Annual Report to Parliament on the Access to Information Act 2019 to 2020
1. Introduction
The Access to Information Act (ATIA) provides the Canadian public with a broad right of access to information in records under the control of a government institution. This is in accordance with the principles that government information should be available to the public and that necessary exceptions to the right of access should be limited and specific.
Section 72 of the ATIA requires that the Head of every federal government institution submit an annual report to Parliament on the administration of this Act over the fiscal year. The Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness has delegated the administration of the ATIA, including the reporting of the Annual Report, to the Commissioner of the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC).
This report describes how the CSC fulfilled its access to information responsibilities during the reporting period covering April 1, 2019 to March 31, 2020.
This report describes how the CSC fulfilled its access to information responsibilities during the reporting period covering 2018-2019.
2. Organizational Structure
2.1 About Correctional Service of Canada
CSC was formed in 1979 through the amalgamation of the Canadian Penitentiary Service and the Parole Board of Canada (PBC). CSC has the fundamental obligation to contribute to public safety by actively encouraging and assisting offenders to become law-abiding citizens, while exercising reasonable, safe, secure and humane control.
CSC contributes to public safety by administering court-imposed sentences for offenders sentenced to two years or more. This involves managing institutions (penitentiaries) and supervising offenders.
CSC works closely with its Public Safety Portfolio partners, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), the PBC, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), in addition to oversight bodies including the Office of the Correctional Investigator (OCI).
2.2 The Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) Division
The ATIP Division reports to the Director General of Rights, Redress and Resolution under the Policy Sector and is divided into five units:
- Access to Information Operations
- Backlog
- Privacy Operations
- Policy and Governance
- Intake, Processing and Retention Unit (ATIP Administrative Team)
The Access to Information Operations and Backlog teams are headed by one Deputy Director. The Access to Information Operations team is managed by one team leader, and is responsible for reviewing records, conducting consultations, applying exemptions and exclusions, preparing release packages for applicants, and responding to complaints from the Office of the Information Commissioner (OIC). The Backlog teams are managed by two team leaders, and are responsible solely for processing files received prior to 2018.
The Privacy Operations team is headed by one Deputy Director, who is assisted by one team leader and four analysts. This team processes formal and informal requests under the Privacy Act (PA).
The Policy and Governance Unit (PGU) develops reports, policies, guidelines, tools and procedures to support ATIP requirements within CSC; oversees the Privacy Impact Assessment process; manages privacy breaches; reviews disciplinary, harassment, fact -finding and workplace violence reports, and complex privacy requests related to said investigations; processes requests under 8(2) of the PA, including files for litigation and other court purposes; responds to use and disclosure complaints; and provides training.
The Intake, Processing and Retention Unit (IPRU), is comprised of one Manager and clerical support staff. IPRU is responsible for processing incoming requests, generating routine correspondence, tasking retrievals, ensuring quality control, preparing final release packages, and providing general support to the ATIP office.
In addition, each sector, region, institution, district, parole office and community correctional centre has an access to information and privacy liaison who assists the national ATIP Division in administering its overall responsibilities.
2.3 Delegation Order
The Commissioner of CSC is responsible for dealing with requests under the ATIA and the PA. The Minister delegates this authority to members of departmental senior management, including the ATIP Division Departmental Coordinator (ATIP Director), to carry out their powers, duties, and functions under the Acts, in relation to ATIP requests. Certain authorities are delegated to particular positions in the ATIP Division at National Headquarters as shown in Appendix A of this report.
2.4 Initiatives and Priorities
The ATIP Division receives an average of two million pages annually, and is able to process approximately half that amount with the current staff complement. CSC ATIP manages many competing priorities on a daily basis, including an increasing number of requests related to legal proceedings, which are sensitive and urgent in nature, and manages a large backlog of files dating back several years. To manage these competing priorities as efficiently as possible, ATIP increased its overall complement on a temporary basis, including casuals, terms and consultants. In order to mitigate the most significant risks for CSC, ATIP has identified seven priorities:
(1) complaints under investigation by the Information Commissioner; (2) requests related to legal proceedings; (3) access to information requests; (4) implementing a fast-tracked approach for privacy requests; (5) current privacy requests (meeting legislative timeframes); (6) expedite the release of requests where a quick review is possible; and, (7) an informal disclosure process at the lowest level (regional or local levels). To date, these focused efforts have led to an approximate 30 percent increase in production (1.3 million pages in 2019-2020, up from one million pages in 2018-2019).
