2016-17 Annual Report on the Access to Information Act – Treasury Board Secretariat
© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada,
represented by the President of the Treasury Board, 2017
Catalogue No. BT1-5/1E-PDF
ISSN 2371-2910
Table of Contents
- 1. Introduction
- 2. Mandate of the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat
- 3. Organization
- 4. Delegation Order
- 5. Interpretation of the Statistical Report for Requests Under the Access to Information Act
- 6. Other Requests
- 7. Disposition of Completed Requests
- 8. Completion Time and Extensions
- 9. Exemptions Invoked
- 10. Exclusions Invoked
- 11. Fees
- 12. Costs
- 13. Education and Training
- 14. Policies, Guidelines, Procedures and Initiatives
- 15. Complaints, Investigations and Federal Court Cases
- 16. Monitoring of Compliance and Requests
- 17. Information Holdings
- Appendix A: Statistical Report on the Access to Information Act
- Appendix B: Delegation Order
1. Introduction
The Access to Information Act gives Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and all individuals and corporations present in Canada the right of access to records under the control of a government institution subject to the Act. The Act complements, but does not replace, other means of obtaining government information.
This report is prepared and tabled in Parliament in accordance with section 72 of the Access to Information Act. It covers the period from to .
2. Mandate of the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat
The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (Secretariat) is the administrative arm of the Treasury Board, and the President of the Treasury Board is the minister responsible for the Secretariat. The Secretariat supports the Treasury Board by making recommendations and providing advice on program spending, regulations and management policies and directives, while respecting the primary responsibility of deputy heads in managing their organizations, and their roles as accounting officers before Parliament. In this way, the Secretariat helps to strengthen government performance, results and reporting, and supports good governance and sound stewardship to enable efficient and effective service to Canadians.
Within the Secretariat, the Comptroller General of Canada provides government-wide leadership, direction, oversight and capacity building for financial management, internal audit and the management of assets and acquired services. The Chief Human Resources Officer provides government-wide leadership on people management through policies, programs and strategic engagements, and by centrally managing labour relations, compensation, pensions and benefits, and contributing to the management of executives. The Chief Information Officer provides government-wide leadership, direction, oversight and capacity building for information management, information technology, government security (including identity management), access to information, privacy, and internal and external service delivery.
3. Organization
The Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) Office is part of the Ministerial Services Division of the Secretariat’s Strategic Communications and Ministerial Affairs Sector. This office is responsible for implementing and managing programs and services relating to the Secretariat’s administration of the Access to Information Act and Privacy Act, as well as providing advice to Secretariat employees as they fulfill their obligations under both Acts.
In fiscal year 2016 to 2017, the ATIP Office was comprised of a director supported by 9 ATIP officers at various levels and a part-time university student. There were 2 categories of responsibility, which included the following key activities:
ATIP Policy and Processes (2 officers)
- Provided expertise in privacy policy to internal clients
- Developed procedures to optimize operations performance
- Produced privacy awareness and training program material
- Coordinated and reviewed updates to the Secretariat’s Info Source chapter
- Oversaw day-to-day issues management
- Prepared the Secretariat’s annual reports to Parliament on the administration of the Acts
Operations (7 officers and a part-time student)
- Provided training and expertise in access to information to internal clients
- Provided database administration via an intake unit
- Processed access to information and privacy requests
- Carried out consultations with government organizations or third parties
- Responded to calls and informal requests for information
- Maintained dialogue with sectors and other federal government institutions
- Acted as the point of contact to resolve formal complaints by oversight bodies
4. Delegation Order
Delegation orders set out what powers, duties and functions for the administration of the Access to Information Act have been delegated by the head of the institution, and to whom. The ATIP Delegation Order was updated last reporting period to reflect the direction of the new President of the Treasury Board.
The President has delegated most of the responsibilities set out in the Access to Information Act to the following Secretariat officials: the Assistant Secretary of Strategic Communications and Ministerial Affairs, the Senior Director of Ministerial Services, and the Director of ATIP. The Secretary has been delegated responsibilities for addressing complaints not resolved between the ATIP Office and investigators from the Office of the Information Commissioner. In an effort to streamline the ATIP process, sections of the Delegation Order that allow for time extensions in the processing of requests have been extended to senior officers within the ATIP Office.
