ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Chief Executive

As the head of the organisation, the Chief Executive has ultimate responsibility for ensuring compliance with the current applicable legal framework.  In terms of the proper, secure management of information, this will entail striking a balance between the rights of individuals to respect for private and family life and the requirements of the business to be open and accountable in respect of the services it provides and the decisions it takes.

To assist in this task, the Chief Executive will have a variety of staff available to her or him for the purpose of ensuring that all information held by the organisation is managed in accordance with the law and internally adopted standards, policies and procedures.

The Chief Executive has the role of arbiter in respect of complaints received in connection with access to information.  In close liaison with the Freedom of Information Officer (unless he or she is the subject of the complaint), the Chief Executive will conduct an investigation and review the Council’s decision.
Information Manager (IM)

The Information Manager will form an important link between the corporate objectives of the organisation and the operational business units in terms of the manner in which information is captured, stored, indexed, accessed and preserved or destroyed in accordance with the law and the organisation’s business requirements.  The key tasks of this post in respect of access to information will include:-

*  Ensuring the provision of IM training for all staff;

*  Ensuring the capturing, indexing, preservation and destroying of information in accordance with the law and the Council’s IM Policy, so that requests for information can be responded to efficiently and effectively;

*  Agreeing user group & access rights to documents & records;

*  Ensuring that IM training in respect of policy & procedures is incorporated into all induction courses.

Data Protection/Freedom of Information Officer (DP/FOI Officer)

The DP/FOI Officer will provide advice and guidance in respect of compliance with the access to information regimes under the DPA & FOIA. This will include:-

*  Overseeing and coordinating responses to specific categories of requests for access to information;

*  Monitoring requests to ensure that deadlines for responses are met;

*  Providing advice & guidance about third party duty of confidentiality issues that may arise;

*  Providing advice and guidance in respect of exemptions to the legislation;

*  Providing advice and guidance in respect of the conditional exemptions to the FOIA and the public interest test, in consultation with Heads of BU and the Head of L&A as necessary;

*  Providing training for all officers of the Council in respect of compliance with DP and FOIA legislation;

*  Developing and implementing policy, procedures and guidance in respect of DP and FOI legislation.

Team Information Managers (TIMs)

TIMs will be responsible for ensuring operational compliance with the organisation’s corporate arrangements and standards in relation to the management of and access to information in all its forms.  The key tasks of this role in respect of access to information will include:-

*  Liaison with the IM and/or DP/FOI Officer;

*  Monitoring compliance with the Access to Information Policy & any associated access procedures;

*  Implementing security requirements & access rights to documents & records;

*  Helping ensure compliance with DPA & FOIA requirements;

*  Co-ordinating, logging, tracking and monitoring requests for information under the DPA and FOIA, in liaison with the IM and/or DP/FOI Officer;

*  Co-ordinating pro-active publication of information for FOIA Publications Catalogue in liaison with the Webmaster/Editors.

Internal Information Users

All information users will be required to adhere to the policies, standards and procedures that have been agreed between the Information Manager and the operational areas of the organisation, i.e. Team Information Managers.
This will include ensuring that information is only divulged or supplied to those people who are entitled to receive it.