ARCHIVED – Access to Information and Privacy Acts – 2012–2013 Annual Report

Annual Report
2012–2013


Table of Contents


Part One: Access to Information Act

Introduction

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) is pleased to present to Parliament its 19th annual report on the administration of the Access to Information Act for the fiscal year commencing April 1, 2012, and ending March 31, 2013.

The purpose of the Access to Information 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 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.

Section 72 of the Act requires that the head of every federal government institution submit an annual report to Parliament on the administration of the Act during the fiscal year. This report outlines CIC’s accomplishments in carrying out its access to information responsibilities and obligations during the 2012–2013 reporting period.

About CIC

CIC was created in 1994 to link citizenship registration and immigration services, to promote the unique ideals all Canadians share and to help build a stronger Canada. In November 2008, the Department’s portfolio was expanded to include multiculturalism.

Canada has a proud tradition of welcoming immigrants. Our immigration and refugee systems and our vast network of organizations that help newcomers settle and integrate are among the best in the world. This tradition is enhanced by the value we place on multiculturalism, which is fundamental to our belief that all citizens are equal. Multiculturalism aims to ensure that all citizens, regardless of their ethnocultural community, have equal opportunity and feel they belong in Canada. Through multiculturalism, new Canadians are encouraged to integrate into Canadian society and to take an active part in its social, cultural, economic and political affairs.

CIC’s mandate comes from the shared jurisdiction of section 95 of the Constitution Act, 1867, the Citizenship Act, the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) and the Canadian Multiculturalism Act.

CIC’s work encompasses a broad range of activities, including the following:

  • facilitating the arrival of people and their integration into Canadian life in a way that maximizes their contribution to the country while protecting the health, safety and security of Canadians;
  • maintaining Canada’s humanitarian tradition by protecting refugees and other people in need of protection;
  • enhancing the values and promoting the rights and responsibilities of Canadian citizenship;
  • reaching out to all Canadians, and fostering increased intercultural understanding and an integrated society with equal opportunity for all, regardless of race, ethnicity and religion; and
  • advancing global migration policies in a way that supports Canada’s immigration and humanitarian objectives.

Access to Information and Privacy Division

The Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) Division is part of the Corporate Affairs Branch in the Corporate Services Sector (CSS). The Division administers the Access to Information Act and is led by a director who acts as the ATIP coordinator for the Department. Four units carry out the Division’s work: Operations; Complex Cases and Issues; Fast Track; and Policy, Training and Projects. Each unit’s manager reports to the director.

The ATIP Division receives, coordinates and processes requests for information under the Access to Information Act, providing high-quality and timely service to requesters. The Division also coordinates requests made under the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty.

CIC maintains a network of 33 ATIP coordinators who represent the branches and regions of the Department. The ATIP coordinators provide assistance by searching, collecting records and presenting recommendations in relation to requests.

Activities and Accomplishments

I. Performance

For another consecutive year, CIC has received more Access to Information (ATI) requests than any other federal institution. A total of 25,010 ATI requests were received in the 2012–2013 fiscal year, which represents an increase of almost 22 percent from the previous year and breaks another record in ATIP’s history. Although faced with a significant increase in volume, the Department processed 26,020 requests and maintained a considerably high compliance rate of 93.17 percent.

II. Leadership

In the ATIP field, CIC is recognized as a modernization pioneer. By the extensive use of technology, the Division has improved its way of conducting business and increasing its visibility throughout the Department. Some of these initiatives include: developing a new ATIP online course and awareness video for employees and transitioning to an almost entirely paperless ATIP environment. CIC continues to focus on improving both its external and internal client service delivery.

In addition, CIC was the leader in the development of an ATIP Online Request tool for ATI and Privacy requests. This initiative builds upon the mandate of modernizing the ATIP service to the public, which is a key commitment of the Open Information pillar of Canada’s Action Plan on Open Government. Three Departments—CIC, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) and Shared Services Canada (SSC)—partnered together on this one-year pilot project.

As stated in last year’s annual report, the online payment mechanism (e-Payment) was implemented and has proven to be a success. Our clients have taken advantage of the new technology en masse.

These best practices in improving and modernizing ATIP operations will continue in 2013–2014 and beyond.

III. Promotion, Awareness and Training

2012-2013 was an exceptional year for CIC in terms of modernizing and improving the Department’s training and awareness program. To increase ATIP’s presence throughout the Department, CIC developed new interactive tools such as an awareness tutorial video and an online course titled “Protecting and Giving Access to Information at CIC.”

During the fiscal year, the ATIP Division offered a series of training and awareness sessions (in-class and online) to over 1,000 CIC employees across Canada and abroad. In addition, as part of ATIP’s mandate, the Division continued to promote ATIP awareness through job shadowing and published up to date ATIP-related information onto CIC’s internal website.

IV. Policies, Guidelines and Procedures

During this reporting period, the ATIP Division created new internal and external communication tools to streamline its operations. New tools, such as an electronic repository of internal ATIP procedures, were implemented to improve consistency in the processing of requests. An extensive review of the overall correspondence was conducted as well as the revamping of departmental forms. As a result, the effectiveness of client service delivery greatly improved.

In addition, the Division demonstrated its commitment to assist CIC in meeting its legislative requirements by providing timely as well as professional internal service for policy advice and guidance in accordance with its internal service standards.

V. Horizontal and Collaborative Engagement

In response to Canada’s Open Government strategy, CIC maintained its commitment to horizontal and collaborative engagement to share and disseminate advice, ideas as well as best practices. In 2012–2013, as a leader in the ATIP field, CIC participated in several initiatives to improve and modernize the administration of ATIP across the federal government.

Highlights include the following:

  • Interdepartmental ATIP online e-application tool;
  • Information sharing agreements;
  • Online summaries of completed ATI requests; and
  • Ministerial priorities involving personal information.

Through formal and informal consultations, CIC continually collaborates with various organizations, such as the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT), Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) and the TBS. These sharing practices will continue in 2013–2014 and beyond.

VI. Human Resources

In preparation for the future, CIC continues to invest in the federal government’s ATIP community by developing the required knowledge, expertise and experience to meet demand. To help build its capacity, CIC has implemented the following initiatives to improve its work force:

  • Offered developmental assignments to current ATIP employees;
  • Provided ongoing training for employees to acquire additional knowledge and skills in the ATIP field;
  • Led job-shadowing sessions on a quarterly basis;
  • Conducted selection processes; and
  • Hired full-time students through the Federal Student Work Experience Program.

