Create an FOI request

Before an FOI request can be generated, it is necessary to perform a search so the relevant records appear in the result list. See the figure below. If you need material from multiple cases, you may want to create a folder to collect it.

Hold down the Ctrl key and click on the relevant records to select them. Then right-click on the selection to open the context menu. Select Reports and click on Create FOI request.

Figure 1. Create a new FOI request from the main window

The "New FOI request" dialogue opens. In this dialogue, you must create a case for the FOI request report. Enter a title for the FOI request case and assign responsibility for the case.

Figure 2. The "New FOI request" dialogue

Depending on your organisation’s F2 setup, you may need to enter a file plan number, action code, disposal code, and select a case type or a case guide when creating a new FOI request. Some case templates also affect which metadata fields you must fill in.

It is possible to attach the FOI request report to an existing case instead. F2 is configured in cooperation with cBrain.

Click Create FOI request when you have filled in the fields. The "FOI" dialogue opens, which displays the title of your FOI request report. You can edit this as well as the contents of the report.

Figure 3. The “FOI” dialogue

Click on the drop-down menu in the “Content” field to open an overview of the detail levels available when generating an FOI request report.

Figure 4. Select the content for the FOI request

The following detail levels are available:

Full (with document, request, and annotation content)
Case and records
Case
Overview.

All detail levels contain an overview of the selected records (also called the record list). Read more about detail levels of the FOI request report.

The functions in the “FOI” dialogue are described in the following section.

Adjust FOI request report

The following subsections describe the available options for adjusting the FOI request report in the “FOI” dialogue. The detail level and content to be included in the FOI request report are selected in the dialogue.

Detail levels of the FOI request report

The FOI request report can be created with different levels of detail. Use the drop-down menu in the “FOI” dialogue to choose the detail level of your FOI request report’s content.

Full overview

To create a complete FOI request report, click on Full (with document, request and annotation content) in the “Content” field’s drop-down menu in the “FOI” dialogue. The report shows the selected records sorted by case.

The FOI request report contains the documents of the records and any requests and annotations.

Figure 5. Example of FOI request with “Full” content

Record numbers only appear on relevant records, i.e. if the records are attached to a case and registered.

Case and records

To create a complete list of the selected records sorted by case, click on Case and records in the “Content” field’s drop-down menu in the “FOI” dialogue. This detail level also provides an overview of every document, annotation and request the records contain, but not their content.

Figure 6. Example of FOI request with “Case and records”

Case

To create a complete list of the selected records sorted by case, click on Case in the “Content” field’s drop-down menu in the “FOI” dialogue. This will create an FOI request report with one page per case. Records that are not attached to a case are listed on a separate page.

The FOI request report groups records by case. Records that are not attached to a case are grouped separately.

example foi request report cases records

Figure 7. Example of FOI request with “Case”

Overview

To create a complete overview of the selected records sorted by case, click on Overview in the “Content” field’s drop-down menu in the “FOI” dialogue.

This will remove all unnecessary page breaks, showing a compact list of all the records. This detail level is suitable as an overview for e.g. a request executor if the extent of the material to be disclosed is still being debated.

Figure 8. Example of FOI request with “Overview”

Filtering unwanted content

On an installation level, a filter can be applied to automatically remove unwanted content before an FOI request report is generated. Unwanted content can e.g. be records or files with a certain name.

Tick the “Remove unwanted content” box in the “FOI” dialogue to apply the filter. See the figure below.

Figure 9. “Remove unwanted content” in the “FOI” dialogue

Click on the info icon to display an overview of what the filter will remove. See the example below.

Figure 10. The FOI request filter

The definition of unwanted content can be configured in cooperation with cBrain.

Exclude content

In the “FOI” dialogue, you can manually deselect the records, requests, annotations, or documents that must be excluded from the FOI request report.

To exclude an element such as a record from the FOI request report, right-click on it. Then, using the context menu, click the check mark next to Included to remove it. The unwanted element is then excluded from the FOI request report.

Figure 11. Right-click element to exclude it from the FOI request report

When the check mark is removed in the context menu, it is reflected in the “FOI” dialogue. See the figure below.

Figure 12. A document is excluded from the FOI request report

Add comment

Right-click on a record or document to comment on it. The comment field can be used to state the reason for excluding a record, request, or document. This may be necessary when dealing with sensitive personal data.

Add a comment by selecting a record, request or document, right-clicking on it and then selecting Add comment.

Figure 13. Add a comment to the FOI request report

Write a comment in the dialogue that opens. Click on Save when finished.

Figure 14. The "Comment" dialogue

The comment appears in the comment column in the record overview.

Figure 15. Comment added in FOI request report

Delete or edit a comment

You can delete or edit comments before creating the FOI request report:

Click on Add comment in the context menu of the relevant record, request, or document.
The "Comment" dialogue opens.
Delete or edit the text.
Click on Save to finish.

The final FOI request report

Once the desired content for the FOI request has been selected, click on Create FOI request in the “FOI” dialogue. When F2 has generated the FOI request, you will receive the FOI request report as an unread record in your inbox.

The FOI request report is attached to the record as shown in the figure below.

Figure 16. A record containing a generated FOI request report

You can process the record containing the FOI request report as any other record. For example, you can send it, allocate the responsibility to a colleague, or perform extractions in an external programme such as Adobe Reader.

Extraction means you can redact parts of the text that are confidential, resulting in information being left out of the FOI request report before it is sent to the recipient.

If a PDF file is edited or contains extractions, you must ensure that the PDF file is locked or otherwise protected so other users or external recipients cannot edit the FOI request report. This can be done in programmes such as Acrobat Reader Pro or LibreOffice.