Dedicated teams within the ATIP Division have been identified to focus on the above - noted priorities, and this specialization is expected to enhance timeliness of responses, facilitate cohesion, and ensure consistent review methods.
The ATIP Division is dedicated to examining processes and looking at innovative ways to enhance operations, with the expectation that streamlining certain areas will result in a reduction in workload, and allow our staff to focus on clearing the backlog. During the next fiscal year, the ATIP management team will be focusing on completing various staffing processes to bring stability to the team and increase our complement of staff that will better equip the team to address the backlog and other responsibilities.
3. Highlights of the Access to Information Act Statistical Report for 2019-2020
3.1 Requests Processed Under the Access to Information Act
In 2019-2020, CSC received 435 ATIA requests, a 4 percent decrease from the previous year. A total of 444 requests were carried over from the previous reporting year, totaling 879 requests requiring processing in 2019-2020. CSC responded to 508 access to information requests, representing 58 percent of the total number of requests received and outstanding from the previous reporting period. Please refer to Appendix B for the Statistical Report.
3.1:Access to Information Request Workload:
This graph shows that in 2015-2016, 646 requests were received, 219 were outstanding from the previous reporting period, and 617 requests were closed. In 2016-2017, 582 requests were received, 252 were outstanding from the previous reporting period, and 508 were closed. In 2017-2018, 474 requests were received, 327 were outstanding from the previous reporting period, and 377 were closed. In 2018-2019, 452 requests were received, 403 were outstanding from the previous reporting period, and 408 were closed. In 2019-2020, 435 requests were received, 444 were outstanding from the previous reporting period, and 508 were closed.This graph shows the total workload of access to information requests as a sum of requests received during the reporting period and requests outstanding from the previous reporting period. The line illustrates the trend of files closed. As the graph outlines, while the number of new requests has stabilized in the last two years, efficiencies continue to be implemented to address the long-standing backlog.
3.2 Disposition of Requests
Of the 508 requests completed during the 2019-2020 reporting period, 99 requests were full disclosures; 192 were partial disclosure; nine were withheld in their entirety; five were transferred; 54 were unable to be processed resulting from no records existing ; 145 were abandoned by the applicant and four were neither confirmed nor denied. In total, 153,840 pages were processed.
3.2:Disposition of Requests
This graph shows that in the 2019-2020 reporting period, 99 requests were fully disclosed; 192 were partially disclosed; nine were withheld in their entirety; five were transferred; 54 were unable to be processed resulting from no records existing; 145 requests were abandoned by the applicant; and four were neither confirmed nor denied.3.3 Exemptions and Exclusions
The majority of exemptions invoked by CSC fell under five sections of the ATIA:
- Subsection 19(1), used to protect personal information, was applied in 180 cases (39 percent);
- Subsection 16(1), used to protect information relating to law enforcement and investigations, was applied in 68 cases (15 percent);
- Subsection 20(1), used to protect information relating to third party information, wasapplied in 75 cases (16 percent);
- Subsection 16.1(1), used to protect information relating to investigations, examinations and audits, was applied in five cases (1 percent); and
- Subsection 21(1), used to protect information relating to advice, was applied in 70 cases (15 percent).
A complete breakdown of the exemptions applied during this reporting period is as follows:
| Exemption Description | Number of Times Applied |
|---|---|
| Obtained in Confidence | 10 |
| Federal-Provincial Affairs | 2 |
| International Affairs and Defence | 1 |
| Law Enforcement & Investigation | 82 |
| Safety of Individuals | 1 |
| Economic Interests | 12 |
| Personal Information | 180 |
| Third Party Information | 75 |
| Operations of Government (Advice) | 70 |
| Testing Procedures | 4 |
| Solicitor-Client Privilege | 14 |
| Refusal of access | 1 |
| Published information | 7 |
| Cabinet Confidences | 7 |
| Total | 466 |
3.4 Extensions
A total of 89 extensions were required during this reporting period. This represents an increase in extensions in comparison to the previous fiscal year. As requests get more voluminous, complex, and require an increased amount of programming time when asking for statistics, the need for dedicated search time is subsequently increased.
3.5 Completion Time
During the reporting period, CSC completed 135 requests in less than 30 days; 59 between 31 and 60 days; 50 requests between 61 to 120 days; 33 requests between 121 to 180 days; and 231 requests were completed in over 180 days.
3.5:Completion Time
During the reporting period, CSC completed 27 percent of requests in less than 30 days; 12 percent of requests in 31 to 60 days; 10 percent of requests in 61 to 120 days; six percent of requests in 121 to 180 days; and 45 percent of requests were completed in over 180 days.3.6 Deemed Refusals
Over the years, an increasing number of files have been closed beyond the statutory deadline. During this fiscal year, 72 percent of the requests (368) were closed beyond the statutory deadline, a 19 percent increase from 2018-2019. It is expected this trend will continue given the backlog and volume of incoming requests.
