Research project: Calculating the resources required to respond to FOI requests within HEIs
Background
Institutions are becoming increasingly concerned at the time and money required to answer the growing number of FOI requests received each year. In turn this has become an issue for sector-bodies such as Universities UK, GuildHE and Higher Education Better Regulation Group (HEBRG) who have recently indicated an interest in calculating such costs across the sector partly in anticipation of the Government's Post Legislative Scrutiny of the Freedom of Information Act currently scheduled for early 2012.
Aside from anecdotal evidence the only data we currently have to draw upon is the annual survey of HEIs undertaken by JISC infoNet in association with UUK and GuildHE. However, due largely to the limitations of a survey-based approach we are only able to ascertain estimates based on averages across the sector and not tied to any known specific request. This severely limits our ability to draw reliable conclusions about the costs involved.
Such data will also be useful to the sector in terms of better resource allocation and future financial planning based on what we know about the rise in request numbers witnessed each year and documented through our surveys since 2005.
Proposal
JISC infoNet would like to fund up to 6 institutions £3,000 each to track and chart the 'journey' through the institution of 3 randomly selected requests which are received by each institution and registered as 'FOI requests' during the month of January 2012. In addition each institution will do likewise for up to 2 so called 'round robin' requests (i.e. requests that have been sent to all or a large number of institutions by the same recipient) also received during the same period. This combination of both random requests and shared round robins should ensure that we receive data on a wide and representative selection of request types, whilst also ensuring that we have comparative information on the experience of multiple institutions responding to the same requests.
In addition to the contribution the resulting data will make to the Post Legislative Scrutiny process it is also anticipated that such data will also be useful to the sector in terms of better resource allocation and future planning in this area.
We also intend to ask each institution to complete the JISC infoNet Records Management Maturity Model and to share their results with us. This Model is based on the Lord Chancellor's Code of Practice issued under S.46 of the FOIA and the results of this, combined with the comparative experience of dealing with the same Round Robin requests should also enable us to determine whether there is a link between an institution's 'maturity' with regards to records management and their ability to respond to FOI requests quickly and efficiently.
Further information and registering interest
Further information about this project, including what is required from participants and how to apply is contained within the 'Request for Expressions of Interest document (59KB, DOC)'
Once you have read this document if you are interested in taking part please complete and return the 'Expression of Interest form (36KB, DOC)' to jiscinfonet@northumbria.ac.uk by the closing date of Friday 16th December 2011.
For an informal discussion or additional information please contact steve.bailey@northumbria.ac.uk
