Tag: ISEB

Act Now Launches NEW Practical Data Protection Qualification

Act Now Training Limited is pleased to announce the launch of the Act Now Data Protection Practitioner Certificate.

This is a new qualification for those who work with Data Protection and privacy issues on a day-to-day basis. With an emphasis on practical DP issues and looking ahead to the proposed EU Data Protection Regulation, we are confident that this certificate will become the qualification of choice for those new to Data Protection as well as experienced practitioners who wish to have their expertise recognised through a formal qualification.

The course syllabus has been designed in consultation with an independent exam board of well-known data protection experts from the public and the private sector in the UK and Europe. It is intended to give candidates a balanced view and understanding of data protection law and everything they need to know to manage the Data Protection Life Cycle. Candidates will also gain a head start in understanding and implementing the proposed EU Data Protection Regulation (expected to be finalised in 2015).

WHY THIS COURSE IS DIFFERENT

  • Emphasis on practical application of DP law
  • Teaches practical skills to manage the DP lifecycle including
    DP Audits and Privacy Impact Assessments
  • Online resource lab with videos, quizzes and additional resources
  • Choice of online seminars in addition to face to face learning
  • Assessments testing practical knowledge not rote learning
  • Covers proposed EU Data Protection Regulation
  • Materials include a free DP Template Policy Pack (normally £99 plus vat)

Our expert speakers will share their practical experience gained through years of helping organisations comply with their DP obligations. This, together with exclusive access to our online resource lab, will mean that candidates will not only be in a position to pass the assessments but to learn valuable skills which they will be able to apply in their workplace for years to come.

The course takes place over four days (one day per week) and involves lectures, assessments and exercises. This is followed by some online training sessions and a written assessment. Candidates are then required to complete a practical project (in their own time) to achieve the certificate.

This new course builds on Act Now’s reputation for delivering practical training at an affordable price. We were the first company in the UK to launch a dedicated Freedom of Information qualification for the Scottish public sector. The Act Now Practitioner Certificate in Freedom of Information (Scotland) is endorsed by the Centre for FOI. Professor Kevin Dunion is Executive Director of the Centre. He was previously the Scottish Information Commissioner.

Act Now Training will continue to deliver the BCS Certificate in Data Protection of which it is one of the leading providers. This new course widens the choice for DP practitioners and advisers. Commenting on the launch, Paul Simpkins (Director of Act Now Training) said:

“I am pleased be able to launch this new practical DP qualification which will also prepare delegates for the big changes in the future in the shape of the proposed EU Data Protection Regulation. Act Now will continue to watch developments in Europe with a view to updating the course syllabus. In time we hope to establish this qualification’s reputation throughout Europe.”

To learn more about this new qualification please see our website or download the flyer.

FOISA Practitioner Course: A Successful Candidate’s Observations

Donald Maclean, Freedom of Information and Data Protection Officer at Perth College, recently successfully completed our certificated course; the Practitioner Certificate in the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002. Here Donald shares his experience and tips for future delegates:

I undertook this course in 2013, and was delighted to see a course that offered certification, and training days that were spread out over 5-6 weeks, which made it much more manageable in terms of my employer’s willingness to sign up for it.

The venue was lovely (overlooking Princes St Gardens in Edinburgh) and the quality of the training was first rate. The trainer (Tim Turner) had a plan, but was willing to take a tangent to address individual issues raised by participants. These tangents, and the highlighting of issues that arise in different types of public authorities, were amongst the most interesting aspects of the course. Examination of the law itself, and how it applies in reality, was detailed, accurate and certainly widened my understanding of the law. Information Commissioner decisions, related to individual aspects of the law, were particularly useful and enlightening.

The course helped me immensely in my job: in terms of added knowledge, procedural aspects, and confidence that decisions and replies would bear scrutiny if examined or challenged. Some aspects of FOISA procedure were altered after this course, to ensure that procedure would lead to the most appropriate and legally sound treatment of FOISA requests. I still keep course materials close to hand, and do still refer to them at times.

Feedback was supplied to my HR department and line manager, and I was able to report that I considered the course to be excellent value for money. Certification was useful in terms of acknowledgement of CPD activities, and also for my professional status.

