Annual report to Parliament: Privacy Act 2021 to 2022

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Abstract

Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Annual Report to Parliament on the Administration of the Privacy Act is submitted in accordance with section 72 of the Privacy Act. It presents an overview of the Privacy Act activities carried out within Environment and Climate Change Canada during the reporting period of April 1, 2021, to March 31, 2022.

During the reporting period, Environment and Climate Change Canada received 50 requests under the Privacy Act and completed 44 requests.

Introduction

The Privacy Act (R.S.C. 1985, c. P-21) was proclaimed into force on July 1, 1983. Section 72 of the Act requires every head of a federal government institution to submit a report to Parliament on the administration of the Act within their institution during the fiscal year.

This report is submitted in accordance with section 72 of the Privacy Act. It presents an overview of the Privacy Act activities carried out within Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) during the reporting period of April 1, 2020, to March 31, 2021. As the Canada Emission Reduction Incentives Agency was not operational during this reporting period, an Agency report will not be prepared for this period.

Purpose of the Acts

The Access to Information Act enhances the accountability and transparency of federal government institutions in order to promote an open and democratic society, and to enable public debate on the conduct of those institutions. Part 1 of the Act provides the right of access to information found within federal government institutions records, subject to certain specific and limited exceptions. Part 2 of the Act sets out requirements for the proactive publication of various types of information located within federal government institutions that are of interest to the public. The Access to Information Act complements but does not replace existing channels of communications within federal government institutions.

The Privacy Act protects the privacy of individuals with respect to their personal information. The Privacy Act sets out provisions that govern the collection, use, retention, disposition and disclosure of personal information by federal government institutions. It also provides individuals with the right of access to their personal information held within government institutions.

About Environment and Climate Change Canada

The Department of the Environment was established by the Government Reorganization Act (1970-71-72, c. 42) on June 10, 1971. A number of acts and regulations provide the Department with its mandate and allow it to carry out its programs. Under the Department of the Environment Act, the powers, duties and functions of the Minister of the Environment extend to and include matters relating to:

Organizational structure

As Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Access to Information and Privacy Coordinator, the Director of Access to Information and Privacy Division has delegated authority on matters concerning Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP). The ATIP Division is part of the Corporate Secretariat, found within the Public Affairs and Communications Branch of the Department. The ATIP Division is the central coordinating body for all requests received by Environment and Climate Change Canada under the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act.

The ATIP Division directs all activities within Environment and Climate Change Canada relating to the administration, application and promotion of the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act. It provides advice to senior management on the implementation of the statutes and prepares reports to Parliament, the Treasury Board Secretariat and senior management. The ATIP Division represents the Department in complaints and investigations conducted by the Information Commissioner and Privacy Commissioner of Canada, and in any Federal Court applications arising from ATIP matters.

The ATIP Division is organized into two functional areas: an Operations Unit, and a Policy and Governance Unit. Each unit is led by a manager who reports to the ATIP Director. As of March 31, 2022, the ATIP Division was comprised of 15 officers. To help meet the increase in volume and complexity of requests, the Division also engaged the support of three consultants during the reporting period.

Text description - Diagram 1

Diagram 1 presents a breakdown of ECCC’s ATIP Division Organizational Structure in 2021-2022.

The ATIP Division is organized into two functional areas: an Operations Unit, and a Policy and Governance Unit. Each unit is led by a manager who reports to the ATIP Director. The ATIP Director is assisted by an administrative assistant. The Operations Unit Manager oversees activities related to intake and complex files, while the ATIP Policy and Governance Unit Manager oversees activities related to policy and governance as well as proactive publication.

Operations Unit

The Operations Unit coordinates the management and processing of ECCC’s access to information and privacy requests. It leads the processing of all ECCC requests under the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act and performs a “line-by-line” review of records. The Operations Unit also serves as the liaison between the department and the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner on complaints related to requests under the Acts. The Operations Unit consists of two team leaders, four senior advisors, three advisors, one analyst, one junior ATIP analyst, an administrative officer and a clerical assistant.

