eFOI PLATFORM

DECISION MAKER USER MANUAL

For: Presidential Communications Operations Office

(Government of the Philippines)
The World Bank

By: Symph

Date: 11/4/2016

Version: 0.1

Status: Draft
TABLE OF CONTENTS
eFOI PLATFORM

DECISION MAKER USER MANUAL

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. eFOI Overview
1.1.​ Purpose
1.2. Structure of the Manual

2. eFOI Workflow

​3.​ eFOI GOVERNMENT OFFICE USERS

​3.1.​ Decision Maker (DM)

​4. eFOI FUNCTIONALITY

​4.1.​ Government Office User Registration and Login
4.1.1. Receiving Officer Registration
4.1.2. Receiving Officer Login
4.1.2.​ Forgot Password
4.2. Requests Monitoring Dashboards
4.2.1. Assigned to Me
4.2.2. All Dashboard
4.2.3. Accepted Requests
4.2.4. Awaiting Clarification
4.2.5. Processing
4.2.6. Successful
4.2.7. Denied
4.2.8. Red Flags
4.3. Individual Request Page
4.3.1. Forward a Request
4.3.2. Write a Reply
4.3.3. Deny a Request
4.3.4. Print a Request Conversation
4.4. Request Flags
4.5. Email Notifications
4.6. Change Password
4.7. Logout

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1. eFOI Overview

The Freedom of Information (FOI) is an important initiative that the President is enabling for the
Executive branch of government via Executive Order (EO) Number 2. In addition to the
availability of information directly via government offices, the internet provides a convenient
way for Requesting Party of information as well as government offices to interact and facilitate
the request and publishing of this information. This is the underlying concept of the electronic
Freedom of Information (eFOI) platform of the Philippines.

The eFOI platform was developed to easily provide public users the ability to request
information, track their requests and receive the information that they requested. Likewise, in
order to efficiently handle the influx of requests the platform is designed to assist government
offices in receiving, processing, and responding to the requests that they receive.

Transparency is a goal of the initiative and thus statistics on the requests filed, response time,
and outcomes of requests made within the eFOI platform are published.

The eFOI platform is modeled after the workflow that was designed for FOI requests by the
Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO), and therefore we recommend first
understanding the workflow and underlying procedures by reading the Model Agency FOI
Manual prepared by PCOO.

1.1.​ Purpose
The purpose of this eFOI Manual is to provide the process to guide and assist government
agencies in dealing with requests of information received under through the eFOI platform and
under the FOI EO.

1.2. Structure of the Manual

This Manual builds upon the aforementioned standards of the FOI Manual, and applies
specifically to the usage of the eFOI platform. Usage of this Manual assumes familiarity with the
roles, procedures and other guidelines that are laid out in the Model Agency FOI Manual,
therefore it should be read prior to proceeding with this Manual.

This Manual is written to guide agencies on the implementation of the eFOI platform within
their respective organizations and will outline different activities that are available within the
platform.

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2. eFOI Workflow

The general workflow of the eFOI system follows the FOI process, and is shown below:

Figure 1. The eFOI platform workflow

As shown above the eFOI platform covers the majority of the standard functionality, however
there are a few items that should be noted:
1. Appeals to requests are handled via a standard process and are currently not included as
a component of the eFOI platform; and,
2. Any internal processes for an individual agency that are not part of the main FOI
workflow are not documented on the system and should be done offline.

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​3.​ eFOI GOVERNMENT AGENCY USERS
There are two primary user roles within the eFOI platform. Further details on the roles, duties
and scope are covered and should be reviewed in the Model Agency FOI Manual.

The eFOI Manual is written for each individual role of the FOI Officer, and this manual applies to
the functionality available to the FOI ​Decision Maker (FDM)​. For information on the
functionality available to the FOI ​Receiving Officer​, please see the ​eFOI Receiving Officer User
Manual.

​3.1.​ FOI Decision Maker (FDM)

Upon approval of a request for processing, a request will be transferred to the FDM of the
respective government agency.

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4. eFOI FUNCTIONALITY
The following functionality and features are available within the eFOI system depending on the
user role that is accessing the feature.

​4.1.​ Government Agency User Registration and Login

4.1.1. FOI Decision Maker Registration

FDMs will be registered in the eFOI system by the system administrator. Once registered, an
email address and a temporary password will be provided to the FDMwith which they can login
with.

4.1.2. FOI Decision Maker Login

Registered FDMscan log in to the eFOI platform by visiting the site and entering their email
address and password.

Figure 2. Agency Dashboard Login

1. In your browser, go to ​http://foi.gov.ph/agency/login​.

2. Enter the email address assigned to you and your password.

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 3. Log in by clicking ‘Account Login’.