I tended not to worry too much about the exam. It was made clear that if we did the required reading and familiarised ourselves with course materials and Information Commissioner decisions, we would have the knowledge necessary to pass the exam. So, I did the homework, read the course materials, and paid attention to the content of the Commissioner’s decisions. On the odd occasion during the exam when I drew a blank, I suspect it was due to age and failing memory. The only part of the course I struggled with was the interpretation of the case studies for the projects. I found it difficult to settle on an approach to the case studies, without getting so wide in scope that several scenarios would be required. Once I settled on a case study, and thought about the best approach, everything flowed fairly freely after that.

For future candidates I would recommend the following:

  • Do the homework.
  • Remain focussed during training sessions.
  • Read the course materials, particularly the procedural and exemptions materials.
  • Learn to pick up the key messages and facts being discussed, and note them briefly in your course materials.
  • Pay close attention to the reasoning included in Commissioner’s decisions, particularly when undertaking the project.
  • Ask questions. You usually get a pertinent and helpful reply, and it encourages group discussion.
  • Don’t worry about the exam. If you’ve listened, discussed and read course materials, you will be fine.
  • Enjoy the course and the access to expertise.

The Practitioner Certificate in the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 is suitable for the FOISA novice as well as the experienced practitioner. Thus far we have had very strong candidates from a variety of backgrounds.

If you’re considering joining the course, what can you expect? Read what the tutor has to say and have a go at the FOISA test.

BCS Data Protection Course – How I Passed

Sarah Browne, Information Compliance and Records Management Assistant at Greater Manchester Police, recently passed the BCS (ISEB) Certificate in Data Protection exam with Act Now. These are her top tips for passing:

  • Give up any notions of a social life for 2 months – I did it – My friends and boyfriend supported my decision, because they knew how important it was to me.
  • Let the fear guide you – How many times do you really want to do the three hour exam???  Revise hard so failure isn’t an option.
  • Speak to those in the know – I’d only worked in Data Protection for six months when I began the course, so I ran anything I was unsure about by my colleagues, boss, and of course my Act Now trainer.  The more you talk to people, the more you’ll begin to understand the tricky concepts, and how they fit into the bigger picture.
  • Get your mitts on revision materials – I lent DP books from my local library (Peter Carey, Data Protection (3rd edition), and Data Protection and Compliance in Context by BCS were invaluable).
  • You can’t get around reading the Act I’m afraid – Filter your reading.  Start with maybe a text book explanation, then Act Now notes, then crack open the Act.
  • Rewrite the Act – To remember the Sections and Subsections (and very late on in my revision when I understood everything, but needed to memorise key parts), I spent one beautiful Saturday rewriting the Data Protection Act. I summarised all the key sections as an aide-memoir to the Act itself.  From then on, I had a 6 page document with the answers to pretty much any question the exam could throw at me.
  • Flash cards – A great way to punish your friends and loved ones for all their support – make them test you!!!  (They’ll hate you, my boyfriend actually said the words “I want to die” while going through my 100+ card pile, but by the same stretch he now knows the definition of consent off by heart because I do!)
  • Work in whatever way works for you – I’m a visual and kinetic learner – I learn by seeing things and doing things, so repeated copying is well up my street.  Find out what your learning style is and work with it! (Google what is my learning style, and be amazed!)
  • Mnemonics – I had one for the principles, one for Schedule 2 conditions, one for Schedule 3 conditions, one for categories of sensitive personal data, one for register-able particulars, and many to cover the various Principle 8 options.  Get creative!  Mine included names of people I know, characteristics of them, some of them were just plain bonkers.   Just come up with something memorable.
  • Basics – It sounds really obvious, but learn your basics off by heart.  Know the exact wording of the principles and the schedule 2 and 3 conditions.  They come into everything, so get them right!
  • Read before the class – You get an itinerary, so don’t go in to the class thinking you’ll learn everything there and then.  Go into the class with a broad understanding of what will be discussed, then you can build on that knowledge in class.  Plus you’ll be ready with questions which will help you, and your comrades!
  • Do the homework – End of.
  • Revision videos – When it comes to revision time, take a look at the Act Now revision videos which are available to all Act Now delegates in their online resource lab.  They cover all the nasty areas that everyone struggles with.

And finally a word for Act Now.

My Act Now Data Protection course got me more than just a certificate.  The course has given me a wealth of knowledge of Data Protection, in general, and more confidence in my current role.  My trainer, Phil Bradshaw, has a strong background in law, and is extremely experienced in the application of the Data Protection Act.  The course leaves you well prepared for the exam, but by no means do they simply train you up to pass.  They teach you everything you need to know so that you will pass! Suffice to say, I would recommend it to any Data Protection practitioner.

