Your FOI Checklist
This checklist gives you an outline of the process for dealing with this FOI request.
Please follow the guidelines as it shows you where you should be within the 20 day target timeline.
If you feel that this case should not have been allocated to you please inform us immediately.
Should you need any advice please contact the FOI team on 0208 196 3057/3056 or email the Team inbox.
FOI Reference Number / 14102Reply deadline / 22/03/2010
Final date for FOI submission list / 08/03/2010
FOI Account Manager / Ben Smith
Day X of 20 / Action / Your responsibilities / FOI Team Responsibilities / ü
1-3 / The FOI team has logged this on the central FOI database. / This case has now been allocated to you on the database.
Please nominate someone to liaise on this case in your absence and let us know who this will be. / FOI team will log the FOI request and then allocate the case to RO. We will try and do this within 2 days of its receipt in order that you get as much time as possible within the 20 day target to respond. / ü
2-10 / You need to start preparing a draft response / Drafting a Response
Look at the questions and initially you need to identify if we UKBA, hold the information or not.
If you think that you hold the information in UKBA but maybe you do not wish to disclose it then an exemption may apply. Our FOI Senior Policy Advisors are Caroline King 0208 196 3168, Ben Smith 0208 196 3396 and Ola Awosanya 0208 196 3021 they can advise on which one; also if the information being considered is sensitive contact us for advice.
Cost limit
If there is a lot of information involved and you think that locating, extracting or preparing it would take longer than 3.5 days for one person to do, then the cost limit for FOI requests may be exceeded. Please contact the FOI ream for advice before gathering the information.
Home Secretary Submissions
All responses have to be cleared by the FOI Minister. As the RO you should consider whether the response will require a solo submission or not. Solo submissions may be needed where the information involved is high profile or particularly sensitive.
Where a solo submission is not required, all FOI cases must be cleared by the Minister via the submission list (see section below) no later than day 10 of the process.
Do not respond to an FOI request until you have had confirmation that it has been 'noted' by the Minister and that he doesn't require further information about the case.
* All responses must contain appeal rights – Template response letters and example exemptions can be found on the UKBA Horizon FOI intranet site. / Department of Constitutional Affairs (DCA)
All FOI requests that meet DCA triggers will be referred by the FOI team to the DCA clearing house. We will contact you if the DCA request any further information about the case or need to be involved in approving the response.
Home Secretary Submissions
All responses to FOI requests must be notified to the Home Secretary. Those not requiring a solo submission will be included in the FOI team submission list.
Template response letter: these are available on the UKBA FOI website. http://horizon/ind/foi/Resources/Word/FOILettersProformas.doc
2-10 / Submission list
To help you collate the response ready for the list, please make sure that you complete the Forward look template attached with your proposed response and send this to the Freedom of Information Team inbox ideally before day.
All these things must be included:
· FOI case reference number
· Name of requester, and text of the questions posed
· Whether the request is from a journalist or not (say unknown if not known)
· Level of controversy
· Details of the decision. This should include a copy of the information to be released unless otherwise agreed with the FOI Team, or list the grounds for refusing the request.
· The name of the case officer, their contact phone number and their unit/directorate
· The name and grade of the approver
Sign Off
Cases should be signed off at the following levels within units and directorates before the response is submitted to ministers via the Forward Look or a solo submission.
HEO or above:
· No information held
· Information in the public domain
· Information intended for future publication
· Clarification of request
· Cost Limit
HoU or nominated Deputy(Min G7)
· Complex issues
· Release of new information
· Use of exemptions
· Refusal of vexatious and repeated requests
· High profile and/or sensitive requests / The FOI team prepare a new submission list each Monday and Wednesday. This is sent up by 11am on each day. We will ensure that your draft response is sent up on the list and we will notify you when this is sent and let you know what list it has gone on and if you need to wait before you sent your response.
Simultaneous Release
Simultaneous release will sometimes be appropriate if the information is of interest to the public.
If any information is being simultaneously release, additional wording (available from the FOI team) must be added to the final response letter.
12 -19 / Your draft response needs to be prepared and ready.
This will allow time for any validation required. Experience has shown that cases not ready by day 12 can miss their target date.
If you need any advice or help please let us know. We can send templates for responses and holding replies and we are happy to discuss the best way to answer the request. / The FOI team will notify you as soon as your response has been cleared by the Minister.
We will also send you a notification template so that the final response can be recorded on our database.
20 / Once you have sent the final response to the requestor, please complete the notification template and e-mail it to the ‘Freedom of Information (IND)’ mailbox, attaching a copy of the final response, so the case can be closed on the database. / FOI team will close the case and statistics will be collated from the information on each case.
· TBC users can find the FOI IDIs on the Knowledge Base under ‘Operational and Casework Guidance’
· POISE users can find the FOI IDIs on http://l01hm020/ind/manuals/idi/Chapter25.asp