Affiliations: [a] School of Applied Social Sciences, University of
Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK | School of Management, University of St Andrews, Scotland
Correspondence:
[*]
Correspondence: Kate Spence, Room 5.09 Graham Hills Building,
School of Applied Social Sciences, Faculty of Humanities {\&} Social
Science, University of Strathclyde, 50 George Street, Glasgow G1 1XN. E-mail:
kate.spence@strath.ac.uk
Abstract: The devolved political settlement in Scotland has been profoundly
shaped by the principles of openness, accountability and transparency and by
the important role played by Scottish civic society in campaigning for the new
Scottish Parliament. The coming into force of the Freedom of Information
Scotland Act (FOISA) in January 2005 was intended to help secure the openness
of the new Scottish polity. This paper analyses the drivers of information
management policies and practices in Scottish public life and assesses some of
the complex interrelationships between civil society and the state that have
influenced how organizations in the Scottish voluntary have – and have not –
availed of the provisions of FOISA. Based on original and extensive survey,
interview, documentary and archival research this paper assesses some of the
ways in which political culture post-devolution has impacted on how the `third
sector' has engaged with FOI. The research finds that the particularity of
devolved governance and funding relationships between public and voluntary
sectors plays a key role in determining FOI uptake and reflects on what this
means for wider public accountability and transparency.
Keywords: Freedom of Information (FOI), Freedom of Information Scotland Act (FOISA), civil society, devolution, accountability
