Incubator support initiative process and DOI requests

Warrick Alexander (Account suspended) made this Freedom of Information request to Department of Industry, Science, Energy & Resources

This request has been closed to new correspondence from the public body. Contact us if you think it ought be re-opened.

Warrick Alexander (Account suspended)

Dear Freedom of Information,

As request (A), I would like to see the incubator support initiative (ISI) application processing workflow that was followed by department staff (a simple list of steps or a flowchart) in handling ISI grant applications or inquiries (expressions of interest/draft applications/formal applications).

The document should list the steps that were followed before December 2019. I am not interested in steps that were only followed after December 2019.

As request (B), I would like to see how many regional incubator facilitator (RIF) declaration of interests (DOI) inquiries were initiated by department staff for each month (in relation to any matter) since the ISI program commenced. Please also include how many RIFs actually responded to any such inquiry for each month.

To simplify this FOI application and for example, please simply search for effective keywords (e.g. DOI/DOIs/declare/declaration/conflict) in emails sent by department staff to RIFs.

Each DOI approach (regardless of the number of RIF recipients or follow-up emails) should count as 1 DOI inquiry. Each RIF who responded to any such inquiry in any given month (even if no interests were disclosed) should count as 1 respondent.

Request B is simply a matter of counting the emails that were sent by department staff to RIFs to initiate a DOI request, and the number of RIFs who responded to DOI requests in each month. For avoidence of doubt, there cannot be more than four respondents for any given month.

Eg. month, DOI requests, RIFs declared
Apr 2018, 2, 4
May 2018, 0, 0
June 2018, 1, 2
-and so on.

Thank you,

Warrick Alexander

Freedom of Information, Department of Industry, Science, Energy & Resources

1 Attachment

Date: Mon, 07 Sep 2020 13:19:18 +0000
Subject: Freedom of Information request - Incubator support initiative process and DOI requests
From: Warrick Alexander <[FOI #6688 email]>
To: Freedom of Information <[Department of Industry, Science, Energy &amp; Resources request email]>

Dear Freedom of Information,

As request (A), I would like to see the incubator support initiative (ISI) application processing workflow that was followed by department staff (a simple list of steps or a flowchart) in handling ISI grant applications or inquiries (expressions of interest/draft applications/formal applications).

The document should list the steps that were followed before December 2019. I am not interested in steps that were only followed after December 2019.

As request (B), I would like to see how many regional incubator facilitator (RIF) declaration of interests (DOI) inquiries were initiated by department staff for each month (in relation to any matter) since the ISI program commenced. Please also include how many RIFs actually responded to any such inquiry for each month.

To simplify this FOI application and for example, please simply search for effective keywords (e.g. DOI/DOIs/declare/declaration/conflict) in emails sent by department staff to RIFs.

Each DOI approach (regardless of the number of RIF recipients or follow-up emails) should count as 1 DOI inquiry. Each RIF who responded to any such inquiry in any given month (even if no interests were disclosed) should count as 1 respondent.

Request B is simply a matter of counting the emails that were sent by department staff to RIFs to initiate a DOI request, and the number of RIFs who responded to DOI requests in each month. For avoidence of doubt, there cannot be more than four respondents for any given month.

Eg. month, DOI requests, RIFs declared
Apr 2018, 2, 4
May 2018, 0, 0
June 2018, 1, 2
-and so on.

Thank you,

Warrick Alexander

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #6688 email]

Is [Department of Industry, Science, Energy &amp; Resources request email] the wrong address for Freedom of Information requests to Department of Industry, Innovation and Science? If so, please contact us using this form:
https://www.righttoknow.org.au/change_re...

This request has been made by an individual using Right to Know. This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. More information on how Right to Know works can be found at:
https://www.righttoknow.org.au/help/offi...

If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Freedom of Information, Department of Industry, Science, Energy & Resources

1 Attachment

  • Attachment

    Freedom of Information request Incubator support initiative process and DOI requests.txt

    2K Download View as HTML

Dear Mr Alexander

 

We refer to the attached Freedom of Information request received by the
Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources (the department) on
7 September 2020 seeking access to:

 

I would like to see how many regional incubator facilitator (RIF)
declaration of interests (DOI) inquiries were initiated by department
staff for each month (in relation to any matter) since the ISI program
commenced. Please also include how many RIFs actually responded to any
such inquiry for each month.