For more on more on how to pass the BCS (ISEB) exam see our earlier blog posts . Feel free to try the sample test.

Our next ISEB courses start in London and Manchester in December. More Information on our website or email us.

Scottish Information Commissioner’s Annual Report

The Scottish Information Commissioner has published her annual report for 2012/13.  Key facts are as follows:

  • The Office of the Scottish Information Commissioner (OSIC) received 594 FOI appeals in the year. This was an increase of 14% on last year, and an increase of 49% over the last 5 years.
  • 27% of appeals related to a failure to respond within FOI timescales.  This is the largest proportion of such appeals to date.
  • The OSIC found completely in the requesters’ favour in 37% of cases, completely in authorities’ favour in 37% and partially in favour of requesters / authorities in the remainder.
  • OSIC closed 564 cases, a 9% increase on last year.
  • OSIC has introduced new resources to advise and assist public authorities and requesters.
  • OSIC has announced its strategy for improving performance of FOI in Scotland by adding value.

FOI continues to be used predominantly by members of the public, as illustrated by the examples in report.  These show the range of important “real-life” community issues for which FOI is used on a daily basis.

During the year Act Now Training received valuable feedback from the Scottish Information Commissioner in respect of our certificated course; the Practitioner Certificate in the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002. The course is also endorsed by the Centre for FOI based at Dundee University.

If you’re considering joining the course, what can you expect? Read what the tutor has to say and have a go at the FOISA test.

Forthcoming Webinars

EI(S)Rs 2004: An Introduction
18th Oct 2013  @ 10:00am | http://www.actnow.org.uk/courses/966

The FOI (Scotland) Act 2002: An Introduction
28th Nov 2013 @ 10:00am | http://www.actnow.org.uk/courses/971

FOISA 2002: An Update – 28th Nov 2013 @ 11:30am – http://www.actnow.org.uk/courses/972

Recordings also available – Please email info@actnow.org.uk for more details

At Last! A Certificated Course for Scottish FOI Practitioners

For years Scottish Freedom of Information practitioners did not have a Scottish FOI qualification that they could study for. Unlike their counterparts in England and Wales, the BCS (formerly ISEB) FOI course is not suitable as it concentrates on the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Seeing this unmet training need, Act Now Training has now designed a new certificated course; the Practitioner Certificate in the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002. The course is endorsed by the Centre for FOI based at Dundee University.

The course is suitable for the FOISA novice as well as the experienced practitioner. The course structure is designed to thoroughly examine the law as well as the practical aspects of dealing with FOISA (and EI(S)R) requests on a day-to-day level

Two courses were completed in the Spring/Summer season. Two more are scheduled for October and December. Thus far we have had very strong candidates from a variety of backgrounds. All have said how useful they have found the course.

If you’re considering joining the course, what can you expect? Read what the tutor has to say.

Think you know about FOISA? Have a go at the FOISA test.

Download the course flyer here

New Certificated FOISA Course: What the Tutor Saw

Act Now runs a Practitioner Certificate in the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 – the inaugural course has been completed, the second one is currently running, and two more are scheduled for October and December. The course is endorsed by the Centre for FOI based at Dundee university. If you’re considering joining the course, what can you expect?

I wrote the course and I deliver it in Edinburgh (or elsewhere, if you’re interested in us bring the certificate to you). The first thing you can expect is to be in expert company – this is not to blow my own trumpet, but to reflect the high quality of the candidates we’ve welcomed. On both of the Spring courses, we had very strong candidates from a variety of backgrounds. But this mustn’t put off, the FOISA novice. One of the advantages of experience fellow delegates is that you can ask questions and get information from a wide variety of people with different experiences. The course also starts right at the beginning, with a clear explanation of the FOISA nuts and bolts.

More importantly, you get a focus on practicality. If you want an academic focus on the political and philosophical implications of FOI legislation, you may be disappointed. We don’t spend time on the history, and the comparison between FOI 2000 and FOISA is drawn only when it might be helpful for delegates. This course is designed to be for practitioners – people who have to deal with a daily influx of requests, difficult and challenging applicants, and tricky decisions. We look at the Scottish Commissioner’s guidance, useful decisions, and best of all, delegates themselves share their experiences. Some of the best ideas came from those people who work on FOISA every day. Most trainers like to show off, but it’s been good to shut up sometimes and let other perspectives be heard.

