What is the Freedom of Information Act?
The Freedom of Information Act promotes greater openness and accountability across the public sector by requiring all ‘public authorities’ to make information available pro-actively, through a publication scheme.
See the Information Commissioner’s website for more information about the Freedom of Information Act. Scotland has its own Freedom of Information Act and Information Commissioner at: www.itspublicknowledge.info
What is a publication scheme?
A publication scheme is a document that describes the information a public authority publishes, or intends to publish. In this context, ‘publish’ means to make information available, routinely. These descriptions are called ‘classes of information’. The scheme is not a list of the actual publications, because this will change as new material is published or existing material revised. It is, however, the public authority’s commitment to the public.
A publication scheme must set out the classes, or categories, of information published. It must also make clear how the information described can be accessed and whether or not charges will be made.
This publication scheme was last reviewed in January 2006 and its contents will be reviewed again in January 2007.
Who are JISC?
JISC was established on 1 April 1993 under the terms of letters of guidance from the Secretaries of State to the newly-established Higher Education Funding Councils for England, Scotland and Wales, inviting them to establish a Joint Committee to deal with networking and specialist information services.
The criteria agreed for the JISC’s activities were to explore a national dimension to providing these services, exercising vision and leadership in bringing about developments for the benefit of the sector (HE) as a whole. They should represent value for money, collaboration and partnership with other relevant bodies to share best practice and effort, and establish needs within the community for new services and development and review of existing services.
These general guidelines continue to define the broad parameters of JISC’s work, with the JISC’s Five Year Strategy forming the basis of its current activities. The JISC reviews the strategy periodically in consultation with the academic community to ensure that it continues to meet their needs.
Today with funding from the UK further and higher education funding councils, JISC provides a centralised and co-ordinated direction for the development of the infrastructure and activities, in line with its strategy:
- New environments for learning, teaching and research
- Access to electronic resources
- A world-class network - JANET
- Guidance on institutional change
- Advisory and consultancy services
- Regional support for FE colleges - RSCs
Members of the public interested in the work of JISC may also find the websites and publication schemes (where applicable) of the following public authorities of interest due to their close links with the work of JISC.
The Funding Councils that JISC serves:
The four public authorities that employ and host staff on behalf of JISC