Administering information published under the IPS
The IPS Team is accountable for managing the IPS and ensuring that the IPS documents are accurate, up-to-date and complete. TO manage this, the IPS Team:Â
- has prepared a register of information required or permitted to be published under sections 8(2) and 8(4).
- will maintain a register of IPS information required and optional information and liaise with authors to check that the documents are up-to-date, accurate and complete. Each department of ARPC will be responsible as required, for day to day tasks associated with complying with the IPS.
- will work with the relevant area to integrate the IPS management into the management frameworks and will update this agency plan accordingly as new processes are developed for managing information and internet material, the team.
The IPS team will:
- invite comments to the FOI contact officer via ARPC’s website on the IPS information holdings, as to whether documents are easily discoverable, understandable, or machine-readable; and
- provide IPS information holdings in alternative forms upon request where possible.
Upon request of information via writing, the Principal Officer of the agency or delegated authority will arrange for documents, which are not available on the ARPC website, to be made available upon request (subject to some exceptions).
ARPC may charge a person for accessing any IPS documents which it is impracticable to publish online:
- at the lowest reasonable price.
- to reimburse specific reproduction costs or other specific incidental costs (s 8D(4)).
- ARPC will publish on its website a list of any IPS documents that are impracticable to publish online. The website will state that a person seeking access to any of these documents may contact the ARPC to arrange
- the list of documents will include indicative charges that may be imposed for making that information available and an explanation for the charge. These charges will be consistent with charges in the Freedom of Information (Charges) Regulations 1982 (which generally apply to access requests under Part III of the FOI Act).
IPS information architecture
ARPC will publish its IPS information holdings on its website under the following headings and will provide links to documents required to be published under the IPS in the relevant section of the website.
Who we are | This will include an organisational chart, information about statutory appointments, the ARPC leadership team and values. For statutory appointees, ARPC will publish the name of the person appointed, the length or term of appointment, the position to which the person is appointed (and particulars of the position) and the provision of the Act under which the person is appointed. |
What we do | This will outline ARPC’s legislative functions, the Act, review of the Act and ARPC’s scheme. |
Our report and responses to Parliament | This will include the full text of ARPC’s annual reports tabled in Parliament and departmental file lists. |
Routinely requested information and disclosure log | This will include information in documents to which ARPC has given access in response to FOI requests – i.e. a disclosure log of information accessed under the FOI Act as applicable. |
Consultation arrangements | This will be a statement inviting members of the public to comment on ARPC’s reviews, consultations and discussion papers. |
Other information published under the IPS | ARPC will publish on the IPS webpage or provide links to other information that it holds (in addition to the information published, taking into account the objects of the FOI Act (section 8(4)). Information will be published under the following headings: Public Interest Disclosure Act 2013 This will include a brief summary of the Public Interest Disclosures regime which encourages the disclosure of information about suspected wrongdoing. Being a workplace policy, it links with the next section ‘Our workplace policies and plans’. Our workplace policies and plans This will include ARPC’s Code of Conduct and a summary of conditions of service for ARPC staff. Our finances This will include ARPC’s pay and grading structures. Our communications This will include ARPC’s media releases and newsletters. Our submissions This will include submissions made by ARPC to Parliamentary committees and other agencies. Accessibility under the IPS ARPC will publish any new IPS documents as soon as they are available for publication and check that all information newly published on the ARPC’s website conforms to WCAG 2.0 as far as possible. |
Contact information | This will include an email address and telephone number for the FOI contact officer, who can be contacted to assist with access to information or documents under the FOI Act. |
So that the IPS information holdings and individual documents are easily discoverable, understandable, and machine-readable, ARPC will:
- design and publish an IPS entry point on its website
- wherever possible, provide online content in a format that can be searched, copied and transformed
- publish a sitemap for its website, to help individuals identify the location of information published under s 8(2) and 8(4)
- provide a search function for its website; and
- invite feedback about whether the IPS information holdings (and individual IPS documents) are easily discoverable, understandable, and machine-readable.
ARPC will make its IPS documents available through links from the IPS website, and as far as possible, make its IPS information holdings available for reuse on open licensing terms.
IPS compliance review
ARPC will review the operation of its IPS at least every five years, in accordance with the guidelines issued by the Information Commissioner about IPS compliance review.
ARPC will review and revise the IPS content available on the website as needed. The annual review of content will occur in October of each year, coinciding with ARPC’s release of the Annual Report.