Policy and Governance Unit

The Policy and Governance Unit is the focal point for privacy expertise within ECCC. The unit leads the horizontal implementation of departmental privacy policy and conducts risk analyses, including privacy impact assessments and privacy protocols for non-administrative purposes. It delivers privacy compliance support for ECCC’s programs and services. The Policy and Governance Unit plays a key role in the management and prevention of privacy breaches. It works collaboratively with departmental officials to fulfill the proactive publication requirements under Part 2 of the Access to Information Act and oversees its compliance. The unit develops ATIP directives, procedures and statistical reports, delivers training, promotes awareness, and prepares ATIP annual reports. The Policy and Governance Unit consists of one senior advisor and one junior analyst.

Capacity development

Environment and Climate Change Canada remains committed to recruiting, training and maintaining a workforce that possesses specialized skills and will continue to provide the best possible service to both internal and external clients.

During the 2021-2022 reporting period, Environment and Climate Change Canada completed several staffing actions. This included participation in a post-secondary recruitment process that resulted in the appointment of two junior analysts.

Environment and Climate Change Canada continues to focus on developing capacity through its ATIP Professional Development Program. The program aims to train employees over a period of three to five years through a combination of competency-based training, professional development training, and work assignments. Candidates enter the program at the PM-01 or PM-02 level and graduate as senior ATIP advisors at the PM-04 level. The program enables the ATIP Division to better manage increasing workloads while facilitating succession planning through the transfer of corporate memory, encouraging staff to remain with the Department for a longer period of time. In 2021-2022, ECCC expanded the program to the Policy and Governance Unit. During the reporting period, two participants in the ATIP Professional Development Program were promoted to the next level.

Delegation of Authority

Decision-making responsibility for the application of the various provisions of the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act have been formally established and are outlined in the departmental Delegation of Authority Instrument found in Appendix A of this report.

The Delegation Order in effect during the reporting period was approved by the Honorable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, on April 12, 2021.

Interpretation of the Statistical Report

Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Statistical Report on the Privacy Act is included in Appendix B of this report.

Between April 1, 2021, and March 31, 2022, ECCC received 50 requests under the Privacy Act. There were 32 requests carried forward from previous reporting periods, for a total of 82 active requests in the 2021–2022 reporting period.

In the 2021–2022 fiscal year, a total of 44 requests were completed, and 38 requests were carried forward to the next reporting period, with eight (8) requests carried over within legislative timelines and 30 carried over beyond legislative timelines.

Of the 50 requests received, 46 were received online, submitted through the ATIP Online Request Service, three (3) requests were received by e-mail, and one (1) was received by mail.

There were no informal requests received during the 2021–2022 fiscal year.

Trends

Environment and Climate Change Canada received five (5) more requests under the Privacy Act in 2021–2022 than in the previous fiscal year; this represents an increase of approximately 10% in the number of privacy requests received ECCC continued to note a trend in which privacy requests received this year were largely related to active labour relations and staffing matters. In some cases, it appears that the requests are filed to supplement existing processes/recourse mechanisms.

The number of requests under the Privacy Act received by Environment and Climate Change Canada from 2017–2018 to 2021–2022 is represented in figure 1.

Figure 1 – Number of requests received, Privacy Act, 2017–2022

Text description - Figure 1

Figure 1 shows a bar graph which provides a visual representation of the number of privacy requests that were received by the ATIP Secretariat from the 2017-2018 fiscal year to the 2021-2022 fiscal year.

During the 2017-2018 period, 30 requests were received; in 2018-2019, 62 requests were received; in 2019-2020, 109 requests were received; in 2020-2021, 45 requests were received, and in 2021-2022, 50 requests were received.

Environment and Climate Change Canada completed 44 requests under the Privacy Act in 2021–2022. Figure 2 displays the number of requests under the Privacy Act completed by Environment and Climate Change Canada from the 2017–2018 to the 2021–2022 fiscal year. Overall, 28 of the privacy requests completed this fiscal year were closed within the legislative timelines. This represents a 64% compliance rate.

