The ICO has produced guidance to assist authorities in implementing and operating the model publication scheme.
Sector-specific guidance (where produced) can be found with the definition documents and template guides to information.
Publications
Local councils: 'The new model publication scheme – what you need to do'
Information for parish councils, parish meetings, community councils and town councils.
Health practitioners: 'The new model publication scheme – what you need to do'
Information for doctors, dentists optometrists and pharmacists working under contract to the NHS.
Are you ready?
In May 2008 the Information Commissioner, Richard Thomas, wrote to all senior members of public authorities urging them to adopt the ICO’s new model publication scheme.
View the Information Commissioner's letter to public authoritiesand supporting 'FOI is changing – are you ready?' flyer here.
Frequently asked questions
Do authorities merging or undergoing boundary changes during 2009 need to comply?
We have received numerous enquiries from authorities that are merging/undergoing boundary changes on 1 April 2009 regarding whether they need to adopt the new scheme. We would expect the existing bodies to comply with legal requirements by adopting and operating in accordance with the approved model publication scheme from 1 January 2009.
The new model scheme covers all public authorities therefore any new bodies formed from mergers post January 2009 will adopt the same scheme they had previously adopted as separate bodies. However, the new authority will need to reconcile the directories of information in order to operate the scheme.
Can an authority make modifications to the model?
An authority can add to the model without gaining approval from the information Commissioners Office. Any deletions made to the model scheme require the approval of the Information Commissioners Office. Deletions to the scheme would only be considered for approval in exceptional circumstances.
Should we show the publication scheme on the website?
It is good practice to publicise your approved scheme on the website to show that you have adopted a scheme. We recommend that it is put in the ‘FOI’ or ‘access to information’ section of the site.
Should people be required to access the information through the scheme?
No. People should be able to access information that the authority routinely produces without needing to know about a publication scheme. People should be able to access information through the authority’s website or by contacting the authority by phone, email, letter or in person.
What if we are asked to provide a copy of the scheme?
When adopting the scheme, the authority should publish it on its website if it has one. It should also be willing to provide the scheme in hard copy if required.
It would also be useful to provide the sectoral definition documents, which give examples of the specific information provided and, if appropriate, the authority’s guide to information.
What if we are asked to provide all the information in the guide?
Because authorities probably have to routinely publish large amounts of information, giving someone all the information in the guide within five working days may be unrealistic.
Technically, an individual is entitled to all the information an authority makes routinely available, but it is reasonable for the authority to provide it over an appropriate period of time, proportionate to the amount of information.
The authority should contact the individual to explain the difficulty and to give a timetable for release. The authority should ask the person what information they are particularly interested in and whether they would prefer to receive it in any particular order.
Do we need to provide an electronic link to the information through the seven classes?
No. An authority does not have to use the class headings. The main point is that the authority and the public know what information the authority routinely makes available, how it will be made available and any charges. The authority can decide how it publicises and provides the information.
Some authorities have suggested using the seven class headings as a way of accessing the information. Others intend to map the information to categories already used on the organisation’s website. For instance, information in the class ‘Who we are and what we do’ would be shown in the ‘About us’ section of the website.
The priority is to ensure the guide to information is prominent and user friendly, rather than forcing the public to access it through a publication scheme.
Can we link the classes to a classification system we already use?
Yes. The authority can decide how it groups and tracks the information.
What if we want to omit some of the information shown in the definition documents?
The definition documents are a starting point for the authority to compile its own guide to information. The information in the definition documents has been decided by working with sectoral contacts and representative bodies and by considering the information currently provided.
We regard the information as relevant, in the public interest and linked to good business practice and high-quality customer service. However, in certain circumstances, some information can legitimately be omitted, for example if it there is not a business need for it, or if it is exempt under law.