One of the chief objectives of the course is to demystify areas that are sometimes shrouded in uncertainty – not every candidate is convinced that they need to know about the Environmental Information Regulations, but many seem to have gone away with the ‘is it FOISA or EI(S)R?’ question slightly higher up their list of priorities. We have also had the traditional ‘what is personal data?’ debate to good effect, despite the risk of exposing who in the room is a real information rights geek (it is usually just me!).

At the end, we have an assessment, and again, the focus is on practicality. The feedback from the first round of delegates has been very positive, and so the format will remain unchanged. Many people who return to the exam room after years working in the office find the transition tricky and the effort of hand-writing an exam exhausting, so we have tried to find an alternative to the traditional 3 hour pressure cooker. The exam is a test of knowledge – candidates have to remember facts, and apply their knowledge to three detailed, list-style questions. Few FOISA professionals benefit from being able to remember specific subsections by rote, so the focus is on providing clear, accurate answers to practical questions. After this, delegates are given projects to choose from, and in 20 working days, they have to pick a request, consider all of the options, and then deliver a full response including a refusal notice.

The aim of the course is to give practitioners confidence, to ensure that they know how FOISA and the EI(S)Rs work, and to improve their ability to do their work. However, anything involving a ‘Certificate’ inevitably comes around to the big question of getting the marks. To pass this course, candidates need at least 50% of the marks on both parts of the assessment – exam and project. The first round of results are in, and everybody passed. The exam results were solid, but all candidates came into their own with the project. Every single one was really impressive, despite our demand for absolute precision on the project side. The results may be flattered by the quality of the candidates, but by giving people the chance to go away, consult other sources and have the time to make their case, we saw superb results.

This is not an easy course – day 1 is straightforward, but days 2 and 3 are hard work, with homework after each and the prospect of an exam shortly after the final day(see the course structure ). However, all candidates seem to have enjoyed it, and more importantly, all of them have shown so far that they are practitioners of a high standard. Roll on October!

Tim Turner is the tutor for the Act Now Practitioner Certificate in FOISA. More details of the course are on our website. Please get in touch if you have any questions (info@actnow.org.uk) 

Do You Want To Be Certified?

If you’re thinking about studying for the ISEB Certificate in Data Protection  or Freedom of Information to enhance your career prospects, there are a few things you should consider.

It’s the only externally examined qualification in the sector specifically targeted at current and potential DP and FOI practitioners (although there is a company that has created its own qualification which isn’t accredited by ISEB). Some organisations, when recruiting for an information governance vacancy, ask for candidates who have the ISEB Certificate. Others list it as a desirable qualification.

So what do you look for in a training provider? 

First of all is it accredited by ISEB?  This is a process that takes time and costs money. Every provider has had their company examined; their course director examined, their tutors examined and the course material scrutinised by experts. So choose an accredited provider – there are a few to choose from and you can find them on the ISEB website.

Next check out each provider’s website. Here are a few indicators that will give you some idea of their quality.

People 

You need to know who is going to teach the course. Are trainers better than lawyers? Is it a name you know who has worked in the field, who contributes to bulletin boards, who speaks at conferences, who is active in the DP/FOI community? Is it a trainer or a legally qualified person? There are trainers who are also legally trained but  they are rare. However in our extensive career in the sector we have been delegates on courses where very highly qualified legal people (barristers no less) have failed miserably to get across simple concepts because they couldn’t descend from their ivory towers.

While we’re on the subject some training providers don’t tell you who will be teaching the course. Some say “qualified lawyers” (are there any other type of lawyers?) Some don’t say even when you ask them. One declined to tell our researcher on the grounds of (are you ready for this…) Data Protection!

Training Methods

It’s not just  “here’s a booklet – read it” nor is it “watch these 500 PowerPoint slides”. You should expect to see a breakdown of what each day involves; whether it’s exercises, case studies, role play, videos, online sessions; quizzes; sample questions; homework, mock exams with tutor feedback. One training provider describes its teaching method as “Course” – that’s it, just one word!

Mock Exam

Many ISEB candidates last did an exam before the age of the Internet. Many have never used a pen to write for half an hour continuously let alone three hours.  We think it is crucial that candidates sit a full mock exam before the final exam. This allows candidates to hone their exam technique and expose any gaps in their revision.

