If not delivered return to PO Box 7820 Canberra BC ACT 2610
7 February 2017
Our reference: LEX 24875
Mr Ben Fairless
By email:
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx
Dear Mr Fairless
Freedom of Information Request - Third Party Consultation
I refer to your request dated 3 January 2017 and received by the Department of Human Services
(the
department) on the same date, for access under the
Freedom of Information Act 1982 (the
FOI
Act) to the following:
'…a copy of all "bug reports" or "IT Incidents" raised on the system responsible for data
matching between the ATO and Centrelink in the last 3 months.
I would also like a copy of the Incident or Problem record for all instances in the last 3
months where any of Centrelink's "core" systems (Online Services, MyGov, or the Data
Matching System) were fully or partially unavailable'.
On 7 February 2017, in response to a section 24AB consultation letter, you provided clarifying
information with respect to the first part of your request and revised the second part of your request.
A copy of this correspondence is attached at Attachment A. We have taken your revised request to
be for:
‘1)…a copy of all "bug reports" or "IT Incidents" raised on the system responsible for data
matching between the ATO and Centrelink in the last 3 months; and
2) all final reports created in relation to the unavailability of Centrelink's "core" systems
(Online Services, MyGov, or the Data Matching System) in the last 3 months.’
Third-party consultation - business documents
As your request covers documents which contain information concerning the business, commercial
or financial affairs of an organisation, or a person's business or professional affairs, the department
is required to consult with the person or organisation concerned (under section 27 of the FOI Act)
before making a decision on the release of those documents.
For this reason the period for processing your request has been extended by 30 days in order to
allow the department time to consult with that person or organisation (section 15(6) of the FOI Act).
The processing period for your request will now end on 9 March 2017.
The consultation mechanism under section 27 applies when the department considers the person or
organisation concerned may wish to contend that the requested documents are exempt because
PAGE 1 OF 3
their release would disclose trade secrets or commercially valuable information or may adversely
affect their business or financial affairs. The department will take into account any comments we
receive from the person or organisation. However, the final decision on whether to grant you
access to the documents requested rests with this department.
If you have any questions please email
xxx.xxxxx.xxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx.
Yours sincerely
Authorised FOI Decision Maker
Freedom of Information Team
FOI and Litigation Branch | Legal Services Division
Department of Human Services
ATTACHMENT A
-----Original Message-----
From: Ben Fairless
[mailto:xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx] Sent: Tuesday, 7 February 2017 9:16 AM
To: FOI.LEGAL.TEAM
<xxx.xxxxx.xxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx> Subject: Re: LEX 24875 - Your FOI request [SEC=UNCLASSIFIED]
Dear FOI.LEGAL.TEAM,
Thank you for your clarification request.
-- General Information - IT Incidents and Bug Reports-- In "IT Speak" when a computer system or
service doesn't work, end-users (people who use the system or service) generally report that to a
Service Desk or Helpdesk.
If the Helpdesk is following good record keeping practices, they will normally raise an Incident (it can
be called other things, but ITIL calls it an incident). This can be escalated to other teams, or
resolved directly by the helpdesk/service desk (depending on how the relevant Helpdesk is setup).
When a pattern of incidents is raised, this can be converted into a Bug Report or Problem report
(again, the words differ depending on who you work with). This is usually assigned to people at a
higher level than the service desk responsible for fixing bugs within the system.
-- Information I seek --
I seek a "a copy of all "bug reports" or "IT Incidents" raised on the system responsible for data
matching between the ATO and Centrelink in the last 3 months."
I also asked for:
"I would also like a copy of the Incident or Problem record for all instances in the last 3 months
where any of Centrelink's "core" systems (Online Services, MyGov, or the Data Matching System)
were fully or partially unavailable'."
I would like to revise this request to "all final reports created in relation to the unavailability of
Centrelink's "core" systems (Online Services, MyGov, or the Data Matching System) in the last 3
months".
Yours sincerely,
Ben Fairless