A copy of the approved Secretariat Delegation Order can be found in Appendix B.
5. Interpretation of the Statistical Report for Requests Under the Access to Information Act
Statistical reporting on the administration of the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act has been in place since 1983. The statistical reports prepared by government institutions provide aggregate data on the application of the Access to Information Act and Privacy Act legislation. This information is made public on an annual basis in an Info Source bulletin and is included with the annual reports on access to information and privacy tabled in Parliament by each institution.
The Secretariat’s statistical report on the Access to Information Act for fiscal year 2016 to 2017 is provided in Appendix A.
Table 1 presents an overview of fiscal year 2016 to 2017 statistics on the Secretariat’s processing of access to information requests in relation to statistics for the 3 previous years.
| Fiscal Year | Requests Received | Requests Completed | Requests Carried Forward | Number of Pages Processedtable 1 note * | Number of Pages Released | On-Time Compliance Ratetable 1 note ** |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Table 1 Notes
|
||||||
| 2016 to 2017 | 534 | 523 | 133 | 57,046 | 32,085 | 96% |
| 2015 to 2016 | 503 | 464 | 122 | 39,310 | 23,986 | 95% |
| 2014 to 2015 | 427 | 419 | 82 | 34,808 | 23,920 | 96% |
| 2013 to 2014 | 578 | 563 | 74 | 57,175 | 27,299 | 98% |
In the reporting period from to , the Secretariat received a total of 534 new requests under the Access to Information Act. This represents an increase of 31 requests (6%) from last year’s total of 503. In addition to the new requests, 122 requests were carried forward from fiscal year 2015 to 2016.
Of the 534 requests received during the 2016 to 2017 reporting period, 254 (47%) came from the public; the remaining 53% were requests from the media (105 requests or 20%), businesses (53 requests or 10%), academia (14 requests or 3%), individuals who declined to identify themselves (93 requests or 17%), and organizations (15 requests or 3%).
The Secretariat was successful in completing 59 more requests, an increase of 13%, and reviewed 17,736 more pages, an increase of 45%, compared to last year. Furthermore, the department released 8,099 more pages, an increase of 34% compared to last year.
Of the 523 requests completed, 138 were requests that were either abandoned by the applicant (74 or 14%) or for which the Secretariat had no records (64 or 12%). In addition, 41 requests (8%) pertained to subjects outside the Secretariat’s mandate and were transferred to other federal institutions for processing. Compared to the previous year, this represents a continued decrease of 21% of misdirected requests, which could be attributed to more institutions participating in the ATIP Online Request service.
Of the remaining 344 requests completed, a total of 332 requests (97%) were fully or partially disclosed with a release of 32,085 pages in total. Records were sought and provided on paper in 127 cases and in electronic format in 205 cases. Compared to the previous year, this represents a significant increase of 439% of records being provided in electronic format than on paper.
A total of 14 requests involved the review and processing of more than 1,001 pages in each case, with the release of 12,263 pages in total. Processing of such large files takes significantly longer and requires close attention to ensure the internal consistency and proper sequencing of records.
Compared to last year, 11 more requests are being carried forward to the next reporting period, which can be attributed to the greater increase in new requests received. There has been a steady increase in the number of requests carried forward over the past 4 years. Although a number of staffing activities continued to present a period of transition within the ATIP Office, the Secretariat was successful in processing more pages, completing more requests, and maintaining a 96% on-time compliance rate.
6. Other Requests
During the reporting period, the Secretariat received 200 access to information consultation requests from other federal institutions involving Secretariat records or issues, a slight decrease of 4 requests (2%) from the previous year. Although there was a decrease in the number of consultations requests, the Secretariat was asked to review a total of 9,974 pages of information as part of these consultations, which is comparable to last year’s total of 9,311 pages.
The ATIP Office processed 281 informal requests (not subject to the Access to Information Act) compared to last year’s total of 45, which represents a significant increase of 524%. Informal requests are processed as part of the Secretariat’s broader objective of providing Canadians with relevant information on an informal and timely basis, and in the spirit of transparency and open government.
As in previous years, the ATIP Office acted as a source of expertise for Secretariat officials, providing advice and guidance on the provisions of the legislation almost 200 times. The Office was consulted regularly on the disclosure and collection of data on a wide range of subjects, and provided advice to ensure transparency and compliance with the legislation. This included consultations on publications to be posted on the Open Government website, surveys and forms, and proactive disclosures on travel and hospitality; advice on information management and security of information; and the review of audits to be posted on the Internet.