3.6:Deemed Refusals
This graph shows that in 2015-2016, 178 requests were deemed refused, 617 were closed, and 29 percent of the closed requests were deemed refused. In 2016-2017, 173 requests were deemed refused, 508 were closed, and 34 percent of the closed requests were deemed refused. In 2017-2018, 155 requests were deemed refused, 377 were closed, and 41 percent of the closed requests were deemed refused. In 2018-2019, 214 requests were deemed refused, 408 were closed, and 52 percent of the closed requests were deemed refused. In 2019-2020, 368 requests were deemed refused, 508 were closed, and 72 percent of the closed requests were deemed refused.3.7 Informal Requests
During the reporting period, 283 informal requests were received. A total of 408 requests were carried over from the previous reporting year, totaling 691 informal requests requiring processing in 2019-2020. These include the review of audit and evaluation reports, lists of briefing notes, and requests for previously released access to information packages. A total of 31 informal requests were closed during 2019-2020.
3.8 Consultations from Other Institutions and Organizations
The ATIP Division’s workload involves responding to consultations in response to formal requests received by other institutions and organizations. CSC works closely with its partners under the Public Safety portfolio such as CBSA, RCMP, CSIS and PBC in an effort to respond to consultations in a timely fashion. CSC is consulted on such subjects as court cases, offender grievances, OCI matters, offender files, and deported individuals.
During the 2019-2020 reporting period, the ATIP Division received a total of 111 consultations from other institutions and organizations.
3.9 COVID-19 Measures and Mitigation Strategies
At the outset of the pandemic, CSC ATIP had some challenges to overcome, including:
- The ability to work remotely as most employees did not have laptops;
- Accepting new requests and correspondence from requesters and stakeholders, including being able to respond by regular mail was halted because on-site work was not permitted;
- Communication by telephone due to lack of cellular reception/service;
- The ability to process videos and records at the Protected C level (and higher) as these are only available in hard copy format;
- Limited access to the Virtual Private Network (VPN) requiring employees to import requests to their desktops in PDF format making it extremely challenging and time- consuming to identify information requiring protection, and then transfer those redactions into the AccessPro database when the VPN was available;
- Offices of Primary Interest (OPIs) performing frontline services could not respond to retrieval requests; and
- Third party consultations were limited because they were not always operational.
However, CSC ATIP rose to the challenge and quickly implemented mitigation strategies, including:
- Providing all employees with laptops;
- A staggered onsite shift for a minimum number of administrative employees for the purposes of addressing incoming and outgoing mail;
- Employees were provided with mobile phones so they could have immediate contact with their respective teams, stakeholders and requesters;
- The ATIP Division received its own teleconference number, providing teams with the ability to teleconference with their colleagues;
- Permission was granted to retrieve hard copy Protected C and secret files from the office for remote work;
- CSC increased its VPN licenses;
- Record retrieval to frontline OPIs was prioritized and restricted to only the highest priority requests. With time, and as the frontline OPIs adjusted, record retrieval resumed in full;
- Third parties were contacted in advance to ensure they were prepared to respond to consultations prior to the consultation being sent;
- E-post was adopted as an alternative to regular mail where possible; and
- Digital signatures were implemented.
4. Access to Information Fees for the Purposes of the Services Fees Act
The Service Fees Act requires a responsible authority to report annually to Parliament on the fees collected by the institution.
With respect to fees collected under the ATIA, the information below is reported in accordance with the requirements of section 20 of the Service Fees Act.
- Enabling authority: ATIA
- Fee amount: $2,185
- Total revenue: $2,110
- Fees waived: $75 (In accordance with the Interim Directive on the Administration of the Access to Information Act, issued on May 5, 2016, CSC waives all fees prescribed by the Act and Regulations, other than the $5 application fee set out in paragraph 7(1)(a) of the Regulations.)
- Cost of operating the program: $774,113
5. Training and Awareness
The PGU plays a fundamental role in developing and delivering training to employees at National Headquarters (NHQ), Regional Headquarters and at the institutional level across Canada, as well as the ATIP staff, on ATIP related matters.
During this reporting period, the ATIP Division continued delivering ATIP Awareness training to the sectors and the regions in order to ensure CSC employees have an understanding of ATIP and the importance of their role in the process.
