Adoption of the Model Publication Scheme
The Auditor General has adopted the Model Publication Scheme prepared and approved by the Information Commissioner (see Model publication scheme 2009 - Freedom of Information Act - ICO). The Scheme commits us to making certain information routinely available to the public.
This guide to the Model Publication Scheme lists the information that we will routinely make available and details of how it can be accessed. It also gives details of where charges may apply for providing the information.
General information on availability and charges
Where hyperlinks to the Wales Audit Office’s website are given in this guide, the information listed is available by following the relevant links. There is no charge for such information, although users will have to meet their own costs, such as charges from their internet service provider.
Paper copies of the information available through website links are also available free of charge where the volume of such copies do not exceed 200 pages. Where paper copies exceed 200 pages for a single request or group of related requests, we may charge five pence per page and postage in accordance with the Freedom of Information charging regulations. We will advise you of any charges in advance of supplying the information.
Paper copies and information listed without a link to the website may be obtained by emailing infoofficer@wao.gov.uk, telephoning the Wales Audit Office Information Officer on 029 2032 0500 or writing to the Wales Audit Office’s Information Officer at 24 Cathedral Road, Cardiff CF11 9LJ.
This guide is available in Welsh.
We will make large print and audio tape copies of items available on request where practicable.
Copyright
Unless otherwise stated:
- The Auditor General for Wales holds the copyright for information contained within the publication scheme.
- All material available through the Wales Audit Office’s website may be downloaded, copied or reproduced free of charge in any format or medium without requiring specific permission. This is subject to the material being reproduced accurately and not being used in a derogatory manner or in a misleading context. Where the material is being published or issued to others, the sources and copyright status should be acknowledged.
From time to time the Auditor General’s reports and other Wales Audit Office publications may contain information which is subject to Crown copyright, such as where we have reproduced information produced directly by a Crown body. Where this is the case, the Auditor General will have included a copyright statement and users should observe this statement and act accordingly. Crown copyright is administered by Her Majesty’s Stationery Office. For Office of Public Sector Information (OPSI) Guidance Notes on a range of copyright issues, see the OPSI website www.opsi.gov.uk.
The Wales Audit Office does not accept responsibility for material hosted on any external sites.
If you are maintaining or developing a website, you do not have to ask permission to link directly to pages hosted on the Wales Audit Office’s website. However, you must not link to information on the Wales Audit Office’s website in a way that implies a relationship with, or endorsement by the Wales Audit Office, or which misrepresents the Wales Audit Office’s content as being published by anyone other than the Wales Audit Office.
Guide to sections of the publication scheme
1 Who we are and what we do
1.1 Roles and responsibilities
An outline of the roles and responsibilities of the Auditor General and the Wales Audit Office is available here:
 Outline of the roles and responsibilities of the Auditor General
The Auditor General’s role in the current Welsh Programme for Improvement is summarised here:
Summary of the Auditor General’s functions in relation to the Wales Programme for Improvement
The Auditor General’s biographical information is here:
About us > The Auditor General for Wales
For further information on our role, our mission statement and an introductory brochure please see:
About us
Our work
1.2 Organisational structure
The Auditor General and his staff make up the Wales Audit Office. The structure of the Wales Audit Office is summarised in Corporate Notice 1:
Corporate Notice 1 - The Auditor General’s powers and duties and how governance arrangements are derived from them
1.3 Information relating to the legislation relevant to our functions
The legislative basis for the activities of the Auditor General and the auditors that he appoints is summarised in Principal statutory authorities for the work of the Auditor General for Wales and his appointed auditors:
Principal statutory authorities for the work of the Auditor General for Wales and his appointed auditors
1.4 Lists of and information relating to organisations with which we work in partnership
We work in partnership with HM Chief Inspector of Education and Training Wales (Estyn) and the CSSIW in undertaking inspection work at unitary local authorities.
In health we work with the Healthcare Commission, Health Inspectorate Wales, CSSIW and others in accordance with the Concordat Between Bodies Inspecting, Regulating and Auditing Health and Social Care in Wales. More information is available on the concordat website:
http://www.walesconcordat.org.uk/
We also work in partnership with the Audit Commission in undertaking the National Fraud Initiative. More information is available at:
Our work > National Fraud Initiative (NFI)
The following is a list of our clients and organisations that we deal with on a day-to-day basis:
Useful links
1.5 Senior staff and management board members
We are currently updating biographical details for senior Wales Audit Office staff members. For further information please contact info@wao.gov.uk
1.6 Locations and contact details
Our office locations and main contact numbers:
About us > Contact us
2 What we spend and how we spend it
2.1 Financial statements, budgets and variance reports
Annual reports and accounts, and budgets (estimates of income and expenditure):
Publications > Our plans and accounts
2.2 Allowances and expenses
Wales Audit Office Travel and Subsistence policy as at April 2006:
Travel and Subsistence Policy
Details of expenses of the Auditor General and the Chief Operating Officer:
Auditor General for Wales & Chief Operating Officer travel and subsistence expenditure 1 April 2005 to 31 March 2007
Further details of senior staff expenses are currently being compiled. For further information please contact info@wao.gov.uk
2.3 Pay and grading structures
Pay ranges are being revised. For further information, please contact info@wao.gov.uk
2.4 Procurement and tendering procedures
Published tenders:
Our work > Tenders
Our work > Tenders > Previous Tenders
2.5 Internal financial regulations
We are currently updating the Wales Audit Office’s financial policies. For further information, please contact info@wao.gov.uk
