Introduction
The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) as an Australian Government agency is subject to the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act) and is required to comply with the Information Publication Scheme (IPS) provisions.
The IPS commenced on 1 May 2011 and requires agencies to publish a broad range of information online.
ARPANSA recognises that public sector information is a national resource managed for public purposes. ARPANSA has implemented and will administer the IPS in accordance with the objects of the FOI Act, to promote Australia’s representative democracy by contributing towards increased public participation in Government processes. ARPANSA will continue to build and foster a culture within the agency, in which appropriate proactive disclosure of its information holdings is embraced, leading to successful implementation and administration of the IPS.
ARPANSA has prepared this Agency Plan in accordance with section 8(1) of the FOI Act to describe how ARPANSA implements and administers the IPS in respect of information held by ARPANSA.
The Agency Plan addresses the following:
- administration of ARPANSA’s IPS contribution
- information architecture
- information required to be published
- other information to be published (optional information)
- the accessibility of information published
- IPS compliance review
- better practice initiatives promoting community engagement.
Purpose
The purpose of this agency plan is to:
- assist ARPANSA in managing its IPS entry
- describe the information that ARPANSA proposes to publish, how and to whom that information will be published
- How ARPANSA will otherwise comply with the requirements of the IPS.
Objectives
This agency plan sets out measures ARPANSA has implemented to:
- manage its IPS entry
- proactively identify and publish all information required to be published (s 8(2))
- proactively identify and publish any optional information to be published (s 8(4))
- review and ensure on a regular basis that information published under the IPS is accurate, up-to-date and complete (s 8B)
- ensure the information published under the IPS is easily discoverable, understandable, machine-readable, re-useable and transformable
- ensure the format conforms where possible to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2 (Web 2.0) (WCAG 2.0) and provide alternative access arrangements
- measure the success of ARPANSA’s IPS contribution by reference to community feedback and compliance review processes
- adopt best practice initiatives in implementing and administering ARPANSA’s contribution to its IPS entry.
Establishing and administering ARPANSA’s IPS contribution
The General Counsel is designated by ARPANSA as the senior officer responsible for leading APANSA’s compliance with the IPS.
The General Counsel is supported by the following ARPANSA functions:
- The FOI Officer
- The Office of the CEO which includes Communications and Parliamentary & Government Relations
- Records Management
- Digital Technology Section
Each branch of ARPANSA is responsible, for the day to day tasks associated with complying with the IPS.
The FOI Officer and the General Counsel will lead better practice initiatives about ARPANSA’s contribution to the IPS. These include:
- inviting members of the public to provide comments to the FOI Officer via the ARPANSA website on the IPS information holdings, particularly where documents are found not to be discoverable, understandable or machine-readable; and
- providing IPS information holdings in alternative forms if possible when required.
Charges
ARPANSA may charge a person for accessing any IPS documents which it is impracticable to publish online:
- at the lowest reasonable cost
- to reimburse specific reproduction costs of other specific incidental costs (s 8D(4)).
Should any IPS documents be impracticable to publish online, ARPANSA will publish a list of those documents. The website will provide contact details for arranging access to any of those documents.
The list of documents will include indicative charges that may be imposed for making that information available and an explanation for the charge. These charges will be consistent with charges in the Freedom of Information (Charges) Regulations 1982 (which generally apply to access requests under Part III of the FOI Act).
IPS information architecture
ARPANSA will publish its IPS entry on its website. The required information and other information is set out below:
Required information
- Agency plan (ss 8(2)(a)
- Who we are (ss 8(2)(b) and 8(2)(d)
- What we do (ss 8(2)(c) and 8(2)(j)
- Our reports and responses to Parliament (ss 8(2)(e) and 8(2)(h)
- Routinely requested information and disclosure log (ss 8(2)(g) and 11C)
- Consultation arrangements (s 8(2)(f))
- Contact us (s 8(2)(i)).