In total, 18 training sessions were delivered this reporting period – nine sessions were delivered at NHQ – 91 employees received training. An additional nine training sessions were delivered by the Regional ATIP Liaisons in the regions, comprising of 110 employees.
PGU continues to provide advice and answer questions and concerns regarding training, policy and guidelines, and interpretations of the Acts through its generic email account. Through the use of these email accounts, CSC staff is provided with a single point of contact to increase their knowledge of the ATIP legislation.
6. Policies, Guidelines, Procedures and Initiatives
Over the past year, the ATIP Division has continued to update internal guidelines and procedures as required, including:
- Streamlining operating procedures.
- Updating internal procedures for clarifying requests, which resulted in more targeted requests where possible, and the redaction of low numbers on a case -by-case basis, which resulted in the release of additional information to requesters.
- Updating templates, including new templates for proactive publication.
- Statistical reporting in response to ATIA requests to ensure accuracy and improved coordination.
The ATIP Division hired an additional PM-05 to assist with the backlog of ATIA requests. With the addition of a second PM-05, CSC ATIP was able to reduce the backlog on files awaiting second review - approximately 79 percent of backlog files that were not assigned to analysts were closed by the end of the fiscal year. This was mainly achieved by contacting requesters to ascertain whether they wished to pursue their requests. As well, some requesters were presented with recommendations for clarifying and narrowing the scope of their requests, making those files more manageable.
As a result of Bill C-58: An Act to amend the Access to Information and the Privacy Act, receiving Royal Assent on June 21, 2019, the ATIP Division worked closely with Parliamentary Relations and other stakeholders to develop and implement the new process for proactive publication. Fourteen requests for proactive publication were processed this fiscal year.
7. Complaints and Audits
At the end of this reporting period, CSC received a total of 62 complaints with a total of 60 findings issued, a slight increase in the number of complaints received in fiscal year 2018-2019 (53). At the end of fiscal year 2019-2020, there were 93 active complaints.
CSC is a department that receives a high number of requests for voluminous files. The majority of access complaints received during this reporting period concern denial of access due to no record responses and delay/time limit complaints.
As a result of OIC’s investigations, recommendations, and the number of privacy complaints received (and carried over), CSC’s ATIP Division undertook several strategic measures. For example:
- ATIP continues to prioritize providing timely responses. The Division remains focused on building its human resource component and has dedicated the majority of staff to lessening the backlog.
- ATIP liaised with the OIC to prioritize complaints and resolve issues prior to the section 37 letter stage.
- The ATIP Division has continued to use a divisional complaints coordinator in order to work closely with the OIC to respond to formal complaints and queries using a single point of contact.
There were no audits undertaken during this fiscal year.
8. Monitoring Compliance
The ATIP Division runs reports form AccessPro Case Management on a regular basis in order to monitor due dates, and to manage its workload with the ultimate goal of meeting legislated timeframes. A report created to monitor the outstanding complaints with the OIC, is also provided to the ATIP Director on a bi-weekly basis.
CSC ATIP produces a monthly report for senior management that captures various statistics, including the number of requests which have been received, closed and are still outstanding. This report is shared with the Director General, Rights, Redress and Resolution and the Assistant Commissioner, Policy.
In addition to the reports, the IPRU actively monitors and triages the incoming requests, regularly reporting to senior management any requirement to reassess priorities and redistribute workload to improve performance.
9. Federal Court
The ATIP Division received three Notices of Application for Judicial Review in this reporting period.
Appendix A: Delegation Order
The Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, pursuant to section 73 of the Access to Information Act, hereby designates the persons holding the positions set out in the schedule hereto to exercise the powers and perform the duties and functions of the Minister as the head of a government institution, that is, the Correctional Service of Canada, under the sections of the Act set out in the schedule opposite each position. This designation replaces all previous delegation orders.
