Staff numbers - FOI Section
Dear Department of Veterans' Affairs,
I am seeking the number of full time equivalent, (FTE), staff working in DVA’s FOI Section as at 31 December 2020 and 31 December 2022.
I require the numbers to be broken up into the following categories, namely:
: Number of permanent DVA staff, and
: Number of contractors.
I further require the number of contractors to be broken up into their source, e.g. each external recruiting company and each external law firm.
Yours faithfully,
Alan ASHMORE
Dear Mr Ashmore,
The Department of Veterans' Affairs (the department) has received your
request for access to information under the Freedom of Information Act
1982 (FOI Act). I note you have requested access to the following:
‘I am seeking the number of full time equivalent, (FTE), staff working in
DVA's FOI Section as at 31 December 2020 and 31 December 2022.
I require the numbers to be broken up into the following categories,
namely:
: Number of permanent DVA staff, and
: Number of contractors.
I further require the number of contractors to be broken up into their
source, e.g. each external recruiting company and each external law firm.’
Your request was received by the department on 15 March 2023 and the
ordinary 30 day statutory period for processing your request commenced
from the day after that date.
Extension of Time
Due to an increase in the number of information access applications
currently being received by the department, we are asking your agreement
to an extension of time for a further 30 days to process this request
under section 15AA of the FOI Act. This would mean that your request is
due on 15 May 2023.
If we are in a position to make a decision on your request earlier than
this date, we will endeavour to do so.
The statutory period may also be extended if we need to consult third
parties or for other reasons permitted under the FOI Act. We will advise
you if this happens.
If you do agree we will notify the Office of the Australian Information
Commissioner (OAIC) of your agreement under section 15AA of the FOI Act.
Charges
The Department will notify you within 14 days of an estimate of the
charges that will apply to your request for non-personal information
before we process any requested documents or impose a final charge.
Your address
The FOI Act requires that you provide us with an address that we can send
notices to. You have advised your email address is
[1][FOI #10067 email]. Unless you tell us
otherwise, we will send all notices and correspondence to this address.
Disclosure log
Information released under the FOI Act may be published on a disclosure
log on our website, subject to certain exceptions. These exceptions
include where publication of personal, business, professional or
commercial information would be unreasonable.
Request to treat certain material as out of scope or irrelevant to the
request
To the extent the department has documents in its possession that fall
within the scope of your request, we intend to treat the following
information as out of scope or irrelevant to your request, pursuant to
section 22(1)(b)(ii) of the FOI Act:
1. The surnames, signatures and direct contact details of non-SES
Commonwealth employees and contractors, including clinical staff working
for Open Arms - Veterans & Families Counselling; and
2. The signatures of third party individuals.
If you agree to the department treating these details as irrelevant, and
to our request for an extension of time, please advise by 23 March 2023.
Further assistance
If you have any questions about your request, please email
[2][DVA request email].
Regards
Information Access Registrations Officer
Information Access Unit / Client Access and Rehabilitation Branch
Client Engagement and Support Services Division
Department of Veterans’ Affairs
1800 VETERAN (1800 838 372)
[3][DVA request email]
[4]www.dva.gov.au
[5]cid:image002.png@01D7B6E3.69D49590[6]cid:image003.png@01D7B6E3.69D49590[7]cid:image004.png@01D7B6E3.69D49590[8]cid:image005.png@01D7B6E3.69D49590
[9]cid:image008.jpg@01D8EA24.8F7FA8A0
[10]cid:image009.jpg@01D8EA24.8F7FA8A0
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[FOI #10067 email]
2. mailto:[DVA request email]
3. mailto:[DVA request email]
4. http://www.dva.gov.au/
5. https://www.facebook.com/DVAAus
6. https://twitter.com/DVAAus
7. https://au.linkedin.com/company/australi...
8. https://www.youtube.com/DVATVAus
Dear INFORMATION.ACCESS,
I note your response of 16 March 2023 where you stated, “due to an increase in the number of information access applications being received by the department, we are asking your agreement to an extension of time for a further 30 days to process this request …………”
I note the Information Commissioner’s guideline 3.13 that states, “Agencies should ensure a sufficient number of officers are authorised at appropriate senior levels to make both original and internal review decisions.”
