Request for information - Ref No: FOI231135
Request
Thank you for your email of 15 February 2023, requesting information from Ordnance Survey in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 2000, as set out in the extract below:
“I would like to request some information under the freedom of information act. I would like the organisation to provide me with the following departmental documents around ICT and corporate procurement. Many organisations within your region have different document title names:
1. 2023/24 IT Department Documents ;- these types of documents have detailed information on the department's future plans and strategies. These documents could include: ICT Strategy/Plan, ICT Department Plan, ICT Financial Plan
2. ICT Org Chart ;- with names and job titles
3. Corporate Procurement Strategy that covers 2023/24 and more.
For all the documents I have requested, please provide me with the 2023/24 documents, I only want to only receive documents that are live and valid. If the document is a strategic plan (e.g. 2020-2025) that covers a set number of years, please provide me with the 2023 version.
I also require the full version of the documents I have requested, if any parts of the document is missing, please state this in the response If this cannot be provided, please provide me with information on when this version will be available.”
Our response
I confirm that Ordnance Survey does hold some of the information you have requested. Where the information is not held or exempt from disclosure this is stated.
Taking each request in turn, I confirm the following:
1. 2023/24 IT Department Documents ;- these types of documents have detailed information on the department's future plans and strategies. These documents could include: ICT Strategy/Plan, ICT Department Plan, ICT Financial Plan
A copy of the Technology and Design strategy plan (.pdf) is attached.
2. ICT Org Chart ;- with names and job titles
We publish a high-level functional organisational structure chart on our website, which includes Technology and Design, in our publication scheme, under the heading ‘Who we are and what we do’.
We hold the names and job titles for Technology and Design however, we consider these to be exempt from disclosure under section 40(2) (personal information) of the FOI Act (other than information already published on our website), as the information constitutes personal data.
Section 40(2) provides that personal data is exempt information if one of the conditions set out in section 40(3) is satisfied. In our view, disclosure of this information would breach the data protection principles contained in the General Data Protection Regulations and Data Protection Act 2018
In reaching this decision, we have particularly considered:
- the reasonable expectations of the employees given their positions, Ordnance Survey considered that none of the individuals would have a reasonable expectation that their personal data would be disclosed;
- the consequences of disclosure; and
- any legitimate public interest in disclosure.
Section 40(2) is an absolute exemption and therefore not subject to the public interest test.
3. Corporate Procurement Strategy that covers 2023/24 and more.
Information not held.
Procurement forms part of the wider business strategy therefore we do not hold a single Procurement Strategy document this is because Procurement supports the business overall.
However, under the duty to provide information and assistance in accordance with section 16 of FOIA, we can provide the following information which may assist you in this matter.
The procurement pages on our website provide further information on procurement at OS which you may find useful.
You can view information on OS’s strategy and our strategic report for this year and previous years on in our Annual Reports.
Internal review
Your enquiry has been processed according to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 2000. If you are unhappy with our response, you may request an internal review with our Internal Review Officer by contacting them, within two months of receipt of our final response to your Freedom of Information (FOI) request, as follows:
Internal Review Officer
Customer Service Centre
Ordnance Survey
Adanac Drive
Southampton
SO16 0AS
Please include the reference number above. You may request an internal review where you believe Ordnance Survey has:
- Failed to respond to your request within the time limits (normally 20 working days)
- Failed to tell you whether or not we hold the information
- Failed to provide the information you have requested
- Failed to explain the reasons for refusing a request
- Failed to correctly apply an exemption or exception
The Internal Review Officer will not have been involved in the original decision. They will conduct an independent internal review and will inform you of the outcome of the review normally within 20 working days, but exceptionally within 40 working days, in line with the Information Commissioner’s guidance.
The Internal Review Officer will either: uphold the original decision, provide an additional explanation of the exemption/s applied or release further information, if it is considered appropriate to do so.
Appeal to Information Commissioner›s Office (ICO)
If, following the outcome of the internal review you remain unhappy with our response, you may raise an appeal, within three months of receiving our response, with the Information Commissioner’s Office.
Further information can be found on the ICO website (ico.org.uk) under ‘Report a concern’ or you may wish to call the ICO helpline on 0303 123 1113.