2024-2025 Annual Report on the Administration of the Access to Information Act - Employment and Social Development Canada
On this page
- 1. Executive Summary
- 2. Introduction
- 3. Organizational Context
- 4. Policies, Guidelines, Procedures, and Initiatives
- 5. Performance Overview
- 6. Proactive publication under part 2 of the Access to Information Act
- 7. Training and awareness
- 8. Complaints, investigations and court actions
- 9. Monitoring compliance
- Annex A: Delegation orders
- Annex B: Statistical reports
Alternate formats
Large print, braille, MP3 (audio), e-text and DAISY formats are available on demand by ordering online or calling 1 800 O-Canada (1-800-622-6232). If you use a teletypewriter (TTY), call 1-800-926-9105.
List of tables
- Table 2: Number of requests and percentage of total exemptions*
- Table 3: Proactive publication requirements
- Table 4: Complaints, Investigations and Court Actions, 2024–2025
- Table 5: Number of active complaints outstanding from various reporting periods, Access to Information Act, by year and cumulative total
- Table 6: ESDC’s Timeframe Monitoring — Goal-Based Strategies to Respect ESDC’s Process and Commitments
List of figures
- Figure 1 - Organization of the Access to Information and Privacy Function in ESDC
- Figure 2 - Access to Information Act Requests — Workload for the last four fiscal years
- Figure 3 - Sources of requests received for the 2024–2025 fiscal year
- Figure 4: Other requests received (last four fiscal years)
- Figure 5 - Disposition of requests completed (last four fiscal years)
- Figure 6 - Number of pages processed and disclosed (last four fiscal years)
- Figure 7 - Completed requests by calendar days taken (last four fiscal years)
- Figure 8 - Request completion time and compliance (last four fiscal years)
- Figure 9 - Request completion time and compliance (last four fiscal years)
- Figure 10: Number of active requests outstanding from various reporting periods
- Figure 11: Consultation requests received and closed from other Government of Canada institutions and other organizations (last four fiscal years)
1. Executive Summary
Advancing Trust, Transparency, and Digital Modernization at Employment and Social Development Canada (2024-2025)
Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) is responsible for developing, managing, and delivering social programs and services, including some of Canada's largest, such as Employment Insurance (EI), the Canada Pension Plan (CPP), and the Passport Program. Given its mandate, ESDC collects and controls a large volume of personal information, involving a range of collection, use, retention, and disclosure activities, as well as coordination with an array of partners and stakeholders. Access to information continues to be a core component in delivering ESDC's programs and priorities, making relevant information available in a complete, accurate, and timely manner while protecting privacy.
Strengthening access to information services
In 2024-2025, ESDC reaffirmed its commitment to the Government of Canada's Trust and Transparency Strategy by advancing a proactive approach to access to information and privacy. Guided by the leadership of the Corporate Secretary and Chief Privacy Officer, ESDC's Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) Operations Division and Privacy Management Division (PMD), in collaboration with regional partners, successfully managed a growing volume of requests while maintaining high service standards and by providing strong privacy management support.
The Department received 2,481 Access to Information (ATI) requests, with a record total of 149,265 pages reviewed. The compliance rate improved in 2024-2025 to 90.2% from the previous fiscal year's 88%, despite a 45% increase in requests from the previous year. These results reflect ESDC's ongoing efforts to provide timely, accurate, and accessible information to Canadians. ESDC annually receives a high volume of privacy requests, and compliance reporting can be found in the separate Privacy Report.
To reduce reliance on formal requests and improve client service, ESDC continued to promote digital self-service options, including My Service Canada Account and Canada Revenue Agency My Account. These platforms empower Canadians to access their personal information directly, supporting a more efficient and user-friendly experience.
Advancing Access to Information and Privacy modernization
In 2024-2025, ESDC continued to advance and modernize its operations. Preparations for the launch of the new ATIP processing software in fiscal year 2025-2026 remained a top priority, including efforts to centralize resources and practices under a common operating model designed to enhance collaboration and streamline operations.
Looking Ahead
ESDC is undertaking a transformation to meet the evolving needs of Canadians in a dynamic digital landscape. These important steps to modernize processes and practices are designed for continued alignment with the Government of Canada's principles of openness, accountability, and responsible innovation, while at the same time seeking to derive long-term efficiencies in the coming years. Legislative compliance will be closely monitored throughout the transition process.
2. Introduction
In accordance with section 94 of the Access to Information Act, ESDC is pleased to present its annual report for 2024 to 2025 to Parliament. This report meets the legislative requirements by detailing the Department's performance related to access to information and its efforts to promote modern, transparent, and open government operations.
Purpose of the Access to Information Act
The Access to Information Act provides Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and any individual or corporation present in Canada a right to access records of government institutions that are covered by the Act. This right is subject to limited and specific exemptions and exclusions, and in accordance with the principle that government information should be available to the public.
About ESDC
The Department of Employment and Social Development Canada, commonly referred to as ESDC, is the Government of Canada's department responsible for developing, managing, and delivering social programs and services. The mission of ESDC, including the Labour Program and Service Canada, is to build a strong and more inclusive Canada, to support Canadians in helping them live productive and rewarding lives and to improve quality of life for Canadians. ESDC's fulfills its mission by:
- developing policies that ensure Canadians can use their talents, skills and resources to participate in learning, work and their community;
- delivering programs that help Canadians move through life's transitions, from school to work, from one job to another, from unemployment to employment, and from the workforce to retirement;
- providing income support to seniors, families with children and those unemployed due to job loss, illness or caregiving responsibilities;
- helping Canadians with distinct needs, such as Indigenous people, persons with disabilities, travellers and recent immigrants;
- ensuring labour relations stability by providing mediation services;
- promoting a fair and healthy workplace by enforcing minimum working conditions, promoting decent work and employment equity, and fostering respect for international labour standards;
- delivering programs and services on behalf of other departments and agencies; and
- supporting the digital delivery of Government of Canada programs and services.
ESDC is led by one Minister, supported by five deputy ministers responsible for its day-to-day operations, budget, and program development.
Organization of ESDC (as of March 31, 2025)
Mission: The mission of Employment and Social Development Canada, including the Labour Program and Service Canada, is to build a strong and more inclusive Canada, to support Canadians in helping them live productive and rewarding lives and to improve Canadians' quality of life.