Throughout the year, the ATIP Office continued to receive frequent telephone calls and emails from the general public seeking guidance on how to obtain information under the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act, and where to forward their requests. Many of these enquiries were redirected to other federal government institutions, and occasionally, to provincial Freedom of Information and Privacy offices.
7. Disposition of Completed Requests
In fiscal year 2016 to 2017, a total of 523 requests were completed, with information disclosed in accordance with the provisions of the legislation. Table 2 provides an overview of the disposition of the completed requests.
| Number of Requests table 2 note * | Disposition |
|---|---|
Table 2 Notes
|
|
| 93 (18%) | Fully disclosed |
| 239 (45%) | Partially disclosed |
| 11 (2%) | Excluded in entirety |
| 1 (1%) | Exempted in entirety |
| 41 (8%) | Transferred to another institution |
| 64 (12%) | No records exist |
| 74 (14%) | Abandoned by applicant |
| 0 (0%) | Neither confirmed nor denied |
A notable proportion of the requests that fell within the Secretariat’s mandate were only partially disclosed due to the nature of the Secretariat’s business, which involves a significant number of Cabinet confidences and sensitive advice and recommendations to the President of the Treasury Board. Given that the President is responsible for ensuring compliance with the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act government-wide, the Secretariat often receives requests that fall within the mandates of other federal departments. Such requests are registered, reviewed and either transferred to the appropriate organization upon their acceptance or closed/abandoned after advising the requester of the appropriate organization.
8. Completion Time and Extensions
The legislation sets timelines for responding to access to information requests and allows for extensions when the response requires the review of a large amount of information or extensive consultations with other organizations.
Table 3 provides the response times for the 523 access to information requests that the Secretariat completed in fiscal year 2016 to 2017.
| Number of Requeststable 3 note * | Completion Time |
|---|---|
Table 3 Notes
|
|
| 85 (16%) | Within 1 to 15 days |
| 153 (29%) | Within 16 to 30 days |
| 76 (15%) | Within 31 to 60 days |
| 119 (23%) | Within 61 to 120 days |
| 60 (11%) | Within 121 to 180 days |
| 17 (3%) | Within 181 to 365 days |
| 13 (2%) | More than 365 days |
The Secretariat received a number of requests that fell under the mandate of other government organizations and addressed these within 15 days of receipt. Requests that were processed after 30 days required consultations with other federal organizations or the Secretariat’s Legal Services Division in order to confirm Cabinet confidences. During the reporting period, the Secretariat sought extensions in 261 instances (50%) mainly to consult with other government institutions or third parties, but in some cases, because the original time limit unreasonably interfered with operations. Overall, of the 523 requests, 501 (96%) were completed within the prescribed time limits, including all extensions, which were taken in accordance with sub-paragraphs 9(1)(a), (b) and (c) of the Access to Information Act.
This year, the access to information requests received by the Secretariat were often complex and pertained to briefing materials prepared for the President and the Secretary of the Treasury Board, Open Government initiatives, security, statistical information on the Government of Canada’s management of human resources and on the Pay Modernization initiative.
Several factors contributed to the Secretariat’s on-time response rate of 96%: weekly statistical performance reports, strong case file management, information sessions with Secretariat officials and sector contacts, and a streamlined process for confirmation of Cabinet confidences and delegation orders.
9. Exemptions Invoked
The Access to Information Act allows, and in some instances requires, that information relating to the internal decision-making processes of government, national security, law enforcement or trade secrets be exempted and not released.
