Information Publication Scheme

The Information Publication Scheme aims to transform the freedom of information framework from one that responds to individual requests for access to documents to one that requires agencies to take a proactive approach to publishing information.

Information Publication Scheme

The Information Publication Scheme (IPS) provides a legislative framework for the publication of government information. We prepared an agency plan to outline how we will deliver the IPS.

Our agency plan

PM&C is an agency subject to the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act) and must comply with the requirements relating to the Information Publication Scheme (IPS).

We have prepared our IPS agency plan under subsection 8(1) of the FOI Act. This plan includes information about the following:

  • administering our IPS agency plan and compliance review
  • structure of our IPS
  • what we are required to publish
  • other information we publish.

Purpose

This plan is intended to support our compliance with the IPS and promote access to our information through the publication of accurate, up-to-date and complete information, promptly and at the lowest reasonable cost.

Objectives

This plan will set out the procedures to maintain our IPS compliance and how we manage our IPS information holdings.

Administering our IPS agency plan and compliance review

Deputy Secretary Governance and Corporate is responsible for the administration of this plan. The Legal Policy Branch supports the Deputy Secretary in this role. We will review the operation of the IPS in conjunction with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC), with timing of those reviews to be determined in consultation with the OAIC.

The success of the IPS and this plan will be measured by reference to OAIC surveys and public feedback. If you would like to provide us feedback on this plan or our IPS, our contact details are below.

Digital Communications team is responsible for the development and management of our website. Our IPS publication is maintained through our web publication processes and procedures.

Senior officers are responsible for approving the publication of information within their functional area and are supported by the Digital Communications team to meet Australian Government Digital Service Standards and the World Wide Web Consortium’s guidelines.

There is no charge for accessing or downloading information published on the IPS. Where information is requested in an alternate format or to be posted, we may consider a charge. If charges are necessary it will be at the lowest reasonable cost, to reimburse specific reproduction costs or other specific incidental costs. Our freedom of information (FOI) page contains details on how to request access to a document in another format.

Structure of our IPS

We publish information on our website in accordance with this plan. A direct link to our IPS is included on the homepage (www.pmc.gov.au).

Our homepage provides menu options that will take you to information about us, what we do, our programs and initiatives, honours and symbols, and resources we routinely publish. Our homepage also provides direct access to the latest news, identifies our priorities, and allows you to explore a variety of focus areas or view public advice and protocol. Use our homepage search function to find specific information on the website.

Stay up to date by subscribing to our newsletter where we provide updates on new information being published and other activities across government. These newsletters are published on our website.

We are committed to providing a website that is accessible and inclusive. Information is provided in a range of accessible formats and we include links to connect you to resources and information available on other websites, as appropriate. Some items published may not be available in fully accessible formats, such as PDF documents created from scanned documents, documents that contain deletions under the FOI Act and made available on our FOI disclosure log, documents that are out-of-date but provided for historical reference, and charts or tables. 

Information required to be published

We are required to publish this plan and make it accessible as part of the IPS. We have discussed the administration of the plan and where it can be accessed above. 

We provide details of our structure in an organisation chart. This is updated regularly to ensure it is accurate and up to date, the publication date is provided within the document.

You can find information about our functions at:

We publish details of departmental and agency appointments (other than APS employees under the Public Service Act 1999) in accordance with Senate Orders.

We publish our annual reports provided to Parliament and prepared at the end of each financial year.

Find out how you can have a say in policies, legislation and other government programs or initiatives by visiting our consultation arrangements page. You may be provided with links to other websites to make your submission. We also provide information about closed consultations and past consultations.

We publish routinely requested information and our FOI disclosure log, including documents to which we give access in response to FOI requests and information published under section 11C of the FOI Act.

Information about our reports and responses to Parliament can be found at:

Details on how to contact us is provided on our homepage.

You can access information about our operations on the following pages:

Other information we publish

We consider making other information available as part of our IPS publication wherever possible, taking into account the objects of the FOI Act.

The Secretaries Board and Chief Operating Officers Committee routinely publish communiques about their priorities and decisions as part of the IPS.

We have published information about our portfolio and its structure. Links to other entities websites are included.

We have introduced a half-yearly report that provides data on our performance, operations and functions. Links to other relevant publications and information are included.

We publish a range of corporate reports including a gifts and benefits register, legal services expenditure, our APS employee census data and pay and gender data.

We publish information about government administration, including appointments and revocation, acting ministerial arrangements and secretary appointments. 

Information about the programs and initiatives we are working on to deliver the Government’s priorities are made available on our IPS. This can include work related to national strategies, reviews, inquiries and taskforce bodies.

We publish resource materials about Australian flags and national symbols. This includes appropriate resources for children.

You can also check our Resources page for copies of our reports, policy statements, handbooks and other documents which are routinely published.

Contact us about our IPS

Feedback on our IPS plan can be sent to:

Email: foi@pmc.gov.au

Postal address

FOI and Privacy Section 
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
PO Box 6500
CANBERRA ACT 2600

If you have any complaints regarding our IPS publication, please use our contact us form.

You can find out more about the IPS on theOffice of the Australian Information Commissioner website.