Project Monitoring: 'The Hold: A Suffolk Archives Service for the 21st Century' (Part 2)
Dear The National Lottery Heritage Fund
In following up my last request, sent on the 22 August 2021,* concerning this same matter: please provide me with the same information for the intervening period (i.e. between the current date and that of your final response to the above-mentioned request made on the 15 December 2021).
Further to this, I request all such other information that may relate to the general monitoring and oversight of this funding award as a whole as it now reaches its final stages (e.g. any interim/final evaluation reports, financial reports or such like; any staff, user, and/or visitor surveys, etc.)
In addition, if your funding of this project is not as yet at an end. Then please forward me details of any funding extensions – be they past, present or future.
* Link to the first request:
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/p...
Yours faithfully
Susan Meadows (Mrs)
Thank you for your Freedom of Information request to the National Heritage
Memorial Fund/ National Lottery Heritage Fund.
We are currently processing your request and will endeavour to respond
within 20 working days. However, due to Covid-19 and the current climate
we may be delayed in responding to you. Thank you in advance for your
patience with this and we will of course keep you updated if your request
is delayed.
Many thanks,
FOI Team
For further guidance regarding Freedom of Information and Covid-19 please
see the ICO's blog.
The National Lottery Heritage Fund
Website: heritagefund.org.uk
Telephone no: 0207 591 6000
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Dear Mrs Susan Meadows,
Thank you for your Freedom of Information request on 15 October 2022.
Our team are currently progressing your request under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). A public body has up to 20 working days to respond, this excludes UK bank holidays, and you should expect our response by 11 November.
Best wishes,
FOI Team
The National Lottery Heritage Fund
Our main telephone number: 0207 591 6000
Website: heritagefund.org.uk
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#NationalLotteryHeritageFund
Hi Susan,
Please find attached our response.
If you have any queries do let us know.
Kind regards,
Calissa
Calissa Palmer
Data Protection Officer (DPO) and Information Governance Manager
Business Services
The National Lottery Heritage Fund
Tel: 020 8132 7211
Email: [email address]
Website: heritagefund.org.uk
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#NationalLotteryHeritageFund
Hi Susan,
I have realised I have not included the 'payment request forms', my apologies, please refer to the attached documents.
There are instances of redaction within these documents which have been made under Section 43(2) of the Freedom of Information Act - Commercial Interests. This exemption allows us to decline a request for information if disclosure of which would, or would be likely to, prejudice the commercial interests of any person or organisation. This is what’s known as a qualified exemption. It is subject to a public interest test, which I have set out below. Overall we have concluded that the arguments against disclosure outweigh those in favour.
The following redactions have been made under Section 43(2):
PUBLIC INTEREST TEST - Section 43(2)
Factors in favour of disclosure
• Disclosing the information requested would enhance transparency and accountability.
• As a publicly funded organisation, the public has a legitimate interest in The National Lottery Heritage Fund’s activities and disclosure would increase public awareness about the work of The National Lottery Heritage Fund and its grantees.
Factors against disclosure
• It is not in the interest of the grantee or The National Lottery Heritage Fund to release this tender and contract information as it is likely to be prejudicial to the grantee’s future business, limiting their ability to competitively procure future contracts.
• The National Lottery Heritage Fund does not consider the disclosure of this information, which could affect the grantee’s ability to negotiate future contracts and secure value for money, to be in the public’s best interest.
• To release information the tenderers have identified as commercially confidential will be detrimental to Suffolk County Council’s commercial relationship with them could have a detrimental impact on, and limit, the potential outcome of the Council’s future tenders.
If you are unhappy with the service you have received in relation to your request and wish to request an internal review of our decision please contact [cyfeiriad ebost]. If you were then not content with the outcome of the internal review you have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner’s Office (https://ico.org.uk/).
Kind regards,
Calissa
Calissa Palmer
Data Protection Officer (DPO) and Information Governance Manager
Business Services
The National Lottery Heritage Fund
Tel: 020 8132 7211
Email: [cyfeiriad ebost]
Website: heritagefund.org.uk
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
#NationalLotteryHeritageFund
Dear The National Lottery Heritage Fund
Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.
I am writing to request an internal review of The National Lottery Heritage Fund's handling of my FOI request 'Project Monitoring: 'The Hold: A Suffolk Archives Service for the 21st Century' (Part 2)'.
