University Credit Programme -Integrated Assurance and Approval Plan (IAAP)
Dear Department for Work and Pensions,
Please provide me with a copy of the latest version of the Universal Credit Programme's Integrated Assurance and Approval Plan (IAAP).
Yours faithfully,
John Slater
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You can expect a reply by 10 November unless I need to come back to you to clarify your request or the balance of the public interest test needs to be considered.
If you have any queries about this letter please contact me quoting the reference number above.
Yours sincerely
DWP Strategy FoI Team
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www.ico.org.uk/Global/contact_us or telephone 0303 123 1113 or 01625 545745
Dear Department for Work and Pensions,
Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.
I am writing to request an internal review of Department for Work and Pensions's handling of my FOI request 'University Credit Programme -Integrated Assurance and Approval Plan (IAAP)'.
According to the DWP I should have received a reply by 10 November 2015. As the DWP has failed to respond within 20 working days it has breached S.10(1) of the FOIA.
I will give the DWP until 40 working days from the date I submitted my request to provide its final response (including its response to this IRR). If it fails to do so I will complain to the ICO.
A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/u...
Yours faithfully,
John Slater
This is an automated confirmation that your request for information has
been accepted by the DWP FoI mailbox.
By the next working day your request will be forwarded to the relevant
information owner within the Department who will respond to you direct.
If your email is a Freedom of Information request you can normally
expect a response within 20 working days.
Should you have any further queries in connection with this request do
please contact us.
For further information on the Freedom of Information Act within DWP
please click on the link below.
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Thank you for your Freedom of Information review request.
Please note that it is our internal target to answer reviews within 20 working days unless I need to come back to you to clarify your request, or the balance of the public interest test needs to be considered which we will keep you informed about.
If you have any queries about this letter please contact me quoting the reference number above.
Yours sincerely
DWP Strategy FoI Team
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Your right to complain under the Freedom of Information Act
If you are not happy with this response you may request an internal review by e-mailing [DWP request email] or by writing to DWP, Central FoI Team,
Caxton House, Tothill Street, SW1H 9NA. Any review request should be submitted within two months of the date of this letter. Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.
If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review you may apply directly to the Information Commissioner’s Office for a decision. Generally the Commissioner cannot make a decision unless you have exhausted our own complaints procedure. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: The Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow Cheshire SK9 5AF
www.ico.org.uk/Global/contact_us or telephone 0303 123 1113 or 01625 545745
Dear Department for Work and Pensions,
Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.
I am writing to request an internal review of Department for Work and Pensions's handling of my FOI request 'University Credit Programme -Integrated Assurance and Approval Plan (IAAP)'.
Would anyone within the DWP like to explain why it is ignoring this RFI?
A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/u...
Yours faithfully,
John Slater
This is an automated confirmation that your request for information has
been accepted by the DWP FoI mailbox.
By the next working day your request will be forwarded to the relevant
information owner within the Department who will respond to you direct.
If your email is a Freedom of Information request you can normally
expect a response within 20 working days.
Should you have any further queries in connection with this request do
please contact us.
For further information on the Freedom of Information Act within DWP
please click on the link below.
[1]http://www.dwp.gov.uk/freedom-of-informa...
References
Visible links
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Please accept our sincere apologies for the delay in responding to you and see the attached reply to your Freedom of Information request.
Yours sincerely
DWP Strategy FoI team
Dear Department for Work and Pensions,
Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.
I am writing to request an internal review of Department for Work and Pensions's handling of my FOI request 'University Credit Programme -Integrated Assurance and Approval Plan (IAAP)'.
Thank you for your extremely late response to my request for information of 15 October 2015.
I recognise the language citing S36 as it is exactly the same as that used when refusing to disclose the UCP risk register, issues log and milestone schedule. The Department has now lost that argument twice in front of two separate Information Tribunals with documents where S36 was appropriate to engage.
This argument cannot be applied to the Integrated Assurance & Approval Plan (IAAP) as it is a dry factual based document that outlines how appropriate assurance activities will be applied to the UCP (e.g. Gateway reviews or PAR reviews). I have included the Major Projects Authority’s example structure for an IAAP taken from the document titled:
“Integrated Assurance & Approval Strategy and Integrated Assurance & Approval Plans
A guide to implementing integrated assurance and approvals Version 1.0 - May 2011”
at the end of my IRR. It is absolutely clear that the IAAP is not advisory in any way and does not contain frank, unrestrained or candid contributions from Civil Servant.