VII. External Views

Treasury Board Secretariat Management Accountability Framework Assessment Extracts Related to Access to Information

As part of the Management Accountability Framework assessment, CIC was not evaluated by the TBS on the “Effectiveness of Information Management” stream for 2012-2013.

Statistical Overview

I. Requests Received Under the Access to Information Act

CIC continues to be the most accessed federal institution, receiving an unprecedented 25,010 requests under the Access to Information Act between April 1, 2012, and March 31, 2013. This total represents an increase of nearly 22 percent from the previous reporting period. Over the past six years, the number of requests received by the Department has almost tripled. As noted above, CIC is addressing the increase in volume in innovative ways in order to respond to requests within the legislative time frame.

Access to Information Act Requests Received and Completed
Text version: Access to Information Act Requests Received and Completed
Year Requests Received Requests Completed
2007–2008 11,434 11,600
2008–2009 14,034 13,616
2009–2010 16,647 16,556
2010–2011 18,862 18,070
2011–2012 20,575 20,891
2012-2013 25,010 26,020

The majority of ATI requests CIC received were for personal information files.

CIC-Most Accessed Department
Text version: CIC - Most Accessed Deparment
Department 2010-2011 2011-2012 2012-2013
CIC 18,862 20,575 25,010
DND 1,483 1,645 2,044
CRA 2,589 2,237 3,138
CBSA 1,607 1,866 3,147

In 2012–2013, CIC reviewed over 1,471,572 pages, representing an overall increase of 8 percent since last fiscal year. Requests involving a higher number of pages require more time and resources to review and process.

Pages Reviewed
Text version: Pages Reviewed
Year Pages Reviewed
2012-2013 1,471,572
2011-2012 1,359,642
2010-2011 1,147,709
2009-2010 983,765

II. Sources of Requests

The business sector (primarily made up of immigration consultants and lawyers) is the largest source of requests, accounting for 59 percent of all requests. The general public accounts for 38 percent of requests. The remaining three percent consist of media, academia and other organizations.

Sources of Access to Information Requests
Text version: Sources of Access to Information Requests
Sources of Access to Information Requests Amount
Business 14,799
Public 9,583
Media, Academia & Organizations 628

III. Disposition of Completed Requests

In 2012–2013, CIC completed 26,020 requests. In 6,379 cases (25 percent), CIC provided all the information requested. In the majority of cases—16,321 (63 percent)—the Department invoked exemptions.

IV. Exemptions Invoked

The majority of exemptions CIC invoked fell under three sections of the Access to Information Act:

  • Subsection 19(1), which protects personal information, was used in 11,544 cases (44 percent);
  • Subsection 15(1), which covers international relations, defence and subversive activities, was used in 7,875 cases (30 percent); and
  • Subsection 16(1), which addresses law enforcement and criminal investigations, was used in 2,589 cases (10 percent).

It should be noted that more than one subsection can be applied to a specific request.

V. Consultations

In addition to processing requests under the Access to Information Act, CIC was consulted by other federal government institutions in 201 cases where the records under the control of these institutions related to CIC activities.

VI. Extensions

Section 9 of the Access to Information Act allows an extension of statutory time limits if consultations are necessary or if the request is for a large volume of records and processing it within the original time limit would unreasonably interfere with the operations of the Department.

CIC invoked a total of 1,899 extensions during the 2012–2013 reporting period. Extensions were required in 267 instances when CIC consulted with other federal institutions prior to responding. Extensions were required in 1,573 instances to search through a large volume of records. The Department also invoked 59 extensions in order to conduct third-party notifications.

VII. Completion Time

CIC responded to 19,417 requests (75 percent) within 30 days or less and a further 5,142 requests (20 percent) within 31 to 60 days. The Department completed 1,105 requests (four percent) within 61 to 120 days and 356 requests (one percent) required 121 days or more to complete.

Access to Information Requests Completion Time
Text version: Access to Information Requests Completion Time
Completion times Percentage
Within 30 days or less 75
31 to 60 days 20
61 to 120 days 4
121 days or more 1

VIII. Complaints

Throughout the 2012–2013 reporting period, the Department was notified of 112 complaints received by the Office of the Information Commissioner, which represents 0.4 percent of all requests completed during this period. The majority of complaints are related to processing times and exemptions.

During the reporting period, 115 complaint investigations were completed. Of these, 67 were abandoned, discontinued or deemed to be unfounded, and the remaining 48 complaints were resolved to the satisfaction of the requester.

IX. Appeals to the Federal Court

No appeals to the Federal Court were filed against CIC regarding the Access to Information Act complaints during the 2012–2013 reporting period.

Appendix A: Report on the Access to Information Act

Statistical Report on the Access to Information Act

Name of institution: Citizenship and Immigration Canada

Reporting period: 01/04/2012 to 31/03/2013

Part 1 – Requests under the Access to Information Act
1.1 Number of Requests
  Number of Requests
Received during reporting period 25,010
Outstanding from previous reporting period 2,217
Total 27,227
Closed during reporting period 26,020
Carried over to next reporting period 1,207
1.2 Sources of requests
Source Number of Requests
Media 162
Academia 71
Business (Private Sector) 14,799
Organization 395
Public 9,583
Total 25,010
Part 2 - Requests closed during the reporting period
2.1 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 584 4,479 1,166 130 17 3 0 6,379
Disclosed in part 935 10,330 3,791 931 206 100 7 16,300
All exempted 0 0 2 6 0 0 0 8
All excluded 2 6 2 1 0 2 0 13
No records exist 1,013 269 99 27 5 1 0 1,414
Request transferred 18 0 0 0 0 0 0 18
Request abandoned 1,503 276 82 10 7 6 2 1,886
Treated informally 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
Total 4,057 15,360 5,142 1,105 235 112 9 26,020
2.2 Exemptions
Section Number of requests
13(1)(a) 83
13(1)(b) 18
13(1)(c) 19
13(1)(d) 11
13(1)(e) 0
14(a) 24
14(b) 2
15(1) - I.A.Table note 1 717
15(1) - Def.Table note 2 622
15(1) - S.A.Table note 3 6,536
16(1)(a)(i) 11
16(1)(a)(ii) 10
16(1)(a)(iii) 1
16(1)(b) 32
16(1)(c) 2,532
16(1)(d) 3
16(2)(a) 1
16(2)(b) 1
16(2)(c) 11
16(3) 0
16.1(1)(a) 0
16.1(1)(b) 0
16.1(1)(c) 8
16.1(1)(d) 0
16.2(1) 0
16.3 0
16.4(1)(a) 0
16.4(1)(b) 0
16.5 0
17 24
18(a) 0
18(b) 0
18(c) 0
18(d) 0
18.1(1)(a) 0
18.1(1)(b) 0
18.1(1)(c) 0
18.1(1)(d) 0
19(1) 11,544
20(1)(a) 1
20(1)(b) 22
20(1)(b.1) 2
20(1)(c) 13
20(1)(d) 2
20.1 0
20.2 0
20.4 0
21(1)(a) 141
21(1)(b) 117
21(1)(c) 13
21(1)(d) 12
22 180
22.1(1) 1
23 181
24(1) 2
26 19

