28 January 2020
K Lambert
[FYI request #11872 email]
Dear K Lambert
Thank you for your request made under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA), received
on 12 December 2019. You requested the following for 2019 and the previous three years
(numbered for ease of response):
Part 1: Statistics
Please provide for each of the OIA and PA the numbers of the following:
1. Requests received
2. Requests acknowledged within 20 working days
3. Requests in which the requested information or decision to decline was
provided within 20 working days
4. a) Requests in which the information was provided, declined or provided in
part (obviously separate figures).
b) In the case of declines or partials please identify the sections of each act
relied upon to decline in whole or in part
5. Requests that took more than three months to either fulfill or decline in
whole or in part and the reason for the refusal and for the delay for each one
6. Requests that were declined in whole or in part that were escalated to either
the ombudsman or privacy commission
In the case of instances that were escalated to either privacy commission or
ombudsman, please provide the numbers for:
7. Cases in which the matter was found in favour of the applicant's position
8. Cases that were found in favour of your position
9. Please provide the number of instances in which rulings have gone against
you and you have arrived at a monetary supplement with the applicant. Please
provide the total figure for each year that you paid out in these settlements.
10. Please also provide the numbers of both OIA and PA requests that at the
time of this request, had been received by yourselves more than three months
ago and that remain outstanding. Please provide a detailed an explanation for
the length of time for each case.
Part 2: Policy, procedure, practice and personnel Please provide copies of the
following documents:
11. Any manuals, policy or process documents that you have relating to your
approach to OIA and PA requests
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Please explain:
12. Structures in your organisation dedicated to OIA and PA requests. For
example, do you have a team dedicated to these functions? Do you have staff
in other roles who are routinely brought in to carry out these functions?
In either case, please provide the number of FTE dedicated to OIA and PA
functions
13.Please explain how you maintain effective oversight of these functions -
Please explain what external organisations carry out oversight of these
functions. For example, do you have an independent body carry out audits to
ensure that the staff tasked with these functions are carrying them out in
accordance with the law.
Extending the timeframe
The OIA requires that we advise you of our decision on your request no later than 20 working
days after the day we received your request. Unfortunately, it will not be possible to meet
that time limit and we are therefore writing to notify you of an extension of the time to make
our decision by 5 working days. We will respond to your request by 10 February 2020.
The extension is required because your request necessitates a search through a large
quantity of information and meeting the original time limit would unreasonably interfere with
our operation. In addition, consultations are necessary to enable us to make a proper
response to your request which cannot reasonably be made within the original time.
You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this decision.
Information about how to make a complaint is available at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz
or freephone 0800 802 602.
Yours sincerely
Kerryn McIntosh-Watt
Manager, Government & Executive Services
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