As a public authority YPO has an obligation to provide public access to certain information we hold. This obligation is set out in several pieces of legislation, and in supporting guidance and codes of practice, in particular:
• Freedom of Information Act 2000
• The Environmental Information Regulations 2004
• Local government transparency code 2015
• Procurement Act 2023
• Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) Model Publication Scheme
The main principle behind this legislation and supporting guidance is that people have a right to know about the activities of public authorities unless there is a good reason for them not to. This is described as a presumption or assumption in favour of disclosure. A secondary principle is that where public authority spending is open to public scrutiny, this can help to combat fraud.
To meet its obligations YPO publishes an Access to Information Policy that sets out how YPO meets its obligations under the legislation. This document is divided into three sections:
• Part 1 Freedom of Information Act 2000 (and Appendix 1)
• Part 2 Environmental Information Regulations 2004 (and Appendix 2)
• Part 3 ICO Model Publication Scheme
• Part 4 Local Government Transparency Code 2015 and the Procurement Act 2023
The Access to Information and Transparency Policy does not give individuals access to their own personal data. In the UK access to your own personal data can be made using a Data Subject Access Request (DSAR). Guidance on how to make a DSAR can be found on the Privacy Policy page of YPO’s website (Section 11).
Freedom of Information Act 2000 and Environmental Information Regulations 2004
The policy provides guidance on how to make a request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004; how we will respond to a request for information; under what circumstances we may refuse a request for information; and how to appeal if the person making the request is dissatisfied with our decision.
ICO Model Publication Scheme
By adopting the ICO’s Model Publication Scheme, YPO has set out its high level commitment to proactively publish information that falls into seven categories or classes:
• Who we are and what we do
• What we spend and how we spend it
• What our priorities are and how we’re doing
• How we make decisions
• Our policies and procedures (including those we publish to comply with our public sector status and our customer care and commercial policies)
• Lists and registers
• The services we offer
Local Government Transparency Code 2015 and the Procurement Act 2023
In accordance with the Transparency Code YPO publishes the following information annually:
• Constitution
• Organisation chart
• Senior salaries
• Pay multiples
• Trade union facility time
• Information about our counter fraud work
• Information about our land and building assets
YPO also publishes the following information quarterly:
• Expenditure exceeding £500
• Government procurement card transactions
• Procurement information
YPO publishes further information on procurement on Atamis Transparency in Public Procurement Atamis - Commercial Management System (CMS)