Freedom of Information Request Router
The FOI Router identifies which parts of the organisation are likely to hold the information a request asks for, and drafts the internal tasking.
Keywords
- Tags: Classification
- Tags: Transparency
- Tags: Information governance
- Stage: Pilot
- Type: Large Language Model
- Sector: Public administration
- Language: English
How does our product work?
The request text is compared against a description of what each team holds, and against previously answered requests. The router proposes which teams to task and drafts the internal request to each.
An information officer confirms the tasking. The response to the requester is always written by a person.
Overview
A meaningful share of the statutory twenty working days was routinely consumed simply establishing who held the records, particularly for requests spanning several services.
Shortening that gives the teams that actually hold the information more time to find it properly, which improves the answer rather than only the timeliness.
Owner and responsibility
More detailed information on the system
Here you can get acquainted with the information used by the system, the operating logic, and its governance in the areas that interest you.
System description
The router deliberately over-tasks rather than under-tasks: sending a request to a team that turns out to hold nothing costs that team a few minutes, whereas missing a team that holds records risks an incomplete response and a breach.
It does not assess exemptions, does not draft refusals and has no access to the records themselves — only to descriptions of what each team holds.
References
Pilot evaluation covering response times and completeness.