common purpose

Dear Mr Ovens

Thank you for your reminder regarding your FOI enquiring about common
purpose.

I have checked the database and it shows that a letter was written on 2nd
June which should have reached you shortly after. My apologies if you have
not received this.

I am unable to check with the individual about the response sent to you as
they are currently on annual leave.

However, now that we have an email address for you I am able to forward
you our response.

Also answered was your enquiry asking for a list of people who have had
common purpose training:

+------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Job Title | Amount | Funded By |
|----------------------------+----------------+--------------------------|
| Director of Development & | **2600 2005/06 | Clackmannanshire Council |
| Environmental Services | | |
|----------------------------+----------------+--------------------------|
| Head of Finance | **2400 2005/06 | Clackmannanshire Council |
|----------------------------+----------------+--------------------------|
| Head Teacher | **250 2005/06 | Clackmannanshire Council |
|----------------------------+----------------+--------------------------|
| Head of Environmental | **2300 | Clackmannanshire Council |
| Services | 2003/04 | |
|----------------------------+----------------+--------------------------|
| Head Teacher | **1,000 | Clackmannanshire Council |
| | 2003/04 | |
|----------------------------+----------------+--------------------------|
| Head Teacher | **1,000 | Clackmannanshire Council |
| | 2003/04 | |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------+

Yours Sincerely

Ian Smail

Administration Officer

If you are not satisfied with this response, you may contact the
Council***s Head of Administration and Legal Services seeking a review of
your request. (the address is: Clackmannanshire Council, Greenfield, Alloa
FK10 2AD. (E.mail address is [email address])

If you are not satisfied with the outcome of the review you have the right
to appeal directly to The Scottish Information Commissioner, Kinburn
Castle, Doubledykes Road, St. Andrews, Fife KY16 9DS.

brian ovens
<[FOI #12555 email]> To: FOI
requests at Clackmannanshire
26/06/2009 08:52 Council
<[email address]>
cc:
Subject:
Internal review of Freedom
of Information request -
common purpose

Dear Sir or Madam,
your 20 days are up to reply by law to my request about common
purpose, please keep all replies on here thanks.

Yours sincerely,
brian ovens

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Dear Mr Ovens

Thank you for your response regarding the common purpose FOI that we had
answered.

I believe that there were three points you were raising in your email:

1 Names of people who have had common purpose training:
The table below listed the individuals by title where each of whom is a
senior officer - Head Teacher, Director and Head of Service. All senior
officers are named on our website. As this information is already
available we are not, under section 25 of the Act, required to provide
information that is otherwise accessible.

2 Where does Clackmannanshire Council accounts show common purpose
training?
I have spoken to our finance department and they have informed me that we
are not required to list common purpose training in our accounts.
For further information, our Income and Expenditure Account summarises
expenditure by each Service - therefore the common purpose costs would be
included where appropriate according to which member of staff was on
course (eg Teachers within Education Services category)

3 Is this the full list of people who have had common purpose training
since 2003?
According to our records held this is the complete list of individuals who
have been on common purpose training.

Yours sincerely,

Ian Smail
Administration Officer

If you are not satisfied with this response, you may contact the
Council***s Head of Administration and Legal Services seeking a
review of your request. (the address is: Clackmannanshire Council,
Greenfield, Alloa FK10 2AD. (E.mail address is
[[email address]])

If you are not satisfied with the outcome of the review you have the right
to appeal directly to The Scottish Information
Commissioner, Kinburn Castle, Doubledykes Road, St. Andrews, Fife, KY16
9DS.

brian ovens
<[FOI #12555 email]> To:
Adminservices
26/06/2009 15:43 <[email address]>
cc:
Subject: Re:
Freedom of Information
request - common purpose

Dear Adminservices,
thank you very much for your quick response, but i was actually
asking for the peoples names who have had common purpose training
not their job title. also, where do clackmannanshie council show on
their accounts that people have had common purpose training? is
this the full list of people who have had common purpose training
since 2003?

Yours sincerely,
brian ovens

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Dear Mr. Ovens.

Your comments are acknowledged as your follow up to a question previously
raised with Clackmannanshire Council as a FOI(S)A enquiry.

Your comments were referred to the Council's Head of Human Resources and
his comments are noted below.

Making sure we have a skilled workforce is vitally important to
Clackmannanshire Council, given the range of essential services we provide
to a population which is diverse in nature. Learning and development takes
many forms, including courses where appropriate, although much greater
emphasis is given to on the job approaches.

Common purpose programmes draw together people working in different
organisations to share experience and knowledge, and to promote where
practical shared or complementary approaches.

There is no requirement, nor has there been any identified Council need
to publish details of staff development activities as a separate issue.

I trust that satisfies your enquiry on this topic.

brian ovens
<[FOI #12555 email]> To:
Adminservices
04/09/2009 18:37 <[email address]>
cc:
Subject: Re:
Freedom of Information
request - common purpose

Dear Adminservices,
in line with my previous questions, i would like to know why
clackmannanshire council are not required to list common purpose
training in your accounts? its obvious you are using public money
to go on these course's, so why the secrecy? the public have a
right to know where their money is being spent, especially if it is
helping someone go on a course that betters that persons job and
wage. is it a law to keep this secret or company policy?

Yours sincerely,
brian ovens

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Mr. Ovens.

Your communication of 22nd September seeks an opinion in relation to
Common Purpose training.
I would respond in general terms by suggesting that Clackmannanshire
Council does routinely publish information on training undertaken by
individual members of staff. Likewise, details on individual training
providers, or the content of any offering by individual providers, is not
routinely published.
The Council is required by legislation to pay very close attention to the
subject matter of all advertising. It is, therefore, suggested that it
would be inappropriate for the Council to promote a particular view on any
training supplier.

I trust that answers the points raised.

brian ovens
<[FOI #12555 email]> To:
Adminservices
22/09/2009 13:30 <[email address]>
cc:
Subject: Re:
Freedom of Information
request - common purpose

Dear Adminservices,
thank you for your reply on common purpose, im a little baffled as
to why you can keep this organisation secret. i agree, sharing
knowledge and experience is good for everyone. could you tell me
what knowledge and experience is shared on these common purpose
training courses? the head of common purpose is Julia Middleton,
yet she remains unknown to the British public, she is a very
powerful women. i think the public should be told about common
purpose motives, their motto is "working beyond authority", can you
explain how they can have so much power yet remain in the shadows?

i would also like to see clackmannanshire council inform the people
of clackmannanshire, about this organisation through the local
press, is this possible?

after all, we all deserve to benefit from the knowledge and
experience that common purpose are promoting.

Yours sincerely,
brian ovens

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