1. Introduction
The Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) presents to Parliament its Annual Report on the Administration of the Access to Information Act (the “Act”) for fiscal year 2020-2021 (April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021). This report is prepared and tabled in accordance with section 94 of the Act and section 20 of the Service Fees Act.
The purpose of the Act is to provide a right of access to information in records under the control of a government institution. The Act maintains that government information should be made available to the public, that necessary exceptions to the right of access should be limited and specific, and that decisions on the disclosure of government information should be reviewed independently of government.
In accordance with the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat requirements, this report provides an overview of the activities of AAFC in administering its responsibilities under the Act. This report should be considered along with AAFC’s 2020-2021 Annual Report to Parliament on the Administration of the Privacy Act, which is tabled separately.
AAFC’s Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) Office is the focal point for access to information and privacy matters within the Department. For fiscal year 2020-2021, AAFC responded to all access to information requests within the prescribed deadlines.
2. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's mandate
- Our vision
- Driving innovation and ingenuity to build a world-leading agricultural and food economy for the benefit of all Canadians.
- Our mission
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada provides leadership in the growth and development of a competitive, innovative and sustainable Canadian agriculture and agri-food sector.
- Responsibilities
-
The Department’s activities range from the farmer to the consumer, from the farm to global markets, through all phases of producing, processing and marketing of farm, food and bio-based products. Agriculture is also a shared jurisdiction in Canada, and the Department works closely with provincial and territorial governments in the development and delivery of policies and programs.
The Department is also responsible for making sure that policies and programs of the organizations within the Agriculture and Agri-Food portfolio are coordinated and work to serve the interests of the sector and Canadians. The portfolio organizations consist of the Canadian Dairy Commission, the Canadian Grain Commission, Farm Credit Canada, the Canada Agricultural Review Tribunal and the Farm Products Council of Canada. AAFC also includes the Canadian Pari-Mutuel Agency, a special operating agency that regulates and supervises pari-mutuel betting on horse racing at racetracks across Canada.
3. Access to Information and Privacy Office structure
The ATIP Office is the focal point for access to information and privacy matters within AAFC. Key responsibilities include:
- Developing, coordinating and implementing policies, guidelines and procedures to ensure departmental compliance with the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act;
- Ensuring timely processing of all ATIP requests and proactively disclosing summaries of closed ATI requests on the Open Government website;
- Providing senior management and all departmental staff with advice and guidance on ATIP-related matters, including privacy best practices and risk mitigation strategies, and offering training and awareness sessions to promote a consistent approach across the Department;
- Representing AAFC in its discussions and negotiations with external stakeholders, including other government departments (OGDs), third parties, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS), the Information and Privacy Commissioners of Canada, and the general public;
- Conducting Privacy Impact Assessments (PIA);
- Preparing annual reports to Parliament and maintaining the Department’s InfoSource chapter;
- Developing and updating personal information banks (PIBs); and
- Processing requests on behalf of the following portfolio organizations: the Canadian Dairy Commission, the Canadian Grain Commission and the Farm Products Council of Canada.
The ATIP Office reports to the Director General (DG), Communications Services, under the direction of the Assistant Deputy Minister (ADM) of the Public Affairs Branch (PAB). The ADM, PAB, provides senior management support and leadership.
The team is comprised of access and privacy policy analysts who play a key compliance and risk mitigation role for the Department. Eleven positions are attributed to the Office:
- Director (1)
- ATIP Managers (2)
- Senior ATIP Policy Advisor (1)
- Senior ATI Analysts (3)
- Junior ATI Analyst (1)
- Senior Privacy Policy Analyst (1)
- Privacy Analyst (1)
- Administrative Support (1)
The cost of administering the ATIP Office (for both access to information and privacy matters as recorded in the Statistical Reports) during the reporting period was $1,332,263 which included 12.535 full-time employees (or $1,066,434 in salaries and $265,829 for professional services).