Minister:
- Minister of Jobs and Families
Deputy Ministers:
- Deputy Minister of Employment and Social Development Canada
- Associate Deputy Minister of Employment and Social Development and Chief Operating Officer for Service Canada
- Deputy Minister of Labour and Associate Deputy Minister of Employment and Social Development
- Senior Associate Deputy Minister of Employment and Social Development
- Business Lead, Benefits Delivery Modernization, Employment and Social Development Canada
Employment and Social Development
Responsible for policy development and program design and management for:
- Old Age Security
- Canada Pension Plan
- Canada Student Financial Assistance Program
- Canada Education Savings Program
- Canada Service Corps
- Canada Apprenticeship Strategy
- Employment Insurance Program
- Enabling Fund for Official Languages Minority Communities
- Foreign Credential Recognition Program
- Indigenous Skills and Employment Training Program
- Labour Market Transfer Agreements
- Opportunities Funds for Persons with Disabilities
- Skills and Partnership Fund
- Youth Employment Skills Strategy Program
- Canadian Dental Care Plan
Branches:
- Income Security and Social Development Branch
- Learning Branch
- Skills and Employment Branch
- Strategic and Service Policy Branch
Labour Program
Responsible for labour issues affecting federally regulated industries in Canada, including:
- Managing the Government of Canada's relationships with its international, federal, provincial, and territorial partners, and with unions and employers
- Providing mediation and conciliation services to unions and employers in the federally regulated private sector
- Promoting respect for international labour standards with Canada's international partners
- Leading the administration of labour legislation and regulations in the areas of workplace safety, labour standards, employment equity, and federal workers' compensation
Branches:
- Compliance, Operations and Program Development Branch
- Policy, Dispute Resolution, and International Affairs Branch
Service Canada
Provides Canadians with services and information in person, online, by phone and by mail and is a single point of access to ESDC and other Government of Canada programs. It is responsible for providing:
- Benefits and program delivery
- Service Canada Centres (SCC)
- Scheduled outreach sites
- SCC Passport Services sites
- My Service Canada Account
- Community outreach
- Telephone operations
- Digital presence (eSIN and Canada.ca)
- Identity management
- Program integrity operations
- Temporary Foreign Worker Program
Branches:
- Service Canada Transition Office
- Benefits Delivery Modernization
- Canadian Digital Service
- Integrity Services Branch
- Program Operations Branch
- Integrated Services Strategy and Operations Branch
- Temporary Foreign Workers Program Branch
- Integrated Service Delivery Organization
- Atlantic Region
- Québec Region
- Ontario Region
- Western and Territories Region
Internal Enablers
- Chief Data Officer Branch
- Chief Financial Officer Branch
- Human Resources Services Branch
- Innovation, Information and Technology Branch
- Legal Services Branch
- Public Affairs and Stakeholder Relations Branch
- Internal Audit and Enterprise Risk Management Branch
3. Organizational Context
ESDC's Corporate Secretariat and Chief Privacy Officer
ESDC's Corporate Secretariat Branch is responsible for processing ESDC's access to information and privacy requests. During the fiscal year, these activities continued to be conducted by the ATIP Operations Division, with functional support from ESDC's four regional branches, and the Privacy Management Division (see Figure 1).
The Corporate Secretary heads the branch and is ESDC's designated Chief Privacy Officer (CPO). The CPO is the Department's functional authority on all privacy matters, including privacy request processing and the management of personal information. The CPO provides strategic privacy policy advice and maintains ESDC's privacy management program, which includes the assessment of privacy risks, determination of compliance with privacy legislation, policies, and standards, and the delivery of privacy training, all of which are crucial in implementing a privacy-by-design approach.
Access to Information and Privacy Operations Division
The ATIP Operations Division administers the Access to Information Act and the privacy request components of the Privacy Act for ESDC. It leads and advises on the processing of all ESDC requests under the Access to Information Act, performs line-by-line reviews of records requested under the Acts, and delivers training and awareness sessions to departmental employees on their administration. The Director of ATIP Operations is ESDC's designated ATIP Coordinator.
During the fiscal year, the responsibility of processing requests continued to be shared between the ATIP Operations Division and the Department's four regional branches: Atlantic, Ontario, Quebec, and Western and Territories. The ATIP Operations Division was responsible for coordinating ATIP activities in ESDC's branches and regions, which include:
- responding to Access to Information Act requests;
- responding to specific Privacy Act requests;
- providing functional guidance to the regions about the operational and reporting components of the privacy function;
- delivering general and tailored training sessions to employees on the administration of both Acts;
- leading modernization efforts; and
- reviewing Open Government publications for compliance with the Acts.
The ATIP Operations Division is composed of an intake unit and ATIP processing teams. At the end of the 2024-2025 fiscal year, there were approximately 31 ATIP Operations employees.
For a breakdown of the groups responsible for meeting each applicable proactive publication requirement under Part 2 of the Access to Information Act, see the section "Proactive Publication under Part 2 of the Access to Information Act", below.
Text description for Figure 1
Corporate Secretary and Chief Privacy Officer's office
- ATIP Operations Division:
- ATIP Intake
- ATIP Processing
- Privacy Management Division:
- Compliance Review and Advice
- Policy and Risk Assessments
- Incident Management and Legal Disclosures
- Strategic Advice and Planning
- Additionally, the structure shows regional ATIP Operations, which include:
- Western and Territories Region ATIP Operations
- Ontario Region ATIP Operations
- Québec Region ATIP Operations
- Atlantic Region ATIP Operations
Regional Privacy Operations
The regional branches played a key role in fulfilling the Department's Privacy Act responsibilities. During the 2024-2025 fiscal year, there were approximately 58 employees in the regions with ATIP processing duties. A network of liaison officers and managers within each region supported the processing of privacy requests and provided advice and guidance directly to program areas while coordinating with the ATIP Operations Division.
Privacy Management Division
The PMD is ESDC's centre for privacy policy expertise and is the Department's focal point for authoritative privacy advice. In addition, the PMD:
- leads the horizontal implementation of departmental privacy policies and initiatives;
- conducts risk assessments;
- provides privacy compliance guidance;
- reviews proposed information-sharing agreements and draft contracts;
- responds to court and law enforcement requests for documents;
- administers public interest disclosures;
- plays a key role in the management and prevention of privacy breaches; and
- supports privacy training and awareness activities.
In doing so, the Division leverages privacy-by-design approaches that integrate privacy considerations in the early stages of new programs, projects, and initiatives. As the Department's privacy centre of expertise, the PMD provides strategic privacy policy and analytical advice to the CPO and ESDC's senior leaders.
The Division is organized into four functional groups consisting of a privacy policy and risk assessment unit, a privacy compliance and advisory services unit, an incident management and legislative disclosures unit, and a very small strategic advisory and planning unit. At the end of the 2024-2025 fiscal year, the PMD had 36 employees.
Service Agreement with Accessibility Standards Canada
ESDC has a Memorandum of Understanding to provide ATIP services for Accessibility Standards Canada (ASC), a departmental corporation created in 2019 under the Accessible Canada Act to contribute to the realization of a Canada without barriers on or before January 1, 2040. ATIP services that are provided include request processing, annual reporting advice and statistics, liaison functions, and training. ESDC also furnishes, when required, analysis and advice for privacy impact assessments, information-sharing arrangements, disclosures, contracting, legislative and policy compliance, and the management of security incidents involving personal information.
In 2024-2025, 16 requests were closed, including 1 outstanding request from the previous reporting period, with a total of 711 pages processed and 640 pages disclosed. ASC's compliance rate reached 81% and no requests have been carried over to the next reporting period.