2.3 Exclusions
Section Number of requests
68(a) 3
68(b) 0
68(c) 22
68.1 0
68.2(a) 0
68.2(b) 0
69(1)(a) 1
69(1)(b) 0
69(1)(c) 0
69(1)(d) 0
69(1)(e) 3
69(1)(f) 0
69(1)(g) re (a) 1
69(1)(g) re (b) 1
69(1)(g) re (c) 1
69(1)(g) re (d) 1
69(1)(g) re (e) 1
69(1)(g) re (f) 1
69.1(1) 0
2.4 Format of information released
Disposition Paper Electronic Other formats
All disclosed 705 5,670 0
Disclosed in part 1,508 11,866 0
Total 2,213 17,536 0

2.5 Complexity

2.5.1 Relevant pages processed and disclosed
Disposition of requests Number of pages processed Number of pages disclosed Number of requests
All disclosed 187,470 173,791 6,379
Disclosed in part 1,276,577 1,061,181 16,300
All exempted 1,185 0 8
All excluded 267 0 13
Request abandoned 6,073 4,447 1,886
2.5.2 Relevant pages processed and disclosed by size of requests
Disposition Up to 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 6,126 116,723 233 37,013 15 8,329 5 11,726 0 0
Disclosed in part 13,148 371,406 2,832 471,297 247 133,850 72 77,623 1 7,005
All exempted 6 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0
All excluded 12 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Abandoned 1,871 824 13 1,476 1 873 1 1,274 0 0
Total 21,163 488,953 3,080 509,786 264 143,052 78 90,623 1 7,005
2.5.3 Other complexities
Disposition Consultation required Legal Advice Sought Interwoven Information Other Total
All disclosed 79 0 5 6,223 6,307
Disclosed in part 532 1 143 15,916 16,592
All exempted 3 0 2 7 12
All excluded 3 0 0 12 15
Abandoned 14 0 0 257 271
Total 631 1 150 22,415 23,197

2.6 Deemed refusals

2.6.1 Reasons for not meeting statutory deadline
Number of requests closed past the statutory deadline Principal Reason
Workload External consultation Internal consultation Other
1,719 1,512 138 69 0
2.6.2 Number of days past deadline
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 537 162 699
16 to 30 days 203 85 288
31 to 60 days 207 161 368
61 to 120 days 145 83 228
121 to 180 days 67 27 94
181 to 365 days 23 15 38
More than 365 days 3 1 4
Total 1,185 534 1,719
2.7 Requests for translation
Translation Requests Accepted Refused Total
English to French 0 0 0
French to English 0 0 0
Total 0 0 0

Part 3 - Extensions

3.1 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 218 0 12 3
Disclosed in part 1,301 1 239 56
All exempted 2 0 2 0
All excluded 0 0 3 0
No records exist 34 0 3 0
Request abandoned 18 0 7 0
Total 1,573 1 266 59
3.2 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 1,292 0 60 8
31 to 60 days 272 1 105 35
61 to 120 days 7 0 86 15
121 to 180 days 2 0 13 0
181 to 365 days 0 0 2 1
More than 365 days 0 0 0 0
Total 1,573 1 266 59

Part 4 - Fees

Fee Type Fee Collected Fee Waived or Refunded
Number of requests Amount Number of requests Amount
Application 24,379 $123,165 309 $1,810
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 24,379 $123,165 309 $1,810

Part 5 - Consultations received from other institutions and organizations

5.1 Consultations received from other government institutions and organizations
Consultations Other government institutions Number of pages to review Other organizations Number of pages to review
Received during reporting period 188 9,224 0 0
Outstanding from the previous reporting period 13 404 0 0
Total 201 9,628 0 0
Closed during the reporting period 186 8,873 0 0
Pending at the end of the reporting period 15 755 0 0
5.2 Recommendations and completion time for consultations received from other government 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 33 54 35 2 1 0 0 125
Disclose in part 16 21 20 0 1 0 0 58
Exempt entirely 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
Exclude entirely 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 2
Consult other institution 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Other 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 50 76 56 2 2 0 0 186
5.3 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 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 Number of responses received Number of responses received past deadline
1 to 15 1 0
16 to 30 4 4
31 to 60 4 3
61 to 120 5 5
121 to 180 1 1
181 to 365 5 5
More than 365 0 0
Total 20 18

Part 7 - Resources related to the Access to Information Act

7.1 Costs
Expenditures Amount
Salaries $2,122,192
Overtime $15,381
Goods and Services $200,897
Professional services contracts ($155,943)  
Other ($44,954)  
Total $2,338,470
7.2 Human Resources
Resources Dedicated full-time to ATI activities Dedicated part-time to ATI activities Total
Full-time employees 29.00 0.00 29.00
Part-time and casual employees 0.00 5.00 5.00
Regional staff 0.00 0.00 0.00
Consultants and agency personnel 0.16 0.00 0.16
Students 0.21 0.00 0.21
Total 29.37 5.00 34.37

Appendix B: Delegation Order

Delegation of Authority under the Access to Information Act and the
Access to Information Regulations