The ATIP Office is supported by a designated network of 17 Officers of Primary Interest (OPIs) — holders of the relevant information identified in an access request. OPIs are responsible for coordinating branch-specific request activities and providing guidance to colleagues on the administrative processes related to the Act.
OPIs and their DGs review and make recommendations regarding the relevant information to be released prior to ATIP review and final approval. The ATIP Office continuously searches for new ways to streamline the processing of requests.
4. Delegation of authority
Subsection 95(1) of the Access to Information Act provides for the Minister of AAFC to delegate the powers, duties and functions designated by the Act.
The delegation of authority for the administration of the Access to information Act includes the Assistant Deputy Minister, PAB, the Director General, Communications Services (PAB), and the ATIP Director, who have full delegated authority under the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act, to approve exemptions in accordance with the delegation of authority instrument approved by the Minister in October 2020. Certain administrative functions as well as some authority to apply exemptions and approve release packages are also delegated to the ATIP Managers to enhance efficiency in request processing.
The delegation of authority instrument for the administration of the Access to Information Act is appended hereto at Annexes A and B.
5. Access to Information Act statistical report
AAFC received a total of 262 requests during the 2020-2021 reporting period (131 access requests, 68 informal requests and 63 consultation requests). While this represents a significant decrease in total requests received over the previous reporting period (389 requests received), the Department saw a 39% increase in pages processed in this reporting period to 60,001 pages from 43,227 in fiscal year 2019-2020. In keeping with the spirit of the ATIA the increased workload translated into 51,514 pages, or 90%, either released entirely or in part. AAFC’s detailed Statistical Report on the Act for April 1, 2020, to March 31, 2021, is attached at Annex C.
Access requests received and completed
- AAFC completed 117 Access Requests for the 2020-21 reporting period.
- 18.8% were “all disclosed” and 49.6% were “disclosed in part”.
- 100% of requests were responded to within established timelines.
- Thirty-six requests were carried over to the next reporting period.
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Number of ATI requests
| Year | Outstanding | Received | Completed | Carried forward |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017–2018 | 36 | 166 | 184 | 18 |
| 2018–2019 | 18 | 140 | 124 | 34 |
| 2019–2020 | 34 | 115 | 127 | 22 |
| 2020–2021 | 22 | 131 | 117 | 36 |
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Relevant pages processed and disclosed
| Year | Pages processed | Pages disclosed | Release ratio (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017–2018 | 140,036 | 61,390 | 43 |
| 2018–2019 | 35,622 | 31,687 | 89 |
| 2019–2020 | 37,430 | 22,583 | 60 |
| 2020–2021 | 57,395 | 51,514 | 90 |
During this reporting period, the topics that were of primary interest included Covid-19 related expenses, environment and climate change policy, carbon pollution pricing and green house gas emissions in the agricultural sector, competition in grain handling and deemed trust mechanism for producers.
Exemptions invoked
The three exemptions most commonly used by AAFC during the reporting period were subsection 19(1) (personal information), paragraph 20(1)(b) (confidential third-party information) and section 21 (operations of government, advice, etc.).
Extensions
During the reporting period, 64 of the 117 closed requests required time extensions of 31 days or more due to the volume of relevant records requiring review or in order to undertake consultations with third parties or other government departments (OGDs).
Informal requests
- The ATIP Office also responds to informal requests for previously released records.
- A total of 68 informal requests were received and responded to during this reporting period: 16 were closed within 15 days of receipt; 30 were closed within 16 to 30 days; 21 closed between 31 to 60 days; and 1 was closed within 121 to 180 days, pending completion of a formal request.
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Informal access request trends
| Year | Informal requests |
|---|---|
| 2017–2018 | 153 |
| 2018–2019 | 137 |
| 2019–2020 | 130 |
| 2020–2021 | 68 |
Consultations received and completed
- For this reporting period, AAFC completed a total of 58 consultation requests, 51 from other Federal institutions and 7 from other levels of Government.
