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Government Data Management

Australian agencies embrace Open Government

By Clarice Africa | 21 March 2011

Australian Government agencies have embraced the notion that government information is a national resource that can reap economic benefits for the country, says the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC).

Professor John McMillan, the Australian Information Commissioner told FutureGov Asia Pacific that he is delighted and impressed by how Australian government agencies are increasingly adopting a pre-disclosure culture.

According to McMillan, one of their preliminary challenges since their set-up in the previous year has been to integrate Freedom of Information (FOI), privacy and government information policy into a single office and define a philosophy that reflects their integration.

“The core privacy message is focused on protecting personal information, whereas the FOI message is focused on promoting open government. The challenge for the OAIC is to foster a culture of openness that also protects the privacy of individuals” he said.

The OAIC has also released an Information Publication Scheme which will require agencies to publish a range of relevant information about their respective agencies.

“Starting May 1 2011, Australian Government agencies are required to publish a broad range of information on their websites as part of a whole-of-government Information Publication Scheme (IPS) which will also include information about the agency’s structure, functions and operational information, and a plan of how the agency proposes to meet the IPS requirements”.

The IPS will underpin a pro-disclosure culture across the government and transform the freedom of information framework from one that is reactive to individual requests for documents, to one that requires agencies to take a proactive approach to publishing information.

“My Office has published a draft Agency Plan for public comment. The draft agency plan explains how the OAIC will implement and administer its IPS compliance, including how we will identify documents that need to be published, and my office is very much welcome for public comments about the plan” McMillan said.

McMillan added that from May 1, 2011 the Australian Government agencies and ministers would be required to publish a register of information that has been publicly released in response to access requests under the Freedom of Information Act (FOI Act).

“This register is known as a disclosure log and will facilitate ready access to information that has already been publicly released by an agency or minister. The requirements reinforce the objective of the FOI Act to promote open government and contribute to an increasing recognition that information held by government is a national resource”.

“My Office is working on guidelines to be issued to government agencies and ministers about the IPS and Disclosure Log requirements before May 1, 2011 and all Government Agencies are to review their compliance with the IPS, together with my Office, by May 2016” McMillan said.

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