Information Publication Scheme

Australian Government agencies are required to add an ‘Information Publication Scheme’ to their website. 4 main elements of the scheme are:

A.  An ‘Information Publication Plan’ published on agency website

B.  Specific categories of information must be published

C.  Provides a means for agencies to proactively publish other government information

D. IPS Compliance Review

A. AHL’s INFORMATION PUBLICATION PLAN

Establishing and Administering AHL's IPS Entry

The General Manager of Business Development is the senior officer responsible for IPS compliance.

Being a small agency (559 staff at 30 June 2011), AHL has one officer, the FOI Contact Officer, who administers and regularly updates (at a minimum, annually) AHL's IPS information.

IPS Information Architecture

All IPS information published on the website is approved by the General Manager of Business Development and also by the Chief Executive Officer and can viewed on the website through the IPS icon located at the bottom of the website.

AHL produces a number of publications that are uploaded onto its website for the Australian community to access.  Current documents on the AHL website are:

Key Corporate Documents:

• Annual Report
• Corporate Plan
• Constitution
• Workplace Diversity Program
• Customer Service Charter

• Hostel News (quarterly publication)
  
• 100 Success Stories - Celebrating 34 years of AHL's Student Hostels

B.  INFORMATION AGENCIES ARE REQUIRED TO PUBLISH

The FOI Act specifies nine categories of information that agencies must publish, in addition to the information publication plan:

AHL publishes the following nine categories of information required by the FOI Act:

1. Organisation chart (on website under ‘General AHL Information’)
2. Details of the agency’s functions, including its decision making powers and other powers affecting members of the public (Information in ‘Welcome’ from General Manager and ‘General AHL Information’)
3. Details of statutory appointments of the agency (at ‘Board of Directors and Executive’)
4. Agency’s annual reports  (under ‘Corporate’ on website)
5. Details of consultation arrangements for members of the public to comment on specific policy proposals
6. Information in documents that the agency routinely gives access to - in response to requests under the FOI Act (AHL does not routinely give access to particular information.)
7. Information that the agency routinely provides to Parliament are the Annual Report, Senate Estimates and Senate Questions on Notice.
8. The FOI Contact Officer can be contacted about access to the agency’s information or documents under the FOI Act at   This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or phone 02 6212 2016
9. Agency’s operational manuals and guideline information documents can be found on our website under, ‘Publications.’ (This is information that assists the agency to exercise its functions or powers in making decisions or recommendations that affect members of the public. This includes the agency’s rules, guidelines, practices and precedents relating to those decisions and recommendations.)

The FOI Act expressly recognises that information held by the Australian Government is a national resource and is to be managed for public purposes.

Agencies may publish other information they hold that falls outside the nine categories listed above. For example, the agency may hold for their own purposes statistical information which researchers and other members of the public would find useful.

The scheme does not require agencies to publish information that is restricted, for example, if a document is exempt under the FOI Act or its publication is prohibited under other legislation.

C. OTHER INFORMATION TO BE PUBLISHED UNDER IPS

The FOI Act expressly recognises that information held by the Australian Government is a national resource and is to be managed for public purposes.

AHL currently does not have any other information to publish outside of the nine categories listed above.

The scheme does not require publishing information that is restricted, for example, if a document is exempt under the FOI Act or its publication is prohibited under other legislation.

D. IPS COMPLIANCE REVIEW

Compliance reviews will be conducted annually or as required by the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner.

For more information about the IPS or FOI visit their website.