In fiscal year 2016 to 2017 the Secretariat invoked a total of 645 exemptions as per specific sections of the Access to Information Act. The breakdown of the exemptions is as follows:
- Section 13: Exempting records obtained in confidence from other levels of government (3)
- Section 14: Exempting records expected to be injurious to the Government of Canada in the conduct of federal-provincial affairs (1)
- Section 15: Exempting records expected to be injurious to the Government of Canada in the conduct of international affairs and the defence of Canada (30)
- Section 16: Exempting records containing law enforcement and security information (35)
- Section 18: Exempting records expected to prejudice the economic interests of Canada (31)
- Section 19: Exempting records containing personal information (109)
- Section 20: Exempting records containing third-party business information (76)
- Section 21: Exempting records containing information related to the internal decision-making processes of government (308)
- Section 22: Exempting records containing test procedures, tests and audits (3)
- Section 23: Exempting records related to solicitor-client privilege (43)
- Section 24: Exempting records where there are statutory prohibitions against disclosure (4)
- Section 26: Exempting records where information is to be published within 90 days (2)
10. Exclusions Invoked
The Access to Information Act does not apply to information that is already publicly available, such as government publications and material in libraries and museums. It also excludes material such as Cabinet confidences. Consistent with the Act, exclusions were invoked 276 times:
- Section 68(a) for information that could be found in the public domain (9)
- Section 69 for confidences of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada (267).
A large number of Secretariat documents are classified as Cabinet confidences due to the fact that the Secretariat provides administrative support to the Treasury Board, which is a Cabinet committee.
11. Fees
During the reporting period, the Secretariat collected $2,055 in application fees. The Secretariat also waived $560 in application fees.
The Secretariat no longer assesses or collects fees apart from the initial $5 application fee, in accordance with the Interim Directive on the Administration of the Access to Information Act that was issued on .
12. Costs
During fiscal year 2016 to 2017, the ATIP Office incurred $563,507 in salary costs and $19,736 in administrative costs (software licences, office equipment and supplies, training) to administer the Access to Information Act.
These costs do not include resources expended by the Secretariat’s program areas to meet the requirements of the Acts.
13. Education and Training
During fiscal year 2016 to 2017, the ATIP Office continued to offer training sessions to the Secretariat’s employees on a regular basis, and 12 sessions were provided to 308 staff. Some of these sessions were adapted to the specific needs of divisional teams and sectors of the Secretariat, including an ATIP presentation at the Executive Town Hall. This presentation provided senior program officials at the executive level with an overview of both Acts, the importance of sound information management practices, writing for openness and transparency, and the operational impacts of the new Interim Directive on the Administration of the Access to Information Act. In addition, the ATIP Office further engaged, on a quarterly basis, with sector liaison officers to discuss best practices, expectations and implementation of a number of new initiatives.
14. Policies, Guidelines, Procedures and Initiatives
During fiscal year 2016 to 2017, throughout a year-long “lean process” mapping exercise, the ATIP Office completed a full review of its business delivery strategy in order to find ways to streamline its process and increase compliance. This exercise was designed to simplify the ATIP process and resulted in a number of initiatives. Key highlights of this review included the creation of an intake unit within the Office to handle administrative tasks, proactive monthly release of briefing note titles addressed to the President and the Secretary of the Treasury Board, and leveraging internal electronic tools to securely share and exchange records related to ATIP business. The ATIP Office continues to engage with office staff and key stakeholders to review, discuss and advance “lean” ideas and principles.
Further, in an effort to promote sound privacy management practices for the creation, collection, retention, use, disclosure, accuracy and disposition of personal information under the control of the Secretariat, the ATIP Office has completed its Privacy Management Framework, which includes the following internal tools and resources designed to assist TBS employees manage their day-to-day activities involving personal information:
- Code of Privacy Principles
- Privacy Breach Management procedures
- Privacy Impact Assessment procedures
Finally, in order to ensure policy compliance and adherence to procedures for appropriate handling and preparation of responses to ATIP requests, the Secretariat’s ATIP Office disseminated a variety of tools and checklists, and held face-to-face meetings to share these tools with new staff and contacts. These tools and meetings were instrumental in ensuring that the Secretariat’s employees remain aware of their roles and responsibilities related to ATIP requests.
15. Complaints, Investigations and Federal Court Cases
Clients of the Secretariat filed 18 new complaints with the Information Commissioner in fiscal year 2016 to 2017.
The reasons for the new complaints were as follows:
- 7 complaints on 4 Access to Information files related to the refusal of records (invoking exemption and/or exclusion of information, and allegations of missing records).
- 11 complaints pertained to time extensions taken, of which 7 were filed by the same requester.
During the reporting period, a total of 26 complaint investigations were completed. The results were as follows:
- Of the 18 complaint investigations received in the 2016 to 2017 fiscal year, 9 were closed within the same reporting period. Another 7 were discontinued, one was resolved and one was well-founded. The remaining 9 complaints were still under investigation at the end of the reporting period.
