Freedom of Information Request - Management, Benefits & Challenges
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 paved the way for you to access information held by public authorities. The Act is based on two principles:
As a Microsoft partner, we could ask a council what ERP is used, and it would tell us. Citizens may ask you, as the authority, all manner of questions. And we mean it. ALL manner of questions…
“Can you please tell me what measures would be taken according to your emergency plan, if Nottinghamshire were to be attacked by aliens?” (Nottinghamshire County Council)
Outcome: Successful. Nottingham County Council’s emergency plans contain no provisions designed specifically for responding to an attack by aliens. But don’t tell the aliens that.
A great outlier. More generally, your staff is likely inundated with questions around bin collections, council tax, fly tipping, rent payments, potholes, etc. And whatever the question is, council authorities must respond with the requested information within 20 days of the request. But what happens if you don’t have the requested information?
When you don’t need to respond to Freedom of Information requests
Several reasons may make you, as a council, unable to respond to a Freedom of Information request.
Simple, right? If you don’t have it, you can’t share it – but do at least let the enquirer know. Box ticked.
If the information falls under one of the exemptions described in the Act. We will explain when we reply to you which exemptions we think apply. This can include "neither confirming nor denying" we hold the information.
Information on the Information Commissioners website about the exemption, here.
If it’s the same person asking the same thing, perhaps they need to look harder for the original response because as a council you’re not obligated to waste time responding to the same request.
How much the FOI costs to respond to
The reason an authority may not respond to an FOI relates to cost. How much does it cost you, the authority, to respond to the request?
Most Public bodies work to the figure of £450. As in, if extracting the information and responding to a Freedom of Information request costs up to, but not over, £450, staff will respond. Most sensible teams, if unsure of how long it will take, will ask the enquirer to refine their request so it can be dealt with.
The challenges of managing Freedom of Information requests
The Freedom of Information Act, while empowering the public, can be a challenging and time-consuming process for councils and other public sector bodies to manage.
Your staff must juggle fulfilling day-to-day duties with responding to a wide array of public inquiries. Perhaps you’re lucky enough to have a team dedicated to managing Freedom of Information requests.
On the flip side, if you have an entire team managing the FOI process then perhaps it’s worth looking at whether there are efficiency gains to be made.
However, despite these challenges, the FOI Act offers clear benefits- both for the public and for the authorities themselves.
The Benefits of the Freedom of Information Act
Providing the public with access to information fosters transparency. When citizens understand how decisions are made, they’re more likely to trust you. This open approach can lead to better relationships between your staff and the citizens they support, creating a culture of trust and accountability.
By granting the public access to information about how public services are run, councils can use this feedback to make improvements. Whether it's pothole repair schedules, waste collection timings, or the efficiency of financial systems, being responsive to FOI requests can help councils identify areas where improvements may be needed.
The Freedom Of Information Act encourages better-informed citizens. When people have access to the data and policies that impact their daily lives, they are empowered to engage more meaningfully in the democratic process, making them active participants in the shaping of their communities. Therefore, more open to new ideas, and also to change.
Given the potential volume of FOI requests – one council we work with manages over 200 each month - it’s essential to have a streamlined, efficient system in place to manage them. This is where tools like HSO’s Information Accelerator can play a crucial role.
As a Microsoft partner specialising in the public sector, we understand the demands that responding to FOI requests place on public authorities, and that's why we worked with South Gloucestershire Council to develop a technology solution to help.
With HSO’s Information Accelerator, you can:
Ultimately, managing Freedom Of Information requests mustn't be a costly burden.
With the right processes and tools, councils can efficiently manage requests while enhancing transparency and public trust.
At the heart of it all, the Freedom of Information Act gives citizens the right to know more, and with the right strategy, public authorities can deliver this with confidence and ease.
HSO Information Accelerator: Make managing FOIs easy
And save up to 78.85% on Microsoft licenses