Delegation Order
In accordance with section 95(1) of the Access to Information Act, a delegation order signed by the Minister of Jobs and Families designates ESDC's deputy ministers, Corporate Secretary, Director of ATIP, managers, and team leaders to exercise all powers and functions, as the head of institution under the Act.
The delegation order was updated in the 2023-2024 period, delegating certain authorities of the Act to ATIP analysts and officers.
A copy of the Access to Information Act Delegation Order is provided in Annex A.
4. Policies, Guidelines, Procedures, and Initiatives
ESDC continues to advance its efforts to modernize and standardize its ATIP processes by developing a department-wide common ATIP operating model. Significant progress was achieved in the past fiscal year, and implementation is scheduled for 2025-2026.
ATIP Modernization
ESDC continues to modernize its ATIP infrastructure and processes to create a modern regime to meet the needs of the evolving ATIP landscape and increasing volume of requests. The modernization program consists of three key areas that gained momentum in 2024-2025:
- Implementation of the new ATIPXpress processing system and integration with Treasury Board Secretariat's ATIP Online Request Service (AORS) portal;
- Centralized resources and standardized procedures; and
- Enhanced client service and transparency measures.
It is anticipated that these modernization efforts will be completed by 2026, with benefits being realized as part of an ongoing transformation effort.
5. Performance Overview
The following section provides key statistics and analysis of ESDC's accomplishments in the previous four fiscal years and illustrates how the Department contributed to the Government's agenda with its access to information program. The following charts and tables provide a four-year comparison to highlight Access to Information Act performance trends. Detailed statistical reports for the Act are found in Annex B.
The Department results during the 2024-2025 fiscal year show that ESDC closed 90.2% of Access to Information Act requests received within legislated timelines, while also receiving a 45% increase in volume of requests from the previous year.
The following detailed results illustrate the Department's ongoing commitment to supporting open and transparent government. Continued increases in both access and privacy request volumes highlight the importance of ESDC's ATIP modernization initiatives. The Department is continuing to work towards enhancing its digital service channels that will facilitate client access to their personal information directly, as well as proactive disclosure of institutional information as part of this broader commitment to improved transparency and access.
Requests received
In fiscal year 2024-2025, ESDC received 2,481 new access to information requests, a 45% increase from the previous 2023-2024 reporting period. Combined with a carry-over of 550 files from 2023-2024, this represented a total workload of 3,031 requests during the reporting period.
Text description for Figure 2
Key points from the data presented in the graph:
- Fiscal Year 2021-2022:
- Requests received: 1,163
- Requests carried over: 358
- Fiscal Year 2022-2023:
- Requests received: 1,930
- Requests carried over: 347
- Fiscal Year 2023-2024:
- Requests received: 1,710
- Requests carried over: 473
- Fiscal Year 2024-2025:
- Requests received: 2,481
- Requests carried over: 550
Sources of requests
The general public, combined with businesses from the public sector, account for close to 80% of the total volume of requests received in the 2024-2025 fiscal year. This distribution is similar to that of the previous reporting periods.
Text description of Figure 3
The pie chart labeled "Figure 3: Sources of requests received for fiscal year 2024-2025" visually represents the various sources from which requests were received in the specified fiscal year. The chart is divided into different colored sections, each representing a specific category:
- Media is indicated by a blue section.
- Academia is represented by a red section.
- Business (Private Sector) is shown in purple.
- Organization is illustrated in yellow.
- Public is denoted by a darker shade of blue.
- Decline to Identify is marked with green.
The chart effectively summarizes the distribution of requests across these categories, helping to analyze trends and the engagement of different sectors with the organization. The blue section appears to be the most substantial, while the purple section is also significant, indicating that requests from the Public and Business sectors are the primary sources for the fiscal year 2024-2025.
Other requests received
ESDC received 130 consultations requests from other institutions and organizations for the 2024-2025 reporting period, similar to the previous period. The Department has also received 534 informal requests for information (previously released information) in the last reporting period, representing the highest number of informal requests received by ESDC in the past four years.
Text description for Figure 4
- 2021-2022:
- Informal requests: 378
- Consultations: 189
- 2022-2023:
- Informal requests: 338
- Consultations: 148
- 2023-2024:
- Informal requests: 274
- Consultations: 123
- 2024-2025:
- Informal requests: 534
- Consultations: 130
Requests completed
A total of 2,544 Access to Information Act requests were closed in the 2024-2025 reporting period. The number of closed requests is the highest the Department experienced in the past four years and 52.6% higher than the 2023-2024 period. The total number of pages processed has also experienced a similar increase. ESDC has transferred a great number of requests (515) to other departments and abandoned 1,276 requests in the last period. It is expected that the scheduled onboarding to the AORS anticipated for the end of the 2025-2026 fiscal year should improve channel management and see a reduction in these types of dispositions.
The number of pages processed and disclosed in 2024-2025 has doubled since the last reporting period. ESDC processed 149,265 pages of which, 104,002 were disclosed in part or entirely.
The remaining 45,263 pages were not released because they were either duplicate pages or pages subject to exemptions or exclusions.
Text description of Figure 5
- 2021-2022:
- All disclosed: 220
- Disclosed in part: 387
- All exempted/excluded: 8
- No records exist: 206
- Transferred: 11
- Abandoned: 342
- Neither confirmed nor denied: (not specified in the graph)
- 2022-2023:
- All disclosed: 120
- Disclosed in part: 223
- All exempted/excluded: 9
- No records exist: 211
- Transferred: 26
- Abandoned: 1194
- Neither confirmed nor denied: (not specified in the graph)
- 2023-2024:
- All disclosed: 93
- Disclosed in part: 276
- All exempted/excluded: 10
- No records exist: 173
- Transferred: 11
- Abandoned: 1097
- Neither confirmed nor denied: (not specified in the graph)
- 2024-2025:
- All disclosed: 144
- Disclosed in part: 430
- All exempted/excluded: 16
- No records exist: 1160
- Transferred: 515
- Abandoned: 1276
- Neither confirmed nor denied: (not specified in the graph)
Text description for Figure 6
- Pages Processed (indicated by the blue line):
- 2021-2022: 93,092 pages
- 2022-2023: 51,468 pages (a significant decrease)
- 2023-2024: 74,776 pages (an increase)
- 2024-2025: 149,265 pages (a substantial increase)
- Pages Disclosed (indicated by the green line):
- 2021-2022: 66,018 pages
- 2022-2023: 30,203 pages (a notable decrease)
- 2023-2024: 37,747 pages (an increase)
- 2024-2025: 104,002 pages (a considerable increase)
Timeframes
ESDC completed 2,295 requests within legislated timelines, achieving a 90.2% compliance rate. Continued efforts and renewed strategies have been deployed to tackle the backlog. As well, creative strategies were implemented to address challenging requests in the most efficient way.
At the conclusion of the fiscal year, the number of requests beyond legislated timelines (the backlog) saw a decrease from 319 in 2023-2024 to 278 in 2024-2025. Throughout the year, significant resources were employed to expedite processing of late files. As part of this effort, 83 files from the inventory that had been pending for more than a year were completed.
