Dear National Disability Insurance Agency,

I, Rob Stewart, am requesting access to documents under the Freedom of Information Act 1982. Specifically, I am seeking:

All active Memorandum of Understanding, Heads of Agreement, Data Sharing Agreements, and Service Contracts that result in the sharing of NDIS data, even if de-identified. I am looking for similar documents for programs and agreements that ceased within the last 10 years or are still active.

I prefer to receive these documents electronically via the Right to Know system by responding to the email through which this request has been sent.

Thank you for your attention to this request. I look forward to your prompt response.

Yours faithfully,

Rob Stewart

foi, National Disability Insurance Agency

Thank you for your email to the National Disability Insurance Agency
(NDIA) Freedom of Information (FOI) team.
Please note: due to a high volume of requests, our ability to respond to
you in a timely manner may be affected. We will action your request as
soon as possible and will endeavour to process your matter within the
legislative deadlines. We may need to seek your agreement to an extension
of time. We appreciate your understanding if this is required.
Participant Information
Did you know the NDIA has other ways to access the documents and
information that we hold?

Participants, Guardians and Nominees can obtain copies of some participant
information through our National Contact Centre (NCC). For more
information about what’s available through the NCC, please contact 1800
800 110.
Please visit our [1]Access to Information webpage to find out more about
accessing information through:

* The [2]Participant Information Access (PIA) scheme
* The [3]Information Publication Scheme (IPS)
* The [4]myplace portal for participants   
* The [5]myplace portal for providers

Access to Data
You can also request data and statistics. Please visit our [6]Data and
insights webpage page for further information.
If you are able to obtain your information from a source listed above, you
can withdraw your FOI request by emailing [7][NDIA request email]

Further Information
Information about how to make an FOI request can be found on our website:
[8]Freedom of Information
Should you have a query unrelated to FOI, please contact the Agency by
email at [9][email address] or via webchat at [10]ndis.gov.au.
Alternatively, you can also contact us by phoning 1800 800 110.
Kind regards   

Freedom of Information Team 

Complaints Management & FOI Branch

General Counsel Division 

National Disability Insurance Agency 

E [11][NDIA request email]  

  

The NDIA acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout
Australia and their continuing connection to land, sea and community. We
pay our respects to them and their cultures and to Elders past, present
and emerging. 

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foi, National Disability Insurance Agency

3 Attachments

 

Good afternoon Rob Stewart

 

Thank you for your email below.

 

Before registering your request in our FOI database, I need some clarity
around the scope, as in its current form, I am not able to commence
searches as I am unsure of what you are seeking.

 

 1. With regards to data sharing, what type of data are you referring to
and to who or what other agencies?
 2. With regards to the list of document types you have provided, are you
seeking access to any and all agreements, including preliminary
agreements around data sharing? I note that we do not necessarily
refer to documents in the same manner you have stated but ‘all’
agreements would cover all document types.
 3. With regards to time frame, are you seeking any data sharing
agreements that are active AS WELL AS any data sharing agreements that
ceased within the last 10 years?

 

By clarifying your request and limiting the scope to specific documents, I
will better be able to process your request in a timely manner.

 

I look forward to your response by 15 March 2024.

 

Kind regards

 

 

Jennifer

Senior Freedom of Information Officer

Government, Risk & Legal – Complaints Management and FOI

General Counsel Division

National Disability Insurance Agency

T: (07) 1800 800 110

E: [1][NDIA request email]

 

[2]Title: NDIS delivered by the National Disability Insurance Agency

[3]LGBTIQA+ rainbow graphic

The NDIA acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout
Australia and their continuing connection to land, sea and community. We
pay our respects to them and their cultures and to Elders past, present
and emerging.

[4]Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags graphic

 

 

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Rob Stewart <[5][FOI #11224 email]>
Sent: Monday, March 11, 2024 7:27 PM
To: foi <[6][NDIA request email]>
Subject: Freedom of Information request - Data Matching Info

 

[You don't often get email from
[7][FOI #11224 email]. Learn why this is
important at [8]https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentific... ]

 

Dear National Disability Insurance Agency,

 

I, Rob Stewart, am requesting access to documents under the Freedom of
Information Act 1982. Specifically, I am seeking:

 

All active Memorandum of Understanding, Heads of Agreement, Data Sharing
Agreements, and Service Contracts that result in the sharing of NDIS data,
even if de-identified. I am looking for similar documents for programs and
agreements that ceased within the last 10 years or are still active.

 

I prefer to receive these documents electronically via the Right to Know
system by responding to the email through which this request has been
sent.

 

Thank you for your attention to this request. I look forward to your
prompt response.

 

Yours faithfully,

 

Rob Stewart

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

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[9][FOI #11224 email]

 

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requests to National Disability Insurance Agency? If so, please contact us
using this form:

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This request has been made by an individual using Right to Know. This
message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet.
More information on how Right to Know works can be found at:

[12]https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlo...

 

Please note that in some cases publication of requests and responses will
be delayed.

 

If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web
manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.

 

 

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References

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Dear foi,

1. With regards to data sharing, what type of data are you referring to
and to who or what other agencies?

Any data that is in common with the NDIA, but including Health, Tax, Home Affairs, Education, Employment, State and Federal data - just a brief understanding of what it is and how it is being used would suffice.

