Official Information Act – still fit for purpose?

The once ground-breaking Official Information Act is now open to ‘game-playing’ and variations in how it’s applied, says an article in the AprilPublic Sector journal).

The article considers whether the Act itself is weak or if improvements can be made to the way it’s interpreted. Dame Beverley Wakem, Chief Ombudsman, whose office is currently reviewing OIA practices in the public sector, says the Act has stood the test of time, but changes to the way agencies process requests are urgently needed to ensure that the Act functions as intended and is applied consistently across government.

Dame Beverley says education on how to use the Act is important – for requestors and the media to target their requests more succinctly; and for public servants to seek clarification about what is being requested. The Ombudsman’s Office gives advice and guidance and is increasing its ability to monitor and track the response to requests across the sector. The article, which also interviews Sir Geoffrey Palmer QC, outlines the importance of public access to government information.

Public Sector journal’s April issue also has an article on ‘Finding the Balance’ by public servants between serving the interests of the Minister of the day and serving the public interest. A case study of a Ministry of Education programme ‘Leading by Backing Others to Win’ shows how public confidence in the Ministry has been turned around in the last two years.

Public Sector journal is published quarterly by the Institute of Public Administration New Zealand (IPANZ). Through the journal, IPANZ promotes informed debate on issues already significant in the way New Zealanders govern themselves, or which are emerging as issues calling for decisions on what sorts of laws and management New Zealanders are prepared to accept.

http://img.scoop.co.nz/media/pdfs/1503/Official_Information_Act_PSJ.pdf

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