Note: If you can’t log into the eFOI platform because you forgot your password, please refer to the
Forgot your Password section.

4.1.3.​ Forgot Password

This feature is for when users forget their passwords and would have a need to reset them. It is
highly encouraged that you create a password that is longer than 15 characters , is
alphanumeric, includes symbols (e.g. 1Z4grT9Ax17ugR%!) ,and does not pertain to anything
that would be easily guessed, such as your birthday. It is also generally discouraged to share
your passwords with other people.

1. In your browser, go to ​http://foi.gov.ph/agency/login​.

2. Navigate towards the bottom of the form and click on the link provided.

Figure 3. Forgot Password

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 3. You will be redirected to the Password Reset page. Once there, enter the email address
assigned to you for your user account.

Figure 4. Password Reset

4. Open the email sent to you and click Reset Password.

5. Enter your new password into both fields.
6. Click ‘Save Password’.
7. You can now try to log in using your new password.

4.1.4.​ Change Password

For security reasons, users have the ability to change their password once logged in. You can do
this by clicking the My Account button and then the Change Password button on the dropdown
menu.

Figure 5. Change Password

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Doing so will bring you to the Password Reset page, where you are first required to enter your
existing password, then input a new password, and finally confirm your new password.

Figure 6. Change Password - Password Reset

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4.2. Requests Monitoring Dashboards

4.2.1. Assigned to Me
The FRO and the FDM have similar dashboards that give a bird's-eye view of the requests that
are in their queue and their various statuses.

Figure 7. Assigned to Me Dashboard

On their Assigned to Me dashboard, FDMs can view requests in their queue and their individual
status: specifically, if a request had been Accepted, is Awaiting Clarification, is Processing, had
been Successful, had been Denied, or had been Flagged. The main functions on their dashboard
allow for them to Forward a request to another FDM within the same agency to action, to Reply,
or to quickly Deny a request.

Note: For more information on these functions, please refer to the Forward a Request, Write a Reply,
and Deny a Request sections within this manual.

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4.2.2. All Dashboard
For both the FRO and FDM, the All dashboard allows them to view requests actioned by other
FOI Officers of the same rank and indicates the status of the individual requests in queue.

All status changes will prompt an email to be sent to the Requesting Party to notify him/her of
the change, along with a copy of the FDM’s Reply, which will be reflected on the portal.

Figure 8. All Dashboard

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4.2.3. Accepted Requests
Once requests are entered into the system, FROs will assess each individually and either Accept
or Deny them. Once Accepted, requests move into the Decision Makers’ queue and will be
available to view under the Accepted Requests tab on their dashboard.

Figure 9. Accepted Requests Tab

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4.2.4. Awaiting Clarification
FDMs have the option to contact the Requesting Party and ask for clarification regarding their
request. All requests tagged with ‘Awaiting Clarification’ for that purpose are filed under this
tab.

Figure 10. Awaiting Clarification Tab

4.2.5. Closed
Requesting Parties are allowed to reply 60 working days from the point of correspondence to
them by the Decision Maker. If there is no reply received or if their reply is insufficient by the
time the period is up, the request will be removed from the queue and marked as Closed. These
requests will be filed under the ‘Closed’ tab. (AN: Insert image)

4.2.6. Processing
FDMs should mark all requests that they are actively working on as ‘Processing’. All requests
tagged with that status will be visible under the ‘Processing’ tab on their dashboard.

Figure 12. Processing Tab

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4.2.7. Extension
Should the FDM require to have the time period extended in order for him/her to resolve a
request, he/she will have the ability to request for one by changing the Status to Extension. This
will allow for an extra twenty (20) working days to be added on top of the fifteen (15) working
days allotted to process each request.

All requests that an Extension has been applied to will be placed under the ‘Accepted Requests’
tab.

4.2.8. Successful
A request is tagged as Successful if the FDM was able to partially or fully provide the
information the Requesting Party had been asking for. Documents can be attached to the
replies which can also be downloaded by the general public.

Figure 13. Successful Tab

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4.2.9. Denied
A request is marked as Denied if the agency responds to the request with a reason for denial.

The reasons for denial that the FRO and FDM are allowed to make are limited and fall within
specific categories. The list for the FDM is enumerated below:

1. Exceptions​ – If the request is covered by one of the exceptions, the specific exception
should be selected and the FDM should provide information on the reason the request is
covered by the exception.
2. Information Available Online​ – Similar to the FRO, an FDM can also deny a request if
the requested information is already publicly available online, either through the Open
Data portal of the Philippines, the agency’s website or open data site, or another publicly
available site. The FDM should include with his/her correspondence to the Requesting
Party a link to the information.
3. Invalid Request​ – This is similar to the FRO’s denial reason of information being with the
wrong agency. Under the FDM’s access, a request would only be counted as invalid if it
has been sent to the agency which does not hold the information. The FDM can indicate
this as the reason for denial and provide the reason to the Requesting Party.

