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Wednesday, May 10, 2017

Budget 2017: No boost in funding for Australian Information Commissioner.

The appropriation for the Office of Australian Information Commissioner in the 2017-18 Budget is $10.368 million, down from $10.618 million. (An 'efficiency dividend' counts for a reduction of $160,000.) Total funds available in 2017-18 (counting funding available from previous years and other revenue): $19.345 million compared to $19.045 million in 2016-17. 

The average staffing level, 75 is unchanged.

In the three 'out years' appropriations drop to $10.265 million, $8.999 million and $9.042 million.

For outcomes measurement purposes the office functions are lumped together in  a single outcome in the Portfolio Budget Statement with budgeted expenses at $14.4 million ($14.988 million in the current year) for
"Provision of public access to Commonwealth Government information, protection of individuals’ personal information, and performance of information commissioner, freedom of information and privacy functions."
The office has extra responsibilities coming in February 2018 when mandatory data breach notification requirements will extend to all entities covered by the Privacy Act. Currently notifications are voluntary other than where My Health Records and eHealth are concerned.

As in previous years you have to wonder about performance measures (pp 251-252) that set 12 months as the target for dealing with some matters. For example

Handling privacy complaints
80% of privacy complaints are finalised within 12 months (on track to meet target).
 



 


Provide a timely and effective Information Commissioner review function
80% of Information Commissioner reviews are completed within 12 months (on track to meet target).
Handling FOI complaints

Providing an Information Commissioner review function

Handling FOI complaints

 
80% of FOI complaints are finalised within 12 months (on track to meet target).

 
80% of Information Commissioner reviews are completed within 12 months.
80% of FOI complaints are finalised within 12 months.

Who measures what here?
Promoting awareness and understanding of .. information access rights in the community

FOI education and information products meet stakeholder needs (on track to meet target).


Some targets may not be met:
Handling voluntary and mandatory data breach notifications (DBNs)
80% of DBNs are handled or escalated to CII within 60 days (on track to meet target).
80% of eHealth DBNs are handled or escalated to CII within 60 days (not on track to meet target)
 


Conducting assessments
The median time for the completion of assessments is six months (not on track to meet target).
 

Providing a public information service
100% of enquiries are finalised within 10 days (not on track to meet target).
 

Own motion FOI investigations get a mention in the performance measures table which may mean something is in the works:

Conducting FOI Commissioner-initiated investigations
80% of FOI CIIs are finalised within eight months.
 

Two investigation reports have been published since the office was established in 2010, one in 2012, the most recent in 2014.


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