In accordance with the Access to Information Act, institutions may apply for an extension beyond the original 30-day statutory deadline in cases where meeting it is not feasible because a large number of pages require review, consultations cannot reasonably be conducted within the initial 30 days, or notice is given to a third party. During the 2024-2025 fiscal year, ESDC requested 525 extensions, of which 63.6% fell under paragraph 9(1)(a) (interference with operations and workload), and the remaining 36.4% fell under paragraphs 9(1)(b) and 9(1)(c) (consultation and third-party notices).
Text description for Figure 7
| Years | 2021-2022 | 2022-2023 | 2023-2024 | 2024-2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 calendar days | 609 requests (52%) | 1487 requests (83%) | 1313 requests (79%) | 2032 requests (80%) |
| 31-60 calendar days | 235 requests (20%) | 121 requests (7%) | 99 requests (6%) | 130 requests (5%) |
| 61 or more calendar days | 332 requests (28%) | 178 requests (7%) | 255 requests (15%) | 382 requests (15%) |
ESDC processed 80% (2,032) of all access to information requests completed (2,544) within 30 days of receipt.
Text description for Figure 8
Requests Closed Past Legislated Timelines:
- 186 for 2021-2022
- 100 for 2022-2023
- 195 for 2023-2024
- 249 for 2024-2025
Requests Closed Within Legislated Timelines:
- 990 requests for 2021-2022
- 1686 for 2022-2023
- 1472 for 2023-2024
- 2295 for 2024-2025
Percentage of Requests Closed Within Legislated Timelines:
- 63% for 2021-2022
- 84% for 2022-2023
- 88% for 2023-2024
- 90% for 2024-2025
Text description of Figure 9
The pie chart illustrates the reasons for requests for extensions in the 2024-2025 fiscal year. The chart segments indicate the relative proportions of three distinct reasons:
- Interference with Operations (Blue): This segment appears to be the largest, suggesting that a significant number of extension requests were related to interference with regular operational activities.
- Third Party Notice (Orange): This segment is smaller than the interference section, indicating that a lesser but still notable percentage of requests arose from issues involving third party notices.
- External Consultations (Green): This is the smallest segment, suggesting that extensions for the purposes of conducting external consultations were the least frequent reason cited.
Overall, the chart highlights that "Interference with Operations" is the primary reason for requesting extensions, followed by "Third Party Notice," with "External Consultations" being the least common reason among the three.
Text description of Figure 10
Key observations from the figure:
The most significant number of outstanding requests (totaling 228) is recorded for the period 2024-2025, with 44 requests falling beyond legislated timelines and 184 within them.
The year 2023-2024 shows that there are 71 outstanding requests, with 7 within the legislated timelines and 64 beyond.
In the period 2022-2023, there are 68 outstanding requests, consisting of 2 within legislated timelines and 66 beyond.
The number of requests for the period 2021-2022 includes 48 outstanding requests (7 within and 41 beyond).
For 2020-2021, there are 42 outstanding requests, comprised of 4 within and 38 beyond.
The earliest reporting period (2019-2020 or earlier) has the least activity, with 30 outstanding requests, 5 of which are within legislated timelines and 25 beyond.
Overall, there is a clear trend of increasing outstanding requests, especially beyond legislated timelines, in the more recent years compared to the older periods.
*The bar in green shows the files that are beyond their legislative timelines, noting its reduction in 2024-2025 compared to 2023-2024. The bar in blue, representing open files within their legislative timelines is disproportionality large as it includes files currently opened and being processed, which will no longer be accounted for in next year's chart when closed.
As of the end of the fiscal year, ESDC had 43 active complaints. The breakdown by specific reporting period in which they were received, as well as additional details, can be found Section 8, Table 4, below.
Exemptions and Exclusions
ESDC holds very large volumes of personal information. To ensure this information is protected, exemptions and exclusions are often applied to records.
Exemptions
The Access to Information Act allows, and in some instances requires, information to be exempted and withheld. Examples might include information related to the internal decision-making processes of government, national security, law enforcement, or trade secrets.
The following table (Table 2) outlines the most frequently invoked exemptions during the past four years. Due to the nature of ESDC's mandate, most of the information under its control contains personal information about individuals and must be withheld under the mandatory exemptions set out in section 19 (personal information) unless certain conditions are met. Section 16 (law enforcement and investigations) and section 21 (operations of government) are also frequently applied exemptions.
| Section | 2021-2022 | 2022-2023 | 2023-2024 | 2024-2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| s. 19 - Personal information | 182 (20%) | 133 (22%) | 179 (25%) | 289 (25%) |
| s. 16 - Law enforcement and investigations | 124 (14%) | 165 (28%) | 237 (33%) | 274 (24%) |
| s. 20 - Third-party information | 118 (13%) | 65 (11%) | 94 (13%) | 147 (13%) |
| s. 21 - Operations of government | 310 (34%) | 151 (25%) | 171 (24%) | 268 (23%) |
| s. 24 - Statutory prohibitions | 55 (6%) | 37 (6%) | 41 (6%) | 58 (5%) |
- * Figures are rounded for readability purposes
Exclusions
The Access to Information Act does not apply to information that is publicly available, such as government publications (section 68) and Confidences of the King's Privy Council for Canada (section 69), which require consultation with the Department of Justice. During the 2024-2025 fiscal year, ESDC excluded records based on section 68 for two requests and section 69 for 117 requests.
Consultations received from other Government of Canada Institutions and other organizations
This past fiscal year, ESDC received 130 external consultation requests from other Government of Canada institutions and organizations, which represents 9,043 pages to be reviewed. The number of consultation requests received is close to the volume received for the 2023-2024 period (123), but the number of pages to review has increased by 74.4% (5,184) for the same period.
The Department closed 119 requests for consultation, of which 74 were completed within 30 days, 71 requests were disclosed in full, and 39 were disclosed in part.
Text description of Figure 11
Consultations Received:
- 2021-2022: 189
- 2022-2023: 172
- 2023-2024: 123
- 2024-2025: 130
Consultations Closed:
- 2021-2022: 90
- 2022-2023: 51
- 2023-2024: 108
- 2024-2025: 119
Consultations Closed within 30 Days:
- 2021-2022: 5
- 2022-2023: 134
- 2023-2024: 37
- 2024-2025: 74
Number of Pages Reviewed (gray line):
- 2021-2022: 9965
- 2022-2023: 551
- 2023-2024: 3919
- 2024-2025: 7109
6. Proactive Publication Under Part 2 of the Access to Information Act
ESDC's proactive publications requirements are coordinated throughout the Department by three primary business process owners.
In support of the Government of Canada's commitment to open government and transparency under Part 2 of the Access to Information Act, the Department maintains web coding standards to ensure that information is accessible, usable, and compliant with departmental and government policies.