I understand there has been an increase in the number of FOI applications and note DVA were initially given an additional $28.9m to cover the increased staff costs associated with the Royal Commission. One would assume DVA’s FOI Section would have been the beneficiary of some of this additional funding.
I would be staggered if most of the information requested was not already part of a report to Management and therefore readily available.
Accordingly, I do not agree to this extension of time.
Yours sincerely,
Alan ASHMORE
Dear INFORMATION.ACCESS,
Thanks for the following email sent to my private email address on Friday 30 March 2023.
I note you required me to respond by COB on 3 April 2023. I have been away and offline.
I am responding via righttoknow as for the last 10 months many, but not all my emails to DVA, have been going to spam.
I agree to revise the scope of my request as outlined in your email, i.e. from DVA’s FOI Section TO DVA’s National Information Access Processing Team.
Regards,
ALAN ASHMORE
Dear Mr Ashmore,
I refer to your request, received by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (the Department) on 15 March 2023, for access under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act) to the following:
‘…I am seeking the number of full time equivalent, (FTE), staff working in DVA’s FOI Section as at 31 December 2020 and 31 December 2022.
I require the numbers to be broken up into the following categories, namely:
: Number of permanent DVA staff, and
: Number of contractors.
I further require the number of contractors to be broken up into their source, e.g. each external recruiting company and each external law firm...'
I am the processing officer with carriage of your request and would like to advise you that the Department does not have an FOI section.
The Department had a National Information Access Processing Team that was renamed to Information Access Unit in March 2022 and this team/unit, process a variety of requests under Administration Access, Privacy, Freedom of Information, DRCA (s59), and MRCA (s331).
Would you like me to revise the scope of your request to the following –
‘…I am seeking the number of full time equivalent, (FTE), staff working in DVA’s National Information Access Processing Team as at 31 December 2020 and DVA’s Information Access Unit 31 December 2022.
I require the numbers to be broken up into the following categories, namely:
: Number of permanent DVA staff, and
: Number of contractors.
I further require the number of contractors to be broken up into their source, e.g. each external recruiting company and each external law firm...'
Can you please advise if the above revised scope is acceptable by COB 3 April 2023 by replying to this email.
Kind regards
Natalie | Senior Information Access Officer
Position Number 62211022
Information Access Unit I Client Access and RehabilitationBranch
Client Engage and Support Services Division
Department of Veterans’ Affairs
Tel. 1800 VETERAN (1800 838 372)
[email address]
Thank you for your email. Please accept this automatic reply as
confirmation the Information Access Unit has received your email. An IA
Officer will contact you in due course, we appreciate your patience in the
interim.
This email is monitored during business hours Monday to Friday excluding
Public Holidays.
The Open Arms Veterans & Families Counselling service is available to
support members of the veteran and ex-service community and their families
and can be contacted toll free on 1800 011 046 (24/7). This number is for
counselling only. If you require urgent assistance, please call 000. If
you are unwell, please contact your local doctor or go to your nearest
hospital. You can also visit the Open Arms
website [1]https://www.openarms.gov.au/
References
Visible links
1. https://www.openarms.gov.au/%0dThe%20Saf...
Dear Department of Veterans' Affairs,
This FOI request is now a week overdue having exceeded the 30 days timeline to finalise.
: It was lodged on 15 March 2023,
: Your request of 16 March 2023 to extend another 30 days, and
: My 16 March 2023 rejection of your request for reasons previously stated.
I now ask that you expedite this overdue FOI request by no later than Friday 28 April 2023. Failure to do so will leave me with no alternative but to accept Senator Lambie's invitation to prepare questions for her for the next Senate Estimates in a few weeks time.
Yours faithfully,
Alan ASHMORE
Thank you for your email. Please accept this automatic reply as
confirmation the Information Access Unit has received your email. An IA
Officer will contact you in due course, we appreciate your patience in the
interim.
This email is monitored during business hours Monday to Friday excluding
Public Holidays.
