2016-2017 Annual Reports on the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act

Disposition of Completed Requests

In 2016-2017, no formal requests were completed. As such, there was no disposition.

Exemptions Invoked

The Access to Information Act allows, and in some instances requires, that some information be exempted and not released. In 2016-2017, the Committee did not receive any formal requests, and as such, did not invoke any exemptions under the Access to Information Act.

Exclusions Cited

There were no cases where exclusions were cited.

Complexity

In 2016-2017, the Committee did not receive any formal requests.

Consultations Received from Other Institutions and Organizations

During 2016-2017, the Committee received one consultation request from another Government of Canada institution and one consultation request from another organization.

Fees

During the reporting period, no fees were collected. The fees were waived on the five informal requests.

Costs

During 2016-2017, an estimated $322 in salary costs and $2,909 in maintenance costs related to the ATIP management system were incurred to administer the Access to Information Act.

5. Training

As part of the Committee’s Access to Information and Privacy Awareness Plan, emails are sent to staff on a regular basis to share points of interest and information relating to ATIP. During the reporting period, awareness sessions related to access to information were held as follows:

• Awareness and training session on the Access to Information Act, the Privacy Act, information and records management, and the security of information (approximately 40 employees)

6. Policies, Guidelines, Procedures, and Initiatives

During the reporting period, the Committee did not implement any new institution-specific policies, guidelines, procedures, or initiatives related to access to information.

7. Summary of Key Issues and Actions Taken on Complaints or Audits

Over the period covered by this report, no complaint against the Committee was submitted to the Information Commissioner under the Access to Information Act nor was any audit undertaken.

8. Monitoring Compliance

As a means to monitor the time required to process requests under both acts (Access to Information Act and Privacy Act), the ATIP Office reports delays on its activities to the Executive Director, Corporate Services. For the period covered by this report, all requests were completed within the statutory deadline.

Report on the Privacy Act

1. Introduction

The Privacy Act gives Canadians the right to access personal information held by the government and protection of that information against unauthorized use and disclosure.

Ministers and heads of agencies are responsible for ensuring that their organizations comply with privacy legislation.

This report has been prepared and tabled in Parliament in accordance with section 72 of the Privacy Act.

The raison d’être of the Military Grievances External Review Committee (the Committee) is to provide an independent and external review of military grievances. Section 29 of the National Defence Act (NDA) provides a statutory right for an officer or a non-commissioned member who has been aggrieved, to grieve a decision, an act or an omission in the administration of the affairs of the Canadian Armed Forces. The importance of this broad right cannot be overstated since it is, with certain narrow exceptions, the only formal complaint process available to Canadian Armed Forces members.

The Committee reviews military grievances referred to it and provides findings and recommendations (F&R) to the Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) and the officer or non-commissioned member who submitted the grievance.

The Committee also has the obligation to deal with all matters before it as informally and expeditiously as the circumstances and the considerations of fairness permit.

2. Organizational Structure

The Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) Office is part of the Strategic Planning, Security, and Information Management Services Division. The division has two employees who dedicate on average .02% of their time to fulfill the Committee’s obligations under both the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act.

The ATIP Coordinator, the Executive Director, Corporate Services, and the Director, Operations and General Counsel have delegated authority to oversee the administration of the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act within the Committee and to ensure compliance with the legislation.

A description of the classes of institutional records held by the Committee can be accessed through public and academic libraries and constituency offices of federal members of Parliament and can also be found online at https://www.canada.ca/en/military-grievances-external-review/corporate/transparency/info-source-sources-federal-government-employee-information.html. The Committee does not have any exempt banks.

In accordance with the Access to Information Act, members of the public may examine publications and other public documents governing the administration and operation of the Committee at:

Military Grievances External Review Committee
60 Queen Street, 9^th Floor
Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5Y7

3. Delegation Order for the Privacy Act

The Canadian Forces Grievance Board was renamed to the Military Grievances External Review Committee by the Act to amend the National Defence Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts, S.C. 2013, c., 24, s.11(1). A new delegation order was signed by the Chairperson to reflect the name change.

