oaic gov auaccesstoinformationday OAIC International Access to Information

oaic. gov. au/access-to-information-day. OAIC

International Access to Information Day 2020 Building trust through transparency oaic. gov. au/access-to-information-day

International Access to Information Day On 28 September, we will join the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC), members of the United Nations and Australian states and territories in marking International Access to Information Day. This global event is also celebrated as Right to Know Dayand reinforces the role of transparency and accountability. In October 2019, the 74 th United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 28 September as the International Day for Universal Access to Information (IDUAI). oaic. gov. au/access-to-information-day. OAIC

Building trust through transparency Our right to access Australian Government information is enshrined in the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act) which acknowledges government-held information as a national resource that should be managed for public purposes. As countries manage the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, #Access. To. Info. Day also highlights the importance of releasing government-held information in times of crisis and beyond. Proactive sharing of information is essential to help contain the virus, protect health and continue to build trust in government. This year’s theme — Building trust through transparency— highlights the community’s expectation for openness and accountability to assist Australia’s pandemic response and recovery. oaic. gov. au/access-to-information-day. OAIC

[Insert information about your agency here] [Insert information about FOI and your agency here] The work of our FOI team and officers across our agency is essential to upholding the objects of the FOI Act. oaic. gov. au/access-to-information-day. OAIC

Office of the Australian Information Commissioner Freedom of Information and access to information oaic. gov. au/access-to-information-day

Office of the Australian Information Commissioner An independent statutory body established in 2010 The OAIC promotes and upholds privacy and information access rights and has regulatory oversight across the Australian Government and every sector of the economy Their vision is to increase public trust and confidence in the protection of personal information and access to government-held information oaic. gov. au/access-to-information-day. OAIC

Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act) The FOI Act gives the community access to information held by Australian Government ministers and agencies by: - requiring agencies to publish certain information, and - providing a right of access to documents (with some exemptions) The FOI Act recognises that the information government holds is a national resource to be managed for public purposes. Parliament intends that access to information be provided promptly and at the lowest reasonable cost. States and territories have their own access to information laws. oaic. gov. au/access-to-information-day. OAIC

Information Publication Scheme Introduced in 2011 Mandates release of certain categories of information, including: • Annual reports • Details of the agency’s structure • Details of the agency’s functions Encourages proactive release of information wherever possible Agency-wide review in 2018 shows: • Continued commitment to IPS requirements and principles • Decline in key areas of compliance measured by survey between 2012 and 2018 • Larger agencies reported higher compliance levels than small agencies oaic. gov. au/access-to-information-day. OAIC

Useful resources oaic. gov. au/access-to-information-day

FOI Essentials Freedom of information (FOI) plays a vital role in encouraging openness and transparency in the operations of government. The FOI Essentials toolkit has been designed for FOI decision makers in Australian Government agencies and ministers’ offices and will help you understand the principles of FOI, the benefits of releasing governmentheld information and how the OAIC can assist you. oaic. gov. au/access-to-information-day. OAIC

Additional resources Processing FOI requests: taking all reasonable steps to find documents • This new resource will help your agency identify the steps it should take to meet its obligations when processing requests for information to ensure that all reasonable steps are taken to find documents within the scope of an FOI request. Making a decision on an FOI access request • This checklist aims to help decision makers to identify the key steps in making a decision on a request for access to documents under the FOI Act. How can agencies meet statutory timeframes during the COVID-19 pandemic? • The OAIC recommends agencies consider a range of measures to ensure they can meet their statutory FOI obligations during the pandemic, including greater use of selfservice or administrative access schemes. oaic. gov. au/access-to-information-day. OAIC

Additional resources How to access Australian Government information • The OAIC encourages agencies to link to our new step-by-step guide to help members of the public find the right agency or process for their information access request. Information Publication Scheme overview for Senior Executive Staff • A guide to the Information Publication Scheme (IPS) for senior executives, including their role in setting the standard for agency compliance with IPS requirements to publish information proactively. More resources also available on the OAIC’s website. oaic. gov. au/access-to-information-day. OAIC