- Five consultation requests were carried forward to the next fiscal year. The number of pages reviewed by AAFC for other institutions totalled 2,606.
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Number of pages to review for consultations
| Year | Outstanding | Received | Completed | Carried forward |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017–2018 | 461 | 2,684 | 2,631 | 514 |
| 2018–2019 | 236 | 3,200 | 2,975 | 461 |
| 2019–2020 | 1,655 | 4,142 | 5,406 | 391 |
| 2020–2021 | 649 | 1,957 | 2,417 | 189 |
6. Impact of COVID-19-related measures on the administration of the Access to Information Act
Compared to the last reporting period (April 1, 2019 to March 31, 2020), the effects of the pandemic on AAFC’s ability to fulfill obligations with respect to the Act were sustained for the entirety of this 2020-2021 reporting period. Throughout this time there was limited ability to receive and process physical records given health and safety restrictions at AAFC worksites nationwide.
As a result, the AAFC ATIP Office pivoted to a digital-first, paperless approach and while this was a tremendous opportunity, it wasn’t without its challenges and limitations. These included awareness and training during a time when employees were already adjusting to a major change in working remotely and challenges in terms of network capacity, and retrieving and processing sensitive records. Despite these hurdles, AAFC was able to fulfill all of its obligations under the Access to Information Act.
7. Access complaints, investigations and audits
The Act provides a system of review to help ensure federal institutions comply with their obligations. Under this system of review, a requester may file a complaint with the Information Commissioner of Canada, who will investigate the matter on behalf of the requester. After the complaint investigation is carried out, the Commissioner issues a finding on the matter and determines whether an institution handled the request appropriately and determines if further action is required.
AAFC’s ATIP Office worked collaboratively with the Office of the Information Commissioner to close two complaint investigations. These investigations related to matters such as exemptions invoked on records, extensions to the original 30-day time frame and potential missing records. Of the two complaints closed, the Commissioner deemed that both were resolved as they were not well founded.
In both cases, no further action was recommended by the Information Commissioner following the investigations. A total of five complaints remain active and have been carried forward to the 2021-2022 reporting period. These complaints remain under investigation by the Office of the Information Commissioner.
No audits in relation to AAFC’s obligations under the Act were carried out during the reporting period.
8. Reporting pursuant to the Service Fees Act
The Service Fees Act requires a responsible authority to report annually to Parliament on the fees collected by the institution.
With respect to fees collected under the Access to Information Act (as recorded in Annex C), the information below is reported in accordance with the requirements of section 20 of the Service Fees Act.
- Enabling authority: Access to Information Act
- Fee amount: $5.00
- Total revenue: $650.00
- Total fees waived: $5.00
- Cost of operating the program: $969,048
9. Access to Information Policies, guidelines, procedures and engagement
The ATIP Office has worked collaboratively on a variety of initiatives throughout the past fiscal year.
Legislative review of the Access to Information Act
During this reporting period our Office led a departmental consultation to seek views on the Access to Information Act. This engagement informed recommendations to the Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS) on the mandated one year review of the ATIA, a process initiated by the TBS in fall of 2020. Engagement will continue on this front as the review and findings are expected during fiscal 2021-2022.
Proactive disclosure
While implementing the requirements of Bill C-58, the ATIP Office has continued to engage with and provide support to departmental stakeholders at all levels to ensure compliance and to create necessary procedures and guidelines where and when applicable. Departmental contracts over $10,000, appearance binders, briefing note titles, grants and contributions, question period cards, reclassifications of positions, transition books and travel and hospitality information is posted to Agriculture and Agri-food Canada’s Tranparency and Corporate Reporting page.
Summaries of AAFC’s completed access to information requests may be found on the Government of Canada’s Open Government web site in compliance with TBS requirements.