- In addition, 17 complaint investigations from previous reporting periods were completed and were related to the refusal of records (invoking exemption and/or exclusion of information, and allegations of missing records) and time extensions taken. Of these, 6 complaints were discontinued, 9 were well-founded, and 2 were not well-founded.
There were no new court cases in fiscal year 2016 to 2017. There have been no court cases against the Secretariat in relation to the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act since 2004.
16. Monitoring of Compliance and Requests
The ATIP Office distributes weekly compliance statistics that are shared with the program areas and senior management for all access to information requests.
17. Information Holdings
Info Source is a series of publications containing information about, and collected by, the Government of Canada. The primary purpose of Info Source is to assist individuals in exercising their rights under the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act. Info Source also supports the federal government’s commitment to facilitate access to information regarding its activities.
A description of the Secretariat’s functions, programs, activities and related information holdings can be found in Treasury Board Secretariat - Sources of Federal Government and Employee Information (Info Source).
Fiscal year 2016 to 2017 was year two of the three-year action plan to update the Secretariat’s Info Source chapter. This year, the ATIP Office engaged with program sectors and received recommendations on its information-holdings description, which is found both in classes of records and within institution-specific personal information banks. Next year, the ATIP Office plans to continue updating the chapter based on these recommendations and on feedback provided by the Information and Privacy Policy Division during their last annual review.
All Info Source publications are available online free of charge.
Appendix A: Statistical Report on the Access to Information Act
Name of institution: Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat
Reporting period: 2016-04-01 to 2017-03-31
Part 1: Requests Under the Access to Information Act
| Number of Requests | |
|---|---|
| Received during reporting period | 534 |
| Outstanding from previous reporting period | 122 |
| Total | 656 |
| Closed during reporting period | 523 |
| Carried over to next reporting period | 133 |
| Source | Number of Requests |
|---|---|
| Media | 105 |
| Academia | 14 |
| Business (private sector) | 53 |
| Organization | 15 |
| Public | 254 |
| Decline to Identify | 93 |
| 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 |
| 93 | 153 | 35 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 281 |
Part 2: 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 | 4 | 42 | 19 | 21 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 93 |
| Disclosed in part | 5 | 41 | 40 | 92 | 41 | 12 | 8 | 239 |
| All exempted | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| All excluded | 1 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 |
| No records exist | 9 | 43 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 64 |
| Request transferred | 41 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 41 |
| Request abandoned | 25 | 21 | 4 | 2 | 12 | 5 | 5 | 74 |
| Neither confirmed nor denied | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 85 | 153 | 76 | 119 | 60 | 17 | 13 | 523 |
| Section | Number of Requests |
|---|---|
| 13(1)(a) | 1 |
| 13(1)(b) | 1 |
| 13(1)(c) | 1 |
| 13(1)(d) | 0 |
| 13(1)(e) | 0 |
| 14 | 1 |
| 14(a) | 0 |
| 14(b) | 0 |
| 15(1) | 21 |
| 15(1) - International Affairs | 0 |
| 15(1) - Defence of Canada | 5 |
| 15(1) - Subversive Activities | 4 |
| 16(1)(a)(i) | 0 |
| 16(1)(a)(ii) | 0 |
| 16(1)(a)(iii) | 0 |
| 16(1)(b) | 1 |
| 16(1)(c) | 3 |
| 16(1)(d) | 0 |
| 16(2) | 10 |
| 16(2)(a) | 0 |
| 16(2)(b) | 0 |
| 16(2)(c) | 14 |
| 16(3) | 0 |
| 16.1(1)(a) | 1 |
| 16.1(1)(b) | 4 |
| 16.1(1)(c) | 1 |
| 16.1(1)(d) | 1 |
| 16.2(1) | 0 |
| 16.3 | 0 |
| 16.4(1)(a) | 0 |
| 16.4(1)(b) | 0 |
| 16.5 | 0 |
| 17 | 0 |
| 18(a) | 4 |
| 18(b) | 17 |
| 18(c) | 0 |
| 18(d) | 6 |
| 18.1(1)(a) | 1 |
| 18.1(1)(b) | 1 |
| 18.1(1)(c) | 2 |
| 18.1(1)(d) | 0 |
| 19(1) | 109 |
| 20(1)(a) | 1 |
| 20(1)(b) | 37 |
| 20(1)(b.1) | 0 |
| 20(1)(c) | 35 |
| 20(1)(d) | 2 |
| 20.1 | 1 |
| 20.2 | 0 |
| 20.4 | 0 |
| 21(1)(a) | 131 |
| 21(1)(b) | 126 |
| 21(1)(c) | 27 |
| 21(1)(d) | 24 |
| 22 | 1 |
| 22.1(1) | 2 |
| 23 | 43 |
| 24(1) | 4 |
| 26 | 2 |
| Section | Number of Requests |
|---|---|
| 68(a) | 9 |
