Comprehensive guide to freedom of information and its management

Freedom of information (FOI) is now an international phenomenon with over 100 countries from Albania to Zimbabwe enacting the right to know for their citizens. Since 2005, the UK's Freedom of Information Act has opened up thousands of public bodies to unparalleled scrutiny and prompted further moves to transparency.

The Freedom of Information Officer's Handbook is a comprehensive guide to FOI and its management. It is designed to be an indispensable tool for FOI Officers and their colleagues. It includes:

• a guide to the UK's FOI Act, the right to know and the exemptions
• clear analysis of the most important case law and its implications for the handling of FOI requests
• pointers to the best resources to help FOI officers in their work
• explanations of how FOI interacts with other legislation, including detailed explorations of the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 and how the EU's General Data Protection Regulation impacts on FOI
• a look at requirements to proactively publish information and the effect of copyright and re-use laws on FOI and open data
• comparisons of the UK's Act with FOI legislation in other jurisdictions from Scotland to South Africa
• an exploration of the role of the FOI Officer: who they are, what they do, their career development and what makes them effective 
• suggestions on how to embed FOI within an organisation using effective procedures, technology and training 
• a stage-by-stage guide to processing requests for information.

Jon Baines, Data Protection Advisor at Mischon de Reya LLP said 'Several years ago Paul Gibbons ‘outed' himself as ‘FOIMan'- until that point an anonymous commentator on Freedom of Information, and subject of much speculation as to his identity. Since then Paul has established himself as one of the leading experts in the field. I'm delighted he has now cemented this position with the first book which really meets the needs of and challenges facing FOI practitioners. Paul has an easy and approachable writing style, but a formidable knowledge and rigorous research lie behind that.'

- Ends

Press and review copies contact:

Sinéad Murphy, Marketing and Sales Manager, Facet Publishing

Tel: +44 (0)20 7255 0594
Email: sinead.murphy@facetpublishing.co.uk

Notes:
The Freedom of Information Officer's Handbook | January 2019 | 312pp | paperback: 9781783303533 | £64.95 | hardback: 9781783303540 | £129.95 | eBook: 9781783303557

Paul Gibbons is an independent consultant and trainer specialising in information rights. He is best known for his FOIMan blog which he began writing in 2010 reflecting on his own experiences of implementing FOI in three very different public authorities: the Greater London Authority, an NHS Trust in south-east London and SOAS, a college of the University of London. Before getting involved in FOI, Paul completed a Masters in Archives Administration at Aberystwyth University, going on to work for many years as a records manager in the pharmaceutical industry, local government and in the Houses of Parliament. He was later awarded an LLM with distinction in Information Rights, Law and Practice by the University of Northumbria.

The book is published by Facet Publishing and is available to pre-order from Bookpoint Ltd | Tel: +44 (0)1235 827702 | Fax: +44 (0)1235 827703 | Email: facet@bookpoint.co.uk | Web: www.facetpublishing.co.uk. | Mailing Address: Mail Order Dept, 39 Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4TD. It will be available in North America from the American Library Association.