Our reference: FOI 23/24-0979
1 May 2024
Emily Lacey
By email: foi+request-11187-84f0f1de@righttoknow.org.au
Dear Emily Lacey
Freedom of Information request — Notification of Decision
Thank you for your correspondence of 02 Mar 2024, in which you requested access to documents held by the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act).
The purpose of this letter is to provide you with a decision on your request.
Scope of your request
You have requested access to the following documents:
“.1. The contents of the “Outcomes Questionnaire” including all of the questions and any selectable or suggested responses. These may also be referred to as the “Short Form Outcomes Framework”, “Short Form Outcomes Form”, or “SFOF”.
There are at least four variations of the Outcomes Questionnaire, with a different version for:
- young children (before starting school)
- children who have commenced school up to age 14
- young people aged 15-24
- adults aged 25 and over
- The contents of the “Family Questionnaire” including all of the questions and any selectable or suggested responses.
There are at least four variations of the Family Questionnaire, with a different version for:
- young children (before starting school)
- children who have commenced school up to age 14
- young people aged 15-24
- adults aged 25 and over..“)
Extension of time
On 28 March 2024, you agreed to a 30-day extension of time under section 15AA of the FOI Act, making 01 May 2024 the new date to provide you with a decision on access.
Decision on access to documents
I am authorised to make decisions under section 23(1) of the FOI Act. My decision on your request and the reasons for my decision are set out below.
I have identified 7 documents, which fall within the scope of your request.
The documents were identified by conducting searches of NDIA’s systems, using all reasonable search terms that could return documents relevant to your request, and consulting with relevant NDIA staff who could be expected to be able to identify documents within the scope of the request.
Please noted during consultation with the subject matter expert for this request we were informed that there are only there are only 3 variations of the family questionnaire (participants aged 0-14, 15-24 and 25+).
I have decided to grant access to 7 documents in full.
In reaching my decision, I took the following into account:
- your correspondence outlining the scope of your request
- the nature and content of the documents falling within the scope of your request
- the FOI Act
- the FOI Guidelines published under section 93A of the FOI Act
Release of documents
The documents for release, as referred to in the Schedule of Documents at Attachment A, are enclosed.
Rights of review
Your rights to seek a review of my decision, or lodge a complaint, are set out at Attachment B.
Should you have any enquiries concerning this matter, please do not hesitate to contact me by email at foi@ndis.gov.au.
Yours sincerely
Nickolas
Senior Freedom of Information Officer
Complaints Management & FOI Branch
General Counsel Division
Attachment A
Schedule of Documents for FOI 23/24-0979
| Document number | Page number | Description | Access Decision |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 - 4 | 1-40 | Short Form Questionnaires: Participants Various Dates | FULL ACCESS |
| 5 - 7 | 41-58 | Short Form Questionnaires: Family Questions Various Dates | FULL ACCESS |
Attachment B
Your review rights
Internal Review
The FOI Act gives you the right to apply for an internal review of this decision. The review will be conducted by a different person to the person who made the original decision.
If you wish to seek an internal review of the decision, you must apply for the review, in writing, within 30 days of receipt of this letter.
No particular form is required for an application for internal review, but to assist the review process, you should clearly outline your grounds for review (that is, the reasons why you disagree with the decision). Applications for internal review can be lodged by email to foi@ndis.gov.au or sent by post to:
Freedom of Information Section
Complaints Management & FOI Branch
General Counsel Division
National Disability Insurance Agency
GPO Box 700
CANBERRA ACT 2601
Review by the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
The FOI Act also gives you the right to apply to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) to seek a review of this decision.
If you wish to have the decision reviewed by the OAIC, you may apply for the review, in writing, or by using the online merits review form available on the OAIC’s website at www.oaic.gov.au, within 60 days of receipt of this letter.
Applications for review can be lodged with the OAIC in the following ways:
- Online: www.oaic.gov.au
- Post: GPO Box 5218, Sydney NSW 2001
- Email: enquiries@oaic.gov.au
- Phone: 1300 363 992 (local call charge)
Complaints to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner or the Commonwealth Ombudsman
You may complain to either the Commonwealth Ombudsman or the OAIC about actions taken by the NDIA in relation to your request. The Ombudsman will consult with the OAIC before investigating a complaint about the handling of an FOI request.
Your complaint to the OAIC can be directed to the contact details identified above. Your complaint to the Ombudsman can be directed to:
- Phone: 1300 362 072 (local call charge)
- Email: ombudsman@ombudsman.gov.au
Your complaint should be in writing and should set out the grounds on which it is considered that the actions taken in relation to the request should be investigated.