Figure 2 – Number of requests closed, Privacy Act, 2017-2022

Text description - Figure 2

Figure 2 shows a bar graph which provides a visual representation of the number of privacy requests that were closed by the ATIP Secretariat from the 2017-2018 fiscal year to the 2021-2022 fiscal year.

During the 2017-2018 period, 24 requests were closed; in 2018-2019, 61 requests were closed; in 2019-2020, 96 requests were closed; in 2020-2021, 37 requests were closed, and in 2021-2022, 44 requests were closed.

Figure 3 shows the number of pages processed by the ATIP Division in response to requests under the Privacy Act from 2017–2018 to 2021–2022.

Figure 3 – Number of pages processed for requests, Privacy Act, 2017-2022

Text description - Figure 3

Figure 3 shows a bar graph which provides a visual representation of the number of pages processed by the ATIP Secretariat in processing privacy requests under the Privacy Act from the 2017-2018 fiscal year to the 2021-2022 fiscal year.

During the 2017-2018 period, 3,285 pages were processed; in 2018-2019, 4,444 pages were processed; in 2019-2020, 7,500 pages were processed; in 2020-2021, 968 pages were processed; and in 2021-2022, 8,046 pages were processed.

During the 2021–2022 reporting period, a total of 8,046 pages of records were retrieved and reviewed in response to privacy requests. This represents an increase of 731% over the 2020–2021 fiscal year.

The number of pages disclosed by the ATIP Division in processing requests under the Privacy Act from 2017–2018 to 2021–2022 is found in figure 4.

Figure 4 – Number of Pages Disclosed for Requests, Privacy Act, 2017-2022

Text description - Figure 4

Figure 4 shows a bar graph which provides a visual representation of the number of pages disclosed by the ATIP Secretariat in processing privacy requests under the Privacy Act from the 2017-2018 fiscal year to the 2021-2022 fiscal year.

During the 2017-2018 period, 1,041 pages were disclosed; in 2018-2019, 2,427 pages were disclosed; in 2019-2020, 3,337 pages were disclosed; in 2020-2021, 309 pages were disclosed, and in 2021-2022, 4,840 pages were disclosed.

Corrections

Paragraph 12(2)(a) of the Privacy Act gives individuals the right to request a correction of their personal information held by the federal government.

No corrections were requested or made in the 2021–2022 reporting period.

Disclosure under Subsection 8(2)

Paragraphs 8(2)(e), (f), (g), and (m) of the Privacy Act permit the disclosure of personal information to various investigative bodies and Members of Parliament. Disclosure is also permitted in the public interest.

No disclosures under subsection 8(2), including under paragraph 8(2)(m), were completed in the 2021–2022 reporting period.

Consultations

In 2021–2022, Environment and Climate Change Canada did not receive external consultations. The ATIP Division received seven (7) new internal consultations from labour relations to review investigation reports. In total, eight (8) internal consultations were closed during the reporting period.

Costs

In the 2021–2022 reporting period, the total cost of administering the Privacy Act was $233,374. This included $212,714 for salaries and $20,660 for goods and services.

Training activities

The ATIP Division provides daily advice to departmental officials on the processing of ATIP requests as well as the interpretation of the Acts to ensure the efficient and consistent processing of all requests received by the Department.

As a result of the operational challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic over the last two years, the ATIP Division has continued to focus on providing targeted training and assistance to help ECCC staff respond to requests. During the 2021–2022 fiscal year, the ATIP Division conducted four (4) formal information and training sessions that were attended by approximately 100 ECCC employees. The sessions included an overview of the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act as well as a description of internal procedures and associated deadlines for responding to requests.

COVID-19 operational impact

The exceptional measures put in place to curb the spread of COVID-19 continued to pose challenges to the operations of ECCC’s ATIP Division over the 2021–2022 reporting period.

In Fall 2020, ECCC updated its Business Continuity Plan to recognize the ATIP Division as an essential service. This resulted in an increased onsite presence toward the end of the fiscal year, which allowed staff to continue processing files containing classified and paper records. This working arrangement continued for the 2021–2022 reporting period.