| Section Article | Action | Commissioner; | Senior Deputy Commissioner | Assistant Commissioner, Policy | Director, ATIP | Deputy Director, ATIP | Team Leaders, ATIP & Senior Policy Advisor | Regional Deputy Commissioners | Wardens & District Directors | Regional Administrators, Communications and Executive Services |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4(2.1) | Responsibility of head of institution | • | • | • | • | • | • | |||
| 7(a) | Notice where access requested | • | • | • | • | • | • | |||
| 7(b) | Giving access to a record | • | • | • | • | • | • | |||
| 8(1) | Transfer to – transfer from institution | • | • | • | • | • | • | |||
| 9 | Extension of time limits | • | • | • | • | • | • | |||
| 11(2)(3)(4)(5)(6) | Additional fees | • | • | • | • | • | • | |||
| 12(2)(b) | Language of access | • | • | • | • | • | • | |||
| 12(3)(b) | Access in Alternative format | • | • | • | • | • | • | |||
| 13 | Exemption - Information obtained in Confidence | • | • | • | • | • | • | |||
| 14 | Exemption - Federal-Provincial Affairs | • | • | • | • | • | • | |||
| 15 | Exemption - International affairs and defence | • | • | • | • | • | • | |||
| 16 | Exemption - Law enforcement and investigation | • | • | • | • | • | • | |||
| 16.5 | Exemption - Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act | • | • | • | • | • | • | |||
| 17 | Exemption - Safety of individuals | • | • | • | • | • | • | |||
| 18 | Exemption - Economic Interests of Canada | • | • | • | • | • | • | |||
| 18.1 | Exemption - Economic interest of certain government institutions | • | • | • | • | • | • | |||
| 19 | Exemption - Personal Information | • | • | • | • | • | • | |||
| 20 | Exemption - Third party information | • | • | • | • | • | • | |||
| 21 | Exemption - Operations of Government | • | • | • | • | • | • | |||
| 22 | Exemption - Testing procedures | • | • | • | • | • | • | |||
| 22.1 | Exemption - Internal Audits | • | • | • | • | • | • | |||
| 23 | Exemption - Solicitor/Client Privilege | • | • | • | • | • | • | |||
| 24 | Exemption - Statutory prohibitions | • | • | • | • | • | • | |||
| 25 | Severability | • | • | • | • | • | • | |||
| 26 | Refusal of access where information is to be published | • | • | • | • | • | • | |||
| 27(1)(4) | Third party notification | • | • | • | • | • | • | |||
| 28(1)(b), (2)(4) | Third party notification | • | • | • | • | • | • | |||
| 29(1) | Disclosure on recommendation of Information Commissioner | • | • | • | • | • | • | |||
| 33 | Advise Information Commissioner of third party involvement | • | • | • | • | • | • | |||
| 35(2)(b) | Right to make representations | • | • | • | • | • | • | |||
| 37(4) | Access to be given to complainant | • | • | • | • | • | • | |||
| 43(1) | Notice to third party of application to Federal Court for review | • | • | • | • | • | ||||
| 44(2) | Notice to requester of application for review by third party | • | • | • | • | • | ||||
| 52(2)(b), 52(3) | Special rules for hearings | • | • | • | • | • | ||||
| 69 | Confidences of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada | • | • | • | • | • | • | |||
| 71(1) | Facilities for inspection of manuals | • | • | • | • | • | • | |||
| 72 | Annual Report to Parliament | • | • | |||||||
| Access Regulations | ||||||||||
| 6(1) | Transfer of request | • | • | • | ||||||
| 7(2) | Search and preparation fees | • | • | • | ||||||
| 8 | Method of access | • | • | • | ||||||
| 8.1 | Limitations in respect of format | • | • | • | ||||||
|
Dated, at the City of Ottawa, this 21th day of June, 2016 ________________________________________________________________ Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness |
||||||||||
Appendix B: Access to Information Act Statistical Report
Statistical Report on the Access to Information Act
Name of institution: Correctional Service Canada
Reporting period: 2019-04-01 to 2020-03-31
Section 1: Requests Under the Access to Information Act
1.1 Number of requests
| Number of Requests | |
|---|---|
| Received during reporting period | 435 |
| Outstanding from previous reporting period | 444 |
| Total | 879 |
| Closed during reporting period | 508 |
| Carried over to next reporting period | 371 |
1.2 Sources of requests
| Source | Number of Requests |
|---|---|
| Media | 70 |
| Academia | 16 |
| Business (private sector) | 30 |
| Organization | 61 |
| Public | 257 |
| Decline to Identify | 1 |
| Total | 435 |
1.3 Informal requests
| Completion Time | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 15 Days | 16 to 30 Days | 31 to 60 Days | 61 to 120 Days | 121 to 180 Days | 181 to 365 Days | More Than 365 Days | Total |
| 18 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 31 |
Note: All requests previously recorded as “treated informally” will now be accounted for in this section only.