Parliamentary questions, motion papers, audits and publications
The AAFC ATIP office has a role in promoting access to government data and information for all citizens and protecting personal information. Through this lens, the ATIP Office provided advice on and reviewed five (5) written questions to Parliament, five (5) motions for the production of papers in 2020-21; applying the Access to Information Act principles prior to disclosure or publication.
No audit reports were reviewed in this reporting period.
Innovation and improvement — digital processing of ATIP requests
The ATIP Office digitized its business and operations across the department, both of which had positive impacts both internally and externally. On the one hand, it allowed for the dissemination of records to requestor digitally. Internally, it facilitated the sharing, processing and storing of records electronically.
This digitization process is in keeping with the Government of Canada’s Digital Strategic Operational Plan and its objectives of modernizing service delivery, improving sustainability and promoting digital stewardship.
Advisory audit
The ATIP office has been working in collaboration with AAFC’s Office of Audit and Evaluation to identify areas for continued improvement in its overall management and operations. Work on this is expected to continue throughout the next reporting period when an update will be provided.
10. Access to Information and Privacy training and education
The ATIP Office continues to invest in its people and is focussed on enhancing departmental capacity by offering a wide range of ATIP-related training courses. These offerings ensure that staff and management understand their roles and responsibilities with respect to the Acts and related policies like information management, which facilitates AAFC’s ability to comply and better serve Canadians.
Regular course offerings are available in our departmental training. They are also provided individually to new employees as well as to branch units when requested, these include:
CSPS: An online ‘Access to Information and Privacy Fundamentals’ course is available to all staff via the Canada School of Public Service and is recommended as a foundation for all departmental employees.
AAFC’s ATIP 101: Provides a general overview of the legislation and policies (including Bill C-58 implications) governing the ATIP function. The course focusses on the roles and responsibilities of departmental stakeholders with respect of the handling of ATIP requests.
AAFC’s ATI Deep Dive/Exemptions: A follow-up to ATIP 101, this interactive workshop details the most commonly used legislative provisions, providing tips and considerations for the handling of exemptions and the redaction of information. It is aimed at employees responding regularly to Access to Information requests.
Digital ATIP Demo: A practical guided tour of how the e-recovery process is intended to work and support OPI’s and Subject Matter Experts (SME) along the access to information and privacy process.
AAFC’s ATIP and Information Management Best Practices: The ATIP Office also collaborated with colleagues in the Information Systems Branch to develop a joint training product on ATIP-IM Best Practices. This training provides tips to manage information effectively and identifies the important crosswalks to obligations in the management of access to information and privacy files.
During the 2020-2021 reporting period, 30 formal awareness sessions were delivered, reaching a total of 964 employees.
11. Monitoring compliance
AAFC uses an automated system to monitor the timely processing of ATIP requests. The workflow case management tool tracks all actions and due dates, stores relevant records requiring review, maintains audit logs, promotes the use of standard templates, allows extensive search capability to facilitate analysis, and generates progress and statistical reports.
Senior management is kept apprised of the Access to Information activities through a weekly status report that is prepared by the ATIP Office and shared with various OPIs and governance bodies. This report and related discussions serve to remind branches of their pending due dates for records retrieval and flags:
- New requests received;
- The lead branch responsible;
- Request- and action-specific due dates;
- Requests due in the coming 2 weeks; and
- Areas where advice and direction can be provided by the ATIP Office.
12. Conclusion
The department’s move to paperless ATIP was thankfully underway when mandatory restrictions of COVID-19 meant employees had to work remotely. The ATIP Office quickly adapted to fully adopt the new procedures, along with the rest of the department, which resulted in more requests being processed than would have otherwise been possible under the circumstances. Although the 2020-2021 reporting period saw fewer requests, the page count was significantly higher. This volume of work and the reduced operational capacity within the department, meant extensions for deadlines did have to be negotiated for a number of requests.
AAFC continues to be committed to both the spirit and the intent of the Access to Information Act to enhance the accountability and transparency of Government in order to promote an open and democratic society and to enable public debate on the conduct of all federal institutions.