  Position/Title *
DM ADMCS/
DGCA
ATIP/
DIR
ATIP/
MCCI
ATIP/
MPM05/
SUPPM04
ATIP/
PM05
ATIP/
PM04
ATIP/
PM03
Descriptions Section 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Access to Information Act
Notice where access granted 7 yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes
Transfer of request 8(1) yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes
Extension of time limits 9(1) yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes
Notice of extension to Commissioner 9(2) yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes
Notice where access refused 10(1) & (2) yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes
Payment of additional fees 11(2) yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes
Payment of fees for EDP record 11(3) yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes
Deposit 11(4) yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes
Notice of fee payment 11(5) yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes
Waiver or refund of fees 11(6) yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes
Translation 12(2) yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes
Conversion to alternate format 12(3) yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes
Information obtained in confidence 13 yes yes yes yes yes      
Refuse access – federal-provincial affairs 14 yes yes yes yes yes      
Refuse access – international affairs, defence 15(1) yes yes yes yes yes      
Refuse access – law enforcement and investigation 16(1) yes yes yes yes yes      
Refuse access – security information 16(2) yes yes yes yes yes      
Refuse access – policing services for provinces or municipalities 16(3) yes yes yes yes yes      
Refuse access – safety of individuals 17 yes yes yes yes yes      
Refuse access – economic interests of Canada 18 yes yes yes yes yes      
Refuse access – another person’s information 19(1) yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes
Disclose personal information 19(2) yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes
Refuse access – third party information 20(1) yes yes yes yes yes      
Disclose testing methods 20(2) & (3) yes yes yes yes yes      
Disclose third party information 20(5) yes yes yes yes yes      
Disclose in public interest 20(6) yes yes yes yes yes      
Refuse access – advice, etc. 21 yes yes yes yes yes      
Refuse access – tests and audits 22 yes yes yes yes yes      
Refuse access – solicitor-client privilege 23 yes yes yes yes yes      
Refuse access – prohibited information 24(1) yes yes yes yes yes      
Disclose severed information 25 yes yes yes yes yes yes    
Refuse access – information to be published 26 yes yes yes yes yes      
Notice to third parties 27(1) yes yes yes yes yes yes    
Extension of time limit 27(4) yes yes yes yes yes yes    
Notice of third party disclosure 28(1) yes yes yes yes yes yes    
Representation to be made in writing 28(2) yes yes yes yes yes yes    
Disclosure of record 28(4) yes yes yes yes yes      
Disclosure on Commissioner’s recommendation 29(1) yes yes yes yes yes      
Notice of intention to investigate 32 yes yes yes yes yes      
Notice to third party 33 yes yes yes yes yes      
Right to make representations 35(2) yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes
Findings and recommendations of the Information Commissioner 37(1)(b) yes yes yes yes yes      
Access given to complainant 37(4) yes yes yes yes yes      
Notice to third party of court action 43(1) yes yes yes yes yes      
Notice to person who requested record 44(2) yes yes yes yes yes      
Special rules for hearings 52(2) yes yes yes yes        
Ex parte representations 52(3) yes yes yes yes yes      
Exempt information may be excluded 71(2) yes yes yes yes yes      
Access to Information Regulations
Transfer of requests 6 yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes
Examination of records 8 yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes

Legend

DM
Deputy Minister
ADMCS/ DGCA
ADM, Corporate Services / Director General, Corporate Affairs
ATIP/ DIR
Director, Access to Information and Privacy (EX-01)
ATIP/ MCCI
Manager, Complex Cases and Issues, ATIP (PM-06)
ATIP/ MPM05/
SUPPM04
Managers, Operations and Fast Track, ATIP (PM-05) / Supervisor, Fast Track (PM-04)
ATIP/ PM05
Senior ATIP Administrators, ATIP (PM-05)
ATIP/ PM04
ATIP Administrators, ATIP (PM-04)
ATIP/ PM03
ATIP Officers, ATIP (PM-03)

* Includes acting appointments and assignments to these positions made pursuant to the Public Service Employment Act and Regulations.

Part Two: Privacy Act

Introduction

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) is pleased to present to Parliament its 19th annual report on the administration of the Access to Information Act for the fiscal year commencing April 1, 2012, and ending March 31, 2013.

The purpose of the Access to Information 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 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.

Section 72 of the Act requires that the head of every federal government institution submit an annual report to Parliament on the administration of the Act during the fiscal year. This report outlines CIC’s accomplishments in carrying out its access to information responsibilities and obligations during the 2012–2013 reporting period.

About CIC

CIC was created in 1994 to link citizenship registration and immigration services, to promote the unique ideals all Canadians share and to help build a stronger Canada. In November 2008, the Department’s portfolio was expanded to include multiculturalism.

Canada has a proud tradition of welcoming immigrants. Our immigration and refugee systems and our vast network of organizations that help newcomers settle and integrate are among the best in the world. This tradition is enhanced by the value we place on multiculturalism, which is fundamental to our belief that all citizens are equal. Multiculturalism aims to ensure that all citizens, regardless of their ethnocultural community, have equal opportunity and feel they belong in Canada. Through multiculturalism, new Canadians are encouraged to integrate into Canadian society and to take an active part in its social, cultural, economic and political affairs.

CIC’s mandate comes from the shared jurisdiction of section 95 of the Constitution Act, 1867, the Citizenship Act, the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) and the Canadian Multiculturalism Act.

CIC’s work encompasses a broad range of activities, including the following:

  • facilitating the arrival of people and their integration into Canadian life in a way that maximizes their contribution to the country while protecting the health, safety and security of Canadians;
  • maintaining Canada’s humanitarian tradition by protecting refugees and other people in need of protection;
  • enhancing the values and promoting the rights and responsibilities of Canadian citizenship;
  • reaching out to all Canadians, and fostering increased intercultural understanding and an integrated society with equal opportunity for all, regardless of race, ethnicity and religion; and
  • advancing global migration policies in a way that supports Canada’s immigration and humanitarian objectives.

Access to Information and Privacy Division

The Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) Division is part of the Corporate Affairs Branch in the Corporate Services Sector (CSS). The Division administers the Access to Information Act and is led by a director who acts as the ATIP coordinator for the Department. Four units carry out the Division’s work: Operations; Complex Cases and Issues; Fast Track; and Policy, Training and Projects. Each unit’s manager reports to the director.

The ATIP Division receives, coordinates and processes requests for information under the Access to Information Act, providing high-quality and timely service to requesters. The Division also coordinates requests made under the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty.

CIC maintains a network of 33 ATIP coordinators who represent the branches and regions of the Department. The ATIP coordinators provide assistance by searching, collecting records and presenting recommendations in relation to requests.

Activities and Accomplishments

I. Performance

In the 2012-2013 fiscal year, CIC received 5,114 privacy requests, a slight increase from the previous reporting period.

