Freedom of information in local government aims to improve access to and use of public sector information and help local authorities to develop good practice in the context of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
This project was carried out by UCL Constitution Unit and is a component part of a programme of work currently being undertaken in relation to the Audit Commission's Strategic Objective Five which aims to stimulate significant improvement in the quality of data and the use of information by decision makers.
The aims of the project were:
- To clarify for senior management and elected members the benefits of proper Freedom of Information (FoI) implementation in terms of improved management use of information for decision-making and engagement with stakeholders and electors
- To contribute to the positive implementation of FoI by the production of recommendations for local authorities to comply with the FoI Act in a cost effective way.
The freedom of information in local government final report presented here is in two parts:
- The first part is a strategic assessment of how FoI can contribute to the overall information management practices of local government and help to improve the use of information by local authorities.
- The second part is a written analysis of good practice recommendations for cost-effective compliance with the FoI Act.
Additionally, the Constitution Unit have produced a good practice web-based tool based on the recommendations in the report and supported by brief case studies drawn from current good practice in local authorities.
This is intended to operate at a policy level and is for the use of practitioners and senior managers who wish to develop their understanding and their authority's practice in implementing access to information legislation. The good practice web-based tool is available on the Constitution Unit website.