As most program officials continued to work remotely throughout the fiscal year, the retrieval and processing of classified and hard copy records remained difficult. When necessary, the ATIP Division processed electronic records in response to requests and opened a second request for paper records that will be processed once program officials return to work onsite. Consultations with other government departments and third parties varied according to their ability to receive and process consultation packages.

Over the course of the year, ECCC’s ATIP Division refined the procedures and processes implemented in 2020–2021 to improve efficiency in electronic processing. In addition, it established a process to share larger files with program officials through the use of an encrypted shared drive.

The pandemic served to accelerate the digitization of government services, which significantly impacted the policy workload within the ATIP Division. The ATIP Division provided advice on the collection, use, retention and disposal of personal information in order to help reduce the risks associated with dozens of new initiatives and updated business processes. The ATIP Division has also increased its activities related to Privacy Act compliance, including the incorporation of privacy provisions within contractual agreements involving personal information, ensuring that outreach activities and stakeholder engagement adheres to the privacy policy requirements, and that any privacy risks associated with new ECCC programs or services are identified and mitigated.

In the upcoming year, ECCC’s ATIP Division will continue to refine its electronic retrieval processes. These process improvements, along with increased onsite presence, are expected to further stabilize ATIP performance and assist in reducing our inventory of requests.

Policies, guidelines, procedures and reporting

Policy Framework

Environment and Climate Change Canada’s access to information policy framework was approved in November 2012. No changes were brought to the access to information policy framework in 2021–2022.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ECCC ATIP Division was obliged to shift its operations by developing and implementing new ATIP processes. Procedures were put in place to manage electronic documents and deploy new strategies to assist program staff to retrieve and prepare records in response to requests.

Reporting

The ATIP Division regularly monitors the timeliness and trends associated with the processing of requests through ongoing communication with branch and directorate liaisons. This includes providing performance reports on the status of branch retrievals to branch head offices on a regular basis. In addition, weekly reports on the number of requests received are provided to the Deputy Minister’s Office and to the Communications Branch. ATIP updates are also provided to ECCC’s Executive Management Committee.

Publicly accessible information and inquiry points

Info Source is a series of publications containing information on the Government of Canada and its data collection activities. Info Source is intended to help the public access government information and to exercise their rights under the Access to Information Act and Privacy Act.

The ATIP Division is responsible for providing updates on Environment and Climate Change Canada’s activities and information holdings for publication in Info Source on the Department’s website. While no changes were made to ECCC’s Info Source Chapter in 2021–2022, updates are planned for the next fiscal year.

Environment and Climate Change Canada’s comprehensive website provides information on the Department’s policies, its organizational structure and the means to contact departmental officials. In accordance with the federal government’s policy of proactive disclosure, the Department’s website also allows access to internal evaluations and audits, as well as information on hospitality expenses, contracts and grants.

Environment and Climate Change Canada’s website has an access to information and privacy webpage that provides background information on both the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act. It also contains a Frequently Asked Questions section and links to access to information request forms, personal information request forms and summaries of completed access to information requests.

In order to facilitate public access to information and to comply with the Act, the ECCC Library has been designated a public reading room. The library is located on the 1st floor of the Place Vincent Massey Annex, 351 St. Joseph Boulevard, Gatineau, Quebec.

Online request service

Environment and Climate Change Canada has participated in the Treasury Board Secretariat Online Request Service Pilot Project since April 2014. This initiative makes the process of requesting government records simpler and more convenient by enabling Canadians to submit their ATIP requests and application fees online. In June 2019, the Department migrated to the Treasury Board Secretariat Online Request Service and will be transitioning to the new ATIP online management system in early 2022–2023.

Environment and Climate Change Canada received 46 privacy requests online during the 2021–2022 reporting period. This represents 92% of the total number of privacy requests received by the Department.

Data sharing activities

The Department did not undertake any new internal or external data sharing activities in 2021–2022.

Exempt banks

Environment and Climate Change Canada has no exempt banks under the Privacy Act.