Section 2: Decline to act on vexatious, made in bad faith or abuse of right requests
| Number of Requests | |
|---|---|
| Outstanding from previous reporting period | 0 |
| Sent during reporting period | 0 |
| Total | 0 |
| Approved by the Information Commissioner during reporting period | 0 |
| Declined by the Information Commissioner during reporting period | 0 |
| Carried over to next reporting period | 0 |
Section 3: Requests Closed During the Reporting Period
3.1 Disposition and completion time
| Disposition of Requests | Completion Time | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 15 Days | 16 to 30 Days | 31 to 60 Days | 61 to 120 Days | 121 to 180 Days | 181 to 365 Days | More Than 365 Days | Total | |
| All disclosed | 9 | 22 | 16 | 10 | 3 | 11 | 28 | 99 |
| Disclosed in part | 8 | 10 | 26 | 26 | 24 | 25 | 73 | 192 |
| All exempted | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| All excluded | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| No records exist | 9 | 20 | 10 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 54 |
| Request transferred | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Request abandoned | 46 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 84 | 145 |
| Neither confirmed nor denied | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| Decline to act with the approval of the Information Commissioner | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 78 | 57 | 59 | 50 | 33 | 39 | 192 | 508 |
3.2 Exemptions
| Section | Number of Requests | Section | Number of Requests | Section | Number of Requests | Section | Number of Requests |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13(1)(a) | 1 | 16(2) | 0 | 18(a) | 0 | 20.1 | 0 |
| 13(1)(b) | 0 | 16(2)(a) | 0 | 18(b) | 6 | 20.2 | 0 |
| 13(1)(c) | 6 | 16(2)(b) | 1 | 18(c) | 0 | 20.4 | 0 |
| 13(1)(d) | 3 | 16(2)(c) | 6 | 18(d) | 6 | 21(1)(a) | 29 |
| 13(1)(e) | 0 | 16(3) | 0 | 18.1(1)(a) | 0 | 21(1)(b) | 25 |
| 14 | 1 | 16.1(1)(a) | 0 | 18.1(1)(b) | 0 | 21(1)(c) | 10 |
| 14(a) | 1 | 16.1(1)(b) | 0 | 18.1(1)(c) | 0 | 21(1)(d) | 6 |
| 14(b) | 0 | 16.1(1)(c) | 1 | 18.1(1)(d) | 0 | 22 | 4 |
| 15(1) | 0 | 16.1(1)(d) | 4 | 19(1) | 180 | 22.1(1) | 0 |
| 15(1) - I.A.* | 1 | 16.2(1) | 0 | 20(1)(a) | 1 | 23 | 14 |
| 15(1) - Def.* | 0 | 16.3 | 0 | 20(1)(b) | 46 | 23.1 | 0 |
| 15(1) - S.A.* | 0 | 16.31 | 0 | 20(1)(b.1) | 0 | 24(1) | 0 |
| 16(1)(a)(i) | 7 | 16.4(1)(a) | 0 | 20(1)(c) | 23 | 26 | 1 |
| 16(1)(a)(ii) | 1 | 16.4(1)(b) | 0 | 20(1)(d) | 5 | ||
| 16(1)(a)(iii) | 0 | 16.5 | 2 | ||||
| 16(1)(b) | 1 | 16.6 | 0 | ||||
| 16(1)(c) | 16 | 17 | 1 | ||||
| 16(1)(d) | 43 |
3.3 Exclusions
| Section | Number of Requests | Section | Number of Requests | Section | Number of Requests |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 68(a) | 7 | 69(1) | 0 | 69(1)(g) re (a) | 1 |
| 68(b) | 0 | 69(1)(a) | 1 | 69(1)(g) re (b) | 0 |
| 68(c) | 0 | 69(1)(b) | 0 | 69(1)(g) re (c) | 0 |
| 68.1 | 0 | 69(1)(c) | 0 | 69(1)(g) re (d) | 0 |
| 68.2(a) | 0 | 69(1)(d) | 0 | 69(1)(g) re (e) | 0 |
| 68.2(b) | 0 | 69(1)(e) | 0 | 69(1)(g) re (f) | 3 |
| 69(1)(f) | 2 | 69.1(1) | 0 |
3.4 Format of information released
| Paper | Electronic | Other |
|---|---|---|
| 211 | 80 | 0 |
3.5 Complexity
3.5.1 Relevant pages processed and disclosed
| Number of Pages Processed | Number of Pages Disclosed | Number of Requests |
|---|---|---|
| 153,840 | 115,140 | 449 |
3.5.2 Relevant pages processed and disclosed by size of requests
| Disposition | Less Than 100 Pages Processed | 101-500 Pages Processed | 501-1000 Pages Processed | 1001-5000 Pages Processed | More Than 5000 Pages Processed | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Requests | Pages Disclosed | Number of Requests | Pages Disclosed | Number of Requests | Pages Disclosed | Number of Requests | Pages Disclosed | Number of Requests | Pages Disclosed | |
| All disclosed | 80 | 1,332 | 17 | 3,271 | 1 | 703 | 1 | 856 | 0 | 0 |
| Disclosed in part | 101 | 2,734 | 64 | 11,301 | 16 | 8,367 | 8 | 7,992 | 3 | 76,466 |
| All exempted | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| All excluded | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Request abandoned | 136 | 287 | 6 | 693 | 3 | 1,138 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Neither confirmed nor denied | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 325 | 4,353 | 91 | 15,265 | 21 | 10,208 | 9 | 8,848 | 3 | 76,466 |
3.5.3 Other complexities
| Disposition | Consultation Required | Assessment of Fees | Legal Advice Sought | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All disclosed | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| Disclosed in part | 44 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 49 |
| All exempted | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| All excluded | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Request abandoned | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| Neither confirmed nor denied | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 73 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 80 |
3.6 Closed requests