The Open Arms Veterans & Families Counselling service is available to
support members of the veteran and ex-service community and their families
and can be contacted toll free on 1800 011 046 (24/7). This number is for
counselling only. If you require urgent assistance, please call 000. If
you are unwell, please contact your local doctor or go to your nearest
hospital. You can also visit the Open Arms
website [1]https://www.openarms.gov.au/
References
Visible links
1. https://www.openarms.gov.au/%0dThe%20Saf...
Dear Department of Veterans' Affairs,
Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.
I am writing to request an internal review of Department of Veterans' Affairs's handling of my FOI request 'Staff numbers - FOI Section'.
My FOI request is now more than SIXTY DAYS OLD. It is a VERY SIMPLE FOI REQUEST.
As noted previously I have contacted Senator Jackie Lambie and requested she ask a specific question about the delays in finalising FOI's according to Australian LAW.
I am prepared, as an act of goodwill, to advise Senator Lambie, if this FOI request is finalised by no later than Friday 19 May 2023 otherwise I will advise her of this further delay.
I am sure the new Secretary will not be happy if she is asked questions about Information Access at Senate Estimates later this month.
A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.righttoknow.org.au/request/s...
Yours faithfully,
Alan ASHMORE
Thank you for your email. Please accept this automatic reply as
confirmation the Information Access Unit has received your email. An IA
Officer will contact you in due course, we appreciate your patience in the
interim.
This email is monitored during business hours Monday to Friday excluding
Public Holidays.
The Open Arms Veterans & Families Counselling service is available to
support members of the veteran and ex-service community and their families
and can be contacted toll free on 1800 011 046 (24/7). This number is for
counselling only. If you require urgent assistance, please call 000. If
you are unwell, please contact your local doctor or go to your nearest
hospital. You can also visit the Open Arms
website [1]https://www.openarms.gov.au/
References
Visible links
1. https://www.openarms.gov.au/%0dThe%20Saf...
Dear Mr Ashmore,
I would like to apologise for the delay in issuing this decision to you
and any inconvenience it may have caused.
Please refer to the attached documentation and contact me via email
([email address]) if I can be of further assistance.
Kind regards
Natalie | Senior Information Access Officer
Position Number 62211022
Information Access Unit I Client Access and RehabilitationBranch
Client Engage and Support Services Division
Department of Veterans’ Affairs
Tel. 1800 VETERAN (1800 838 372)
[1][email address]
[2]www.dva.gov.au
[3]cid:image002.png@01D7B6E3.69D49590[4]cid:image003.png@01D7B6E3.69D49590[5]cid:image004.png@01D7B6E3.69D49590[6]cid:image005.png@01D7B6E3.69D49590
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. http://www.dva.gov.au/
3. https://www.facebook.com/DVAAus
4. https://twitter.com/DVAAus
5. https://au.linkedin.com/company/australi...
6. https://www.youtube.com/DVATVAus
Dear Mr Ashmore,
Thank you for your email below in relation to LEX 56618. On behalf of the Department, I would like to apologise for the delay in replying.
The Department issued a Decision in relation to your request on 19 May 2023.
As the Department has completed your request, could you please advise whether you no longer require a review on this request?
Kind regards
Natalie | Senior Information Access Officer
Position Number 62211022
Information Access Unit I Client Access and RehabilitationBranch
Client Engage and Support Services Division
Department of Veterans’ Affairs
Tel. 1800 VETERAN (1800 838 372)
[email address]
www.dva.gov.au
-----Original Message-----
From: Alan ASHMORE <[FOI #10067 email]>
Sent: Tuesday, 16 May 2023 7:30 AM
To: INFORMATION.ACCESS <[email address]>
Subject: Internal review of Freedom of Information request - Staff numbers - FOI Section
Dear Department of Veterans' Affairs,
Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.
I am writing to request an internal review of Department of Veterans' Affairs's handling of my FOI request 'Staff numbers - FOI Section'.
My FOI request is now more than SIXTY DAYS OLD. It is a VERY SIMPLE FOI REQUEST.
As noted previously I have contacted Senator Jackie Lambie and requested she ask a specific question about the delays in finalising FOI's according to Australian LAW.
I am prepared, as an act of goodwill, to advise Senator Lambie, if this FOI request is finalised by no later than Friday 19 May 2023 otherwise I will advise her of this further delay.
