20 TIMELINE Day Your References and Links to Annexed FOI Templates Action “X” of 20 Day responsibilities as Completed Time a Responding Frame Officer 1-5 Responding Officer accepts FOI request and confirms acceptance via to the FOI Team mailbox 5-9 Responding officer Refer To FOI Request Categories at Figure 1 considers FOI Application of FOI Exemptions (click on link for List of FOI request and plans Exemptions) going to how they’re respond (If you are going to apply an exemption you must say which one(s) and explain why it/they applies/apply. When considering qualified exemptions the target date can be extended up to a maximum of a further 20 days. You must weigh the public interest in disclosure against the public interest in withholding the information. You must only apply the exemption if the public interest in withholding is greater in all circumstances. Please contact your account manager for further advice on applying exemptions Cost limit If there is a lot of information involved and you think that locating, extracting or preparing it would take longer than 3.5 days for one person to do, then the cost limit for FOI Consideration requests may be exceeded. Please contact the FOI team for advice before gathering the information process should be in three stages Stage 1 Stage 1 FOI template letters are available on Horizon. Responding Officer Please click on link to FOI Template Response Letters prepares response using FOI response Stage 2 click on this link for Approval Framework template letters. Guidance: Stage 2 Responding Officer obtains Stage 3 appropriate internal * Please refer to FOI Clearance Process at Figure 2 level of clearance in When considering this, approvers should ask themselves accordance with whether the FOI Minister needs to be notified before the Approval Framework response is issued. For complex, sensitive, high profile or Guidance. media interest cases, the Rapid Response team and Stage 3 Approver to Press Office should also be notified and a solo consider whether the submission may be required response requires a minister to note their
20 TIMELINE Day “X” of 20 Day Time Frame Your responsibilities as a Responding Officer References and Links to Annexed FOI Templates Action Completed 1-5 Responding Officer accepts FOI request and confirms acceptance via to the FOI Team mailbox 5-9 Responding officer considers FOI request and plans how they’re going to respond Consideration process should be in three stages Refer To FOI Request Categories at Figure 1 Application of FOI Exemptions (click on link for List of FOI Exemptions) (If you are going to apply an exemption you must say which one(s) and explain why it/they applies/apply. When considering qualified exemptions the target date can be extended up to a maximum of a further 20 days. You must weigh the public interest in disclosure against the public interest in withholding the information. You must only apply the exemption if the public interest in withholding is greater in all circumstances. Please contact your account manager for further advice on applying exemptions Cost limit If there is a lot of information involved and you think that locating, extracting or preparing it would take longer than 3.5 days for one person to do, then the cost limit for FOI requests may be exceeded. Please contact the FOI team for advice before gathering the information Stage 1 Responding Officer prepares response using FOI response template letters. Stage 2 Responding Officer obtains appropriate internal level of clearance in accordance with Approval Framework Guidance. Stage 3 Approver to consider whether the response requires a minister to note their Stage 1 FOI template letters are available on Horizon. Please click on link to FOI Template Response Letters Stage 2 click on this link for Approval Framework Guidance: Stage 3 * Please refer to FOI Clearance Process at Figure 2 When considering this, approvers should ask themselves whether the FOI Minister needs to be notified before the response is issued. For complex, sensitive, high profile or media interest cases, the Rapid Response team and Press Office should also be notified and a solo submission may be required