I hope that someone within the Department will see sense and not waste public resources forcing me to ask the Commissioner to issue a decision notice or take it before another Tribunal (which the Department will lose). Sadly it seems that the new Secretary of State for Work and Pensions instruction to officials to stop blocking freedom of information requests about the UCP (reported in the Sunday Times on 3 April 2016) is being ignored.
If the department intends to persist with S.36 please disclose the submission placed before the qualified person and their response as I fail to see how any reasonable person could believe that S.36 applies to the IAAP.
Annex C - Integrated Assurance & Approval Plan (IAAP)
Example structure
Introduction
• Reference to the corporate IAAS
• What an IAAP is
• Its objectives
Purpose and scope
• How the IAAP will be used by the project team
• Scope of the IAAP, including any exclusions or exceptions
• Reference to the MPA requirements for IAAPs (for major projects)
Assessment of risks and determination of assurance requirements
• Tools and techniques used to determine risk and focus for assurance activities, e.g. the RPA form submitted to the MPA prior to arrangement of assurance reviews.
• Description of how the IAAP has been developed.
Roles and responsibilities
• Identify who within the organisation has what responsibilities in relation to assurance and approvals
– see Annex A
• List of additional key stakeholders and interested parties.
Planned assurance coverage and scheduling
• Description of the assurance products to be used (see IAAP guidance above)
• When and why they are to be used.
Approvals
• Outline of the approvals process within the organisation, as relevant to the project
• Whether and why approvals will be required from HM Treasury and at what stages
• Explanation of the assurance evidence that will be required to support approvals at each level.
Cost and resources
• An estimate of chargeable costs required for all assurance activities for the period of the plan
• e.g. MPA-led reviews, audits and other functional assurance – these should be incorporated into the project budget.
• An indication of project resource (days) requirements for both assurance and approval activities.
Reporting and communications
• A description of the reporting processes, tools and schedules to be used – both internal and external, including GMPP reporting to the MPA
• The project approach to, and means of, communicating outcomes (whether positive or negative) from assurance activity, both internally and externally
• Transparency requirements and commitments in relation to assurance outcomes and reports.
Managing outcomes,consequential assurance and escalation
• SRO responsibility for implementing the actions and recommendations in the assurance review reports
• Overall approach to acting on assurance findings
• Processes and tools to be used in different circumstances, e.g.MPA Assurance of Action Plans.
Schedule
• The planned assurance activities for a minimum of two years ahead
• Assurance links to approval points and key milestones
A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/u...
Yours faithfully,
John Slater
This is an automated confirmation that your request for information has
been accepted by the DWP FoI mailbox.
By the next working day your request will be forwarded to the relevant
information owner within the Department who will respond to you direct.
If your email is a Freedom of Information request you can normally
expect a response within 20 working days.
Should you have any further queries in connection with this request do
please contact us.
For further information on the Freedom of Information Act within DWP
please click on the link below.
[1]http://www.dwp.gov.uk/freedom-of-informa...
References
Visible links
1. http://www.dwp.gov.uk/freedom-of-informa...
Thank you for your Freedom of Information review request.
Please note that it is our internal target to answer reviews within 20 working days unless I need to come back to you to clarify your request, or the balance of the public interest test needs to be considered which we will keep you informed about.
If you have any queries about this letter please contact me quoting the reference number above.
Yours sincerely
DWP Strategy FoI Team
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Your right to complain under the Freedom of Information Act
If you are not happy with this response you may request an internal review by e-mailing [DWP request email] or by writing to DWP, Central FoI Team,
Caxton House, Tothill Street, SW1H 9NA. Any review request should be submitted within two months of the date of this letter. Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.
If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review you may apply directly to the Information Commissioner’s Office for a decision. Generally the Commissioner cannot make a decision unless you have exhausted our own complaints procedure. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: The Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow Cheshire SK9 5AF
www.ico.org.uk/Global/contact_us or telephone 0303 123 1113 or 01625 545745
Please see the attached reply to your Freedom of Information request
Yours sincerely
DWP Strategy FoI team
Dear Mr Slater
Please see the attached reply to your Freedom of Information request. We will require additional time to consider you review request as we also have to consider your new request at the same time.
Yours sincerely
DWP Strategy FoI team
Dear Department for Work and Pensions,
Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.
I am writing to request an internal review of Department for Work and Pensions's handling of my FOI request 'University Credit Programme -Integrated Assurance and Approval Plan (IAAP)'.