The AAFC ATIP Office will continue to streamline processes, implement digital strategies, and support the Department during the pandemic and beyond to fulfill its commitment toward legislative requirements and openness.
Delegation of authority instrument - Annexes A and B — Delegation of authority instrument
Annex A - Access to Information Act Delegation Order - Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
The Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, pursuant to section 95 of the Access to Information Act, hereby designates the persons of the Department holding the positions set out in the schedule hereto, or the persons occupying on an acting basis those positions, to exercise the powers and perform the duties and functions of the Minister as the head of a government institution under the sections of the Act set out in the schedule opposite each position. This Designation Order supersedes all previous Designation Orders.
Date: October 5, 2020
Marie-Claude Bibeau, PC, MP
Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
Annex B - Delegation of Authority Instrument for the Purposes of the Access to Information Act
| Sections of the Access to Information Act | Powers, Duties or Functions | Deputy Minister, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada | Assistant Deputy Minister, Public Affairs Branch | Director General, Communications Services | Director, ATIP and Translation Services |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All powers, duties and functions under the Access to Information Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. A-1 (prior to and following June 21, 2019) and related regulations (prior to and following June 21, 2019). | X | X | X | X |
| Sections of the Access to Information Act | Powers, Duties or Functions | Assistant Deputy Minister, Public Affairs Branch | Director General, Communications Services | Director, ATIP and Translation Services | ATI Manager |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4(2.1) | Responsibility of government institutions. | x | x | x | x |
| 6.1(1) | Reasons for declining to act on request | X | X | X | - |
| 6.1(1.3), (1.4), (2) | Notice – suspension, end of suspension. | X | X | X | - |
| 7 (a) | Notice where access is requested. | X | X | X | X |
| 7 (b) | Giving access to records | X | X | X | X |
| 8(1) | Transfer of request | X | X | X | X |
| 9 | Extension of time limits. | X | X | X | X |
| 11(2) | To waive requirement for payment or to refund. | X | X | X | X |
| 12(2)(b) | Language of access. | X | X | X | X |
| 12(3)(b) | Access in an alternative format. | X | X | X | X |
| 13 | To exempt information obtained in confidence. | X | X | X | X |
| 13(2) | To disclose with consent of the other government. | X | X | X | X |
| 14 | To exempt information re: federal - Provincial affairs. | X | X | X | X |
| 15 | To exempt information re: International affairs and defence. | X | X | X | X |
| 16 | To exempt information re: Law enforcement and investigations. | X | X | X | X |
| 16.5 | To exempt information re: Public Servant Disclosure Act | X | X | X | X |
| 17 | To exempt information re: Safety of individuals. | X | X | X | X |
| 18 | To exempt information re: Economic interests of Canada. | X | X | X | X |
| 19 | Personal information. | X | X | X | X |
| 20 | To exempt third party information. | X | X | X | X |
| 21 | To exempt information re: Operations of Government. | X | X | X | X |
| 22 | To exempt information re: Testing procedures, tests and audits. | X | X | X | X |
| 22.1 | To exempt information re: Internal Audits | X | X | X | X |
| 23 | Protected information – Solicitors, advocates and notaries. | X | X | X | X |
| 23.1 | Protected information – Patents and trademarks. | X | X | X | X |
| 24 | To exempt information re: Statutory prohibitions. | X | X | X | X |
| 25 | Severability | X | X | X | X |
| 26 | Refusal of access where information is to be published. | X | X | X | X |
| 27(1) | To notify third party of intent to disclose. | X | X | X | X |
| 27(4) | To extend time limit for third party notification process. | X | X | X | X |
| 28(1)(b) | Review representations of third parties. | X | X | X | X |
| 28(2) | To waive the requirement of third parties providing representations in writing. | X | X | X | X |
| 28(4) | To notify third party of decision. | X | X | X | X |