3 What are our priorities and how are we doing?
3.1 Strategic plans
Making Public Money Count: Wales Audit Office Strategy 2006/2009
3.2 Annual business plan
We have separate annual plans for the constitutionally distinct areas of our business. For our portfolio of VfM examinations, see:
Work available for consideration by the Audit Committee through to July 2009 and beyond
For information on other work, please contact info@wao.gov.uk
3.3 Annual reports
Annual reports and accounts, including the external auditor’s reports to the National Assembly:
Publications > Our plans and accounts
4 How we make decisions
4.1 Major policy proposals and decisions
Our news pages include information about our proposals and initiatives that we are undertaking:
News
4.2 Public consultations
Information about current and recent consultations:
Publications > Consultations
4.3 Minutes of senior level meetings and related information
Subject to applicable exemptions, Management Committee minutes are available on request by emailing: info@wao.gov.uk
5 Policies and procedures
5.1 Policies and procedures for the conduct of our business and provision of servicesThe Code of Audit and Inspection Practice prescribes the way in which auditors and inspectors in Wales undertake their work:
About us > Policies > Code of audit and inspection practice
The Wales Audit Office treats the English and Welsh languages equally, as set out in the Wales Audit Office’s Welsh Language Scheme:
About us > Policies > Welsh language scheme
The Wales Audit Office provides advice and guidance for employees who are concerned about wrongdoing where they work and want to ‘blow the whistle’.
Are you concerened about wrongdoing where you work?
5.2 Policies and procedures for the recruitment and employment of staff
Current vacancies – details of externally advertised vacancies including job overview, job description and person specification:
About us > Careers
The current Wales Audit Office Health and Safety Policy:
Health and Safety Policy
Our Staff Handbook contains guidance on terms and conditions of service and related policies and procedures:
Staff handbook
5.3 Customer service
For information on how to complain about the Wales Audit Office click here:
About us > How to complain
For complaints in respect of Freedom of Information, please see:
About us > Policies > Information policy
And, if you have any queries or comments about our publication scheme please contact:
The Information Officer
Wales Audit Office
24 Cathedral Road
Cardiff CF11 9LJ
Email: infoofficer@wao.gov.uk, Tel: 029 2032 0500
5.4 Records management and personal data policies
Our records management policy is being revised. For further information, please contact: info@wao.gov.uk.
The Wales Audit Office Information Security Policy:
Information Security Policy
For data matching work, such as the National Fraud Initiative, the Auditor General’s Code of Data Matching Practice applies:
The Auditor General's Code of Data Matching
For further information on the National Fraud Initiative and data matching, see:
Our work > National Fraud Initiative (NFI)
5.5 Charging regimes and policies
The Auditor General charges for his work in accordance with statute. Further information is set out in Principal statutory authorities for the work of the Auditor General for Wales and his appointed auditors:
Principal statutory authorities for the work of the Auditor General for Wales and his appointed auditors
The charges applicable to information available under the publication scheme are set out under ‘General information on availability and charges’ at the beginning of this guide. For requests under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, general right of access or the Environmental Information Regulations, our general policy is not to charge for information other than to recover the cost of postage, packing, printing and photocopying where this exceeds £10, or where a published document has a cover price (most do not). A further exception is where the cost of collating the information is estimated to exceed £450, as defined by the charging regulations set under the Freedom of Information Act. In such cases, costs will be calculated in accordance with those regulations, and the requester will be advised of the amount they would need to pay. The time recorded for meeting the request will run from the date on which the requester confirms that they wish to proceed with the request and the necessary payment has been received and cleared by the requester’s bank. For subject access requests under the Data Protection Act 1998, our current policy is not to make a charge.
6 Lists and registers
6.1 Asset register
Information about fixed assets is given in the Auditor General’s annual report and accounts:
Publications > Our plans and accounts
Register of gifts and hospitality provided to Board members and senior personnel
Subject to applicable exemptions, this is available on request by emailing info@wao.gov.uk
6.2 Register of interests
Subject to applicable exemptions, this is available on request by emailing info@wao.gov.uk
7 The services we offer
7.1 Regulatory responsibilities
The Auditor General regulates the auditors that he appoints to local authorities. The key document for this work is his Code of Audit and Inspection Practice:
About us > Policies > Code of audit and inspection practice
7.2 Services for public authorities
The Auditor General provides audit and inspection services on a statutory basis to public authorities. This is summarised in:
Principal statutory authorities for the work of the Auditor General for Wales and his appointed auditors
For published reports see:
Publications
7.3 Services for other organisations
Under paragraph 21 of Schedule 8 of the Government of Wales Act 2006, the Auditor General may make arrangements for administrative, professional and technical services to be provided to qualified auditors and accountancy bodies.
Under this provision, the Good Practice Exchange is a resource to help organisations improve their services:
The Good Practice Exchange
7.4 Services for members of the public
The Auditor General publishes his reports for the benefit of the public, as well as elected representatives and public service managers:
Publications
For some studies, particularly those concerning services to the public, the Wales Audit Office solicits the views of the public:
Publications > Forthcoming work
7.5 Services for which the body is entitled to recover a fee together with those fees
The Auditor General charges for audit, grant certification and agreement work in accordance with statute. Further information is set out in Principal statutory authorities for the work of the Auditor General for Wales and his appointed auditors:
Principal statutory authorities for the work of the Auditor General for Wales and his appointed auditors
7.6 Leaflets, booklets, advice, guidance and newsletters
A list of links to the leaflets produced by the Wales Audit Office:
Publications > Leaflets
The e-Bulletin section of our website contains electronic newsletters from the Wales Audit Office:
News > e-Bulletin
7.7 Media releases
Archive of press releases:
News > Press releases
Other information in relation to media releases, including audio recordings, can be accessed via this link:
News
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