3.6.1 Number of requests closed within legislated timelines
| Requests closed within legislated timelines | |
|---|---|
| Number of requests closed within legislated timelines | 140 |
| Percentage of requests closed within legislated timelines (%) | 27.6 |
3.7 Deemed refusals
3.7.1 Reasons for not meeting legislated timelines
| Number of Requests Closed Past the Legislated Timelines | Principal Reason | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interference with Operations / Workload | External Consultation | Internal Consultation | Other | |
| 368 | 364 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
3.7.2 Requests closed beyond legislated timelines (including any extension taken)
| Number of Days Past Legislated Timelines | Number of Requests Past Legislated Timeline Where No Extension Was Taken | Number of Requests Past Legislated Timeline Where an Extension Was Taken | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 15 days | 31 | 2 | 33 |
| 16 to 30 days | 25 | 1 | 26 |
| 31 to 60 days | 36 | 1 | 37 |
| 61 to 120 days | 27 | 6 | 33 |
| 121 to 180 days | 17 | 2 | 19 |
| 181 to 365 days | 35 | 1 | 36 |
| More than 365 days | 119 | 65 | 184 |
| Total | 290 | 78 | 368 |
3.8 Requests for translation
| Translation Requests | Accepted | Refused | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| English to French | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| French to English | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Section 4: Extensions
4.1 Reasons for extensions and disposition of requests
| Disposition of Requests Where an Extension Was Taken | 9(1)(a) Interference With Operations |
9(1)(b) Consultation |
9(1)(c) Third-Party Notice |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Section 69 | Other | |||
| All disclosed | 5 | 0 | 5 | 1 |
| Disclosed in part | 20 | 0 | 9 | 2 |
| All exempted | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| All excluded | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| No records exist | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Request abandoned | 32 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 63 | 0 | 22 | 4 |
4.2 Length of Extensions
| Length of Extensions | 9(1)(a) Interference With Operations |
9(1)(b) Consultation |
9(1)(c) Third-Party Notice |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Section 69 | Other | |||
| 30 days or less | 28 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| 31 to 60 days | 17 | 0 | 5 | 2 |
| 61 to 120 days | 17 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| 121 to 180 days | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 181 to 365 days | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 365 days or more | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 63 | 0 | 22 | 4 |
Section 5: Fees
| Fee Type | Fee Collected | Fee Waived of Refunded | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Requests | Amount | Requests | Amount | |
| Application | 437 | $2,185 | 15 | $75 |
| Other fees | 0 | $0 | 0 | $0 |
| Total | 437 | $2,185 | 15 | $75 |
Section 6: Consultations Received From Other Institutions and Organizations
6.1 Consultations received from other Government of Canada institutions and organizations
| Consultations | Other Government of Canada Institutions | Number of Pages to Review | Other Organizations | Number of Pages to Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Received during reporting period | 110 | 5,591 | 1 | 2 |
| Outstanding from the previous reporting period | 8 | 278 | 1 | 455 |
| Total | 118 | 5,869 | 2 | 457 |
| Closed during the reporting period | 108 | 5,167 | 2 | 457 |
| Carried over to next reporting period | 10 | 702 | 0 | 0 |
6.2 Recommendations and completion time for consultations received from other Government of Canada institutions
| Recommendation | Number of Days Required to Complete Consultation Requests | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 15 Days | 16 to 30 Days | 31 to 60 Days | 61 to 120 Days | 121 to 180 Days | 181 to 365 Days | More Than 365 Days | Total | |
| Disclose entirely | 43 | 20 | 19 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 88 |
| Disclose in part | 2 | 4 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
| Exempt entirely | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Exclude entirely | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Consult other institution | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Other | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Total | 45 | 24 | 29 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 108 |
6.3 Recommendations and completion time for consultations received from other organizations
| Recommendation | Number of Days Required to Complete Consultation Requests | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 15 Days | 16 to 30 Days | 31 to 60 Days | 61 to 120 Days | 121 to 180 Days | 181 to 365 Days | More Than 365 Days | Total | |