Privacy Impact Assessments

A Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) is a risk management process that helps institutions ensure they meet legislative requirements, and identify the impacts their programs and activities will have on the privacy of individuals. To fulfill its mandate, some of ECCC’s responsibilities require the collection, use and disclosure of personal information.

As a trusted custodian of this information, the Department uses PIAs as a means of ensuring compliance with the legal requirements set out in the Privacy Act, in adherence with TBS’s policies and directives. A PIA assists in the identification and management of privacy breaches, but may not eliminate risk. A PIA serves to evolve a project’s design to reveal an effective method with minimal risk to the privacy of individuals.

No PIAs were completed during this reporting period.

Material privacy breaches

During the 2021-2022 fiscal year, Environment and Climate Change Canada had no material privacy breaches.

Complaints, audits, investigations and appeals

Applicants have the right to register a complaint with the Privacy Commissioner of Canada regarding any matter relating to the processing of a request.

During the 2021–2022 reporting period, there were three (3) complaints filed against Environment and Climate Change Canada with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner (OPC) related to requests under the Privacy Act.

The two delay complaints were deemed “well founded” whereas the extension was deemed “not well founded”.

Applications/appeals to the Federal Court or Federal Court of Appeal

There were no applications or appeals filed to the Federal Court or Federal Court of Appeal during the 2021-2022 reporting period.

Interpretation of Supplementary Statistical Report

As previously detailed in the COVID-19 Operational Impact section, ECCC’s ability to process requests continued to be affected by the measures put in place to address COVID-19.

Environment and Climate Change Canada was able to receive requests by mail, email and through the online portal throughout the 2021–2022 fiscal year. In addition, the Department was able to fully process unclassified and protected B electronic records over the reporting period.

However, the Department’s ability to process paper records and records above protected B continued to be reduced during the 2021–2022 reporting period as most departmental employees were working remotely.

As a result of the measures put in place to curb COVID-19, the carryover of active requests and complaints increased. Over the coming year, the Department will continue to focus on building capacity and will work diligently to close files and complaints carried over into the 2022–2023 fiscal year. Increased onsite presence will further facilitate these efforts.

Table 1 presents a breakdown of the requests carried over to the next reporting period.

Table 1 – Number of requests carried over, Privacy Act, 2021-2022
Fiscal year open requests were received Open requests that are within legislated timelines as of March 31, 2022 Open requests that are beyond legislated timelines as of March 31, 2022 Total
Received in 2021-2022 3 13 16
Received in 2020-2021 1 5 6
Received in 2019-2020 0 9 9
Received in 2018-2019 0 1 1
Received in 2017-2018 0 2 2
Received in 2016-2017 1 3 4
Received in 2015-2016 or earlier 0 0 0
Total 5 33 38
Text description - Table 1

Table 1 presents a breakdown of the requests carried over to the next reporting period by the ATIP Secretariat from the 2015-2016 fiscal year or earlier to the 2021-2022 fiscal year.

During the 2021-2022 reporting period, 3 open requests were carried over to the next reporting period within legislated timelines as of March 31, 2022, whereas 13 requests were carried over to the next reporting period beyond legislated timelines as of March 31, 2022.

Table 2 presents a breakdown of active complaints with the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, carried over to the 2022–2023 fiscal year.

Table 2 – Number of active complaints carried over, Privacy Act, 2021-2022
Fiscal year open complaints were received by institution Number of open complaints
Received in 2021-2022 2
Received in 2020-2021 0
Received in 2019-2020 1
Received in 2018-2019 0
Received in 2017-2018 0
Received in 2016-2017 0
Received in 2015-2016 or earlier 1
Total 4
Text description - Table 2

Table 2 presents a breakdown of active complaints with the Privacy Commissioner of Canada from the 2015-2016 fiscal year or earlier to the 2021-2022 fiscal year that were carried over to the 2022-2023 fiscal year by the ATIP Secretariat.

Of the complaints received during the 2015-2016 period or earlier, 1 open complaint was carried over to the 2022-2023 fiscal year; of the 2019-2020 period, 1 open complaint was carried over; and of the 2021-2022 period, 2 open complaints were carried over.