 

For documents that fall within the scope of the request, it is the
department’s policy to withhold:

 

·       the names, signatures and contact details of departmental staff
who are not in the Senior Executive Service (SES);

·       the mobile phone numbers of SES officers; and

·       the names, signatures and contact details of ministerial staff
below the level of Chief of Staff.

 

The names and other details of SES officers will be released unless the
information is exempt from disclosure.

 

If you require the names or contact details listed above, please let us
know by return email at [1][email address], otherwise we will consider
that you agree to that information being excluded from the scope of your
request.

 

Personal Information

In relation to third parties and other Commonwealth staff, to enable more
timely and cost effective processing of your request, please confirm the
scope of your request excludes 'personal information' (e.g. the names and
contact details of any individuals, or any information that could
reasonable identify an individual) contained in documents.

 

If you are seeking access to specific types of personal information,
please clarify.

 

We look forward to your response at your earliest convenience but no later
than Friday 18 September  2020.

 

If you have any questions, please contact the FOI team.

 

Regards

 

FOI Team

Legal, Audit and Assurance | Corporate & Digital

GPO Box 2013, Canberra ACT 2601

show quoted sections

Warrick Alexander (Account suspended)

Dear Freedom of Information,

Please do not redact department staff names.

Thank you,

Warrick Alexander

Freedom of Information, Department of Industry, Science, Energy & Resources

1 Attachment

Dear Mr Alexander

 

Please find attached correspondence in relation to your FOI request of 7
September 2020. 

 

Regards

 

FOI Team

Legal, Audit and Assurance | Corporate & Digital

GPO Box 2013, Canberra ACT 2601

show quoted sections

Warrick Alexander (Account suspended)

Dear Department of Industry, Innovation and Science,

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.

I am writing to request an internal review of Department of Industry, Innovation and Science's handling of my FOI request 'Incubator support initiative process and DOI requests'.

It is not beyond the means of the Department to count responses to 250 emails especially given the public interest surrounding the incubator support initiative. If it assists, I will constrain my request to a monthly number of DOI approaches only - removing the requirement to count the number of RIF respondents.

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.righttoknow.org.au/request/i...

Thank you,

Warrick Alexander

Freedom of Information, Department of Industry, Science, Energy & Resources

2 Attachments

  • Attachment

    image003.jpg

    14K Download

  • Attachment

    Internal review of Freedom of Information request Incubator support initiative process and DOI requests.txt

    1K Download View as HTML

Dear Mr Alexander

 

I confirm receipt of your internal review request received 22 September
2020 (attached).

 

A different decision maker will be appointed for your FOI matter.

 

The current due date for the internal review decision is on or before 22
October 2020.

 

In relation to limiting your request to monthly number of DOI approaches
only, an internal review can only be conducted based on the scope of the
original request. Therefore, you will need to submit an new FOI request.
Alternatively, you may wish to consider withdrawing your request for
internal review and submitting a new FOI request instead.

 

Regards

 

FOI Team

Legal, Audit and Assurance | Corporate & Digital

GPO Box 2013, Canberra ACT 2601

show quoted sections

Freedom of Information, Department of Industry, Science, Energy & Resources

1 Attachment

Dear Mr Alexander

 

I refer to your correspondence received by The Department of Industry,
Science, Energy and Resources (the department) on 7 September 2020.

 

The department has determined that the documents you are seeking do not
require you to submit a request under the Freedom of Information Act 1982
and can be released under Administrative Access.

 

As such, please find attached the documents you have requested.

 

On this basis, your Freedom of Information request has been deemed
withdrawn and no further action will be taken in relation to your request.

 

Regards

 

FOI Team

Legal, Audit and Assurance | Corporate & Digital

GPO Box 2013, Canberra ACT 2601

show quoted sections

Warrick Alexander (Account suspended)

Dear FOI staff,

I've just learnt of this gesture. A party closely connected to the ISI matter has asked if I can find out who went out of their way to do the right thing here? (just the name or even a first name of the person would do)

In any case thank you for your service.