In the ATIP field, CIC is recognized as a modernization pioneer. By the extensive use of technology, the Division has improved its way of conducting business and increasing its visibility throughout the Department. Some of these initiatives include: developing a new ATIP online course and awareness video for employees and transitioning to an almost entirely paperless ATIP environment. CIC continues to focus on improving both its external and internal client service delivery.

In addition, CIC was the leader in the development of an ATIP Online Request tool for ATI and Privacy requests. This initiative builds upon the mandate of modernizing the ATIP service to the public, which is a key commitment of the Open Information pillar of Canada’s Action Plan on Open Government. Three Departments—CIC, TBS and SSC—partnered together on this one-year pilot project.

These best practices in improving and modernizing ATIP operations will continue in 2013–2014 and beyond.

II. Promotion, Awareness and Training

2012-2013 was an exceptional year for CIC in terms of modernizing and improving the Department’s training and awareness program. To increase ATIP’s presence throughout the Department, CIC developed new interactive tools such as an awareness tutorial video and an online course titled “Protecting and Giving Access to Information at CIC.”

During the fiscal year, the ATIP Division offered a series of training and awareness sessions (in-class and online) to over 1,000 CIC employees across Canada and abroad. In addition, as part of ATIP’s mandate, the Division continued to promote ATIP awareness through job shadowing as well as publishing up to date ATIP-related information onto CIC’s internal website.

III. Policies, Guidelines and Procedures

During this reporting period, the ATIP Division created new internal and external communication tools to streamline its operations. New tools, such as an electronic repository of internal ATIP procedures, were implemented to improve consistency in the processing of requests. An extensive review of the overall correspondence was conducted as well as the revamping of departmental forms. As a result, the effectiveness of client service delivery greatly improved.

Due to the centralization of all Privacy Act requests, including requests from investigative bodies to the ATIP Division, new internal procedures were implemented to improve service delivery and maintain our commitment to working with our stakeholders.

In addition, the Division demonstrated its commitment to assist CIC in meeting its legislative requirements by providing timely as well as professional internal service for policy advice and guidance in accordance with its internal service standards.

IV. Horizontal and Collaborative Engagement

In response to Canada’s Open Government strategy, CIC maintained its commitment to horizontal and collaborative engagement to share and disseminate advice, ideas as well as best practices. In 2012–2013, as a leader in the ATIP field, CIC participated in several initiatives to improve and modernize the administration of ATIP across the federal government. Highlights include the following:

  • Interdepartmental ATIP online e-application tool;
  • Information sharing agreements;
  • Online summaries of completed ATI requests; and
  • Ministerial priorities involving personal information.

Through formal and informal consultations, CIC continually collaborates with various organizations, such as the CBSA, the CRA, CSIS, DFAIT, PWGCS and the TBS. These sharing practices will continue in 2013–2014 and beyond.

VI. Human Resources

In preparation for the future, CIC continues to invest in the federal government’s ATIP community by developing the required knowledge, expertise and experience to meet demand. To help build its capacity, CIC has implemented the following initiatives to improve its work force:

  • Offered developmental assignments to current ATIP employees;
  • Provided ongoing training for employees to acquire additional knowledge and skills in the ATIP field;
  • Led job-shadowing sessions on a quarterly basis;
  • Conducted selection processes; and
  • Hired full-time students through the Federal Student Work Experience Program.

VII. External Views

Treasury Board Secretariat Management Accountability Framework Assessment Extracts Related to Access to Information

As part of the Management Accountability Framework assessment, CIC was not evaluated by the TBS on the “Effectiveness of Information Management” stream for 2012-2013.

Statistical Overview

I. Requests Received Under the Privacy Act

Between April 1, 2012, and March 31, 2013, CIC received 5,114 requests under the Privacy Act. This represents an increase of 6.1 percent from the previous reporting period.

II. Disposition of Completed Requests

In 2012–2013, CIC completed 5,486 requests. In 954 cases (17 percent), CIC provided all the information requested. For 3,516 requests (64 percent), the Department invoked exemptions.

Privacy Act Requests Received and Completed
Text version: Privacy Act Requests Received and Completed
Year Requests Received Requests Completed
2007–2008 5,002 4,986
2008–2009 5,151 5,188
2009–2010 4,948 4,615
2010–2011 4,609 4,574
2011–2012 4,817 5,058
2012-2013 5,114 5,486

III. Exemptions Invoked

The majority of exemptions CIC invoked fell under three sections of the Privacy Act:

  • Section 26, which protects personal information, was used in 2,256 cases (41 percent);
  • Section 21, which covers international relations, defence and subversive activities, was used in 2,568 cases (47 percent); and
  • Subsection 22(1)(b), which addresses law enforcement and criminal investigations, was used in 688 cases (12 percent).

It should be noted that more than one subsection can be applied to a specific request.

IV. Disclosure of Personal Information Under Subsection 8(2)

In accordance with subsection 8(2) of the Privacy Act, under certain circumstances, a governmental institution may disclose personal information under its control without the consent of the individual to whom the information relates.

During this reporting period, CIC disclosed personal information under subsection 8(2) in responding to 1,039 requests from investigative bodies under paragraph 8(2)(e). CIC also disclosed information under paragraphs 8(2) (a), (b), (c), (d) and (f). No disclosures were made under paragraphs 8(2) (g), (h), (i), (k), (l) and (m).

V. Consultations

In addition to processing requests under the Privacy Act, CIC was consulted by other federal government institutions in 42 cases where the records under their control related to CIC activities.

VI. Extensions

Section 15 of the Privacy Act allows an extension of the statutory time limits if consultations are necessary, if translation is required, or if the request is for a large volume of records and processing it within the original time limit would unreasonably interfere with the operations of the Department.

CIC invoked a total of 222 extensions during the 2012–2013 reporting period. Of these, 41 were deemed necessary so that CIC could consult with other federal institutions prior to responding. Extensions were required in a further 181 instances to search for or through a large volume of records. The Department did not invoke any extensions for translation purposes.

VII. Completion Time

CIC responded to 3,636 requests (66 percent) within 30 days or less and a further 1,153 requests (21 percent) within 31 to 60 days. The Department completed 423 requests (8 percent) within 61 to 120 days and 274 requests (5 percent) required 121 days or more to complete.