Appendix A: Delegation Order Instrument

Access to Information and Privacy Acts Delegation Order

I, undersigned, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, pursuant to section 95 of the Access to Information Act and section 73 of the Privacy Act, hereby delegate the persons holding the positions set out in the Delegation of Authority Schedule attached hereto, or the persons occupying on an acting basis those positions, to exercise the powers, duties and functions of the Minister as head of Environment and Climate Change Canada, under the provisions of the Act and related regulations set out in the schedule opposite each position. This delegation replaces all previous delegation orders.

Schedule
Position Access to Information Act, Part 1 and Regulations Privacy Act and Regulations
Deputy Minister of the Environment Full authority Full authority
Associated Deputy Minister of the Environment Full authority Full authority
Director General, Corporate Secretariat Full authority Full authority
Director, Access to Information and Privacy Full authority Full authority
Manager, Access to Information and Privacy Full authority Full authority
Team Leader, Access to Information and Privacy Paragraph: 7(a), 8, 9 & 11 15

Dated at the City of Gatineau, Quebec, this April 12, 2021

(signed)

The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson
Minister of the Environment and Climate Change Canada

Appendix B: Statistical Report on the Privacy Act

Statistical Report on the Access to Information Act

Name of institution: Environment and Climate Change Canada

Reporting period:  2021-04-01  to  2022-03-31

Section 1: Requests under the Privacy Act

1.1 Number of requests received
Category Number of requests
Received during reporting period 50
Outstanding from previous reporting periods 32
  • Outstanding from previous reporting period
11  
  • Outstanding from more than one reporting period
21
Total 82
Closed during reporting period 44
Carried over to next reporting period 38
  • Carried over within legislated timeline
8  
  • Carried over beyond legislated timeline
30
1.2 Channels of requests
Source Number of requests
Online 46
E-mail 3
Mail 1
In person 0
Phone 0
Fax 0
Total 50

Section 2: Informal requests

2.1 Number of informal requests
Source Number of requests
Received during reporting period 0
Outstanding from previous reporting periods 0
  • Outstanding from previous reporting period
0  
  • Outstanding from more than one reporting period
0
Total 0
Closed during reporting period 0
Carried over to next reporting period 0
2.2 Channels of informal requests
Source Number of requests
Online 0
E-mail 0
Mail 0
In person 0
Phone 0
Fax 0
Total 0
2.3 Completion time of 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
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2.4 Pages released informally
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

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 1 1 0 1 1 0 2 6
Disclosed in part 0 0 0 4 1 4 4 13
All exempted 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
All excluded 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
No records exist 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 2
Request abandoned 22 0 1 0 0 0 0 23
Neither confirmed nor denied 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 24 2 1 5 2 4 6 44
3.2 Exemptions
Section Number of requests
18(2) 0
19(1)(a) 0
19(1)(b) 0
19(1)(c) 0
19(1)(d) 0
19(1)(e) 0
19(1)(f) 0
20 0
21 0
22(1)(a)(i) 0
22(1)(a)(ii) 0
22(1)(a)(iii) 0
22(1)(b) 0
22(1)(c) 0
22(2) 0
22.1 0
22.2 0
22.3 0
22.4 0
23(a) 0
23(b) 0
24(a) 0
24(b) 0
25 0
26 16
27 1
27.1 0
28 0
3.3 Exclusions
Section Number of requests
69(1)(a) 0
69(1)(b) 0
69.1 0
70(1) 0
70(1)(a) 0
70(1)(b) 0
70(1)(c) 0
70(1)(d) 0
70(1)(e) 0
70(1)(f) 0
70.1 0
3.4 Format of information released
Paper Electronic Other
E-record Data set Video Audio
1 18 0 0 0 0

