As a result of the Publication Scheme Development and Maintenance Initiative the ICO introduced a model publication scheme that all public sector organisations should have adopted from 1 January 2009.
Authorities must produce a guide to the specific information they hold and which is contained within any of the scheme’s seven classes. We expect authorities to ensure that the information can be easily identified and accessed by the general public.
The ICO will regularly review the model scheme and guidance documents. Authorities should review and update their information guide and its contents on a regular basis.
We have also produced a series of definition documents for the main public sectors. These documents identify the type of information we would expect to be included in each class within their guide to information. For some smaller authorities we have produced template guides to information.
All public authorities should have:
- Adopted the model publication scheme
and
- Produced a guide to information using either our definition documents or template guides to information.
This outlines how the Commissioner will go about monitoring the adoption of, and publication in accordance with, the new model scheme, as well as proactive dissemination under the EIR. The strategy also covers the monitoring of more general compliance with the FOIA and the EIR. It should be read in conjunction with the Enforcement Strategy.
This has been approved by the Information Comissioner and should be adopted without modification by any public authority.
These give sector-specific guidance on the types of information we would expect authorities to publish and list in their guide to information. For more details on using these, see our guidance on using the definition documents.
Definition documents have not been produced for some smaller authorities as they have their own template guides to information.
These are downloadable guides which can be printed off, completed and used without further modification. They have been produced for local councils, schools and NHS practitioners.
Guidance has been produced to assist authorities in implementing and operating the new scheme.
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