| 33 | Notice to Information Commissioner of notices to third parties. | X | X | X | - |
| 35(2)(b) | Right to make representations to the Information Commissioner. | X | X | X | - |
| 37(1)(c) | Notice to the Commissioner to implement an order or recommendation. |
X | X | X | - |
| 37(4) | To provide access to complainant pursuant to Information Commissioner’s recommendation. | X | X | X | - |
| 41(2) | Review by Federal Court — Government institution. | X | X | X | - |
| 43(2) | Service of notice of application to Federal Court for review. | X | X | X | - |
| 44(2) | Notice to requester of application for review by third party | X | X | X | - |
| 52(2)(b), (3) | Special rules for hearing | X | X | X | - |
| 82 | Proactive disclosure, travel expenses | X | X | X | - |
| 83 | Proactive disclosure, hospitality | X | X | X | - |
| 84 | Proactive disclosure, reports tabled in Parliament | X | X | X | - |
| 85 | Proactive disclosure, reclassification of positions | X | X | X | - |
| 86 | Proactive disclosure, contracts | X | X | X | - |
| 87 | Proactive disclosure, grants and contributions | X | X | X | - |
| 88 | Proactive disclosure, briefing materials | X | X | X | - |
| 90 | Proactive disclosure, publication not required | X | X | X | - |
| 94 | Annual report | X | X | X | - |
| 96(3) | Notice of Provision of services related to access to information | X | X | X | - |
| 96(4) | Fees for services | X | X | X | - |
| 96(5) | Spending authority | X | X | X | - |
| 6(1) | Transfer of request | X | X | X | X |
| 7(2) | Search and preparation fees | X | X | X | - |
| 7(3) | Production and programming fees | X | X | X | - |
| 8 | Providing access to record(s) | X | X | X | X |
| 8.1 | Limitation in respect of format | X | X | X | X |
Annex C - Statistical report on the Access to Information Act
Part 1: Requests under the Access to Information Act
1.1 Number of requests
| Number of Requests | |
|---|---|
| Received during reporting period | 131 |
| Outstanding from previous reporting period | 22 |
| Total | 153 |
| Closed during reporting period | 117 |
| Carried over to next reporting period | 36 |
1.2 Sources of requests
| Source | Number of Requests |
|---|---|
| Media | 31 |
| Academia | 10 |
| Business (private sector) | 46 |
| Organization | 11 |
| Public | 23 |
| Decline to Identify | 10 |
| Total | 131 |
1.3 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 |
| 16 | 30 | 21 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 68 |
Note: All requests previously recorded as “treated informally” will now be accounted for in this section only.
2: Decline to act vexatious, made in bad faith or abuse of right requests
| Number of Requests | |
|---|---|
| Outstanding from previous reporting period | 0 |
| Sent during reporting period | 0 |
| Total | 0 |
| Approved by the Information Commissioner during reporting period |
0 |
| Declined by the Information Commissioner during reporting period |
0 |
| Carried over to next reporting period | 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 | 0 | 14 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 |
| Disclosed in part | 1 | 9 | 14 | 16 | 10 | 8 | 0 | 58 |
| All exempted | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| All excluded | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| No records exist | 4 | 13 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 |
| Request transferred | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Request abandoned | 10 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 15 |
| Neither confirmed nor denied | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Decline to act with the approval of the Information Commisioner |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 16 | 37 | 25 | 18 | 12 | 9 | 0 | 117 |
3.2 Exemptions
| Section | Number of Requests | Section | Number of Requests | Number Section Requests |
Section | Number of Requests | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13(1)(a) | 0 | 16(2) | 2 | 18(a) | 2 | 20.1 | 0 |
| 13(1)(b) | 0 | 16(2)(a) | 0 | 18(b) | 1 | 20.2 | 0 |
| 13(1)(c) | 0 | 16(2)(b) | 0 | 18(c) | 0 | 20.4 | 0 |
| 13(1)(d) | 0 | 16(2)(c) | 9 | 18(d) | 0 | 21(1)(a) | 26 |
| 13(1)(e) | 0 | 16(3) | 0 | 18.1(1)(a) | 0 | 21(1)(b) | 18 |
| 14 | 6 | 16.1(1)(a) | 0 | 18.1(1)(b) | 0 | 21(1)(c) | 17 |
| 14(a) | 5 | 16.1(1)(b) | 0 | 18.1(1)(c) | 0 | 21(1)(d) | 2 |
| 14(b) | 2 | 16.1(1)(c) | 0 | 18.1(1)(d) | 0 | 22 | 1 |
