Campaigners offered free guide on Freedom of Information Act 1

Governance | Tania Mason | 13 Oct 2010

The NCVO has launched a guide on using the Freedom of Information Act as a campaigning tool.

The guide cites five case studies from organisations that have successfully used the Act to further their cause – Bliss, TreeHouse, Corner House, Campaign for Clean Air in London and Campaign Against Arms Trade – and features the findings of a survey of 45 campaigning charities.

These organisations were polled on their experiences of using the Act, how familiar they were with it, what benefits it could bring and the challenges involved in using it.

There is also a section on appeals, a list of exemptions and useful resources.

A spokeswoman for NCVO said: “While the FoI has been used significantly by voluntary organisations in campaigning, there is a potential for higher uptake, and the sector is at the cutting edge of using the Act in campaigning.”

Directory: National Council of Voluntary Organisations (NCVO)

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Philip Hadley
Research Projects Officer
NCVO
14 Oct 2010

Great news piece. As the guide's author, I thought I would mention that the guide can be downloaded for free at the following URL:

http://www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/yourrighttoknow

Ontop of Tania's remarks, I would also just like to mention that our crucial finding was that FOI is a very powerful and versatile campaigning tool, if used effectively. It can transform a campaign in developing its content and can further its reach through advocacy work - at a local or national level.

There are challenges to using FOI, but these are outweighed by the huge campaign gains you can stand to win - as the guide illustrates through the case studies Tania notes above.

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