Privacy Requests Completion Time
Text version: Privacy Requests Completion Time
Completion times Percentage
Within 30 days or less 66
31 to 60 days 21
61 to 120 days 8
121 days or more 5

VIII. Complaints

Throughout the 2012–2013 reporting period, the Department was notified of 5 privacy complaints received by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner. This represents less than half a percent of all requests completed during this period. The principal reason for these complaints was the Department’s use of exemptions to withhold information.

During the reporting period, 5 complaint investigations were completed. Of these, 2 were deemed not well founded or discontinued, while 3 were resolved to the satisfaction of the requester.

IX. Appeals to the Federal Court

No appeals to the Federal Court were filed against CIC regarding Privacy Act complaints during the 2012–2013 reporting period.

X. Privacy Impact Assessments

To fulfill its mandate and effectively deliver its programs and services, CIC collects, uses and discloses personal information. In accordance with the TBS policy, the Department consistently undertakes privacy impact assessments (PIAs) to determine whether privacy risks are present in new or existing departmental programs, initiatives or projects that collect and retain personal information.

CIC initiated 21 PIAs and completed 8 others in 2012–2013. Summaries of the 8 completed PIAs are provided below. (PIA summaries for CIC can be found at http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/atip/pia/index.asp.)

Access to Information and Privacy Online Request Pilot Project

A PIA was conducted for the multi-institutional implementation of the ATIP Online Request Pilot Project thereafter referred to as the “pilot.” The Government of Canada has identified service modernization as a priority. As such, CIC has undertaken this initiative to permit ATIP requests to be processed more quickly and efficiently by leveraging online technologies. The ATIP Online Request Pilot will reduce the reliance on paper documents as well as facilitate the ATIP request process by eliminating the need to send and receive information and payment by regular mail. Initial pilot participants will include TBS and SSC. Depending on the success of this pilot, it may be expanded to other federal government institutions throughout the duration of the pilot. Eventually, the functionality delivered and the lessons learned from this pilot initiative will be incorporated into a whole-of-government ATIP solution.

The ATIP Online Request Pilot will leverage CIC’s existing e-Payment system (via the Receiver General Buy Button (RGBB)) used in a variety of electronic client service applications, along with lessons learned from these CIC initiatives. The pilot will also leverage the Secure File Transfer (SFT) infrastructure managed by PWGSC to ensure secure transmission of data between CIC and pilot departments. Risks to confidentiality, availability as well as integrity of information stored and processed by this system will be identified. Recommended safeguards will be implemented. The RGBB and SFT infrastructure are common services that have already been certified and accredited for use by all federal departments and agencies. The report identified the following privacy risks and measures are recommended to mitigate or eliminate the risks.

Canada-U.S. Information Sharing Treaty Summary

On December 13, 2012, Canada signed a Treaty with the United States of America (U.S.) to enable systematic immigration information sharing between the two countries on third country nationals. The purpose of automating the sharing of immigration and visa information is to broaden both countries joint capability to: identify individuals who seek to enter the perimeter for mala fide purposes and prevent them from travelling to Canada or the U.S.; prevent individuals from assuming different identities between one country and the other; identify those who have committed serious crimes or violated immigration laws in the other country. These actions will enable more informed decisions on visas, admissibility or other immigration benefits.

The Treaty creates a legally binding instrument under international law to govern systematic immigration information sharing on all visa and permit applicants. Two separate implementing arrangements are currently contemplated under the Treaty. The first covers systematic biographic immigration information sharing to be implemented in late 2013, and the second will cover systematic biometric immigration information sharing to be implemented in fall of 2014. An addendum PIA will be conducted on the systematic biometric information sharing arrangement prior to its implementation.

The PIA report identified a few privacy risks that will be mitigated or eliminated prior to the implementation of systematic sharing. These privacy risks generally deal with completing documentation such as: developing a threat and risk analysis; documenting security procedures as well as procedures related to investigating; responding to client requests in terms of accuracy, redress and corrections; and updating the relevant personal information banks.

eMedical

Canada’s immigration law, the IRPA and the accompanying regulations define the medical requirements that applicants for residence in Canada must meet. CIC has identified client service modernization as one of its strategic business priorities. Following discussions with Australia’s Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) and within CIC, a decision has been made to work with Australia to modify its eHealth system to enable use by Canada. eHealth is DIAC’s online system for recording, processing and storing health examination results for Australian visa applicants. It removes the need for processing paper-based health reports as panel clinics/panel physicians/radiologists are able to record all health information for visa applicants online including examination results, digital chest x-rays, specialist reports and biometric photographs.

It is intended that the initial focus of redeveloping eHealth will be on clinic management and recording of health examination data and will be hosted by DIAC. This application will be known as eMedical for Canada’s purposes. CIC has entered into an Umbrella Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between CIC and the DIAC of the Commonwealth of Australia for the development and establishment of a modified version of Australia’s eHealth system to be used by Australia and Canada to process immigration medical examinations. The report identified privacy risks, and measures were implemented to mitigate or eliminate the issues.

e-Services

CIC’s e-Services environment, which includes MyCIC and various other client centered online services, is used by CIC clients and various partner organizations as a means of interacting with CIC. The current state of CIC’s e-Services environment is composed of four distinct technical components: e-application (refer to the e-application PIA summary); MyCIC secure online interface where clients can access the e-application; the Electronic Notification System (ENS); and the Partner Portal, which provides educational institutions participating in the Off -Campus Work Permit Program access to the ENS.

The information collected by CIC’s e-Services environment is classified as Protected “B.” This information is stored within a database table and user authentication is required by both internal and external users each time they log-in. To ensure client information is secure, audit tables have been put in place, where appropriate, in order to track who and when access requests were made to applicant information. Internal users (that is CIC users) are able to access the e-Services environment using a Role Based Access Control. This is done through the creation of various roles with specific permissions set based on a user’s various responsibilities; user functions are limited based on the role they are assigned.

The PIA was conducted using TBS guidelines and incorporates the ten principles of the Canadian Standards Association model for assessing information handling practices. The privacy risks identified as part of the assessment are classified as low to moderate, and an action plan has been developed to address and mitigate these risks.

Global Visa Application Centre Network

Since 2000, Visa Application Centres (VACs) have helped visa offices provide administrative support to visa and immigration applications across the globe. Currently, CIC has 70 VACs located in 49 countries in which all the agreements are in place—with a few exceptions. VACs are locally managed through service agreements with corresponding visa offices.

