BCS Practitioner Certificate in Freedom of Information

On this accelerated BCS Practitioner Certificate in Freedom of Information course, you’ll build an understanding of the different acts and regulations surrounding information, and how they can be instilled.

Over 5 days, you’ll learn essential information practices, how you can prepare clear advice to colleagues and the public, as well as applying legislation in a practical setting relevant to your work. You’ll also build knowledge on:

• Implementing internal management procedures to support freedom of information and environmental information legislation
• The Act and how it interacts with related legislation
• A clear and balanced approach to applying legal judgments in accordance with the law and relevant case law

Part 1: Legislation, codes of practice, and ethics, including:

• Public authorities covered by Freedom of Information, and those not
• Governance structure and the importance of the roles
• FOIA Codes of practice
• The difference between ethics and legislation

Part 2: The Scope and Principles of the Freedom of Information Act

• The purpose of the Freedom of Information Act 2000
• Principles of FOIA legislation
• Schedule 1, amendments, and applications
• FOIA and the Private Sector

Part 3: Obligations and Responsibilities

• Good practice for record management
• Access rights and codes of practice
• Fees, regulations, and other costs associated with a request

Part 4: Disclosure, Non-disclosure, and exemptions

• Types of exemptions
• Prejudice, public interest, and legitimate tests
• Applying exemptions

Part 5: Environmental Information and Personal Data

• Environmental Information Regulations, relevancy, and difference from FOIA
• Principles and lawful decisions with regard to the Data Protection Act

Part 6: Enforcement and Appeals

• Enforcement powers
• Offences related to information disclosure
• The appeals process

You can download the syllabus on the BCS website by clicking here: infosec-freedom-information-syllabus.pdf (bcs.org)

This qualification is likely to be of particular benefit to those working in the following areas: 

• Solicitors advising on information law issues
• Data Protection Officers
• FOI practitioners
• Information governance leads
• Data protection and privacy
• Information governance, risk and compliance
• Data management
• Project management
• Directors/Senior managers with data protection responsibilities
• Legal and procurement

It is also relevant to private sector organisations that are either affected directly by freedom of information and environmental information legislation or indirectly by their contractual relationship with a public authority.

• 12-month BCS Professional membership.
• BCS exam (to be taken when convenient to you).
• Support for 1-month post-course on data protection related matters.
• Sample papers
• Opportunity to network with other professionals.

• Duration: 90 minutes
• Number of questions: 21
• Format: Multiple-choice, multiple-response and scenario-based questions
• Pass mark: 65%
• Languages: English

There are no formal prerequisites for this accelerated course.