Many thanks for your response and for the documents you provide therewith. However, as mentioned in your response, I had noted the records for the first quarter of the year 2021/2022 – i.e. 'Progress Report 12', etc. (Apr-Jun 2021) – had not been included as I had expected. Therefore, I would be grateful if you could now forward me those records.
I was surprised, similarly, that records had not been provided passed those of the last quarter of the year 2021/2022 (i.e. beyond 'Progress Report 15' – Jan-Mar 2022). So, again, I would be grateful if all such similar records now available be forwarded to me.
Furthermore, since, as you state, your funding of this project is now complete. I request all such documentation required by yourselves from the grantee following the conclusion of your funding – including the final Evaluation Report, etc.
A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/p...
Yours faithfully
Susan Meadows (Mrs)
Dear Mrs Susan Meadows,
Thank you for your email regarding your request for an internal review.
I can confirm that your review request was received on 29 December 2022 and we are currently processing your request. We aim to complete the internal review within 20 working days, and you should expect our response by 27 January 2023.
Kind regards,
Georgia
FOI Team
The National Lottery Heritage Fund
Our main telephone number: 0207 591 6000
Website: heritagefund.org.uk
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
#NationalLotteryHeritageFund
Dear Mrs Susan Meadows,
I hope you are well.
Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Claire Franklin, and I am the interim Senior Governance Manager at the National Heritage Memorial Fund.
On 29 December 2022, you requested an internal review be undertaken of the handling of your Freedom of Information request 'Project Monitoring: 'The Hold: A Suffolk Archives Service for the 21st Century (part 2)'.
As I was not involved with the response to your Freedom of Information request originally, I was asked to undertake the internal review.
In order to fully understand your request, I undertook a full review of the response provided by the Fund to both your initial and subsequent request for project monitoring information for The Hold: A Suffolk Archives Service for the 21st Century.
Firstly, I reviewed all related documentation and correspondence in relation to your initial request dated 22 August 2021 where you requested sight of all progress reports, updates, and all such other documents received from the grantee (as well as those sent in response by the Fund) concerning the Fund's monitoring of the project named '"The Hold": A Suffolk Archives Service for the 21st Century' that had been received, to date.
On the 15 September 2021 the Fund wrote to you to clarify interpretation of your request to help identify the key monitoring documents. The Fund also highlighted that in the Receiving a Grant guidance, under Progress Report Form, Payment Request forms are submitted with Progress Reports and therefore we do not define Payment Requests as a type of monitoring document and believed they would fall outside the scope of your request. You were given an opportunity to respond and clarify your request at this point.
On 29 September 2021, you responded to the Fund, confirming you were content to receive the progress documents as identified and subsequently requested that any response included the Payment Request forms that you felt would help gain a better understanding of the progression of the project as a whole.
The Fund released a number of supporting documents to you on 15 December 2021 including, progress report forms (1-11), payment request forms (1-11), risk registers, approved purposes updates, project timeline charts, job profiles (where/if these have changed from those set out in the grant application(s) and correspondence about progress towards key milestones, submitted up to 22 August 2021.
I then reviewed all related documentation and correspondence in relation to your subsequent request dated 15 October 2022, concerning this same matter and request for information for the period between the current date (15 October 2022) and the initial response date of 15 December 2021.
On the 11 November 2022 you were provided with supporting documents including, Progress Report forms (13-15) and Payment Request forms (13-15).
In your request for an internal review you state you were surprised to have not received progress and payment report 12. Unfortunately upon checking our systems and records for the requested information, I identified these records to be outside of the scope of your request as it is dates before your specified date and after your original request. If these files are of interest to you, you are invited to submit another Freedom of Information request.
You also state that you were surprised, similarly, that records had not been provided passed those of the last quarter of the year 2021/2022 (beyond 'Progress Report 15) and requested all such documentation from the grantee following the conclusion of funding – including the final Evaluation Report be released following any internal review. As above, If these files are of interest to you, you are invited to submit another Freedom of Information request.
I now consider this internal review to be completed. Please be aware that if you are not content with the outcome of the review, you have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner’s Office (www.ico.org.uk).
Best wishes,
Claire Franklin
Senior Governance Manager (interim)
The National Lottery Heritage Fund
Our main telephone number: 0207 591 6000
Website: heritagefund.org.uk
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