The report is the first of three PIAs to be conducted on the global VAC network within CIC. A number of privacy risks associated to CIC’s global VAC network were identified as well as their respective mitigation mechanisms. Only one high-level risk was identified relating to the privacy and security of personal information collected in foreign jurisdictions. As a result of this risk, privacy requirements/clauses were built into the request for proposal as per TBS guidelines and following the recommendations of the Office of the Privacy Commissioner. In addition, Performance Management Plans will be required from all vendors, which will be evaluated by CIC prior to deployment. The report also identifies privacy risks associated with the principles of Safeguard, Accuracy and Retention as well as provides various mitigation mechanisms that are/will be employed to address each risk, such as developing a privacy risk assessment tool, designing privacy-friendly procedures and implementing appropriate audit measures. The status of these risks and the mitigation strategies discussed within the report will be updated in phases 2 and 3 of the global VAC.

Immigration-Contribution Accountability Measurement Systems—Tracking of Overseas Orientation Session Graduates

CIC Immigration-Contribution Accountability Measurement System (iCAMS) is a Web-based application, which supports key Government of Canada commitments related to performance measurement and the evaluation of settlement and resettlement contribution programs. iCAMS is used by CIC-funded service provider organizations to capture and transmit client as well as program information.

CIC expanded the delivery of settlement programming in overseas locations to provide information as early as possible for the settlement process. The Foreign Credentials Referral Office (FCRO) was created within CIC to guide, monitor and facilitate the implementation of foreign credential recognition processes in Canada by providing information, path-finding and referral services to internationally trained workers. Through contribution agreement funding, the FCRO has engaged a service provider to deliver these services through the Canadian Immigrant Integration Program to prospective immigrants while they are still in their home countries.

The “Tracking of Overseas Orientation Session Graduates” is the newly expanded iCAMS module that enables overseas data entry.

The PIA identified a number of privacy risks for which measures were recommended and implemented to address the issues. The development of guidance and support tools were also identified to further mitigate risks.

Renewed CIC/RCMP MOU

A PIA was conducted for the renewal of the MOU between CIC and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). The partnership between CIC and the RCMP is vital to ensuring the effective administration and enforcement of the IRPA and the Citizenship Act. The key objectives of the CIC-RCMP partnership are to preserve the integrity of Canada’s immigration, refugee and citizenship programs: to maintain and protect the health, safety and security of Canadians; and to promote international order and justice by denying the use of Canadian territory to persons who are likely to engage in criminal activity. The MOU includes annexes covering criminal screening, intelligence sharing, referrals for prosecutions, RCMP attendance at citizenship ceremonies and communications.

The report analyzed all aspects of the MOU and annexes where personal information is shared. The MOU and annexes contain significant safeguards for the protection of personal information in line with new TBS requirements. The report identified three areas in the sharing of personal information: criminal screening; intelligence sharing; and referrals for prosecutions. Each area was examined in terms of privacy risk. No risks were identified in relation to intelligence sharing and referrals for prosecutions. Risk was identified in the context of criminal screening, specifically with respect to access and use of personal information. The report outlines detailed mitigation strategies to address these risks.

Temporary Resident Biometrics Project

This PIA is an update to the Interim Privacy Impact Assessment (IPIA) conducted in 2009 on the Temporary Resident Biometrics Project (TRBP), a joint CIC, CBSA and RCMP project. The objectives of the report are to provide an update on the privacy risks since the publication of the 2009 IPIA report.

The TRBP involves the electronic in-person collection of a digital photograph and all available fingerprints from temporary resident (TR) applicants by establishing a robust service delivery network for the capture of biometrics, which will consist of contracted VACs operated by third-party service providers under service contracts, arrangements with other trusted governments and CIC offices abroad (only when authorized or directed by CIC). The personal information collected will be shared with the RCMP for verification against the immigration and Canadian criminal fingerprint repository (RCMP Real Time Identification). The results will be communicated to CIC’s Global Case Management System and available to support the decision-making process on the TR application. Once a decision is made, the photograph will be relayed to CIC’s e-Storage for onward transmission to the CBSA TRBP database for storage. The TR visa decision will also be forwarded to CBSA as a reference for the verification process at the port of entry as is current practice.

The goal of the TRBP is to improve the quality of the information provided to CIC and CBSA officers to allow them to make more informed decisions relating to an applicant’s admissibility. The report discusses new and existing privacy risks associated with the principles of Accountability, Accuracy, Collection, Disclosure and Disposition, and Openness. The report provides various mitigation mechanisms that are/will be employed to address each risk—including assigning privacy custodians, finalizing agreements with partners, developing new policies to ensure accuracy of data collected and establishing well defined retention schedules. The status of these risks and the progress on each corresponding mitigation strategy will be updated in the next (and final) phase of the Interdepartmental TRBP PIA.

Appendix A: Report on the Privacy Act

Statistical Report on the Privacy Act

Name of institution: Citizenship and Immigration Canada

Reporting period: 01/04/2012 to 31/03/2013

Part 1 – Requests under the Privacy Act
  Number of Requests
Received during reporting period 5,114
Outstanding from previous reporting period 665
Total 5,779
Closed during reporting period 5,486
Carried over to next reporting period 293
Part 2 – Requests closed during the reporting period
2.1 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 97 542 195 74 23 23 0 954
Disclosed in part 150 1,926 898 322 121 97 1 3,515
All exempted 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1
All excluded 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
No records exist 291 93 34 18 4 0 0 440
Request abandoned 459 77 26 9 2 2 1 576
Total 997 2,639 1,153 423 150 122 2 5,486
2.2 Exemptions
Section Number of requests
18(2) 0
19(1)(a) 23
19(1)(b) 7
19(1)(c) 2
19(1)(d) 9
19(1)(e) 0
19(1)(f) 0
20 0
21 2,568
22(1)(a)(i) 4
22(1)(a)(ii) 1
22(1)(a)(iii) 0
22(1)(b) 688
22(1)(c) 4
22(2) 0
22.1 0
22.2 0
22.3 0
23(a) 0
23(b) 0
24(a) 0
24(b) 0
25 0
26 2,256
27 21
28 0
2.3 Exclusions
Section Number of requests
69(1)(a) 0
69(1)(b) 0
69.1 0
70(1)(a) 0
70(1)(b) 0
70(1)(c) 0
70(1)(d) 0
70(1)(e) 0
70(1)(f) 0
70.1 0
2.4 Format of information released
Disposition Paper Electronic Other formats
All disclosed 315 635 0
Disclosed in part 99 3,023 1
Total 414 3,658 1

