Outline of presentation

1. FOI – its impact on local governmentDuncan SimpsonThe Constitution Unit, UCLFreedom of Information three years on19 June 2008

2. Outline of presentation • Audit Commission report • CU local government surveys • Proposed future work • Conclusions

3. Objectives of the FOIA • CU has assessed the policy objectives of our FOIA for local government as: • Greater transparency • Increased accountability • Better public understanding of local government decision making • More effective public participation in the local political process • Increased public trust and confidence in government • Better quality of local government decision making

4. Improving access to and use of public sector information: Helping local authorities to develop good practice in the context of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 • Audit Commission report and good practice tool • Developed for AC by Constitution Unit • Published June 2007 • Report on AC local government pages • Tool on CU FOI website: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit/foidp/local.htm.

5. Improving access to and use of public sector information The aims of the project were: • To clarify for senior management and elected members the benefits of proper Freedom of Information (FoI) implementation in terms of improved management use of information for decision-making and engagement with stakeholders and electors • To contribute to the positive implementation of FoI by the production of recommendations for local authorities to comply with the FoI Act in a cost effective way.

6. Issue: What is the relationship between FOI and service delivery? • Key point: There is perhaps a relationship between FOI requests submitted and real or perceived service failures, which might be exploited to improve services and service delivery. But in certain key areas the relationship remains underdeveloped. (p.18)

7. Issue: Are authorities, generally or in particular, persuaded of the strategic importance of information management • Key point: Local authorities are generally aware of the strategic importance of information management but this is not always being translated into concrete actions or investment to improve the quality of information and the use made of it. The issue does not yet have the high profile it should. (p.22)

8. Issue: What are the main sources for strategic thinking on information management? • Key point: There is no single forum for guidance for developing local authority thinking at a strategic level on FOI or more widely on information management. (p.23)

9. Good practice tool Identifies nine issues: • Leadership and policy • Organisation • Systems and processes • Monitoring and reporting • Records management • Training, awareness and links to other bodies • Engagement with stakeholders • Publication of information • Reviews of performance

10. CU local government surveys • A six-monthly survey Jan-June 2005, annually since • Initially in partnership with IDeA, now run by CU • Annual surveys for 2005 and 2006, published Sept of the following year • A survey for 2007 in progress, no findings yet • All survey results published on CU website

11. Questions in 2007 survey • Estimates of numbers of requests per quarter • Outcomes – numbers of release/withhold • Top three categories of requester, numbers and time taken • Most requested types of information • Top three benefits and problems associated with FOI

12. Local government FOI conclusions from 2006 survey • The majority of requesters are private individuals, followed by journalists and then business • Two most requested types of information: costs/expenses and policy decisions • These are also the most time intensive types of request to answer • Biggest FOI problems: time taken, meeting deadlines and resource costs • Two greatest benefits: increased openness and improved records management

13. Perceptions of openness in local government Some journalists had more nuanced views, and noticed different approaches in different parts of government. 'Based on my own personal experience, the further away from the centre of power you are, people tend to be more helpful' (Interview, 19 September 2006). Another agreed. 'The further away from the centre of power you get, the more liberal people are with information. So frequently you do get a better response from local councils or NHS bodies‘ (Interview, 19 September 2006).

14. Impressions of the status and role of FOI in local government • Senior management not readily engaged • Information/knowledge management not seen as a high priority • Practitioners wary/defensive • Benefits of good FOI not clearly understood or promulgated • Resources difficult to find • BUT a greater tendency towards openness • And improved records management

15. Proposal for an ESRC funded local government FOI project for 2009 • Following lines of current CU central government project • Interviews: officials, case study authorities, stakeholders, public • Surveys: online survey of requesters on websites and attached to FOI requests • Media Reporting: analysis of FOI articles and reports

16. Who uses FOI and what do they do with the information? • Biggest groups: • 34% private individuals • 10% academics/students • 6% journalists • 4% businesses • 14% took no further action • 6% made another FOI request • 4% used for research, in a campaign or to disagree with government policy • 2% passed to the media or published on a blog

17. Conclusions • There are real benefits in proper FOI implementation but they are imperfectly understood • Proven benefits would help persuade top management to support FOI • There is a lack of hard information to back arguments for better FOI - more information must be a good thing • Practitioners need better networking/ support/communication systems • Other????

18. THANK YOU For further information: visit our website at http://www.ucl.ac.uk/foidp or contact ds@dsimpson.eu