| 15(1) | 1 | 16.1(1)(d) | 0 | 19(1) | 47 | 22.1(1) | 0 |
| 15(1) - I.A.* | 8 | 16.2(1) | 0 | 20(1)(a) | 1 | 23 | 3 |
| 15(1) - Def.* | 1 | 16.3 | 0 | 20(1)(b) | 42 | 23.1 | 0 |
| 15(1) - S.A.* | 0 | 16.31 | 0 | 20(1)(b.1) | 0 | 24(1) | 2 |
| 16(1)(a)(i) | 0 | 16.4(1)(a) | 0 | 20(1)(c) | 17 | 26 | 1 |
| 16(1)(a)(ii) | 0 | 16.4(1)(b) | 0 | 20(1)(d) | 2 | ||
| 16(1)(a)(iii) | 0 | 16.5 | 0 | ||||
| 16(1)(b) | 0 | 16.6 | 0 | ||||
| 16(1)(c) | 0 | 17 | 0 | ||||
| 16(1)(d) | 0 | ||||||
* I.A.: International Affairs Def.: Defence of Canada S.A.: Subversive Activities
3.3 Exclusions
| Section | Number of Requests |
Section | Number of Requests |
Section | Number of Requests |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 68(a) | 0 | 69(1) | 0 | 69(1)(g) re (a) | 2 |
| 68(b) | 0 | 69(1)(a) | 1 | 69(1)(g) re (b) | 0 |
| 68(c) | 0 | 69(1)(b) | 0 | 69(1)(g) re (c) | 0 |
| 68.1 | 0 | 69(1)(c) | 0 | 69(1)(g) re (d) | 0 |
| 68.2(a) | 0 | 69(1)(d) | 0 | 69(1)(g) re (e) | 2 |
| 68.2(b) | 0 | 69(1)(e) | 3 | 69(1)(g) re (f) | 0 |
| 69(1)(f) | 0 | 69.1(1) | 0 | ||
3.4 Format of information released
| Paper | Electronic | Other |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 79 | 0 |
3.5 Complexity
3.5.1 Relevant pages processed and disclosed
| Number of Pages Processed |
Number of Pages Disclosed |
Number of Requests |
|---|---|---|
| 57,395 | 51,154 | 95 |
3.5.2 Relevant pages processed and disclosed by size of requests
| Disposition | Less 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 | |
| All disclosed | 20 | 165 | 1 | 153 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Disclosed in part | 29 | 489 | 21 | 4,329 | 3 | 1,784 | 3 | 2484 | 2 | 41749 |
| 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 |
15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Neither confirmed nor denied |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Declined to act with the approval of the Information Commissioner | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 64 | 654 | 22 | 4,482 | 3 | 1,784 | 4 | 2485 | 2 | 41749 |
3.5.3 Other complexities
| Disposition | Consultation Required |
Assessment of Fees |
Legal Advice Sought |
Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All disclosed | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Disclosed in part |
37 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 37 |
| All exempted | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| All excluded | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Request abandoned |
2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Neither confirmed nor denied | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Declined to act with the approval of the Information Commissioner | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 42 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 42 |
3.6 Closed requests
3.6.1 Number of requests closed within legislated timelines
| Requests closed within legislated timelines | |
|---|---|
| Number of requests closed within legislated timelines | 117 |
| Percentage of requests closed within legislated timelines (%) | 100 |
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 | |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 to 30 days | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 31 to 60 days | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 61 to 120 days | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 121 to 180 days | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 181 to 365 days | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| More than 365 days | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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 |
4. Extensions
4.1 Reasons for extensions and disposition of requests
| 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 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Disclosed in part | 29 | 3 | 8 | 10 |
| All exempted | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| All excluded | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| No records exist | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Request abandoned | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Decline to act with the approval of the Information Commisioner | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 38 | 3 | 12 | 11 |
4.2 Length of extensions