Pass Rates

Look for them (ask for them). Some will go on at length about how they are the best but the basic pass rate should tell you a lot. The ISEB pass rate for DP is about 68%. FOI is a little higher. Your training provider should tell you how well their candidates  do. If they don’t then ask yourself why they don’t. Maybe they’re new; maybe they don’t get many delegates through.

Testimonials

There’s a law not dissimilar to Murphy’s Law, which we haven’t quite tied down that says something like… “There’s nosuch thing as a poor testimonial.” It could be Finagle’s constant or Sods law but don’t put too much faith in glowing testimonials. Everyone gets good ones. Few get bad ones. No one publishes a bad one. If you really want to know what an ISEB course was like ask someone who has done one with the same training provider. If you don’t know anyone, ask the provider for details of a previous candidate from your sector who does not mind giving a reference.

Price

You get what you pay for; the cheapest may not be the best. You may save a couple of hundred pounds on a course by going for a cheap provider. But the quality and content of the course may mean that you end up failing and spending more on a resit.

Conclusion

Pick a training provider who knows what they’re doing, with experienced well known speakers, who give you all the information you need to know on their website to take the course and who has a good pass rate.

Finally

ISEB has been renamed BCS Professional Certification but I think we’ll still call it ISEB

For more on more on how to pass the ISEB exam see our earlier blog post  

 

Our next ISEB courses start in London and Manchester in June

For more Information on our website or email us.

How to pass the ISEB certificate.

As we leave the exam season behind for a few months with over 50 Act Now candidates waiting on their results 2 months from now we think we’ve seen enough to offer a few words of advice.

Here are Ten Top tips and comments from candidates, certificate holders & former examiners that might help people thinking of attempting this.

  1. Take the big, expensive course. You knew we’d say that but there is the possibility of direct entry to the exam if you can satisfy ISEB that you have undertaken enough training but not many take the direct route. Those that do miss out on 5 or more days of networking, 5 or more days of practice questions, and many valuable tips from tutors, fellow candidates and previous candidates who have been through the process before. Some direct entry candidates have never seen an edpac sheet before, never written a practice essay, never experienced exam conditions and this takes 10% off their performance.

2. Attend every minute of every day of the course and do the Mock Exam. Experience shows that those who don’t pass often miss part of a day, don’t attend the mock exam, leave early because they have a train to catch  and miss out on valuable input.

3. Do all the work. If you’re given a homework then do it. If the tutor recommends to read a report or look up a web link do it.  We know and you know in your heart that “the dog ate my homework” is a lazy lie. If the question you should have done in detail turns up in the exam and you haven’t got the answer in your memory banks that’s 10% more.

4. Read the rubric. The exam paper asks you to answer section B questions with bullet points so don’t write an essay. It also asks you to answer section C questions with an essay so don’t use bullet points. It tells you which questions are compulsory and which are optional. Read the rubric. Some candidates don’t and this takes another 10% off.

5. Follow the instructions. There’s not enough room in this article to list every mistake here. Candidates are told to use the pencil to make horizontal marks in the grid to enter their candidate number. They use pens; they write the number in figures, they use diagonal lines, they also write in the date, the name of the exam (which they often get wrong), their own name etc.  They’re told to put a straight line through notes and include them with their answers – the use wiggly lines, strike them out, screw them up and put them in the bin. They are told to answer 4 out of 6 questions so they answer 3. (or 5 or in extreme cases 6). In a mock exam we found a candidate who used the pencil supplied for section A to write 20 pages of longhand.

6. Don’t annoy the markers. Make your script easy to read with spaces between points or paragraphs. The last thing a marker wants is a solid block of text 10 or 15 pages long.

7. Write legibly. Always avoid alliteration. Never use a long word when a diminutive one will do. Spell proper and don’t make grammar mistakes.

8. Use some common sense. We’ve heard of candidates arriving after the exam has started or leaving before the end. Candidates who’ve attended a DP revision session and chosen to sit a FOI exam.

9. Don’t think you can get through by just attending the course. You have to put the work in. Reading and revision pays dividends.

10. Finally tales of the unexpected. We know of candidates who have been doing the job for years and doing it very well who have failed to pass even after 2 attempts. We also know of candidates who confused the subject information provisions with the duty to confirm or deny yet manage to pass. It’s not a lottery but you can improve your chances of passing by learning from others who have been through it.

Enjoy your exams. Our ISEB courses are available throughout the UK every quarter. You know where we are. Our next courses are in Birmingham starting in late February.

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