The Official Information Act B.E. 2540 and the Announcements of the Official Information Commission regarding rules and procedures on the making of the official information available for general public inspection have prescribed the procedures in setting up the official information center which consist of:
1) Station where the official information can be displayed for public inspection;
2) The arrangement for the index on the list of official information compiled;
3) Information that can be inspected should at least contain information according to Section 7 and Section 9 (1)-(8); and
4) Procedural rules for the services and the public inspection.
In order to implement the establishment and the development of the information center, the arrangement of the information, the display of the information and the imposition of procedural rules regarding the inspection to ensure the order and safety of such information, the delegation of the government officials to who shall be responsible for the supervision and development of the official information center who shall arrange for the materials and appropriate equipments for information inspection, the relevant state agencies shall procure the procedural rules for setting up and development of the official information center as follows:
1. The location where the official information will be situated;
The location of the center must be easily found where appropriate spaces are allocated for information inspection. The nature or the space and the vital arrangement for such space should be:
(1) A space or a room within the library or a specific designated private area of the office or the state agency must be proportional where it can be easily found. In case of insufficient space within the office or of the state agency where information must be kept separately, there must be a sign indicating the place where the separated information is kept. Index and cards of the separated information must be arranged. In case of necessity, information can be kept at such other places nearby.
(2) The location of the official information center must be easily found. The center should provide sufficient materials, applainces, software and such other facilities where general public could have easy access. The location of the center should be located in front of or on the first floor of the office.
(3) Signage should be clearly assigned. It should signify: “The official information center of “… (the name of the state agency)….”. A layout plan of the official information center must also be displayed.
(4) A connecting place which links the official information center and the information technology space or public relations space must be allocated for public inquiries and inspection.
(5) The official information center must be improved or redecorated at all times suitable for public inspection. Appropriate signage and public relations or announcements should be allocated for easy inspection.
2. Materials, Appliance and Facilities
There must be materials, appliances and such other facilities necessary for the official information public inspection available at the official information center. Materials, appliances and such other facilities include:
(1) Tables/ chairs for the officials stationed at the center;
(2) Tables/ chairs for the general public for their inspection of the official information;
(3) Cabinets in which the information files are stored or kept. Information archives must contain information under Section 9 (1)-(8) and information according to the Announcement of the Official Information Commission. Cabinets should be easily opened or closed and convenient for public inspection.
(4) Communication equipments such as telephone, computer units and internet system, etc;
(5) Printed-out forms, papers and stationary;
(6) Flowchart, flyers or any distributable documents, announcement of the state agency relating to the official information which is made available for public inspection; and
(7) Any such other facilities such as electric fans, fridges, newspapers, books necessary of public inspection.
3. Delegation of the state agency or the responsible officials
Any state agencies with the official information center should delegate appropriate officials who shall be responsible for the supervision and improvement of the official information center such as information technology or public relations officers. Work load of these officers should be assigned to knowledgeable officers. Officers should have the following qualifications:
(1) being trained or knowledgeable of the Official Information Act B.E. 2540 or any legislations relating to the promotion of the right to know information of the public;
(2) possessing service mind and good interpersonal relationships;
(3) capable of coordinating with such other state agencies or departmental bodies;
(4) capable of managing the data files or making official information index as required by law; and
(5) capable of improving and updating any official information obtained from other state agencies.
4. Index/ List of Official Information
Index and list of official information are very important and useful for the provisions of official information services and the officers in charge of the official information center. Index and list of official information accommodate the following:
(1) facilitate the official information inspection of the public who requests for viewing or inspection of such official information;
(2) exhibit the core of the official information which is in accordance with the requirements of laws, such as the chronological order of the information under Section 9 (1)-(8) of the Act and such other information under the Announcement of the Official Information Commission;
(3) facilitate the officers in the official information center in the control of the inspection of the official information that is made available where the officers would be able to know if any of the information is missing or lost. Likewise, the index and the list of official information would be an appropriate reference for further use;
(4) identify the storage places of such official information;
(5) if index and list of official information is computerized, a written instruction for the use of computer should be made available. Further, officers should be assigned to assist the general public who apply for official information viewing or inspection (some people may not be computer literate);
(6) knowledgeable and able to adopt the information through the distribution channel appropriately;
(7) able to adopt new technologies for official information safe-keeping and distribution; and
(8) able to continuedly perform their regular tasks at the official information center.
5. Rules and regulations governing the use of official information services
State agencies shall be able to impose certain rules and regulations governing the use of official information services in order to supervise and monitor the performance of the official information center and to maintain orders and safety where public inspection is carried out. State agencies would be able to:
(1) appoint or delegate an official information center committee or an official information system management committee of such official information center;
(2) impose any procedural rules of the official information center. For example, the imposition of rules stating that the official information must be published in the Royal Gazette;
(3) make (1) handbooks for the use of the services at the official information center; and (2) policies promoting the Right-To-Know” and Official Information Public Access”;
(4) set out the rules governing the collection of copying fee. If any of the state agencies do not wish to charge for copying fee whether with certification or not according to the Announcement of the Official Information Commission (OIC) dated 7 May 1999, such state agencies may issue their own regulations for fee collection with an approval of the Official Information Commission;
(5) set out procedural steps in applying for viewing or inspection of official information where signboard should be put in such official information center, particularly, the time according to the Council of Ministers dated 28 December 2004;
(6) set out application forms such as application form of the official information, complaint forms or appeal forms (which forms should not be contrary to the law);
(7) provide visitors register book for whom applying for viewing or inspection of the official information for their internal record and statistic reports;
(8) set out plans and policies regarding the relevant information management systems; and
(9) provide their own information analytical and management report.
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