John Walker
Via email [FOI #1490 email]
11 August 2008
Dear Mr Walker,
Freedom of Information request - RFI20080843.
Thank you for your request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (“the
Act”) regarding the BBC and the
Common Purpose Organisation. The reference number for your
request, received on 5th August 2008, is RFI20080843.
Specifically, you asked "What is your organisation's procedure for selecting personnel for
Common
Purpose training?. What are the names, ranks/grades and job titles of the people in your
organisation who have the authority to recommend personnel for
Common Purpose training?
What are the names, ranks/grades and job titles of the people in your organisation who have the
authority to authorise payment to
Common Purpose for
Common Purpose training?"
As explained in the response to your previous request (reference
RFI20080826), the BBC does
not have any specific policy or procedure for selecting personnel for
Common Purpose training.
Individuals are selected for this training by their managers if it is felt it would be of benefit to them
as befits their individual circumstances and development needs. This may happen at the request of
the individual or at the suggestion of the manager.
Also as explained, training is authorised by a group of well over a hundred managers across the
organisation. Exact role specifications vary from site to site. Similarly, payment is authorised by a
range of managers whose exact role specification varies across the BBC because of the need to
ensure the most effective administration regime for each individual business unit. I estimate that to
deal with your request and research and list all the names, ranks/grades and job titles able to
recommend or authorise training would take more than two and a half days.
Under section 12 of the Act, we are allowed to refuse to handle the request if it would exceed
the appropriate limit. The appropriate limit has been set by the Regulations (SI 2004/3244) as
being £450 (equivalent to two and a half days work, at an hourly rate of £25).
You may request an internal review of our decision that your request exceeds the appropriate
limit. You can either email [BBC request email] or write to BBC Information Policy & Compliance,
Room 2252, BBC White City, 201 Wood Lane, London, W12 7TS. If you are not satisfied with the
result of the internal review you then have the right to seek a further review from the Information
Commissioner. Please see http://www.ico.gov.uk or contact the Information Commissioner’s
Office, Wycliffe House, Water lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF, telephone 01625 545700 for
details.
Yours sincerely
Laura Ellis,
Business Manager, BBC English Regions