Figure 14. Denied Tab

4.2.10. Red Flags

The eFOI platform uses flags to indicate the number of days the request has been within the
system. For a request to be ‘on time’, it should be resolved within 15 working days from the time

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it was entered into the eFOI. If an Extension has been requested, the time allowed for a request
to be resolved is stretched to 35 days from the time of entry in the system. This feature allows
FOI Officers to determine which requests to prioritize and address immediately.

There are two general categories of flags, based on whether the request has been extended or
not:

1. Requests without Extensions

a. 0-8 days – Green Flag
b. 9-15 days – Yellow Flag
c. 16+ days – Red Flag

2. Requests with Extensions

a. 0-8 days – Green Flag
b. 9-15 days – Yellow Flag
c. 16-35 days – Blue Flag
d. 36+ days – Red Flag

The Red Flags tab provides the FDM a quick way to view requests that have passed their
deadline and provides a quick way to efficiently deal with these requests.

Figure 15. Red Flag Tab

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4.3. Individual Request Page
The platform allows users to click on an individual request which directs to the Individual
Request Page. It shows the details of the request, details and contact information of the
Requesting Party, the status of the request, and the ongoing communications between the
agency and the Requesting Party.

The page also provides access to the actions that the FDM can make, specifically:
1. Forward
2. Write a Reply
3. Deny
4. Print Conversation

Figure 16. Individual Request Page

The individual actions are explained in the sections below.

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4.3.1. Forward a Request
FDMs can Forward requests to other FDMs within the same agency. This can be done in order
to pass requests from one queue to another for assessment, or if the information is being held
by another department. To do this, FDMs can:

1. Click the button marked ‘Forward’ on his/her Requests Monitoring Dashboard or the
Write a Reply window once he/she clicks on an individual request.
2. A popup box will be shown where you can select the FDM you wish to assign the request
to. Provide a brief explanation as to why the request is being moved to another queue.
3. Once done, click ‘Forward Request’ to submit.

Figure 17. Forward Request Popup

Note: You may email the Administrator in case you would need to forward the request to a Decision
Maker not on the dropdown list.

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4.3.2. Write a Reply
The platform provides an easy and convenient way for users to correspond directly with each
other, and for FOI Officers to update the status of requests. Clicking on the ‘Write a Reply’
button on the Individual Request page allows users to choose the status of the request he/she is
working on and formulate a reply based on the templates available.

Figure 18. Write a Reply

The following statuses are available to be selected from the dropdown menu:

Figure 19. Status Dropdown Menu

Selecting a status will then allow the Decision Maker to write a reply, or use built-in templates
for certain status updates.

Figure 20. Writing a Reply using the Template

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Note: If you are using a ready-made template, ensure that all pertinent information relating to
the reply are filled out.

Once done, you will have the option to attach files, or submit the reply without attachments by
clicking the ‘Send My Reply’ button.

All replies will be posted on the portal and will be viewable by the public. It will also indicate the
FDM’s first name, the date, and exact time of the posting.

Figure 21. Seeing Replies on the Public Portal

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4.3.3. Deny a Request
As mentioned in Section 4.2.8, FDMscan Deny a request under the following conditions:
1. Exceptions
2. Information Available Online
3. Invalid Request

All options will be accessible as a drop down list once the ‘Denied’ status is selected.

Figure 22. Replying with the Denied Status

A ready-made template will be available for your use.

Figure 23. Writing a Reply with the Denied Template

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4.3.4. Print a Request Conversation
The platform provides a functionality to print requests should that be necessary. We
recommend using this only in situations that require a printed document, such as appeal reviews
or other internal reviews.

Figure 24. Printing a Request

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4.4. Request Flags
As already mentioned in Section 4.2.9, flags are used by the eFOI platform to determine how
long a request has been sitting in the queue.

Apart from the Red Flag Tab, Decision Makers can also view flags on an individual basis, with the
tag placed beside each request.

Figure 25. Viewing Flags on the Dashboard

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4.5. Email Notifications
Actions that are taken throughout the system generate email notifications to the Requesting
Party. The following items will send an email with the status and messages that are entered into
the eFOI platform:

● Written Replies
● Acceptance of Request
● Denial of Request
● Change of Request Status

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4.6. Logout
For security reasons, we recommend that all users logout of the eFOI platform upon completion
of their work, or prior to leaving their computer or workstation. This can be done by clicking the
My Account button and then the Logout button on the dropdown menu.

Figure 26. Logout Page

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