The report, part of a series of reviews of national regulators, examined how the ICO, which promotes public access to official information and protects personal information, matched up to the principles of effective regulation set out by Philip Hampton in 2005. The reviews, which look at regulators’ interaction with businesses, focused on the ICO’s activities under data protection legislation. The report found that the ICO:
- has taken a lead role in Europe on data protection issues, showing impressive strategic leadership;
- has a good working relationship with its main stakeholders, working proactively and constructively with them; and
- is an accessible organisation that produces clear guidance for businesses and the public at a range of general and specialist levels.
Despite making real progress the report also identified some issues the ICO needed to address to improve its performance further, including articulating more clearly the outcomes that it is seeking to achieve, and instituting a more systematic approach to its audit work.