaking inthosebodiesthatthepublicfundandrelyonforserviceshasbeguntoberealised.However, asnotedinparagraph207oftheMemorandumtotheJusticeSelectCommittee,theextentto whichthishasresultedingreaterpublictrustofthatdecisionmakingisdebateable,withlevelsof distrustperhapsfuelledbythedominanceofnegativenewsstoriesinthemedia.

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    FOI66
    6. InourviewthemainweaknessesoftheFOIAisthecostofcompliance.Arecentreportbythe UniversitiesUKEfficiencyandModernisationTaskGroup,entitledEfficiencyandEffectivenessin HigherEducation,suggestedthatthedirectstaffcostsofmanagingpublicaccessrequestsalone coststheHEsector10millionperannum.Asprivateorganisationsinreceiptofsignificantly reducedpublicfunding,wewouldquestionwhetheruniversitiesshouldbeexpectedtocontinue todivertthislevelofresourcefromtheircoreactivities.Wewouldalsoaskwhethertheoverall costtothepublicpurseofpublicauthoritiesrespondingtopublicaccessrequestsisjustified, particularlyinthecurrentfinancialclimateandgeneralreductioninpublicspending. 7. Itisevidentfromourownexperience,andfromsourcessuchastheannualInformation LegislativeandManagementSurveyconductedbyJISCinfonet,thatthenumberandcomplexity ofrequestsisincreasing.Thismeansthatrespondingtorequestsismoreexpensive,moretime consumingandmoredifficulttomanagewithin20workingdays.Webelievethereareanumber ofdifferentmeasureswhichwouldprovideafairerandmoreworkablebalancebetweenthe rightsofrequestersandtheresourceimplicationsforpublicauthorities.Ourrecommendations arelistedbelow. a) Extendthe20workingdaystimeframe Ittypicallytakesthecollaborationof45membersofstafftorespondtoapublicaccess request.Thosestaffalreadyhaveheavyworkloadsandcompetingprioritiesfortheirtime andcontinuallyrespondingtogrowingnumbersofrequestswithinthistimeframeis becomingincreasinglydifficult.Ourrecommendationisthatthe20workingdays timeframebeextendedinrecognitionoftheincreasingadministrativeburdenandreduced staffresourcesinpublicauthorities. b) Changethetimeorcostlimits Universitiesareexpectedtoincurcostsofupto450basedon25perpersonperhour (equatingto18hoursofstafftime)whenrespondingtoapublicaccessrequest.Although manyrequeststakelessthan18hourstorespondto,theexpectationthatpublic authoritiesshouldspendupto450ononerequestperhapsseemsunreasonablegiven thenumberofrequestsnowbeingreceivedandthelimitedpublicresourcesavailable. Furthermore,theallowanceof25perhourforstafftimewassetsometimeagoandhas notbeenadjustedtoaccountforincreasesinsalaryandoncosts.Ourrecommendationis thateitherthecostlimitisreducedorthehourlyrateincreased. c) Extendthelistofactivitiesthatcanbecountedwithinthecostlimits Asnotedinparagraphs173and221oftheMemorandumtotheJusticeSelectCommittee, apublicauthorityisonlyabletofactorincertaincostswhenconsideringthecostlimit. Thismeansthatmanyactivitiessuchasconductingthepublicinteresttest,considering exemptions,writingresponsesandredactinginformationcannotbeincludedwhenthey oftenconstituteasignificantpartoftheoverallprocessofrespondingtorequests.Our recommendationisthattheseactivitiesareallowedtobeincludedwithinthecostlimits. d) ReviewtheFeesRegulations

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    FOI66
    AlmostallofthepublicaccessrequestsreceivedbytheUniversityaresentbyemail,with mostrequestersaskingforaresponseinelectronicformat.Thereforewerarelyincurcosts fordisbursements,orifwedo,wedonotchargeafeebecauseitisnotworththe administrativecostofprocessingit.Ourrecommendationisthatconsiderationbegivento otherwayspublicauthoritiesmightrecoupsomeoftheircostsincurredthrough respondingtorequests. e) ReviewtheuseoftheFOIAbyjournalistsandcommercialrequesters Ourconcernsabouttheuseofpublicaccessrequestsbyjournalistsandcommercial requestersareexplainedinparagraphs10to12below.Ourrecommendationisthat parametersbeestablishedforthereasonableuseofpublicaccessrequestsbasedonthe informationbeinginthepublicinterestandtherequestjustifyingtheuseofpublic resources.