ESDC is continually seeking ways to enhance transparency and, in 2023-2024, began publishing program policies for the Temporary Foreign Worker Program to address the high number of similar access to information requests. To date, 26 policies (20 more than the previous reporting period) are available and can be accessed at the following link: Policies - Temporary Foreign Worker Program - Open Government Portal
Also, a new monitoring tool has been developed to inform stakeholders of their compliance in meeting deadlines to achieve publication of briefing notes within the allotted 30 days publication timeline.
| Legislative Requirement | Section of Access to Information Act | Publication Timeline | Does the requirement apply to your institution? (Y/N) | Internal groups responsible for fulfilling requirement | % of proactive publication requirements published within legislated timelines* | Link to web page where published** |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apply to all government institutions as defined in section 3 of the Access to Information Act | ||||||
| Travel expenses | 82 | Within 30 days after the end of the month of reimbursement | Y | Financial Policy - Proactive Disclosure Team | 100% | Government Travel Expenses |
| Hospitality expenses | 83 | Within 30 days after the end of the month of reimbursement | Y | Financial Policy - Proactive Disclosure Team | 100% | Hospitality Expenses |
| Reports tabled in Parliament | 84 | Within 30 days after tabling | Y | Strategic and Service Policy Branch - National Advisory Council on Poverty ATIP operations, Corporate Secretariat | 100% | Open Government Portal Reports and publications: Access to Information and Privacy - Canada.ca |
| Apply to government entities or departments, agencies, and other bodies subject to the Act and listed in Schedules I, I.1, or II of the Financial Administration Act | ||||||
| Contracts over $10,000 | 86 | Q1-3: Within 30 days after the quarter Q4: Within 60 days after the quarter | Y | Senior Analyst, Reporting and Audit Compliance Team | 100% | Search Government Contracts over $10,000 |
| Grants and contributions over $25,000 | 87 | Within 30 days after the quarter | Y | Financial Policy - Proactive Disclosure Team | 100% | Grants and Contributions |
| Packages of briefing materials prepared for new or incoming deputy heads or equivalent | 88(a) | Within 120 days after appointment | Y | Ministerial Services, Corporate Secretariat | N/A | N/A |
| Titles and reference numbers of memoranda prepared for a deputy head or equivalent, that is received by their office | 88(b) | Within 30 days after the end of the month received | Y | ATIP operations, Corporate Secretariat | 75% | Briefing Note Titles and Numbers |
| Packages of briefing materials prepared for a deputy head or equivalent's appearance before a committee of Parliament | 88(c) | Within 120 days after appearance | Y | Parliamentary Affairs | 0% | Committee binders - Canada.ca |
| Applies to government institutions that are departments named in Schedule I to the Financial Administration Act or portions of the core public administration named in Schedule IV to that Act (i.e. government institutions for which the Treasury Board is the employer) | ||||||
| Reclassification of positions | 85 | Within 30 days after the quarter | Y | Organizational Design and Classification Centre or Expertise | 100% | Position Reclassification |
| Apply to Ministers' Offices (therefore apply to any institution that performs proactive publication on behalf of a Minister's Office) | ||||||
| Packages of briefing materials prepared by a government institution for new or incoming ministers | 74(a) | Within 120 days after appointment | Y | Ministerial Services, Corporate Secretariat | 100% | Briefing package for the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages - November 21, 2024 - Canada.ca |
| Titles and reference numbers of memoranda prepared by a government institution for the Minister, that is received by their office | 74(b) | Within 30 days after the end of the month received | Y | ATIP operations, Corporate Secretariat | 75% | Briefing Note Titles and Numbers |
| Package of question period notes prepared by a government institution for the Minister and in use on the last sitting day of the House of Commons in June and December | 74(c) | Within 30 days after last sitting day of the House of Common in June and December | Y | Parliamentary Affairs | 100% | Question Period Notes |
| Packages of briefing materials prepared by a government institution for a minister's appearance before a committee of Parliament | 74(d) | Within 120 days after appearance | Y | Parliamentary Affairs | 38% | Committee binders - Canada.ca |
| Travel expenses | 75 | Within 30 days after the end of the month of reimbursement | Y | Financial Policy - Proactive Disclosure Team | 100% | Government Travel Expenses |
| Hospitality expenses | 76 | Within 30 days after the end of the month of reimbursement | Y | Financial Policy - Proactive Disclosure Team | 100% | Hospitality Expenses |
| Contracts over $10,000 | 77 | Q1-3: Within 30 days after the quarter. Q4: Within 60 days after the quarter | Y | Senior Analyst, Reporting and Audit Compliance Team | 100% | Search Government Contracts over $10,000 |
| Ministers' offices expenses | 78 | Within 120 days after the fiscal year | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
These compliance rates demonstrate ESDC's performance in upholding its proactive disclosure responsibilities under Part 2 of the Access to Information Act. During the fiscal year, ESDC achieved full compliance for 11 out of 15 proactive publications. The additional time required in 2024-2025 for publications under subsection 74(d) dropped from an average of 30 days in 2023-2024 to an average of 21 days. Moreover, the measures described below, and targeting processes under subsections 88(c) and 74(d), took full effect by mid year, and, since October 2024, ESDC was fully compliant with subsection 74(d), while no new file was released under subsection 88(c).
To meet our legislative obligations in terms of transparency, concrete measures have been put in place to avoid any delay in the proactive publication of information. These measures include automating certain processes, improving internal monitoring tools and raising awareness among the teams responsible. These efforts are designed to ensure timely disclosure, while reinforcing public accountability.
7. Training and Awareness
Online Access to Information Training
ESDC has developed a comprehensive department-wide mandatory training program to help increase knowledge and awareness of issues important to the stewardship of information and access to information. All employees are required to maintain valid certification in Stewardship of Information and Workplace Behaviours (SIWB), a course that addresses the Access to Information Act, information management, privacy, the handling of personal information, security issues, and values and ethics. The course is a component of the Department's Essential Training Curriculum and is delivered online. At the end of the reporting period, 6,176 employees achieved Stewardship of Information and Workplace Behaviours certification during 2024-2025, which is valid for two years.
In addition to SIWB certification, ESDC provides additional relevant online courses in its training catalogue. Notably, "Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP): It's Everybody's Business" gives employees the knowledge required to protect, use, and disclose personal information and helps teach them to incorporate the principles of openness and transparency in their everyday work. During the last fiscal year, 4,672 employees completed the course.
New employees take the "Doing Things Right and Doing the Right Thing: Putting the Departmental Code of Conduct into Action," which includes a significant Access to Information component. The course helps participants understand the application of ethical behaviour in the workplace and how to use that knowledge to guide them in their day-to-day work and decision-making, including their interactions with clients and colleagues. The course was taken by 4,683 employees during the 2024-2025 fiscal year.
Training and awareness
Ad hoc information sessions were provided upon request to program officials covering several topics including the application of redactions, ATIP mechanisms and processes, and employee responsibilities.
These information sessions were designed to address the specific concerns of internal stakeholders in relation to the various responsibilities of employees in responding to requests for information, and the specific context of each program.
8. Complaints, Investigations and Court Actions
Individuals have the right under the Access to Information Act to lodge complaints with the Office of the Information Commissioner of Canada regarding their requests for records.
