The Freedom of Information Act (FOI) 2000 gives members of the public the right to access information held by public authorities. These include primary and secondary schools, higher education (HE) and further education (FE) institutions (including colleges and universities), local education authorities, and bodies such as the Learning and Skills Council and Regional Broadband Consortia.
Since 1 January 2005, public authorities have had to reply in writing within 20 working days to specific requests for information, declaring whether they hold information of the kind requested. If so, they must then respond appropriately.
This guide has been produced for Microsoft by In-Form Consult Limited and draws on papers produced by the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC). We thank them for the permission to use their material.
Making FOI a Reality: Microsoft Partners
We are pleased to introduce our Partners, who offer solutions to help education institutions respond to the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act.
Diagonal Solutions
Diagonal Solutions has supplied information management systems to the education sector for many years. It sees effective records management as the key to delivering a responsive, compliant service under the Freedom of Information Act. The latest version of Wisdom, its flagship product, integrates with Microsoft SharePoint Portal Server and is designed to enable FOI request tracking, information accountability, openness and good governance best practice. To find out more please email Simon Baumber, Wisdom product manager, or call 0113 220 8377.
In-Form Consult
Established in 1987, In-Form Consult (IFC) is an independent management consultancy that specialises in information management advice and guidance for both central and local government and other public service organisations. Its services include providing guidance on developing a corporate information management strategy, implementing change management programmes, and specifying and selecting electronic document, records and content management systems. IFC also provides public and customised education and training programmes on electronic document and records management and FOI for senior management, project teams and end-users. IFC clients include the Department for Constitutional Affairs, the Metropolitan Police, the Scottish Parliament, the Highways Agency, Fife Council, East Sussex County Council and Belfast Institute of Higher Education. To find out more, please call Martin Waldron on 01923 283694 or visit the IFC.
ioko
ioko is a broad-based IT services company and is both a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner and a UK Managed Partner. ioko Detect 2004 is a Freedom of Information Act 2000 management solution based on Microsoft SharePoint Portal Server. It handles your publication-scheme listing and content management requirements, as well as access rights case-management. Easily expandable to manage Data Protection Act 1998 and Environment Information Regulations 1992 requests, as well as general correspondence, ioko Detect 2004 is a complete solution for all information management and disclosure requirements.
Lynx Technology
Lynx Technology is a leading provider of IT solutions and services to the education sector. Lynx combines four outstanding strengths: proven expertise and sector knowledge, the highest-level accreditations, breadth of capability, and the ability to provide advanced technology solutions that are both high-value and low-risk. The Lynx approach is founded on Microsoft solutions such as SharePoint, Office 2003 and Exchange 2003, plus Electronic Document and Records Management (EDRM) and workflow from Meridio and K2.
Meridio
The Meridio solution for addressing the Freedom of Information Act helps reduce the complexities and expenses of handling information requests in accordance with legalisation and company regulations. It extends the use of Meridio's award-winning records management technology, building on top of the Microsoft Office platform. Using .NET technology and combining the best in compliance and collaboration tools, the solution connects people, processes and information. The solution has been developed to fulfil the Department of Constitutional Affairs' (DCA) guidelines on handling FOI requests and appeals. The guidelines define a model for processing FOI enquiries, complete with metadata and auditing requirements.
Silversands
Silversands has in-depth experience of planning, designing and implementing solutions based on Microsoft SharePoint products and technologies. Its specialist project management, infrastructure and development teams provide complete solutions with genuine business benefits. Silversands services include its proprietary Knowledge Transfer Workshops and Rapid Deployment Kits, which provide an end-to-end solution for the delivery of a pilot SharePoint project.
Silversands holds Microsoft Gold Certified Partner status for Enterprise Systems, Security and Collaborative Solutions. This major accreditation can only be gained by having a high number of MCSE- and MCSD-qualified consultants, and by implementing customer-validated solutions such as Windows 2000, Active Directory, Exchange 2000 and SharePoint Portal Server for large organisations.