    IstheFreedomofInformationActoperatinginthewayitwasintendedto? 8. Wewouldagreewithparagraph170oftheMemorandumtotheJusticeSelectCommitteeand arguethatpublicationschemesarenotfulfillingtheirintendedfunction.Inourexperiencethe publicationschemeistimeconsumingtocreateandmaintainbutusedlittlebythoseseeking information.Furthermoreitseemsunnecessarytocreateaguidetoinformationwhenwebsites alreadyhaveeffectivesearchfacilities.Wewouldrecommendthatpublicationschemesbe replacedwithasimplerrequirementforpublicauthoritiestomakecertaininformationavailable andeasilysearchableonline. 9. Inaddition,ifitwasintendedthatpublicationschemeswouldreducetheadministrativeburden ofpublicaccessrequestsbyenablingpublicauthoritiestoredirectenquirerstoinformation alreadypublished,inpracticethisisrarelypossible.Manyrequestsposeaseriesofsuchspecific questions,oftenrequiringinformationfromvarioussourcestobepulledtogether,thatitis arguablyimpossibletotrytoanticipaterequestsandproactivelypublishinformationwhich wouldprovidetheanswers.Evenpublishingpreviousrequestresponsesisnotparticularly helpfulasrequestersinvariablyrequirethemostuptodateinformationandnotworequestsare exactlyalike. 10.InourviewtheFOIAisoftennotusedbyjournalistsinthewayinwhichitwasintendedandthis iscompoundedbythesignificantnumberofrequestsreceivedfromthemedia.Whileweagree thatpublicbodiesshouldbeheldtoaccountbythepublic,andthatinsomecasestheuseofthe FOIAbyjournalistsisjustifiedaspartoftheirinvestigations(forexampletocorroborateastrong suspicionorexistingevidenceofsignificantwrongdoing),wewouldstronglysupportthe concernsnotedinparagraphs203205oftheMemorandumtotheJusticeSelectCommittee.In ouropiniontheamountofpublicresourceusedtoprovideinformationtojournalistsshouldbe proportionatetothepublicinterestintheissue.TheuseoftheFOIAforspeculativefishingtrips doesnotseemtojustifytheexpensetothepublicpurse,particularlywhentheresultantarticles maynotbeinthepublicinterestorpromoteaccountability.

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    FOI66
    11.WearealsooftheviewthattheFOIAseemstounintentionallyencouragesocalledlazy journalism,wherebylittleresearchandanalysesappearstotakeplaceeitherpriortorequests beingmadeorafterresponsesareprovided.Forexample,theUniversityrecentlyreceiveda requestaskingforrevenuesfromallowingtouristsandthemediatouseitscampuses.We providedtheinformationrequestedbutiftherequesterhadreallywantedtoknowabouthow universitiesusetheircampusestoderiveincometheywouldhavereceivedmuchbetterquality dataiftheyhadtakenthetimetoengagewithusdirectlyastheywouldhavediscoveredthat therearemanywayswederiveeconomicvaluefromtheresourceswemanage. 12.WewouldalsoquestionwhetheritwastheintentionoftheFOIAtoprovidecommercial companieswithinformationthatmightgivethemanadvantageovertheircompetitors,againat theexpenseofthepublicpurse.Commercialrequestersmakeupanotherlargeproportionof therequestsreceivedandaskaboutkeystaffcontacts,currentsystems,currentsuppliersand contractvalues.Whileintheoryallresponsestopublicaccessrequestsareinthepublicdomain, inrealityitisunlikelythatothercompaniesinthesamemarketwillbecomeawareofthem.This potentiallyputstherequesteratanadvantagewhentenderingforworkwhichseemsunfairto othercompaniesandanunjustifieduseofpublicresources. February2012

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