| 68(b) | 0 |
| 68(c) | 0 |
| 68.1 | 0 |
| 68.2(a) | 0 |
| 68.2(b) | 0 |
| 69(1) | 5 |
| 69(1)(a) | 20 |
| 69(1)(b) | 1 |
| 69(1)(c) | 14 |
| 69(1)(d) | 16 |
| 69(1)(e) | 11 |
| 69(1)(f) | 0 |
| 69(1)(g) re (a) | 59 |
| 69(1)(g) re (b) | 0 |
| 69(1)(g) re (c) | 38 |
| 69(1)(g) re (d) | 23 |
| 69(1)(g) re (e) | 67 |
| 69(1)(g) re (f) | 13 |
| 69.1(1) | 0 |
| Disposition | Paper | Electronic | Other Formats |
|---|---|---|---|
| All disclosed | 37 | 56 | 0 |
| Disclosed in part | 90 | 149 | 0 |
| Total | 127 | 205 | 0 |
2.5 Complexity
| Disposition of Requests | Number of Pages Processed | Number of Pages Disclosed | Number of Requests |
|---|---|---|---|
| All disclosed | 10,164 | 7,468 | 93 |
| Disclosed in part | 41,816 | 24,617 | 239 |
| All exempted | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| All excluded | 56 | 0 | 11 |
| Request abandoned | 4,969 | 0 | 74 |
| Neither confirmed nor denied | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Disposition | Less Than 100 Pages Processed | 101 to 500 Pages Processed | 501 to 1,000 Pages Processed | 1,001 to 5,000 Pages Processed | More Than 5,000 Pages Processed | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Requests | Pages Disclosed | Number of Requests | Pages Disclosed | Number of Requests | Pages Disclosed | Number of Requests | Pages Disclosed | Number of Requests | Pages Disclosed | |
| All disclosed | 80 | 1,636 | 9 | 1,881 | 1 | 932 | 3 | 3,019 | 0 | 0 |
| Disclosed in part | 170 | 3,527 | 46 | 6,831 | 12 | 5,015 | 11 | 9,244 | 0 | 0 |
| All exempted | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| All excluded | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Request abandoned | 74 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Neither confirmed nor denied | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 336 | 5,163 | 55 | 8,712 | 13 | 5,947 | 14 | 12,263 | 0 | 0 |
| Disposition | Consultation Required | Assessment of Fees | Legal Advice Sought | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All disclosed | 37 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 37 |
| Disclosed in part | 152 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 155 |
| All exempted | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| All excluded | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Request abandoned | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 |
| Neither confirmed nor denied | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 200 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 204 |
2.6 Deemed refusals
| Number of Requests Closed Past the Statutory Deadline | Principal Reason | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Workload | External Consultation | Internal Consultation | Other | |
| 22 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Number of Days Past Deadline | Number of Requests Past Deadline Where No Extension Was Taken | Number of Requests Past Deadline Where An Extension Was Taken | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 15 days | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 16 to 30 days | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 31 to 60 days | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 61 to 120 days | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 121 to 180 days | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 181 to 365 days | 0 | 9 | 9 |
| More than 365 days | 0 | 5 | 5 |
| Total | 0 | 22 | 22 |
| Translation Requests | Accepted | Refused | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| English to French | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| French to English | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Part 3: Extensions
| Disposition of Requests Where an Extension Was Taken | 9(1)(a) Interference With Operations | 9(1)(b) Consultation | 9(1)(c) Third-Party Notice | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Section 69 | Other | |||
| All disclosed | 9 | 4 | 33 | 1 |
| Disclosed in part | 31 | 53 | 111 | 23 |
| All exempted | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| All excluded | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| No records exist | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Request abandoned | 17 | 5 | 22 | 0 |
| Total | 59 | 63 | 168 | 25 |
| Length of Extensions | 9(1)(a) Interference With Operations | 9(1)(b) Consultation | 9(1)(c) Third-Party Notice | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Section 69 | Other | |||
| 30 days or less | 19 | 3 | 34 | 0 |
| 31 to 60 days | 11 | 13 | 46 | 17 |