3.5 Complexity

3.5.1 Relevant pages processed and disclosed for paper and e-record formats
Number of pages processed Number of pages disclosed Number of requests
8,046 4,840 42
3.5.2 Relevant pages processed per request disposition for paper and e-record formats by size of requests
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 6 132 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Disclosed in part 2 108 4 806 4 2,449 3 4,507 0 0
All exempted 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
All excluded 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Request abandoned 23 44 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Neither confirmed nor denied 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 31 284 4 806 4 2,449 3 4,507 0 0
3.5.3 Relevant minutes processed and disclosed for audio formats
Number of minutes processed Number of minutes disclosed Number of requests
0 0 0
3.5.4 Relevant minutes processed per request disposition for audio formats by size of requests
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
Total 0 0 0 0 0 0
3.5.5 Relevant minutes processed and disclosed for video formats
Number of minutes processed Number of minutes disclosed Number of requests
0 0 0
3.5.6 Relevant minutes processed per request disposition for video formats by size of requests
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
Total 0 0 0 0 0 0
3.5.7 Other complexities
Disposition Consultation required Legal advice sought Interwoven information Other Total
All disclosed 1 0 0 0 1
Disclosed in part 2 0 0 0 2
All exempted 0 0 0 0 0
All excluded 0 0 0 0 0
Request abandoned 0 0 0 0 0
Neither confirmed nor denied 0 0 0 0 0
Total 3 0 0 0 3

3.6 Closed requests

3.6.1 Requests closed within legislated timelines
Number of requests closed within legislated timelines 28
Percentage of requests closed within legislated timelines (%) 63.63636364

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
16 12 1 0 3
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 0 1 1
16 to 30 days 0 2 2
31 to 60 days 0 1 1
61 to 120 days 0 2 2
121 to 180 days 0 1 1
181 to 365 days 0 5 5
More than 365 days 0 4 4
Total 0 16 16
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: Disclosures under subsections 8(2) and 8(5)

4.1 Disclosures under subsections 8(2) and 8(5)
Paragraph 8(2)(e) Paragraph 8(2)(m) Subsection 8(5) Total
0 0 0 0

Section 5: Requests for correction of personal information and notations

5.1 Requests for correction of personal information and notations
Disposition for correction requests received Number
Notations attached 0
Requests for correction accepted 0
Total 0

Section 6: Extensions

6.1 Reasons for extensions
Number of requests where an extension was taken 15(a)(i) Interference with operations 15(a)(ii) Consultation 15(b)
Translation purposes or conversion
Further review required to determine exemptions Large volume of pages Large volume of requests Documents are difficult to obtain Cabinet Confidence Section (Section 70) External Internal
20 0 7 12 0 0 1 0 0
6.2 Length of extensions
Length of extensions 15(a)(i) Interference with operations 15(a)(ii) Consultation 15(b)
Translation purposes or conversion
Further review required to determine exemptions Large volume of pages Large volume of requests Documents are difficult to obtain Cabinet Confidence Section (Section 70) External Internal
1 to 15 days 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
16 to 30 days 0 7 12 0 0 1 0 0
31 days or greater   0
Total 0 7 12 0 0 1 0 0

Section 7: Consultations received from other institutions and organizations

7.1 Consultations received from other Government of Canada institutions and other organizations
Consultations Other Government of Canada institutions Number of pages to review Other organizations Number of pages to review
Received during the reporting period 0 0 0 0
Outstanding from the previous reporting period 0 0 0 0
Total 0 0 0 0
Closed during the reporting period 0 0 0 0
Carried over with negotiated timelines 0 0 0 0
Carried over beyond negotiated timelines 0 0 0 0
7.2 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
Disclosed entirely 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Disclosed in part 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
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 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
7.3 Recommendations and completion time for consultations received from other organizations outside the Government of Canada
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
Disclosed entirely 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Disclosed in part 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
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 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Section 8: Completion time of consultations on Cabinet confidences

8.1 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 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
8.2 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 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: Complaints and investigations notices received

9.1 Complaints and investigations notices received
Section 31 Section 33 Section 35 Court action Total
3 0 3 0 6

Section 10: Privacy Impact Assessments (PIA) and Personal Information Banks (PIB)