During 2024-2025, the number of complaints received by the Department decreased from 45 to 40. The Office of the Information Commissioner of Canada closed 80 complaints last year, determining 29 of them to be well founded. No court actions were initiated (see Table 4 for details).
Throughout 2024-2025, the complaints were monitored and investigated, with processing delays (19) being the primary source. This analysis led to process reviews, productive stakeholder engagement and solutions to reconcile the issues at the source, evolving the business towards improved client-centric service delivery for future requests across the network.
| Items | Access to Information Act |
|---|---|
| Complaints | no data |
| Total complaints received | 40 |
|
4 |
|
12 |
|
13 |
|
7 |
|
2 |
|
2 |
| Investigations | no data |
| Total findings received | 80 |
|
29 |
|
6 |
|
24 |
|
21 |
| Court Actions | no data |
| Number of court actions | 0 |
- Note: The total number of notifications of complaints and the total number of investigations with findings received will not necessarily be the same in a given fiscal year. Investigations could relate to complaints that were received by the Office of the Information Commissioner of Canada in a fiscal year before the 2024–2025 reporting period.
| Fiscal year open complaints were received by institution | Number of open complaints with the Office of the Information Commissioner of Canda that are outstanding |
|---|---|
| Received in 2024-2025 | 20 |
| Received in 2023-2024 | 16 |
| Received in 2022-2023 | 6 |
| Received in 2021-2022 | 1 |
| Total | 43 |
9. Monitoring Compliance
Except in certain circumstances, the Access to Information Act sets a timeline of 30 calendar days to respond to requests. ESDC has established processes and defined responsibilities to process requests within the statutory time limits, as outlined in Table 6.
| Roles and Responsibilities | Description |
|---|---|
| Retrieval of Relevant Records and Formulation of Recommendations | Once a request is received, the text of the request is sent to the relevant offices of primary interest, branches, and/or regions. They then have 10 working days to retrieve all responsive records and provide them to the ATIP Office along with their recommendations for disclosure. |
| Line-by-Line Review of the Responsive Records | The ATIP Office has six working days to analyze the requested records and to complete a thorough line-by-line review to invoke any applicable exemptions and exclusions. This includes assessing whether an extension is necessary or any internal or external consultations will be required. |
| Advance Release Notice | Key stakeholders receive a notification that the requested records have been posted electronically on a secure internal website at least four working days prior to the scheduled release date. This mechanism allows all implicated parties to provide final comments prior to release. |
As well, the ATIP Operations Division provides weekly and quarterly reporting to the Department's senior management.
ESDC works closely with other federal institutions, including Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, the Canada Border Services Agency, and Global Affairs Canada. Often, the sensitive nature of the requested records requires frequent consultations and close communication with them. To limit consultations and shorten our response times, ESDC carries out an initial review of documents to assess next steps. It also sends disclosure notices to other government agencies in lieu of consultation requests.
ESDC's Asset Management, Policy and Procurement Directorate, within the Chief Financial Branch, established a strong departmental governance framework to ensure that all contracts and arrangements are managed in compliance with section 4.2.8 of the Directive on Access to Information Requests. An "Access to Information" clause is usually included in all ESDC's contracts, informing contractors of their obligations and responsibilities to assist the Department discharge its responsibilities under the Access to Information Act.
Annex A: Delegation Orders
Access to Information Act and Regulations: Delegation of Authority Department of Employment and Social Development
Access to Information Act Delegation Order
The Minister of Employment and Social Development Act, hereby designates the persons holding the position set out in the schedule hereto, or the persons occupying on an acting basis those positions, to exercise the powers, duties and functions of the Minister as the head of the Department, under the provisions of the aforementioned Acts and related regulations set out in the schedule opposite each position.
This designation replaces all previous delegation orders.
Dated, at the City of Gatineau, this 6 day of March 2024
Signed by Minister of Employment and Social Development
Department of Employment and Social Development
| Description | Section | Delegated Authority |
|---|---|---|
| Responsibility of government institutions | 4(2.1) |
|
| Reasons for declining to act on request | 6.1(1) |
|
| Notice - Suspension | 6.1(1.3) |
|
| Notice - End of suspension | 6.1(1.4) |
|
| Notice (written notice for declining to act on a request) | 6.1(2) |
|
| Notice where access requested/Giving access to record | 7 |
|
| Transfer of request to another government institution | 8(1) |
|
| Extension of time limits | 9 |
|
| Notice where access refused | 10 |
|
| Application fee waiver | 11(2) |
|
| Language of access | 12(2) |
|
| Access to alternate format | 12(3) |
|
| Refuse access - Obtained in confidence | 13 |
|
| Refuse access - Federal-provincial affairs | 14 |
|
| Refuse access - International affairs and defence | 15 |
|
| Refuse access - Law enforcement and investigations | 16.1 |
|
| Refuse access - Security | 16.2 |
|
| Refuse access - Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act | 16.5 |
|
| Refuse access - Safety of individuals | 17 |
|
| Refuse access - Economic interests of Canada | 18 |
|
| Refuse access - Economic interest of the Canada Post Corporation, Export Development Canada, the Public Sector Pension Investment Board and VIA Rail Canada Inc. | 18.1 |
|
| Refuse access - Personal information | 19 |
|
| Refuse access - Third-party information | 20 |
|
| Refuse access - Operations of Government | 21 |
|
| Refuse access - Testing procedures, tests, audits | 22 |
|
| Refuse access - Audit working papers and draft audit reports | 22.1 |
|
| Refuse access - Solicitor - client privilege | 23 |
|
| Refuses access - Statutory prohibitions | 24 |
|
| Severability | 25 |
|
| Information to be published | 26 |
|
| Third-party notification | 27(1) |
|
| Third-party notification - Extension of time limit | 27(4) |
|
| Third-party notification - Norice of decision | 28(1) |
|
| Third-party notification - Waive representations in writing | 28(2) |
|
| Third-party notification - Disclosure of record | 28(4) |
|
| Advising Information Commissioner of third-party involvement | 33 |
|
| Right to make representations | 35(2) |
|
| Access given to complainant | 37(4) |
|
| Review by Federal Court - government institution | 41 (2) |
|
| Review by Federal Court - government institution-Respondents | 41(5) |
|
| Notice to third party (application to Federal Court) | 43(1) |
|
| Service or notice | 43(2) |
|
| Notice to person who requested record | 44(2) |
|
| Special Rules for hearings | 52(2) |
|
| Ex parte representations (Federal Court) | 52(3) |
|
| Description | Section | Delegated Authority |
|---|---|---|
| Transfer of request | 6(1) |
|
| Search and preparation of fees | 7(2) |
|
| Production and programming | 7(3) |
|
| Providing access to records | 8 |
|
| Limitations in respect of format | 8.1 |
|
Annex B: Statistical reports
Name of institution: Employment and Social Development Canada
Reporting period: April 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025