| 61 to 120 days | 10 | 45 | 67 | 8 |
| 121 to 180 days | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| 181 to 365 days | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 365 days or more | 17 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Total | 59 | 63 | 168 | 25 |
Part 4: Fees
| Fee Type | Fee Collected | Fee Waived or Refunded | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Requests | Amount | Number of Requests | Amount | |
| Application | 411 | $2,055 | 112 | $560 |
| Search | 0 | $0 | 0 | $0 |
| Production | 0 | $0 | 0 | $0 |
| Programming | 0 | $0 | 0 | $0 |
| Preparation | 0 | $0 | 0 | $0 |
| Alternative format | 0 | $0 | 0 | $0 |
| Reproduction | 0 | $0 | 0 | $0 |
| Total | 411 | $2,055 | 112 | $560 |
Part 5: 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 reporting period | 200 | 9,974 | 0 | 0 |
| Outstanding from the previous reporting period | 9 | 164 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 209 | 10,138 | 0 | 0 |
| Closed during the reporting period | 192 | 8,702 | 0 | 0 |
| Pending at the end of the reporting period | 17 | 1,436 | 0 | 0 |
| Recommendation | Number of Days Required to Complete Consultation Requests | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 15 Days | 16 to 30 Days | 31 to 60 Days | 61 to 120 Days | 121 to 180 Days | 181 to 365 Days | More Than 365 Days | Total | |
| Disclose entirely | 39 | 81 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 136 |
| Disclose in part | 4 | 23 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40 |
| Exempt entirely | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Exclude entirely | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Consult other institution | 1 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| Other | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Total | 45 | 117 | 27 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 192 |
| Recommendation | Number of Days Required to Complete Consultation Requests | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 15 Days | 16 to 30 Days | 31 to 60 Days | 61 to 120 Days | 121 to 180 Days | 181 to 365 Days | More Than 365 Days | Total | |
| Disclose entirely | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Disclose 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 |
Part 6: Completion Time of Consultations on Cabinet Confidences
| Number of Days | Fewer Than 100 Pages Processed | 101 to 500 Pages Processed | 501 to 1,000 Pages Processed | 1,001 to 5,000 Pages Processed | More Than 5,000 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 | 19 | 309 | 10 | 1,258 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 to 30 | 23 | 298 | 2 | 62 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 31 to 60 | 7 | 167 | 1 | 45 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1,589 | 0 | 0 |
| 61 to 120 | 1 | 36 | 1 | 29 | 1 | 35 | 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 | 50 | 810 | 14 | 1,394 | 1 | 35 | 5 | 1,589 | 0 | 0 |
| Number of Days | Fewer Than 100 Pages Processed | 101 to 500 Pages Processed | 501 to 1,000 Pages Processed | 1,001 to 5,000 Pages Processed | More Than 5,000 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 |
Part 7: Complaints and Investigations
| Section 32 | Section 35 | Section 37 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | 9 | 0 | 27 |
Part 8: Court Action
| Section 41 | Section 42 | Section 44 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Part 9: Resources Related to the Access to Information Act
| Expenditures | Amount |
|---|---|
| Salaries | $563,507 |
| Overtime | $0 |
| Goods and Services | $19,736 |
| Professional services contracts | $0 |
| Other | $19,736 |
| Total | $583,243 |
| Resources | Person Years Dedicated to Access to Information Activities |
|---|---|
| Full-time employees | 7.32 |
| Part-time and casual employees | 0.00 |
| Regional staff | 0.00 |
| Consultants and agency personnel | 0.00 |
| Students | 0.50 |
| Total | 7.82 |
Appendix B: Delegation Order
I, undersigned, President of the Treasury Board, pursuant to section 73 of the Access to Information Act hereby designate Senior ATIP Advisors, the Access to Information and Privacy Director, the Senior Director of Ministerial Services, the Assistant Secretary, Strategic Communications and Ministerial Services and the Secretary, or persons occupying those positions on an acting basis, to exercise signing authorities or perform any of the President’s powers, duties or functions specified in the attached Schedule A. This designation replaces all previous delegation orders.