| Disclose entirely | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Disclose in part | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Exempt entirely | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Exclude entirely | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Consult other institution | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
Section 7: Completion Time of Consultations on Cabinet Confidences
7.1 Requests with Legal Services
| Number of Days | Fewer Than 100 Pages Processed | 101‒500 Pages Processed | 501-1000 Pages Processed | 1001-5000 Pages Processed | More Than 5000 Pages Processed | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Requests | Pages Disclosed | Number of Requests | Pages Disclosed | Number of Requests | Pages Disclosed | Number of Requests | Pages Disclosed | Number of Requests | Pages Disclosed | |
| 1 to 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 to 30 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 31 to 60 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 61 to 120 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 121 to 180 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 181 More than to 365 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 365 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
7.2 Requests with Privy Council Office
| Number of Days | Fewer Than 100 Pages Processed | 101‒500 Pages Processed | 501-1000 Pages Processed | 1001-5000 Pages Processed | More Than 5000 Pages Processed | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Requests | Pages Disclosed | Number of Requests | Pages Disclosed | Number of Requests | Pages Disclosed | Number of Requests | Pages Disclosed | Number of Requests | Pages Disclosed | |
| 1 to 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 to 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 31 to 60 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 61 to 120 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 121 to 180 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 181 to 365 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 365 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Section 8: Complaints and Investigations
| Section 32 Notice of intention to investigate | Subsection 30(5) Ceased to investigate | Section 35 Formal representations | Section 37 Reports of finding received | Section 37 Reports of finding containing recommendations issued by the Information Commissioner | Section 37 Reports of finding containing orders issued by the Information Commissioner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 61 | 11 | 14 | 15 | 1 | 0 |
Section 9: Court Action
9.1 Court actions on complaints received before June 21, 2019 and on going
| Section 41 (before June 21, 2019) | Section 42 | Section 44 |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | 0 | 0 |
9.2 Court actions on complaints received after June 21, 2019
| Section 41 (after June 21, 2019) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Complainant(1) | Institution (2) | Third Party (3) | Privacy Commissioner (4) | Total |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Section 10: Resources Related to the Access to Information Act
10.1 Costs
| Expenditures | Amount | |
|---|---|---|
| Salaries | $637,707 | |
| Overtime | $23,932 | |
| Goods and Services | $112,474 | |
|
$108,776 | |
|
$3,698 | |
| Total | $774,113 | |
10.2 Human Resources
| Resources | Person Years Dedicated to Access to Information Activities |
|---|---|
| Full-time employees | 8.00 |
| Part-time and casual employees | 1.50 |
| Regional staff | 0.00 |
| Consultants and agency personnel | 1.00 |
| Students | 0.00 |
| Total | 10.50 |
Appendix C: 2019-2020 Supplementary Statistical Report on the Access to Information Act
Requests affected by COVID-19 measures
The following table reports the total number of formal requests received during two periods 2019-04-01 to 2020-03-13 and 2020-03-14 to 2020-03-31.
Requests Received
| Number of requests | |
|---|---|
| Received from 2019-04-01 to 2020-03-13 | 419 |
| Received from 2020-03-14 to 2020-03-31 | 16 |
| Total | 435 |
The following table reports the total number of requests closed within the legislated timelines and the number of closed requests that were deemed refusals during two periods 2019 -04-01 to 2020-03-13 and 2020-03-14 to 2020-03-31.
Requests Closed
| Number of requests closed within the legislated timelines | Number of requests closed past the legislated timelines | |
|---|---|---|
| Received from 2019-04-01 to 2020-03-13 and outstanding from previous reporting periods | 140 | 368 |
| Received from 2020-03-14 to 2020-03-31 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 140 | 368 |
The following table reports the total number of requests carried over during two periods 2019- 04-01 to 2020-03-13 and 2020-03-14 to 2020-03-31.
Requests Carried Over
| Number of requests | |
|---|---|
| Requests from 2019-04-01 to 2020-03-13 and outstanding from previous reporting period that were carried over to the 2020-2021 reporting period | 355 |
| Requests from 2020-03-14 to 2020-03-31 that were carried over to the 2020-2021 reporting period | 16 |
| Total | 371 |
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