Who we are

The Information and Privacy Commission NSW (IPC) is an independent statutory authority that administers New South Wales’ legislation dealing with privacy and access to government information.

The IPC was established on 1 January 2011 to support the Information Commissioner and the Privacy Commissioner in fulfilling their legislative responsibilities and functions and to ensure individuals and agencies can access consistent information, guidance and coordinated training about information access and privacy matters.

Our values

View the IPC Values Framework here.

The IPC’s Values Framework was developed in line with the Government Sector Core Values. The IPC’s Values are: Accountable, Service focused, Proactive, Integrity, Independent and Trust.

The IPC’s Values Framework was developed by IPC staff in December 2014 using the Government Sector Core Values (Accountability, Service, Trust, Integrity) and the IPC Values (Accountable, Service focused, Proactive, Independent).

ACCOUNTABLE

• Taking responsibility for our decisions and actions individually and as a group, using transparent process and making defendable decisions
• When displayed, we feel confident, secure, respected and respectful. On an organisational level, we feel obligations are being fulfilled
• We demonstrate it when we take ownership of actions and decisions to deliver our business objectives.

SERVICE FOCUSSED

• Recognising what clients/colleagues want and need, being transparent, communicative and articulate when delivering outcomes, and putting others first
• When displayed, we feel able to provide direction and focus. Providing truthful and honest advice can be confronting. We feel a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction, that we have made a difference to a person’s life
• We demonstrate it when we are aware, and make ourselves aware of customer needs, setting and managing expectations and boundaries, and upholding our responsibilities to others.

PROACTIVE

• Identifying opportunities and taking the initiative to plan constructively and implement practices, demonstrating leadership
• When displayed, we feel personally and professionally prepared, confident and respected, leading to a sense of achievement and empowerment
• We demonstrate it when we think about the big picture, initiate ideas and act on opportunities, flexibly and thoughtfully.

INDEPENDENT

• Being impartial and objective
• When displayed, we feel confident in our decisions, and that our actions can be relied on and trusted
• We demonstrate it when we have open and transparent decision-making which involves listening to both sides, making a decision on available evidence, keeping accurate records, being open-minded in our approach.

INTEGRITY

• Demonstrating our values through consistent and appropriate actions and holding ourselves to a recognised high standard
• When displayed, we feel confident and reassured
• We demonstrate it when we behave consistently in line with our commitments and values.

TRUST

• A relationship built on honesty.  It means being reliable and being able to rely on others
• When displayed, we feel confident, secure and supported
• We demonstrate it when we take responsibility for our actions, act with honesty and integrity, and show confidence in others and in our colleagues.

Our approach

•     We are focused on the resolution of issues applying a flexible approach appropriate to the issue
•     We make it easier for the community to exercise their rights, and for organisations covered by our
      legislation, to meet their responsibilities
•     We give priority to significant or systemic public policy issues
•     We work constructively with stakeholders
•     We operate in accordance with the NSW Public Sector Values and Code of Conduct
•     We identify trends and patterns and share good practice.

Our commitment to open government in NSW Goal 31

In September 2011, the New South Wales Government released NSW 2021: A Plan to Make NSW Number One, which sets the government's 10-year goals and targets for the state.

Goal 31 of the state plan calls for improved government transparency by increasing access to government information and confirms the objectives of the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 (GIPA Act). The goal highlights the community's right to openness, accountability and transparency in government decision-making and information. The government recognises it is important to ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to protect privacy and confidentiality.

The IPC works with all government agencies to ensure they deliver on this priority, which calls on agencies to be fully compliant with the mandatory proactive release requirements under the GIPA Act.

The IPC contributes to reports on programs in the state plan goal 31. These are published on the Department of Justice website.

All publications issued by the Information and Privacy Commission NSW are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial 3.0 Unported License.