Compliance Metrics and quality assurance processes for FOI case management and documentation in 2025: FOI release

Information requested

“Under FOI, please provide me with stats and figures relating to “casserole compliance” in 2025. Please also explain how every FOI case is quality assured that the same “compliance documents” are filled out and stored in the case file”.

Response

We are interpreting your request as wishing details relating to case file compliance in 2025.

Case files are subject to random audits by the Scottish Information Commissioner as part of his intervention into Scottish Government’s FOI performance and by Scottish Government’s FOI Unit. Every month, the Freedom of Information Unit undertakes an audit of a random sample of cases completed within the previous calendar month. The number of case files which are audited each month is dependent on the quantity of responses answered. The compliance figures for 2025 can be found at Annex A.

There is no statutory requirement for the contents of a case file and the Scottish Information Commissioner has not issued formal guidance on expected contents. The basis of the Scottish

Government case file audit is the requirements of the “Case File Checklist”, an internal guidance document stored in each case file. We assess whether a case file has all the required “compliance documents”. Should the case file have any items missing, the business area will be asked to revisit the case file and for the required missing documentation to be saved to the case file and to advise the FOI Unit once this has been action has been undertaken in order that a further check can be undertaken to ensure compliance. A copy of the Case File Checklist can be found at Annex B.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.

FOI 202600514647- Information Released - Annex

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