FREEDOM OF INFORMATION (FOI)

Introduction to FOI

'A great, comprehensive foundation for FOI Practitioners'

'The relaxed nature of the course and the manner in which the information was presented. I have always believed that an ability to clearly articulate a subject is evidence of a comprehensive understanding of it'

'The course content and instructional briefings were excellent'

Public Interest

'Very informative. Public Interest is very complex'

'Understanding the concept of Public Interest. Valuable selection of factors for future consideration and use'

'Manual and discussions in it - makes you think and encourages further research by giving excellent referencing'

FOI – Next Steps

'The exercises were engaging and educational - probably the best 2 exercises I've experienced in any course'

'Excellent case studies/examples'

'Very helpful, material will be useful reference tools. These courses are fundamental to practice in FOI field and we send all of our team members along'

'The exercises were a fun way to learn about FOI processes'

'The course and presenter were very insightful and applies to my everyday cases'

'Good course, informative and active discussion helped deliver the content of FOI themes'

Notices of Decision

'I found the entire course useful'

'Examples used to relate it to general business'

'Very informative with a lot of detail relevant to my workplace'

FOI Exemptions

'The exercises provided a good opportunity to put the theory into practice'

'The excellent teaching tactics and the approachability of the presenter'

'The relaxed nature of the course and the manner in which the information was presented'

Personal Information – s 41 FOI Act

'Clear presentation which simplified concepts but also gave practical examples'

'Presenter's thorough knowledge of the subject matter'

'I found the course to be very informative and I came away with a lot of questions answered'

Business Affairs – s 43 FOI Act

'Focussed and relevant, broken up with useful exercises'

'Very relevant to current work scenarios'

'Relevance to public servants'

Law Enforcement and FOI

'Group discussions and exercises was the part I liked most about the course'

'Was most relevant to the FOI requests that we get and the exemptions we use'

'Having some specific questions answered and a better understanding of s 37 was what I liked best'

'I came with almost zero knowledge and believe I have gained a fair appreciation of the relevant provisions'

'Group work, not just a power point presentation'

Confidential Communications – s 45 FOI Act

'The group discussions and examples of confidentiality'

'The exercise modules were very helpful'

'I liked the open discussions and the way the presenter kept things moving'

Getting to grips with FOI Reform

'Found this very interesting and was clear even without an extensive background in FOI decision making, made sense and could relate to our agency's business'

'An excellent course – highlights the real need for ongoing courses on specific issues as the reform process progresses'

'Extremely enlightening – plain English summary of the reforms'

'The more I hear, the less I understand. Thank God AGS are here to dispel the myths and misunderstandings'

'The manual was comprehensive, both presenters were clear, knowledgeable and fully engaged the audience. This course has effectively achieved its goal'