Delegation Order

Privacy Act

I, the undersigned, Chairperson of the Military Grievances External Review Committe, pursuant to Section 73 of the Privacy Act, hereby authorize the Executive Director, the General Counsel and the Access to Information and Privacy Coordinator, to exercise signing authorities or perform any of the Chairperson’s powers, duties or function specified in the attached Schedule B.

Caroline Maynard
Interim Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer
Military Grievances External Review Committee

Date: 4-01-17

4. Statistical Report on the Privacy Act

Name of institution: Military Grievances External Review Committee

Reporting period: 2016-04-01 to 2017-03-31

Part 1: Requests Under the Privacy Act

Part 2: Requests Closed During the Reporting Period

2.5 Complexity

2.6 Deemed refusals

Part 3: Disclosures Under Subsections 8(2) and 8(5)

Part 4: Requests for Correction of Personal Information and Notations

Part 5: Extensions

Part 6: Consultations Received from Other Institutions and Organizations

Part 7 – Completion Time of Consultations on Cabinet Confidences

Part 8 – Complaints and Investigations Notices Received

Part 9 – Privacy Impact Assessments (PIAs)

Part 10 – Resources related to the Privacy Act

Note: Enter values to two decimal places.

Highlights of the Statistical Report 2016-2017

During the reporting period of April 1, 2016, to March 31, 2017, the Military Grievances External Review Committee received three requests under the Privacy Act.

In recent years, the number of requests made under the Privacy Act has varied; over the last six fiscal years, requests have occurred in the following numbers: 2011-2012 (11); 2012-2013 (8); 2013-2014 (4) and 2014-2015 (1), 2015-2016 (0), and 2016-2017 (3).

Disposition of Completed Requests

In 2016-2017, all three privacy requests were fully disclosed.

Exemptions Invoked

No exemptions were invoked in the disposition of the three privacy requests made in 2016-2017.

Exclusions Cited

No exclusions were cited in the disposition of the three privacy requests made in 2016-2017.

Complexity

In 2016-2017, the number of pages disclosed related to the three privacy requests totaled 1,409 of which 1,362 pages were disclosed under one request.

Consultations Received from Other Institutions and Organizations

During 2016-2017, the Committee received consultation requests from other Government of Canada institutions for two of its privacy requests.

Costs

During 2016-2017, $222 in salary costs and $2,909 in goods and services were incurred to administer the Privacy Act.

5. Training

As part of the Committee’s Access to Information and Privacy Awareness Plan, emails are sent to staff on a regular basis to share points of interest and information relating to ATIP. During the reporting period, awareness sessions related to privacy were held as follows:

• Awareness and training session on the Access to Information Act, the Privacy Act, information and records management, and the security of information (approximately 40 employees)

6. Policies, Guidelines, Procedures, and Initiatives

During the reporting period, the Committee did not implement any new institution-specific policies, guidelines, procedures, or initiatives related to privacy.

7. Summary of Key Issues and Actions Taken on Complaints or Audits

Over the period covered by this report, no complaint against the Committee was submitted to the Privacy Commissioner under the Privacy Act nor was any audit undertaken.

8. Monitoring Compliance

As a means to monitor the time required to process requests under both acts (Access to Information Act and Privacy Act), the ATIP Office reports delays on its activities to the Executive Director, Corporate Services. For the period covered by this report, all requests were closed within the statutory deadline.

9. Material Privacy Breaches

During the reporting period, the Committee did not incur any privacy breach.

10. Privacy Impact Assessments

No Privacy Impact Assessment was conducted during the reporting period.

11. Public Interest Disclosures

Paragraph 8(2)(m) allows the disclosure of personal information when the public interest clearly outweighs any invasion of privacy that could result from the disclosure or when the disclosure would benefit the individual to whom the information relates. There were no disclosures pursuant to paragraph 8(2)(m) for the 2016-2017 period.