Given that my original RFI was submitted on 13/10/2015 the Department's tardiness in dealing with it is appalling. The fact that it has now used the public interest test to delay responding further and then failed to meet its own date of 3rd June 2016 does not reflect well on the Department.
Does the Department intend to issue its final response this year?
A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/u...
Yours faithfully,
John Slater
This is an automated confirmation that your request for information has
been accepted by the DWP FoI mailbox.
By the next working day your request will be forwarded to the relevant
information owner within the Department who will respond to you direct.
If your email is a Freedom of Information request you can normally
expect a response within 20 working days.
Should you have any further queries in connection with this request do
please contact us.
For further information on the Freedom of Information Act within DWP
please click on the link below.
[1]http://www.dwp.gov.uk/freedom-of-informa...
References
Visible links
1. http://www.dwp.gov.uk/freedom-of-informa...
Please see the attached reply to your Freedom of Information request.
Yours sincerely
DWP Strategy FoI team
Thank you for your Freedom of Information review request.
Please note that it is our internal target to answer reviews within 20 working days unless I need to come back to you to clarify your request, or the balance of the public interest test needs to be considered which we will keep you informed about.
If you have any queries about this letter please contact me quoting the reference number above.
Yours sincerely
DWP Strategy FoI Team
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Your right to complain under the Freedom of Information Act
If you are not happy with this response you may request an internal review by e-mailing [DWP request email] or by writing to DWP, Central FoI Team,
Caxton House, Tothill Street, SW1H 9NA. Any review request should be submitted within two months of the date of this letter. Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.
If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review you may apply directly to the Information Commissioner’s Office for a decision. Generally the Commissioner cannot make a decision unless you have exhausted our own complaints procedure. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: The Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow Cheshire SK9 5AF
www.ico.org.uk/Global/contact_us or telephone 0303 123 1113 or 01625 545745
Please see the attached reply to your Freedom of Information request.
Yours sincerely
DWP Strategy FoI team
Dear Department for Work and Pensions,
Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.
I am writing to request an internal review of Department for Work and Pensions's handling of my FOI request 'University Credit Programme -Integrated Assurance and Approval Plan (IAAP)'.
Whilst I disagree with the DWP use of section 36 (2) (b) and (c), I expected nothing else from the Department along with its ‘boilerplate’ public interest test. However this IRR relates purely to the surprising engagement of s.42 FOIA.
The Department stated:
“This information is also being withheld in part under section 42 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, as it contains advice in respect of which a claim to legal professional privilege could be maintained in legal proceedings.”
I would hope that the Department is aware that the aspect of s.42 it is engaging only covers confidential communications between the client and lawyer, made for the dominant purpose of seeking or giving legal advice.
Is the Department really claiming that the advice put before the qualified person was prepared by a qualified lawyer for the purposes of giving legal advice?
Having seen copies of DWP submissions put before a qualified person in a previous RFI this seems highly unlikely and I think the Department needs to rethink its use of s.42.
A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/u...
Yours faithfully,
John Slater
This is an automated confirmation that your request for information has
been accepted by the DWP FoI mailbox.
By the next working day your request will be forwarded to the relevant
information owner within the Department who will respond to you direct.
If your email is a Freedom of Information request you can normally
expect a response within 20 working days.
Should you have any further queries in connection with this request do
please contact us.
For further information on the Freedom of Information Act within DWP
please click on the link below.
[1]http://www.dwp.gov.uk/freedom-of-informa...
References
Visible links
1. http://www.dwp.gov.uk/freedom-of-informa...
Please accept our apologies for the delay and see the attached reply to your Freedom of Information request.
Yours sincerely
DWP Strategy FoI team
John Slater left an annotation ()
To my surprise the DWP didn't appeal the ICO DN and disclosed the IAAP to me on 17 Januray 2018. I will hopefully get it uploaded onto WDTK so it can be available to anyone interested.
Doug Paulley left an annotation ()
The requester has kindly scanned in the Freedom of Information Request response the DWP sent to him privately, and sent it to WhatDoTheyKnow in order for it to be available to all via our website. It is at http://files.whatdotheyknow.com/request/... .
--
Doug - volunteer, WhatDoTheyKnow
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John Slater left an annotation ()
Unfortunately my complaint to the Commissioner about this RFI "fell through the cracks" and it took a while to get an investigation open. The Commissioner told me on 23 November 2016 that she is now investigating the case.