Thank you,

Warrick Alexander

Freedom of Information, Department of Industry, Science, Energy & Resources

Dear Mr Alexander

The decision to release this document outside of the FOI Act was made by Andrew Lewis, A/g General Manager, Entrepreneurs’ Programme. Your email will be forwarded to the decision maker and line area.

Regards

FOI Team
Legal, Audit and Assurance | Corporate & Digital
GPO Box 2013, Canberra ACT 2601

Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources | www.industry.gov.au

Supporting economic growth and job creation for all Australians

Legal In Confidence - This transmission is intended only for the use of the addressee and may contain confidential or legally privileged information. If you are not the intended recipient, you are notified that any use or dissemination of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this transmission in error, please notify me immediately and delete copies of this transmission together with any attachments.

OFFICIAL

show quoted sections

Freedom of Information, Department of Industry, Science, Energy & Resources

Dear Mr Alexander

I am writing to clarify if you are seeking an internal review or a new FOI request.

In accordance with s54 of the FOI Act and Part 9.1 of the FOI Guidelines, the FOI applicant "may request the agency to review its original decision and make a fresh decision; the internal review can extend to a decision to refuse access either wholly or in part, or to a decision on FOI charges". Therefore, an internal review decision is made based on the scope of the original decision.

Based on the above, if you are wanting the department to re-assess the decision for FOI 66989, you will need to submit an internal review. By submitting an internal review, you are asking the department to review its decision to refuse access on the basis that the work involved would substantially and unreasonably divert the resources of the department from its other operations.

If you are looking to reduce the scope (as mentioned in your email below of 22 September 2020), you will need to submit a new FOI request.

Please confirm if you are submitting an internal review or a new FOI request.

Regards
FOI Team
Legal, Audit and Assurance | Corporate & Digital GPO Box 2013, Canberra ACT 2601

Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources | www.industry.gov.au

Supporting economic growth and job creation for all Australians

Legal In Confidence - This transmission is intended only for the use of the addressee and may contain confidential or legally privileged information. If you are not the intended recipient, you are notified that any use or dissemination of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this transmission in error, please notify me immediately and delete copies of this transmission together with any attachments.
OFFICIAL

show quoted sections

Warrick Alexander (Account suspended)

Dear Freedom of Information,

On 23 September the department stated that "A different decision maker will be appointed for your FOI matter."

Can you please release the name of the decision maker who was assigned to this case before the decision under administrative access was made?

To answer your question, yes, I do wish to proceed with the review since I believe it is within reason to count ~250 documents by sorting them in date order.

Thank you,

Warrick Alexander

Freedom of Information, Department of Industry, Science, Energy & Resources

Dear Warrick

This is to confirm you wish to procced with your internal review request of FOI decision 66989. Your reference for this internal review is 67115.

It is unclear which decision maker you are referring to. If you are requesting the name of the decision maker for FOI decision 66989, or the decision maker for who released documents under administrative access (ref: 66988), both of these decisions were made by Andrew Lewis, A/g General Manager, Entrepreneurs’ Programme, as advised in previous correspondence of 22 September 2020 and 28 September 2020.

If you are referring to a different decision maker, please clarify.

An internal review decision is due to you by Thursday 22 October 2020.

Regards
Heather

FOI Team
Legal, Audit and Assurance | Corporate & Digital
GPO Box 2013, Canberra ACT 2601

Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources | www.industry.gov.au

Supporting economic growth and job creation for all Australians

Legal In Confidence - This transmission is intended only for the use of the addressee and may contain confidential or legally privileged information. If you are not the intended recipient, you are notified that any use or dissemination of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this transmission in error, please notify me immediately and delete copies of this transmission together with any attachments.

OFFICIAL

show quoted sections

Warrick Alexander (Account suspended)

Dear Freedom of Information,

What's not clear is why you're asking for confirmation of a review that you've already accepted on 23 September.

I'm asking you to clarify who was assigned to make a new decision at that time.

Thank you,

Warrick Alexander

Freedom of Information, Department of Industry, Science, Energy & Resources

2 Attachments

Dear Warrick

 

Please find attached correspondence in relation to your internal review
request of 22 September 2020.

 

Should you have any queries regarding this matter, please contact the FOI
team.

 

Regards

 

FOI Team

Legal, Audit and Assurance | Corporate & Digital

GPO Box 2013, Canberra ACT 2601

show quoted sections