Agency plan

Introduction

Our Agency Plan is prepared in accordance with section 8(1) of the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act).

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Plan is to:

1. comply with s 8(1) of the FOI Act
2. help us put procedures in place to proactively disclose our information holdings, in accordance with the objects of the FOI Act.

Objectives

Our objectives in relation to this Plan are to outline appropriate mechanisms and procedures to:

1. manage the information holdings relevant to the Information publication scheme (IPS)
2. proactively identify and publish all information required to be published, including this Plan (s 8(2))
3. proactively identify and publish all optional information (s 8(4))
4. review and ensure on a regular basis that information published under the IPS is accurate, up-to date and complete (s 8B)
5. ensure that information published under the IPS is discoverable, understandable and relevant
6. measure the success of CASA's IPS.

Establishing an information publication scheme

• The Branch Manager, Advisory and Drafting, CASA is responsible for leading our work on implementing FOI reforms, including establishing and administering the IPS.
• We have an existing information asset management framework that meets the requirements of the IPS.
• This Plan is an information register of the information required or permitted to be published under the IPS. This Plan contains a link to our Disclosure log. In addition, we will undertake an audit of current information that falls into the definitions provided by the OAIC for information that:
  • is required to be published under s 8(2)
  • may be published under s 8(4)
  • is made available to the public otherwise than by publication (s 8A(2)).
• Our IPS, including the Disclosure Log, provides details about:
  • documents we make available to the public
  • where information is published or are otherwise available
  • where relevant, the provision of the FOI Act under which they are being published.
• We will publish freely accessible information on our website. If a person can't access our website, but needs a copy of a document on it, CASA will charge the cost of printing and providing the document.

Accuracy and currency of published information

CASA’s Advisory and Drafting Branch:

• coordinates ongoing compliance with the IPS
• manages ongoing administration of the IPS information holdings
• is responsible for coordination, management and implementation of the Agency plan.

Information architecture

We publish our IPS information holdings:

• on this website
• via links on this website.

The IPS information holdings available on this website will be published under the following headings:

• Agency Plan (ss 8(2)(a))
• Who we are (ss 8(2)(b) and 8(2)(d))
• What we do (ss 8(2)(c) and 8(2)(j))
• Our reports and responses to parliament (ss 8(2)(e) and 8(2)(h))
• FOI request disclosure log (ss 8(2)(g) and 11C)
• Consultation arrangements (s 8(2)(f))
• Contact us (s 8(2)(i)).

To ensure that IPS information are easily discoverable, understandable and accessible, we will:

• publish an IPS icon on the FOI page
• wherever possible, provide online content in a format that can be searched, copied and transformed
• publish a sitemap of this website to help individuals identify the location of information published under ss 8(2) and 8(4)
• provide a search function for this website
• establish links to this Agency Plan and to the sitemap on the Directory website
• seek and respond to community feedback.

Where possible, we will also make our IPS information holdings available for reuse on open licensing terms.

We will also publish information and links when we have deposited or published IPS documents under schemes such as the Commonwealth Library Deposit and the National Sound and Film Archive.

Accessibility under the IPS

We will publish any new IPS documents as soon as they are available for publication.

IPS compliance review

The Information Commissioner has the specific function of reviewing, with agencies, the operation of the IPS.

We will use the following to measure our success in complying with the IPS requirements:

• public feedback is positive in relation to information published or information explaining how material can be accessed
• number of complaints received regarding our information's:
  • access
  • readability
  • usability
• Information Commissioner review shows no major compliance issues
• reduction in numbers of formal requests for access under the FOI Act due to more accessible published information.