2. With regards to the list of document types you have provided, are you
seeking access to any and all agreements, including preliminary
agreements around data sharing? I note that we do not necessarily
refer to documents in the same manner you have stated but ‘all’
agreements would cover all document types.

All.

3. With regards to time frame, are you seeking any data sharing
agreements that are active AS WELL AS any data sharing agreements that
ceased within the last 10 years?

Current and data sharing that has ceased within past five years. Thank you.

Yours sincerely,

Rob Stewart

foi, National Disability Insurance Agency

1 Attachment

Good afternoon Rob

Please note that at this stage your application is still not clear enough to meet the requirements of section 15(2)(b) of the FOI Act. Additionally, given the breath of documentation and time frame you are seeking, the scope is also too large for us to tackle in its current form. Please define what information it is you are seeking access to with as much detail as possible. To assist you with this, please see additional comments below.

DATA is such a broad term, noting that computer data is information in a form that can be processed by a computer. So, without clarity on what type of data you are referring to, we are unable to commence searches. To assist you with this aspect of your request, do you mean Participant information? and if so, what type of participant information? Or are you referring to information such as facts and numbers used to analyse something or make decisions?

Additionally - can you specify what entities you are referring to as "any data that is in common with the NDIA" is unclear and requires interpretation and speculation which is outside of the FOI process. As you have itemised some government agencies in your response below, I take it that you are you referring to State, Territory and Federal Government departments?

Please note, the FOI process is a mechanism for requesting information in existence at the time of the request rather than a mechanism for answering questions or providing explanations. Therefore a request for "a brief understanding of what is said and how it is being used" would be seen as providing an explanation - and so is not a valid scope under the FOI Act.

Further information
In a genuine attempt to assist you with access to some information, I have attached the Information sharing protocol documents with States and Territories as well as a link to our website that clearly steps out the NDIA's processes when sharing information with third parties.

https://www.ndis.gov.au/understanding/nd...

If I can be of further assistance, please feel free to reach out. Alternatively, if you still wish to progress an FOI application then please respond with more precise searchable scope terms. for documents in existence,
please respond to this email at your convenience.

Kind regards

Jennifer (JFD472)
Senior Freedom of Information Officer
Government, Risk & Legal - Complaints Management and FOI
General Counsel Division
National Disability Insurance Agency
T: (07) 1800 800 110
E: [NDIA request email]

The NDIA acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and their continuing connection to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to them and their cultures and to Elders past, present and emerging.

-----Original Message-----
From: Rob Stewart <[FOI #11224 email]>
Sent: Thursday, May 30, 2024 2:41 PM
To: foi <[NDIA request email]>
Subject: Re: Freedom of Information request - Data Matching Info - clarity of scope [SEC=OFFICIAL]

Dear foi,

1. With regards to data sharing, what type of data are you referring to

and to who or what other agencies?

Any data that is in common with the NDIA, but including Health, Tax, Home Affairs, Education, Employment, State and Federal data - just a brief understanding of what it is and how it is being used would suffice.

2. With regards to the list of document types you have provided, are you seeking access to any and all agreements, including preliminary agreements around data sharing? I note that we do not necessarily refer to documents in the same manner you have stated but 'all' agreements would cover all document types.

All.

3. With regards to time frame, are you seeking any data sharing agreements that are active AS WELL AS any data sharing agreements that ceased within the last 10 years?

Current and data sharing that has ceased within past five years. Thank you.

Yours sincerely,

Rob Stewart

-----Original Message-----

Good afternoon Rob Stewart

Thank you for your email below.

Before registering your request in our FOI database, I need some clarity around the scope, as in its current form, I am not able to commence searches as I am unsure of what you are seeking.

1. With regards to data sharing, what type of data are you referring to and to who or what other agencies?

2. With regards to the list of document types you have provided, are you seeking access to any and all agreements, including preliminary agreements around data sharing? I note that we do not necessarily refer to documents in the same manner you have stated but 'all' agreements would cover all document types.

3. With regards to time frame, are you seeking any data sharing agreements that are active AS WELL AS any data sharing agreements that ceased within the last 10 years?

By clarifying your request and limiting the scope to specific documents, I will better be able to process your request in a timely manner. I look forward to your response by 15 March 2024.

Kind regards

Jennifer

Senior Freedom of Information Officer

Government, Risk & Legal - Complaints Management and FOI

General Counsel Division

National Disability Insurance Agency

T: (07) 1800 800 110

E: [1][NDIA request email]

[2]Title: NDIS delivered by the National Disability Insurance Agency

[3]LGBTIQA+ rainbow graphic

The NDIA acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout

Australia and their continuing connection to land, sea and community. We

pay our respects to them and their cultures and to Elders past, present

and emerging.

[4]Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags graphic

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:

[FOI #11224 email]

This request has been made by an individual using Right to Know. This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. More information on how Right to Know works can be found at:

https://www.righttoknow.org.au/help/offi...

Please note that in some cases publication of requests and responses will be delayed.

If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.
-------------------------------------------------------------------

********************************************************************** IMPORTANT: This e-mail is for the use of the intended recipient only and may contain information that is confidential, commercially valuable and/or subject to legal or parliamentary privilege. If you are not the intended recipient you are notified that any review, re-transmission, disclosure, dissemination or other use of, or taking of any action in reliance upon, this information is prohibited and may result in severe penalties. If you have received this e-mail in error please notify the sender immediately and delete all electronic and hard copies of this transmission together with any attachments. Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail **********************************************************************

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