CEO Monthly Oct

20 CEO MONTHLY / OCTOBER 2017 , Public authorities have an obligation to share informationwith the public if requested, according to the Freedomof Information Act 2000. The Act was designed to encourage transparency in the public sector and increase the public’s trust. But does everyone working in relevant job roles understand how the act works for themand the public? FreedomOf Information Course Explains Best Practice For Public Authorities EssentialSkillz, the global leader in online training and compliance software, has launched an eLearning course explaining the Act. The course shows how the act applies to individuals, private organisations and public authorities. EssentialSkillz is a global provider of scalable eLearning solutions for organisations in both the public and private sectors. Recognised as a market leader in; DSE, Ergonomic training and online risk assessment, EssentialSkillz has a product portfolio including O-LAS Learning Management System, O-LAS Author (rapid authoring tool), O-LAS Content (library of Health & Safety and Business Protection courses) andWorkWize (online policy roll out and acceptance). The firm’s 45-minute course helps organisations understand the key aspects of the Act and describes how to handle requests and comply with the requirement to proactively publish information. The course is split into three parts. First, the overview covers the basics of the Freedom of Information Act, which is overseen by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). The Act is designed to encourage openness in the public sector, which leads to increased trust in public bodies. The second part of the course gives guidance on how to handle requests. For example, requests must be treated equally, handled neutrally and in timely fashion. Requests can be denied so it’s necessary to understand when this can happen and what to do if either party disputes the outcome. Finally, the course explains best practice for publishing information to the public. To be compliant when publishing information, public authorities should follow the ICO’s publication scheme and definition documents. Julian Roberts, CEO of EssentialSkillz, said: “It’s important to understand not just the theoretical aspects of the Freedom of Information Act but also the practical implications and responsibilities companies have when handling requests from the public. “Both employers and employees dealing with freedom of information requests have an obligation to act according to the ICO’s guidelines. This course is a great way to either introduce employees to the Act or remind staff of the requirements they need to follow to remain complaint.” As with all courses from EssentialSkillz, the Freedom of Information eLearning course can be tailored to the needs of the organisation at no additional cost. Course content can be updated using the integrated authoring tool. UsingWorkWize, a Freedom of Information policy can be distributed to staff to ensure they understand the training and accept the policy. EssentialSkillz is listed as a supplier on Crown Commercial Service’s database of cloud computing services, G-Cloud 9. This means that it can offer its compliance solutions to public sector organisations looking to streamline their online training, risk assessment processes and policy enforcement.