Section 1: Requests Under the Access to Information Act
| Details | Subtotal | Number of requests |
|---|---|---|
| Received during reporting period | 2,481 | |
| Outstanding from previous reporting periods | 550 | |
|
268 | N/A |
|
282 | N/A |
| Total | 3,031 | |
| Closed during reporting period | 2,544 | |
| Carried over to next reporting period | 487 | |
|
209 | N/A |
|
278 | N/A |
| Source | Number of requests |
|---|---|
| Media | 131 |
| Academia | 48 |
| Business (private sector) | 644 |
| Organization | 104 |
| Public | 1,316 |
| Decline to identify | 238 |
| Total | 2,481 |
| Source | Number of requests |
|---|---|
| Online | 2,347 |
| 48 | |
| 81 | |
| In person | 0 |
| Phone | 0 |
| Fax | 5 |
| Total | 2,481 |
Section 2: Informal Requests
| Details | Sub-total | Number of requests |
|---|---|---|
| Received during reporting period | 534 | |
| Outstanding from previous reporting periods | 12 | |
|
3 | N/A |
|
9 | N/A |
| Total | 546 | |
| Closed during reporting period | 479 | |
| Carried over to next reporting period | 67 | |
| Source | Number of requests |
|---|---|
| Online | 534 |
| 0 | |
| 0 | |
| In person | 0 |
| Phone | 0 |
| Fax | 0 |
| Total | 534 |
| 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 |
| 164 | 58 | 88 | 70 | 79 | 20 | 0 | 479 |
| Less than 100 pages released |
100-500 pages released |
501-1000 pages released |
1001-5000 pages released |
More than 5000 pages released |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of requests | Pages released | Number of requests | Pages released | Number of requests | Pages released | Number of requests | Pages released | Number of requests | Pages released |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Less than 100 pages re-released |
100 to 500 pages re-released |
501 to 1000 pages re-released |
1001 to 5000 pages re-released |
More than 5000 pages re-released |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of requests | Pages re-released | Number of requests | Pages re-released | Number of requests | Pages re-released | Number of requests | Pages re-released | Number of requests | Pages re-released |
| 340 | 7,158 | 100 | 25,027 | 18 | 12,993 | 18 | 46,838 | 3 | 27,124 |
Section 3: Applications to the Information Commissioner on Declining to Act on Requests
| Details | 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 |
| Withdrawn during reporting period | 0 |
| Carried over to next reporting period | 0 |
Section 4: Requests Closed During the Reporting Period
| 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 | 20 | 78 | 33 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 144 |
| Disclosed in part | 2 | 72 | 68 | 119 | 51 | 61 | 57 | 430 |
| All exempted | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| All excluded | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 14 |
| No records exist | 90 | 49 | 13 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 160 |
| Request transferred | 506 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 515 |
| Request abandoned | 1191 | 15 | 14 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 47 | 1,276 |
| Neither confirmed nor denied | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Declined to act with the approval of the Information Commissioner | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 1,809 | 223 | 130 | 141 | 59 | 68 | 114 | 2,544 |
| Section | Number of requests |
|---|---|
| 13(1)(a) | 5 |
| 13(1)(b) | 2 |
| 13(1)(c) | 6 |
| 13(1)(d) | 0 |
| 13(1)(e) | 0 |
| 14 | 8 |
| 14(a) | 20 |
| 14(b) | 14 |
| 15(1) | 12 |
| 15(1) - I.A.* | 0 |
| 15(1) - Def.* | 0 |
| 15(1) - S.A.* | 0 |
| 16(1)(a)(i) | 1 |
| 16(1)(a)(ii) | 0 |
| 16(1)(a)(iii) | 0 |
| 16(1)(b) | 23 |
| 16(1)(c) | 21 |
| 16(1)(d) | 0 |
| 16(2) | 64 |
| 16(2)(a) | 0 |
| 16(2)(b) | 0 |
| 16(2)(c) | 161 |
| 16(3) | 0 |
| 16.1(1)(a) | 1 |
| 16.1(1)(b) | 0 |
| 16.1(1)(c) | 2 |
| 16.1(1)(d) | 0 |
| 16.2(1) | 0 |
| 16.3 | 0 |
| 16.4(1)(a) | 0 |
| 16.4(1)(b) | 0 |
| 16.5 | 1 |
| 16.6 | 0 |
| 17 | 8 |
| 18(a) | 0 |
| 18(b) | 4 |
| 18(c) | 0 |
| 18(d) | 0 |
| 18.1(1)(a) | 0 |
| 18.1(1)(b) | 0 |
| 18.1(1)(c) | 0 |
| 18.1(1)(d) | 0 |
| 19(1) | 289 |
| 20(1)(a) | 1 |
| 20(1)(b) | 95 |
| 20(1)(b.1) | 0 |
| 20(1)(c) | 42 |
| 20(1)(d) | 9 |
| 20.1 | 0 |
| 20.2 | 0 |
| 20.4 | 0 |
| 21(1)(a) | 116 |
| 21(1)(b) | 129 |
| 21(1)(c) | 21 |
| 21(1)(d) | 2 |
| 22 | 5 |
| 22.1(1) | 1 |
| 23 | 36 |
| 23.1 | 0 |
| 24(1) | 58 |
| 26 | 0 |
- *I.A.: International Affairs
- Def.: Defence of Canada
- S.A.: Subversive Activities
| Section | Number of requests |
|---|---|
| 68(a) | 2 |
| 68(b) | 0 |
| 68(c) | 0 |
| 68.1 | 0 |
| 68.2(a) | 0 |
| 68.2(b) | 0 |
| 69(1) | 0 |
| 69(1)(a) | 7 |
| 69(1)(b) | 0 |
| 69(1)(c) | 3 |
| 69(1)(d) | 7 |
| 69(1)(e) | 6 |
| 69(1)(f) | 3 |
| 69(1)(g) re (a) | 31 |
| 69(1)(g) re (b) | 0 |
| 69(1)(g) re (c) | 24 |
| 69(1)(g) re (d) | 13 |
| 69(1)(g) re (e) | 15 |
| 69(1)(g) re (f) | 8 |
| 69.1(1) | 0 |
| Paper | Electronic | Other | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E-record | Data set | Video | Audio | ||
| 15 | 559 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
4.5 Complexity
| Number of Pages Processed | Number of Pages Disclosed | Number of Requests |
|---|---|---|
| 149,265 | 104,002 | 1,869 |
| Disposition | Less than 100 Pages Processed |
100-500 Pages Processed |
501-1000 Pages Processed |
1001-5000 Pages Processed |
More than 5000 Pages Processed |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of requests | Pages processed | Number of requests | Pages processed | Number of requests | Pages processed | Number of requests | Pages processed | Number of requests | Pages processed | |
| All disclosed | 133 | 1,537 | 9 | 2,199 | 2 | 1,743 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Disclosed in part | 282 | 8,258 | 90 | 19,759 | 25 | 18,341 | 32 | 65,614 | 1 | 5,308 |
| All exempted | 1 | 26 | 1 | 168 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| All excluded | 14 | 365 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Request abandoned | 1,252 | 328 | 13 | 3,710 | 3 | 1,771 | 7 | 12,594 | 1 | 7,544 |
| Neither confirmed nor denied | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Declined to act with the approval of the Information Commissioner | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 1,685 | 10,514 | 113 | 25,836 | 30 | 21,855 | 39 | 78,208 | 2 | 12,852 |
| Number of minutes processed | Number of minutes disclosed | Number of requests |
|---|---|---|
| 24 | 24 | 1 |
| Disposition | Less than 60 minutes processed | 60 - 120 minutes processed | More than 120 minutes processed | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of requests | Minutes processed | Number of requests | Minutes processed | Number of requests | Minutes processed | |
| All disclosed | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Disclosed in part | 1 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| All exempted | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| All excluded | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Request abandoned | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Neither confirmed nor denied | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Declined to act with the approval of the Information Commissioner | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 1 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Number of minutes processed | Number of minutes disclosed | Number of requests |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Disposition | Less than 60 minutes processed | 60 - 120 minutes processed | More than 120 minutes processed | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of requests | Minutes processed | Number of requests | Minutes processed | Number of requests | Minutes processed | |
