Information Access Study 2019 Prepared for: Queensland Kar aryn Won ong g kw kwong@wool olcot ott.com.au May 2019 Ma Li Liz Sp Sparham lspa parham@woo oolc lcot ott.com.au
2 Research design • Woolcott Research was commissioned by the IPC to investigate awareness and experience of information access rights amongst the general QLD public • A mixed mode survey amongst n=350 QLD residents aged 18+ years was conducted between 16 th April and 1 st May 2019 utilising an online panel and Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI). • Quotas were set by location (Brisbane/Regional QLD), gender and age, and data was post- weighted to reflect the latest ABS population estimates
Information Access Demographics Summary
Importance of having the right to access 4 government information Respondents placed a high 100% level of value on having the right 90% Very important to access 80% information held 47 by the 70% Queensland Quite important government, with 60% almost half 50% stating that this right was very 40% Not all that important to important 40 30% them (47%). 20% There were no Not important significant 10% at all 11 differences by 2 age or gender. 0% Q3. How important is it to you that you have a right to access government information? Base: All respondents (n=350)
5 Awareness of right to access information under Queensland’s Information and Information Privacy Law Four out of five 2019 respondents were aware that they could access 100 information held by at least one of the listed 90 agencies 80 Most respondents knew 80 73 they had the right to 71 access information held 70 64 by QLD Government agencies, local 60 Governments/ Councils as well as Public Hospital % Yes 50 and Health Services There were lower levels 36 40 of awareness for the right 32 to access information 30 from Public Universities and Ministers 20 Younger age groups (18- 34) were less likely to be 10 aware of their right to access for all agencies 0 Total QLD Government Local Governments/ Public Hospitals and Public Universities Ministers agencies Councils Health Services Q4. Did you know, under the Queensland’s Right to Information and Information Privacy Law that you have a right to access informa tion held by the following agencies? MR Base: All respondents (n=350)
6 Attempts to access information Over one third of respondents had attempted to access 2019 information held by 100 at least one of the agencies listed 90 Younger age groups 80 were more likely to have tried to access 70 (51% of 18-34 year olds compared with 60 28% of 55+ year % Yes olds) 50 The most common 37 40 agencies that respondents had 30 attempted to access 16 information from 20 13 12 were QLD Government 10 3 2 agencies, local 0 Governments/ Councils and Public Total QLD Government Local Public Hospitals Ministers Public Universities Hospitals agencies Governments/ and Councils Health Services Q5. In the last 3 years have you tried to access information held by: MR Base: All respondents (n=350)
7 Success in attempting to access information Seven out of ten respondents who had attempted to access information in the last three years successfully Successful at accessing information Successful at accessing information from different agencies gained access at least from at least one agency once All of the small number 100 100% of respondents who attempted to contact 90 90% Public Universities were Yes able to access at least 80 80% some of the information 47 70 they requested to 70 70% 64 66 Four out of five 60 60% 81 respondents who 85 Partially % Yes attempted to access 50 50% information from public hospitals and health 22 40 40% services were able to do so fully 30 30% No 21 Respondents who tried 25 20 20% 22 to access information held by Ministers were 14 10 10% the least successful, 16 15 6 9 however almost half 5 3 Other 0 0% were still able to gain full Total Public Public Hospitals Local QLD Ministers * access to the information they requested Universities * and Governments/ Government Health Services Councils agencies Q5. In the last 3 years have you tried to access information held by: IF YE YES Q6. FOR EACH ENTITY ANSWERED AT Q5 ASK: Were you successful in accessing information from (INSERT FROM Q5 )…? SR for each one Base: Respondents who tried to contact: At least one agency (n=129); Local Governments/Councils (n=47); QLD Government agencies (n=54); Public Hospitals and Health Services (n=43); Public Universities (n=7); Ministers (n=10) * CAUTION SMALL BASE SIZE
8 Online information and assistance Most respondents wanted to have All res Al espondents Typ ypes of of government ag agency infor ormatio ion and and/or or (n=3 (n=350) online access to as assis istance resp espon ondents wou ould ld like to o acc access on online % all of the types of Policies and procedures 68 government agency Information about decision making processes affecting the 64 community information and Being directed to online action, for example, obtaining a service assistance listed 61 or conducting a transaction online Policies and Financial information, for example, expenditure, procurement 58 procedures was and contracts the most Statistics and datasets 52 commonly selected answer Q7. What types of government agency information and/or assistance would you like to access online? MR Base: All respondents (n=350)
9 Least Formal Request Processes Most respondents Resp espon ondents who who had had were encouraged trie tried to o acc access infor ormatio ion by the (n=1 (n=129) % government agency they Yes they made it easy to find it on the website 32 contacted to Yes, they explained how I could request the information by 23 obtain the email or a verbal request requested Yes, they showed me how to request the information using 20 an informal access process information in the least formal No, they told me I had to make a formal access application 19 under the Right to Information Act or Information Privacy Act way No, I didn’t contact the agency before I made a formal access 15 application Q8. In the process of requesting information, has the government agency encouraged you to obtain it in the least formal way? Base: Respondents who had tried to access information (n=129)
Information Access Demographics Summary
11 Participant demographics Al All res espondents % (n=3 (n=350) Gen Gender Male 52 Female 48 Ag Age 18-24 6 25-34 22 35-44 15 45-54 18 55-64 11 65-74 18 75+ 10 Q1. Which of the following age brackets do you belong to? Q2 . Are you…? Base: All respondents (n=350)
12 Participant demographics Al All res espondents % (n=350) (n=3 Workin orking g status Working full time 34 Working part time 13 Student 5 Unemployed 6 Engaged in home duties 9 Retired 34 Mai Main lan anguage spo poken English 95 Cantonese/Mandarin 1 German 1 Greek 1 French 1 Tagalog (Filipino) 1 Other 2 Q9. Which of these categories best describes you? Q10. What is the main language spoken at home? Base: All respondents (n=350)
Information Access Demographics Summary
14 Summary Information Access • Four out of five respondents were aware of their right to access information held by at least one of these Queensland government agencies • QLD Government agencies (73% aware) • Local Governments/Councils (71% aware) • Public Hospitals and Health Services (64% aware) • Public Universities (36% aware) • Ministers (32% aware) • Over one third of respondents had attempted to access information held by at least one of the Queensland government agencies with younger age groups being more likely to have tried to access • Seven out of ten respondents who had attempted were successful in gaining access to information held by at least one agency • Respondents expressed a high amount of interest in accessing government agency information and assistance online • Government agencies tended to encourage respondents to access information in the least formal way possible
Woolcott Research & Engagement IPC PC Infor ormation on Ac Access Stu Study 2019 ACT T Infor ormatio ion and and Priv rivacy L6, 104 Mount Street, North Sydney 2060 Co Commis issio ion (IPC) +61 29261 5221 Co Contacts: Kar aryn Won ong, Li Liz Sp Sparham (k (kwon ong@woo oolc lcott.com.au, woolcott.com.au lsparham@woo oolcot ott.com.au)
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