Aps Level 5

**Job Reference Number **22-LADIV-16016

**Classification **APS Level 5

**Job Title **FOI Case Officer & FOI Admin Support Officer

**Division **Legal and Assurance Division

**Branch **Advice and Legislation Branch

**Section **Freedom of Information Unit

**Location **Woden, ACT

**Status **Ongoing & Non-ongoing

**Employment type **Full-time & Part-time

**Salary Range **$79,002 - $85,437

**Security Clearance **Baseline (Protected, Highly Protected, Restricted, Confidential)***

**Contact Officer Name**:Karen Bishop
**Phone**:(02) 6289 3034

**Eligibility**
- To be eligible for employment with the Department of Health and Aged Care

applicants must be an Australian citizen at the time an offer of employment is made
- An applicant’s suitability for employment with Health will also be assessed through a

variety of pre-employment check processes, such as:

- Satisfactory completion of an Australian Federal Police criminal history check,
and where relevant a Working with Children and Vulnerable People Check.
- Completion of a medical declaration and pre-employment medical (where
required).
- Providing evidence of qualifications.

**Division Responsibilities**

The Legal and Assurance Division is the Department of Health’s internal legal practice
delivering legal services across the wide spectrum of the Department’s activities. The
Department’s lawyers work in an exciting, dynamic and intellectually challenging

environment providing legal services including in areas of law such as administrative law,
biosecurity, compliance, commercial law, corporate governance and employment law.

Legal and Assurance Division is comprised of the following branches:

- Advice and Legislation Branch;
- Corporate, Commercial and Litigation Branch; and
- Corporate Assurance Branch (non-legal).

The legal branches are the first point of contact for departmental staff requiring legal advice
and assistance. These branches are responsible for delivering a range of high quality, client
focused legal services to Portfolio Ministers, the Executive and other senior officers of the
Department on a broad range of complex legislative, program and policy issues affecting the
portfolio. The legal branches strategically manage legal risks to enable the Department to
deliver its strategic and corporate priorities and ultimately, its vision.

**Branch Responsibilities**

The Advice and Legislation Branch provides strategic legal advice and assistance to the
Secretary, the Executive and the line areas of the Department in relation to administrative
law, biosecurity, compliance and legislative development. The branch develops the legal
instruments for managing the COVID-19 pandemic, manages the Department’s FOI
processing and facilitates and coordinates the Department’s legislation program. The branch
advises on a broad and diverse range of the Department’s legislation including aged care,
Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and Medicare. Key legislation includes the Aged Care Act
1997, Biosecurity Act 2015, Health Insurance Act 1973 and the National Health Act 1953.

The branch is comprised of the following sections:

- Aged Care Law
- Aged Care Reform
- Biosecurity
- Constitutional Risk Assessment
- FOI
- Legislation
- Health Law Advice
- Health Provider Compliance

**Section Responsibilities**

The FOI Section manages and coordinates FOI case work for the Department. FOI Case
Officers are responsible for responding to FOI requests, including liaising with business units
to identify and assess documents for relevance to the scope of the request and to identify
exempt material, liaising with applicants and government and non-government stakeholders
and tracking timeframes to ensure compliance with statutory deadlines. FOI Support

Officers provide administrative support to the FOI Section, including working with more
senior officers to assess the validity of requests, allocating requests to FOI Case Officers, and
preparing quarterly and annual reporting to the Office of the Australian Information
Commissioner (OAIC). FOI Support Officers are responsible for entering data into
departmental databases including VOLT and TRIM. FOI Support Officers may also progress
and prepare correspondence for less complex FOI requests.

**Key Responsibilities**

**FOI Case Officer**

FOI Case Officers are expected to have at least a basic understanding of the FOI Act and
related legislation, guidelines and processes or the ability to obtain this knowledge quickly.

APS5 FOI Case Officers must be able to manage and progress simple FOI requests
independently and have the ability and experience to undertake other tasks under the
supervision and direction of more senior officers.

Examples of the work that may be undertaken at this level include:

- Contributing to the resolution of problems and issues management in consultation

with supervisors.
- Assisting in the preparation of instructions to external legal service providers.
- Ensuring knowledge of