Act Now is pleased to announce the launch of its brand new FOI Practitioner Certificate.
This course is one of the first of its kind, in a way that only Act Now delivers – practical, on the ground skills to help you fulfil your role as an FOI Officer.
This new certificate course is ideal for those wishing to acquire detailed knowledge of FOI and related information access legislation (including EIR) in a practical context. It has been designed by leading FOI experts including Ibrahim Hasan and Susan Wolf – formerly a senior lecturer on the University of Northumbria’s LLM in Information
Rights Law.
The course uses the same format as our very successful GDPR Practitioner Certificate. It takes place over four days (one day per week) and involves lectures, discussion and practical drafting exercises. This format has been extremely well received by over 1000 delegates who have completed the course. Time will also be spent at the end of each day discussing what issues delegates may face when implementing/advising on the FOI topics of the day.
The four teaching days are followed by an online assessment and a practical project to be completed within 30 days.
Why is this course different?
- An emphasis on practical application of FOI rather than rote learning
- Lots of real life case studies and exercises
- An emphasis on drafting Refusal Notices
- An online Resource Lab with links, guidance and over 5 hours of videos
- Modern assessment methods rather than a closed book exam
Who should attend?
This course is suitable for anyone working within the public sector who needs to learn about FOI and related legislation in a practical context, as well as those with the requisite knowledge wishing to have it recognised through a formal qualification. It is most suitable for:
- FOI Officers
- Data Protection Officers
- Compliance Officers
- Auditors
- Legal Advisers
Susan, says:
“FOI and EIR are almost 14 years old. Since the Act and Regulations came into force there have been many legal developments and court decisions that have given practitioners a much greater understanding of the legal provisions and how they should be applied in practice. With this in mind, we have written this course to ensure that it equips public sector officers with all the necessary knowledge and skills they need to respond to freedom of information requests accurately and efficiently. This course, with its emphasis on the law in practice, will enable trainees to become more accomplished and confident FOI practitioners”
Susan will share her vast experience gained through years of helping organisations comply with their information rights legislation obligations. This, together with a comprehensive set of course materials and guidance notes, will mean that delegates will not only be in a position to pass the course assessment but to learn valuable skills which they will be able to apply in their workplaces for years to come.
This new course builds on Act Now’s reputation for delivering practical training at an affordable price:
- In December 2012, Act Now was the first company in the UK to launch a dedicated Freedom of Information qualification for the Scottish public sector.
- In March 2014 we launched our very popular DP Practitioner Certificate which was immensely successful and paved the way for our practical qualifications.
- In April 2016 we launched the Foundation Certificate in Information Governance. This was the first fully online certificated course covering data protection, information security, freedom of information and records management.
- In December 2016, we launched our hugely successful GDPR course. The GDPR Practitioner Certificate has been run over 100 times in the last two years with over 1000 delegates attending from all over the world.
- In February 2018 we launched our Certificate in IG for the Health and
Social Care Sector.
This new course widens the choice of qualifications for IG practitioners and advisers. Ibrahim Hasan (Director of Act Now Training) commented:
“We are pleased be able to launch this new qualification. Because of its emphasis on practical skills, we are confident that it will become the qualification of choice for current and future FOI Officers and advisers.”
To learn more please visit our website.
All our courses can be delivered at your premises at a substantially reduced cost.
Contact us for more information.