1. Freedom of Information and the Voluntary Sector – Challenges and Opportunities Kate Spence Strathclyde University

2. ‘Public Communication, Democracy and Citizenship: Assessing Civil Society Uptake of Freedom of Information’

3. Why the Research was Commissioned How the Act is working in practice 4% of appeals to the SIC from the third sector Expected to be one of the main users Possible reasons – uptake, type of info. Requested, other routes

4. Appeals to the Scottish Information Commissioner

5. Research Questions To what extent are campaign and voluntary organisations making use of the FoI Scotland Act? What barriers are currently preventing further usage? How does the situation in Scotland compare with that in the rest of the UK/internationally?

6. Possibilities of the Act for the Voluntary Sector Expose gaps in service provision to vulnerable groups. Confirm issues known from practice (policy) Ability to scrutinise reports and contracts Obtain information that will assist in tendering contracts

7. Methodology Literature review – public sphere and democracy (Habermas etc.) Survey Interviews (partly drawn from survey results) Comparative data gathering (UK/international case studies)

8. FoI Conference at Strathclyde FoI Conference – 29 th September 2008 Representatives from the Sector (also L.A.) Workshops FoI as a research and campaign tool Successful use/barriers encountered

9. Barriers Faced Several large organisations have never used the Act (Oxfam in Scotland) Good awareness of Act but not potential Framing requests Attitudes encountered Jeopardising relations Compromising funding

10. Barriers Faced (2) Workload for authorities Culture change Length of process Delays (stalling) Awareness about data that can be accessed Quality and comparability Cost

11. Recent SCVO Survey SCVO survey – 8.3% of respondents said the organisations they represented had used the Act Similar barriers mentioned Funding foremost issue mentioned elsewhere in the survey

12. Positive Use by the Sector Homes must be ‘fit for disabled’ – Inclusion Scotland are using FOI to gather information on the standard of housing offered to people with disabilities. Rural Schools Network – by accessing info. have saved schools from closure ex. Roy Bridge

13. Why Continued Use of the FoI Act is Important Accountability of government drops without use “There is nothing like the prospect of outside academic or interest group scrutiny to make you write accurately and neutrally” (Marie Shroff, NZ MP) Change cultures of secrecy Presumption of disclosure

14. International Examples Progressive request systems Penalties for delays in response Wide designation of bodies under the Act Used widely as a campaign tool Rising usage of FoI legislation Enforce proactive publication Insist on better record keeping