10.1 Privacy Impact Assessments
Number of PIAs completed 0
Number of PIAs modified 0
10.2 Institution-specific and Central Personal Information Banks
Personal Information Banks Active Created Terminated Modified
Institution-specific 13 0 0 0
Central 50 0 0 0
Total 63 0 0 0

Section 11: Material privacy breaches

11.1 Material privacy breaches reported
Number of material privacy breaches reported to TBS 0
Number of material privacy breaches reported to OPC 0
11.2 Non-material privacy breaches
Number of non-material privacy breaches 3

Section 12: Resources related to the Privacy Act

12.1 Allocated costs
Expenditures Amount
Salaries $212,714
Overtime $0
Goods and services $20,660
  • Professional services contracts
$20,660  
  • Other
$0
Total $233,374
12.2 Human resources
Resources Person years dedicated to privacy activities
Full-time employees 2.000
Part-time and casual employees 0.000
Regional staff 0.000
Consultants and agency personnel 0.000
Students 0.000
Total 2.000

Note: Enter values to three decimal places.

Appendix C: Supplemental Statistical Report on the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act

Name of institution: Environment and Climate Change Canada

Reporting period: April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022

Section 1: Capacity to receive requests under the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act

Enter the number of weeks your institution was able to receive ATIP requests through the different channels.
Capacity to receive requests Number of weeks
Able to receive requests by mail 52
Able to receive requests by email 52
Able to receive requests through the digital request service 52

Section 2: Capacity to process records under the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act

2.1 Enter the number of weeks your institution was able to process paper records in different classification levels.
Classification level No capacity Partial capacity Full capacity Total
Unclassified paper records 0 52 0 52
Protected B paper records 0 52 0 52
Secret and top secret paper records 0 52 0 52
2.2 Enter the number of weeks your institution was able to process electronic records in different classification levels.
Classification level No capacity Partial capacity Full capacity Total
Unclassified electronic records 0 0 52 52
Protected B electronic records 0 0 52 52
Secret and top secret electronic records 0 52 0 52

Section 3: Open requests and complaints under the Access to Information Act

3.1 Enter the number of open requests that are outstanding from previous reporting periods.
Fiscal year open requests were received Open requests that are within legislated timelines as of March 31, 2022 Open requests that are beyond legislated timelines as of March 31, 2022 Total
Received in 2021-2022 356 360 716
Received in 2020-2021 72 298 370
Received in 2019-2020 3 268 271
Received in 2018-2019 2 134 136
Received in 2017-2018 1 53 54
Received in 2016-2017 0 72 72
Received in 2015-2016 or earlier 0 60 60
Total 434 1,245 1,679
3.2 Enter the number of open complaints with the Information Commissioner of Canada that are outstanding from previous reporting periods.
Fiscal year open complaints were received by institution Number of open complaints
Received in 2021-2022 27
Received in 2020-2021 28
Received in 2019-2020 10
Received in 2018-2019 4
Received in 2017-2018 5
Received in 2016-2017 0
Received in 2015-2016 or earlier 10
Total 84

Section 4: Open requests and complaints under the Privacy Act

4.1 Enter the number of open requests that are outstanding from previous reporting periods.
Fiscal year open requests were received Open requests that are within legislated timelines as of March 31, 2022 Open requests that are beyond legislated timelines as of March 31, 2022 Total
Received in 2021-2022 3 13 16
Received in 2020-2021 1 5 6
Received in 2019-2020 0 9 9
Received in 2018-2019 0 1 1
Received in 2017-2018 0 2 2
Received in 2016-2017 1 3 4
Received in 2015-2016 or earlier 0 0 0
Total 5 33 38
4.2 Enter the number of open complaints with the Privacy Commissioner of Canada that are outstanding from previous reporting periods.
Fiscal year open complaints were received by institution Number of open complaints
Received in 2021-2022 2
Received in 2020-2021 0
Received in 2019-2020 1
Received in 2018-2019 0
Received in 2017-2018 0
Received in 2016-2017 0
Received in 2015-2016 or earlier 1
Total 4

Section 5: Social Insurance Number (SIN)

Did your institution receive authority for a new collection or new consistent use of the SIN in 2021-2022 No

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