Holes remain in FOI tracking for public authorities
(CNS): Ten public entities out of ninety (11%) are not using the central government tracking system for freedom of information requests because they cannot access it or because of insufficient training for their information managers, which means the government is still not able to keep track of all the FOI requests being made. But there have been improvements over the last two years, with usage increasing from 60% to 89%, according to the Information Commissioner’s Office, which has completed an own-motion investigation into the system known as JADE, created to track requests and collate the data used by the ICO for analysing statistics and reporting to the Legislative Assembly.
The ICO found that of the 90 public authorities, ten do not use the Jade system. Cayman Airways, the Cayman Islands Development Bank (CIDB), the Governor’s Office and the Youth Services Unit do not have access to JADE but their information managers have had training. The Children & Youth Services (CAYS) Foundation, the Department of Vehicle and Drivers’ Licensing, the Elections Office, the Needs Assessment Unit and the Sunrise Adult Training Centre have neither access nor training.
“Only the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS) has access (and has received training) but chooses
not to use the system. The reason given for this non-compliance is that further training is required,” the ICO said in its report.
Jan Liebaers, the acting information commissioner, said the figures show that more work is needed to ensure 100% compliance, as required by the Freedom of Information Law, but they represent a marked improvement over previous years.
Liebaers said the training and support efforts of the FOI Unit of the Cabinet Office was an important factor in the improvement, as it has trained 69 people since 2014.
The ICO plans to follow up with the non-compliant public authorities after giving them an opportunity to become compliant.
The report is available in the CNS Library.
Category: Government oversight, Politics
So much improvement in the Civil service. Thank you. Next report I’m sure there will be 100% compliance.
The whole FOI Law should be abandoned, it is simply a waste of taxpayers dollars to satisfy nosy people.Until such time as there is sucha law for the private sector , there should be none for the public sector. eg if fuel suppliers don not have to provide information on their true costs, then Government should not have answer FOI requests. The other thing that needs to go is Bill of Rights and the Human Rights Commission which provides rights for all the wrong reasons. Right now these are being used to fight for rights for Expats ,homosexuals, atheists, and persons charged with a crime; nothing for that local endangered species ‘ The Caymanian’.
The time will come if there is no justice there will be no peace! This generation will not tolerate it, so for those in a cocoon thinking well our families are protected and I ain’t worried about nothing stop sleeping and look at what is happening around you.
The face of Cayman is not what it used to be. We welcome others from different shores, but hell if we should accept their beliefs and life styles!
If you open your eyes you’ll see that the face of EVERYTHING is not what it used to be. I call it: life.
No such thing as local endangered species apart from Caiman ‘gators and Turtles, and the early imports put paid to most of that. I suspect you are a troll just writing for reaction, however if not and that is really your view, you deserve to be endangered, and hopefully soon extinct.