Original signed by
The Honourable Scott Brison
President of the Treasury Board
Date 2016-02-02
Schedule A - Sections of the Access to Information Act to be delegated
| Section of the Access to Information Act | Powers, Duties or Functions | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 4(2.1) | Responsibility of government institutions | Director, Access to Information and Privacy |
| 7(a) | Notice when access requested | ATIP officers |
| 7(b) | Giving access to record | Director, Access to Information and Privacy |
| 8(1) | Transfer of request to another government institution | Director, Access to Information and Privacy |
| 9 | Extension of time limits | Senior ATIP Advisors |
| 11(2), (3), (4), (5), (6) | Additional fees | Director, Access to Information and Privacy |
| 12(2)(b) | Language of access | Director, Access to Information and Privacy |
| 12(3)(b) | Access in an alternative format | Director, Access to Information and Privacy |
| 13 | Exemption - Information obtained in confidence | Director, Access to Information and Privacy |
| 14 | Exemption - Federal-provincial affairs | Director, Access to Information and Privacy |
| 15 | Exemption - International affairs and defence | Director, Access to Information and Privacy |
| 16 | Exemption - Law enforcement and investigations | Director, Access to Information and Privacy |
| 16.5 | Exemption - Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act | Director, Access to Information and Privacy |
| 17 | Exemption - Safety of individuals | Director, Access to Information and Privacy |
| 18 | Exemption - Economic interests of Canada | Director, Access to Information and Privacy |
| 18.1 | Exemption - Economic interests of Canada Post, Export Development Canada, the Public Sector Pension Investment Board and VIA Rail Canada Inc. | Director, Access to Information and Privacy |
| 19 | Exemption - Personal information | Director, Access to Information and Privacy |
| 20 | Exemption - Third-party information | Director, Access to Information and Privacy |
| 21 | Exemption - Operations of government | Director, Access to Information and Privacy |
| 22 | Exemption - Testing procedures, tests and audits | Director, Access to Information and Privacy |
| 22.1 | Exemption - Audit working papers and draft audit reports | Director, Access to Information and Privacy |
| 23 | Exemption - Solicitor-client privilege | Director, Access to Information and Privacy |
| 24 | Exemption - Statutory prohibitions | Director, Access to Information and Privacy |
| 25 | Severability | Director, Access to Information and Privacy |
| 26 | Exception - Information to be published | Director, Access to Information and Privacy |
| 27(1), (4) | Third-party notification | Director, Access to Information and Privacy |
| 28(1)(b), (2), (4) | Third-party notification | Director, Access to Information and Privacy |
| 29(1) | Where the Information Commissioner recommends disclosure | Director, Access to Information and Privacy |
| 33 | Advising Information Commissioner of third-party involvement | Director, Access to Information and Privacy |
| 35(2)(b) | Right to make representations | Secretary |
| 37(1) | Notice of actions to implement recommendations of the Information Commissioner | Secretary |
| 37(4) | Access to be given to complainant | Director, Access to Information and Privacy |
| 43(1) | Notice to third party (application to Federal Court for review) | Director, Access to Information and Privacy |
| 44(2) | Notice to applicant (application to Federal Court by third party) | Director, Access to Information and Privacy |
| 52(2)(b), (3) | Special rules for hearings | Director, Access to Information and Privacy |
| 71(1) | Facilities for inspection of manuals | Director, Access to Information and Privacy |
| 72 | Annual report to Parliament | Director, Access to Information and Privacy |
| Section of the Access to Information Regulations | Powers, Duties or Functions | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 6(1) | Transfer of request | Director, Access to Information and Privacy |
| 7(2) | Search and preparation fees | Director, Access to Information and Privacy |
| 7(3) | Production and programming fees | Director, Access to Information and Privacy |
| 8 | Providing access to record(s) | Director, Access to Information and Privacy |
| 8.1 | Limitations in respect of format | Director, Access to Information and Privacy |
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