I am sure the new Secretary will not be happy if she is asked questions about Information Access at Senate Estimates later this month.
A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.righttoknow.org.au/request/s...
Yours faithfully,
Alan ASHMORE
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #10067 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.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear INFORMATION.ACCESS,
I am requesting the review continue as this FOI request was way, way overtime.
Yours sincerely,
Alan ASHMORE
Thank you for your email. Please accept this automatic reply as
confirmation the Information Access Unit has received your email. An IA
Officer will contact you in due course, we appreciate your patience in the
interim.
This email is monitored during business hours Monday to Friday excluding
Public Holidays.
The Open Arms Veterans & Families Counselling service is available to
support members of the veteran and ex-service community and their families
and can be contacted toll free on 1800 011 046 (24/7). This number is for
counselling only. If you require urgent assistance, please call 000. If
you are unwell, please contact your local doctor or go to your nearest
hospital. You can also visit the Open Arms
website [1]https://www.openarms.gov.au/
References
Visible links
1. https://www.openarms.gov.au/%0dThe%20Saf...
Dear Mr Ashmore,
The Department of Veterans' Affairs (the department) has received your
request for internal review of the Department's decision LEX 58231 under
the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act). Your internal review
request reads as follows:
'I am writing to request an internal review of Department of Veterans'
Affairs’ handling of my FOI request 'Staff numbers - FOI Section'.''
Your request for internal review was received by the department on 16 May
2023 and the 30 day statutory period for processing your request
commenced from the day after that date.
Where possible, your request for internal review will be handled by an FOI
officer authorised decision-maker who was not involved in the original
decision.
Your address
The FOI Act requires that you provide us with an address that we can send
notices to. You have advised your electronic address is
[1][FOI #10067 email] . Unless you tell us
otherwise, we will send all notices and correspondence to this address.
Disclosure log
Information released under the FOI Act may be published on a disclosure
log on our website, subject to certain exceptions. These exceptions
include where publication of personal, business, professional or
commercial information would be unreasonable.
Further assistance
If you have any questions about your request, please email
[2][DVA request email]
Yours sincerely
Kevin Position Number – 62210946
Information Access Officer
Information Access Unit I Client Access and Rehabilitation Branch
Client Engagement and Support Services Division
Department of Veterans’ Affairs
1800 VETERAN (1800 838 372)
[3][DVA request email]
[4]www.dva.gov.au
[5]cid:image002.png@01D7B6E3.69D49590[6]cid:image003.png@01D7B6E3.69D49590[7]cid:image004.png@01D7B6E3.69D49590[8]cid:image005.png@01D7B6E3.69D49590
[9]cid:image008.jpg@01D8EA24.8F7FA8A0
[10]cid:image009.jpg@01D8EA24.8F7FA8A0
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[FOI #10067 email]
2. mailto:[DVA request email]
3. mailto:[DVA request email]
4. http://www.dva.gov.au/
5. https://www.facebook.com/DVAAus
6. https://twitter.com/DVAAus
7. https://au.linkedin.com/company/australi...
8. https://www.youtube.com/DVATVAus
Dear Mr Ashmore,
I refer to your request for an internal review of LEX 56618 to the
Department of Veterans’ Affairs (Department) – LEX 58231.
Please find the Department’s response attached.
Kind regards
Ramona | Assistant Director
Position Number: 62336362
Information Access Unit I Client Access and Rehabilitation Branch
Client Engagement and Support Services Division
Department of Veterans’ Affairs
Tel 1800 838 372 (1800 VETERAN)
e [1][email address]
[2]www.dva.gov.au
[3]cid:image002.png@01D7B6E3.69D49590[4]cid:image003.png@01D7B6E3.69D49590[5]cid:image004.png@01D7B6E3.69D49590[6]cid:image005.png@01D7B6E3.69D49590
[7]cid:image009.jpg@01D8EDC8.743A0070
[8]cid:image010.jpg@01D8EDC8.743A0070
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. http://www.dva.gov.au/
3. https://www.facebook.com/DVAAus
4. https://twitter.com/DVAAus
5. https://au.linkedin.com/company/australi...
6. https://www.youtube.com/DVATVAus