| 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 | 22 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| 31 to 60 days | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 61 to 120 days | 5 | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| 121 to 180 days | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 181 to 365 days | 5 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| 365 days or more | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 38 | 3 | 12 | 11 |
5. Fees
| Fee Type | Fee Collected | Fee Waived or Refunded | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Requests | Amount | Requests | Amount | |
| Application | 130 | $650 | 1 | $5 |
| Other fees | 0 | $0 | 0 | $0 |
| Total | 130 | $650 | 1 | $5 |
6 Consultations received from other Government of Canada institutions and organizations
6.1 Consultations received from other Government of Canada 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 | 42 | 1,806 | 9 | 151 |
| Outstanding from the previous reporting period |
12 | 649 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 54 | 2,455 | 9 | 151 |
| Closed during the reporting period | 51 | 2,307 | 7 | 110 |
| Carried over to next reporting period | 3 | 148 | 2 | 41 |
6.2 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 | |
| Disclose entirely | 1 | 12 | 18 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 |
| Disclose in part | 0 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 15 |
| 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 | 1 | 16 | 25 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 51 |
6.3 Recommendations and completion time for consultations received from other organizations
| 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 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| 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 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Other | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 1 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
7. Completion Time of Consultations on Cabinet Confidences
7.1 Requests with Legal Services
| Number of Days | Fewer Than 100 Pages Processed | 101‒500 PagesProcessed | 501-1000 Pages Processed |
1001-5000 Pages Processed |
More Than 5000 Pages Processed | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Requests | Pages Disclosed | Number of Request |
Pages Disclosed | Number ofRequests | 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 |
7.2 Requests with Privy Council Office
| Number of Days | Fewer Than 100 Pages Processed | 101‒500 PagesProcessed | 501-1000 Pages Processed |
1001-5000 Pages Processed |
More Than 5000 Pages Processed | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Requests | Pages Disclosed | Number of Request |
Pages Disclosed | Number ofRequests | 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. Complaints and investigations
| Section32 Notice of intention to investigate | Subsection 30(5)Ceased to investigate | Section 35 Formal representations | Section37 Reports of finding received | Section 37 Reportsof finding containing recommendations issued by the Information Commissioner |
Section 37 Reportsof finding containing orders issued by the Information Commissioner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
9. Court Action
9.1 Court actions on complaints received before June 21, 2019 and on-going
| Section 41 (before June 21, 2019) | Section 42 | Section 44 |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 |
9.2 Court actions on complaints received after June 21, 2019
| Section 41 (after June 21, 2019) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Complainant (1) | Institution (2) | Third Party (3) | PrivacyCommissioner(4) | Total |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
10. Resources Related to the Access to Information Act
10.1 Costs
| Expenditures | Amount |
|---|---|
| Salaries | $729,068 |
| Overtime | $0 |
| Goods and Services | $239,980 |
| Professional services contracts | $226,878 |
| Other | $13,102 |
| Total | $969,048 |
10.2 Human Resources
| Resources | Person Years Dedicated to Access to Information Activities |
|---|---|
| Full-time employees | 7.330 |
| Part-time and casual employees | 0.000 |
| Regional staff | 0.000 |
| Consultants and agency personnel | 0.940 |
| Students | 0.730 |
| Total | 9.000 |
Note: Enter values to three decimal places.