Other information
- Our priorities and approaches to policy advising (s 8(4))
- Our communications
- Our finances
- Our research
- Comment.
To ensure that the IPS entry is easily discoverable, understandable and machine readable, ARPANSA will:
- publish an IPS icon on the homepage of its website, which will link to the IPS section of the website
- wherever possible, provide online content in a format that can be searched, copied and transformed
- publish a sitemap for its website, to help individuals identify the location of information published under ss 8(2) and 8(4)
- provide a search function for its website
- seek and respond to feedback from user
ARPANSA will, as far as possible, make its IPS information holdings available for reuse on open licensing terms.
ARPANSA will ensure, to the extent possible, that all documents available on its website conform to WCAG 2.0 AA. Where a person requires an alternative accessible format of a document, it will be made available on request.
Information required to be published under the IPS
ARPANSA provides links to documents or other pages on its website under the IPS (s 8(2)) in the IPS section of the website.
The information is published under the following headings.
Agency plan
This provides a link to the plan.
Who we are
This includes an organisational chart and information about statutory appointments.
What we do
This provides links to information on ARPANSA’s functions and powers, services and general information on radiation protection and nuclear safety.
Our reports and responses to Parliament
This provides links to the annual reports, quarterly reports to Parliament, ARPANSA’s file list and senate order entity contracts.
Information requested from ARPANSA by Parliament through a Committee is available on the Parliament website (www.aph.gov.au).
Routinely requested information and disclosure log
This provides a link to ARPANSA’s FOI Disclosure Log which contains a summary of FOI requests received by ARPANSA as well as relevant documents or details of how the documents may be accessed. However, personal, family, business, commercial, financial or professional information will not be published in the Disclosure Log where ARPANSA decides it is unreasonable to publish that information.
Consultation
ARPANSA currently provides links on its website to any consultations undertaken for a broad range of regulatory and national uniformity functions including licensing requests and the development of publications through the Committees established under the Australian Radiation Protection & Nuclear Safety Act 1998. Where a statutory requirement exists, public notices are also issued.
Arrangements for this will be listed in the IPS under Consultation arrangements.
Contact us
This will include the email address and a telephone number for the FOI Officer who can assist with access to information or documents under the FOI Act.
Optional information to be published under the IPS
ARPANSA already publishes a wide range of information online about its activities. Not all of this information is required by the IPS. Optional information is published under the following heading on the IPS
Our priorities and approaches to policy advising
This includes a link to ARPANSA’s corporate and regulatory plan and our strategic directions.
Our communications
This includes a link to ARPANSA’s home page which includes updates of the latest developments and tweets.
Our finances
This provides a link to ARPANSA’s Annual reports and Portfolio Budget Statements.
Our research
This provides a link to ARPANSA’s technical reports.
Comment and contact us
This details how the community can provide feedback and comment on public consultations or the IPS and any other information on our website.
Accessibility under the IPS
ARPANSA will ensure as far as practicable that all online information it is required to publish under the IPS (s 8(2)) conforms to WCAG 2.0 on commencement of the IPS. ARPANSA will publish any new IPS documents as soon as they are available for publication and ensure that they conform to WCAG 2.0 as soon as possible.
ARPANSA’s dedicated IPS section of its website will state that where a document is not available in an accessible format, it will be made available in an accessible format on request through the contact details provided on the site.
IPS compliance review
ARPANSA will review and revise this agency plan at least annually, which will coincide with ARPANSA’s strategic planning process.
ARPANSA will review the operation of the IPS from time to time and at least every five years, and in accordance with the guidelines to be issued by the Australian Information Commissioner about IPS compliance review.
Contact
ARPANSA welcomes feedback on this Agency Plan, addressed to foi@arpansa.gov.au
or by mailing to:
The FOI Officer
ARPANSA
PO Box 655
MIRANDA NSW 1490
or by telephone: (02) 9541 8311
