Summary for Publication - Privacy Impact Assessment of the Public Service Commission’s Analytical Environment

Privacy Impact Assessment of the Public Service Commission’s Analytical Environment

The mandate of the Public Service Commission (PSC) is to promote and safeguard merit–based appointments and, in collaboration with other stakeholders, to protect the non–partisan nature of the public service. The PSC reports on its mandate to Parliament. Under the delegated staffing system set out in the Public Service Employment Act (PSEA), the PSC fulfills its mandate by providing policy guidance and expertise, as well as by conducting effective oversight. In addition, the PSC delivers innovative staffing and assessment services.

The PSC is accountable to Parliament for the overall integrity of the staffing system in the federal public service, for organizations under the PSEA, and holds deputy heads accountable for how delegated authorities are exercised in their own organizations. The PSC assures itself of the integrity of the staffing system through its oversight framework, which is comprised of monitoring, audits and investigations, as well as its regulatory authority and policy–setting function. The PSC also validates these findings and trends through ongoing dialogue with departments and agencies, as well as the studies and research it undertakes on key issues related to staffing and non–partisanship.

The PSC relies on a large amount of data, information and knowledge to fulfill its mandate. The Audit and Data Services Branch – Data Services and Analysis Directorate (ADSB-DSAD) supports the PSC’s mandate through the management of information, including applied qualitative and quantitative studies, and the production of statistical information and products, as well as the dissemination of that information.

As part of its mandate, ADSB-DSAD develops, implements and maintains data on hiring and staffing related activities in the PSC’s Analytical Environment. The Analytical Environment supports the Commission to deliver on its mandate.

ADSB-DSAD, as the steward for the PSC Analytical Environment, has the following objectives:

  1. To produce data and analytical information to support the PSC’s mandate;
  2. To ensure data integrity and quality;
  3. To disseminate and report statistical information to both internal and external clients, including the statistics published in the PSC Annual Report; and,
  4. To provide corporate Business Intelligence leadership and support to all branches within the PSC.

The Analytical Environment consists of the following data holdings:

  • Input and Output files from the PSC’s Job-Based Analytical Information System;
  • Results from all cycles of the PSC’s Survey of Staffing;
  • Quarterly Departmental Reports on Appointments Process – historical data;
  • Data extracts from the PSC’s Priority Information Management System;
  • Data extracts, including Employment Equity data, from the Public Service Resourcing System – External and Internal Staffing; and,
  • Data extracts from the Employment Equity Databank provided by Treasury Board Secretariat.

Activities that are underway to support the Analytical Environment include:

  • Implementation of a Data Quality Management Framework;
  • Implementation of the recommendations from the Job-Based Analytical Information System Threat and Risk Assessment report to improve security management; and,
  • Adoption of the PSC’s Privacy Management Framework, including PSC’s Privacy Guidelines, PSC Privacy Protocols, and development of data sharing agreements.

Overview and Privacy Impact Assessment Initiation

The PSC is responsible to conduct a Privacy Impact Assessment for the Analytical Environment in accordance with the Public Service Commission Privacy Management Framework and the Treasury Board Directive on Privacy Impact Assessment. It is not a multi-institutional PIA. To support the Commission and the PSC mandate, ADSB-DSAD undertakes activities within its Analytical Environment to further improve and modernize the production of statistical information, the conduct of quantitative and qualitative analysis and the dissemination of that information. All ADSB-DSAD activities are for the purposes related to the administration of the PSEA and Regulations. The description and uses of the Analytical Environment can be found in Info Source PIB PSC PCE 761.

Risk Area Identification and Categorization

The risks identified in the PIA for the Analytical Environment are issues related to administration and security activities, such as, increasing the transparency of the sharing of personal information in the conduct of activities under the PSEA and Regulations. There are mitigation measures underway for addressing the risks that have been identified. These measures include: updating Privacy Notice Statements and Info Source to ensure that individuals are informed about the use of their personal information; developing and implementing data sharing agreements for the sharing of personal information where they do not already exist; implementing the recommendations of the Job-Based Analytical Information System Threat and Risk Assessment report to improve security; implementing the Data Quality Management Framework to improve the quality of the information for analytical and statistical purposes; adopting the PSC Privacy Management Framework to address privacy risks, and providing mandatory training on security and privacy to all ADSB-DSAD and select analysts of the Information Technology Services Directorate to ensure knowledge and awareness. Among all the mitigation strategies identified, the underlying theme is the implementation of documented processes to manage the acquisition, treatment, use, and access to data in the PSC’s Analytical Environment.

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