| All disclosed | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Disclosed in part | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| All exempted | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| All excluded | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Request abandoned | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Neither confirmed nor denied | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Declined to act with the approval of the Information Commissioner | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Disposition | Consultation required | Legal advice sought | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All disclosed | 11 | 0 | 0 | 11 |
| Disclosed in part | 162 | 0 | 0 | 162 |
| All exempted | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| All excluded | 14 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| Request abandoned | 15 | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| Neither confirmed nor denied | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Declined to act with the approval of the Information Commissioner | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 204 | 0 | 0 | 204 |
4.6 Closed Requests
| Details | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Number of requests closed within legislated timelines | 2,295 |
| Percentage of requests closed within legislated timelines (%) | 90.21226415 |
4.7 Deemed Refusals
| Number of requests closed past the legislated timelines | Principal Reasons | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interference with operations/ workload | External consultation | Internal consultation | Other | |
| 249 | 232 | 2 | 5 | 10 |
| 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 | 16 | 15 | 31 |
| 16 to 30 days | 7 | 9 | 16 |
| 31 to 60 days | 6 | 13 | 19 |
| 61 to 120 days | 10 | 25 | 35 |
| 121 to 180 days | 8 | 18 | 26 |
| 181 to 365 days | 8 | 23 | 31 |
| More than 365 days | 27 | 64 | 91 |
| Total | 82 | 167 | 249 |
| Translation requests | Accepted | Refused | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| English to French | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| French to English | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Section 5: Extensions
| Disposition of requests where an extension was taken | 9(1)(a) Interference with operations/ workload |
9(1)(b) Consultation |
9(1)(c) Third-party notice |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Section 69 | Other | |||
| All disclosed | 28 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| Disclosed in part | 259 | 12 | 105 | 26 |
| All exempted | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| All excluded | 5 | 5 | 7 | 0 |
| Request abandoned | 30 | 0 | 17 | 7 |
| No records exist | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Declined to act with the approval of the Information Commissioner | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 334 | 17 | 141 | 33 |
| Length of extensions | 9(1)(a) Interference with operations/workload |
9(1)(b) Consultation |
9(1)(c) Third-party notice |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Section 69 | Other | |||
| 30 days or less | 84 | 1 | 11 | 1 |
| 31 to 60 days | 83 | 2 | 24 | 3 |
| 61 to 120 days | 103 | 12 | 69 | 16 |
| 121 to 180 days | 29 | 1 | 15 | 7 |
| 181 to 365 days | 26 | 1 | 15 | 4 |
| 365 days or more | 9 | 0 | 7 | 2 |
| Total | 334 | 17 | 141 | 33 |
Section 6: Fees
| Fee type | Fee collected | Fee waived | Fee refunded | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of requests | Amount | Number of requests | Amount | Number of requests | Amount | |
| Application | 2,381 | $11,905.00 | 58 | $290.00 | 42 | $210.00 |
| Other fees | 0 | $0.00 | 0 | $0.00 | 0 | $0.00 |
| Total | 2,381 | $11,905.00 | 58 | $290.00 | 42 | $210.00 |
Section 7: Consultations Received from Other Institutions and Organizations
| Consultations | Other Government of Canada institutions | Number of pages to review | Other organizations | Number of pages to review |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Received during the reporting period | 116 | 6,482 | 14 | 2,561 |
| Outstanding from the previous reporting period | 5 | 2,334 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 121 | 8,816 | 14 | 2,561 |
| Closed during the reporting period | 105 | 4,548 | 14 | 2,561 |
| Carried over within negotiated timelines | 10 | 573 | 0 | 0 |
| Carried over beyond negotiated timelines | 6 | 3,695 | 0 | 0 |
| Recommendation | Number of days required to complete the 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 | 12 | 36 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 63 |
| Disclose in part | 2 | 9 | 16 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 35 |
| 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 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Total | 20 | 46 | 28 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 105 |
| Recommendation | Number of days required to complete the 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 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| Disclose in part | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Exempt entirely | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Exclude entirely | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Consult other institution | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Other | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 1 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
Section 8: Completion Time of Consultations on Cabinet Confidences
| Number of days | Fewer than 100 pages processed | 100-500 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 | 13 | 218 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 to 30 | 13 | 175 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 31 to 60 | 24 | 198 | 1 | 131 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 61 to 120 | 8 | 231 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 121 to 180 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 108 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 181 to 365 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| More than 365 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 58 | 822 | 3 | 240 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Number of Days | Fewer than 100 Pages Processed | 100-500 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 | 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 |
| More than 365 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Section 9: Investigations and Reports of Finding
| Section 32 Notice of Intention to Investigate |
Subsection 30(5) Ceased to Investigate |
Section 35 Formal Representations |
|---|---|---|
| 40 | 24 | 15 |
| Section 37(1) Initial Reports | Section 37(2) Final Reports | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Received | Containing Recommendations Issued by the Information Commissioner | Containing Orders Issued by the Information Commissioner | Received | Containing Recommendations Issued by the Information Commissioner | Containing Orders Issued by the Information Commissioner |
| 10 | 8 | 2 | 19 | 15 | 4 |
Section 10: Court Action
| Section 41 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Complainant (1) | Institution (2) | Third-Party (3) | Privacy Commissioner (4) | Total |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Section 44 - under paragraph 28(1)(b) |
|---|
| 0 |
Section 11: Resources Related to the Access to Information Act
| Expenditures | Amount |
|---|---|
| Salaries | $1,986,739 |
| Overtime | $24,676 |
| Goods and services | $455,897 |
Professional services contracts |
$377,519 |
Other |
$78,378 |
| Total | $2,467,312 |
| Resources | Person Years Dedicated to Access to Information Activities |
|---|---|
| Full-time employees | 22.329 |
| Part-time and casual employees | 0.000 |
| Regional staff | 0.000 |
| Consultants and agency personnel | 1.170 |
| Students | 0.000 |
| Total | 23.499 |