2.5 Complexity

2.5.1 Relevant pages processed and disclosed
Disposition of requests Number of pages processed Number of pages disclosed Number of requests
All disclosed 28,650 23,937 954
Disclosed in part 379,728 309,891 3,515
All exempted 1 0 1
All excluded 0 0 0
Request abandoned 4,200 1,918 576

2.5.2 Relevant pages processed and disclosed by size of requests
Disposition Up to 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 880 16,605 61 6,814 13 518 0 0 0 0
Disclosed in part 2,637 87,703 749 125,624 90 50,476 39 46,088 0 0
All exempted 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
All excluded 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Abandoned 571 269 2 382 1 491 2 776 0 0
Total 4,089 104,577 812 132,820 104 51,485 41 46,864 0 0
2.5.3 Other complexities
Disposition Consultation required Legal Advice Sought Interwoven Information Other Total
All disclosed 7 0 0 20 27
Disclosed in part 100 18 0 231 349
All exempted 0 0 0 0 0
All excluded 0 0 0 0 0
Abandoned 5 0 1 23 29
Total 112 18 1 274 405

2.6 Deemed refusals

2.6.1 Reasons for not meeting statutory deadline
Number of requests closed past the statutory deadline Principal Reason
Workload External consultation Internal consultation Other
1,020 968 41 10 1
2.6.2 Number of days past deadline
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 258 23 281
16 to 30 days 101 14 115
31 to 60 days 196 21 217
61 to 120 days 205 32 237
121 to 180 days 86 12 98
181 to 365 days 67 4 71
More than 365 days 1 0 1
Total 914 106 1,020
2.7 Requests for translation
Translation Requests Accepted Refused Total
English to French 0 0 0
French to English 0 0 0
Total 0 0 0
Part 3 – Disclosures under subsection 8(2)
Paragraph 8(2)(e) Paragraph 8(2)(m) Total
1,039 0 1,039
Part 4 – Requests for correction of personal information and notations
  Number of requests
Requests for correction received 2
Requests for correction accepted 0
Requests for correction refused 0
Notations attached 0
Part 5 – Extensions
5.1 Reasons for extensions and disposition of requests
Disposition of requests where an extension was taken 15(a)(i)
Interference with operations
15(a)(ii)
Consultation
15(b)
Translation or conversion
Section 70 Other
All disclosed 11 0 1 0
Disclosed in part 153 0 39 0
All exempted 0 0 0 0
All excluded 0 0 0 0
No records exist 11 0 0 0
Request abandoned 6 0 1 0
Total 181 0 41 0
5.2 Length of extensions
Length of extensions 15(a)(i)
Interference with operations
15(a)(ii)
Consultation
15(b)
Translation purposes
Section 70 Other
1 to 15 days 0 0 0 0
16 to 30 days 181 0 41 0
Total 181 0 41 0
Part 6 – Consultations received from other institutions and organizations
6.1 Consultations received from other government institutions and organizations
Consultations Other government institutions Number of pages to review Other organizations Number of pages to review
Received during the reporting period 41 878 0 0
Outstanding from the previous reporting period 1 3 0 0
Total 42 881 0 0
Closed during the reporting period 42 881 0 0
Pending at the end of the reporting period 0 0 0 0
6.2 Recommendations and completion time for consultations received from other government 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 17 7 1 0 0 0 0 25
Disclose in part 14 3 0 0 0 0 0 17
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 31 10 1 0 0 0 0 42
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 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 7 – Completion time of consultations on Cabinet confidences
Number of days Number of responses received Number of responses received past deadline
1 to 15 2 0
16 to 30 0 0
31 to 60 0 0
61 to 120 0 0
121 to 180 0 0
181 to 365 0 0
More than 365 0 0
Total 2 0

Part 8 – Resources related to the Privacy Act

8.1 Costs
Expenditures Amount
Salaries $1,061,096
Overtime $7,690
Goods and Services $100,448
Contracts for privacy impact assessments ($0)  
Professional services contracts ($77,972)  
Other ($22,476)  
Total $1,169,234
8.2 Human Resources
Resources Dedicated full-time Dedicated part-time Total
Full-time employees 14.00 0.00 14.00
Part-time and casual employees 0.00 2.00 2.00
Regional staff 0.00 0.00 0.00
Consultants and agency personnel 0.00 0.00 0.00
Students 0.00 0.00 0.00
Total 14.00 2.00 16.00

Appendix B: Delegation Order

Delegation of Authority under the Privacy Act and the Privacy Regulations

  Position/Title *
DM ADMCS/
DGCA
AADMSPP/
DGRE
ATIP/
DIR
ATIP/
MCCI
ATIP/
MPM05/
SUPPM04
ATIP/
PM05
ATIP/
PM04
ATIP/
PM03
Descriptions Section 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Privacy Act
Disclosure to investigative bodies 8(2)(e) yes yes   yes yes yes yes yes yes
Disclosure for research and statistics 8(2)(j) yes yes yes            
Disclosure in public interest clearly outweighs any invasion of privacy 8(2)(m)(i) yes                
Disclosure in public interest, benefit of individual 8(2)(m)(ii) yes                
Record of disclosure for investigations 8(4) yes yes   yes yes        
Notify Privacy Commissioner of 8(2)(m) 8(5) yes yes   yes          
Record of consistent uses 9(1) yes yes   yes          
Notify Privacy Commissioner of consistent uses 9(4) yes yes   yes yes yes yes yes yes
Personal information in banks 10(1) yes yes   yes yes yes yes yes yes
Notice where access is granted 14 yes yes   yes yes yes yes yes yes
Extension of time limits 15 yes yes   yes yes yes yes yes yes
Notice where access is refused 16 yes yes   yes yes yes yes yes yes
Decision regarding translation 17(2)(b) yes yes   yes yes yes yes yes yes
Conversion to alternate format 17(3)(b) yes yes   yes yes yes yes yes yes
Refuse access – exempt bank 18(2) yes yes   yes yes yes yes    
Refuse access – confidential information 19(1) yes yes   yes yes yes      
Disclose confidential information 19(2) yes yes   yes yes yes      
Refuse access – federal-provincial affairs 20 yes yes   yes yes yes      
Refuse access – international affairs, defence 21 yes yes   yes yes yes      
Refuse access – law enforcement and investigation 22 yes yes   yes yes yes      
Refuse access – security clearance 23 yes yes   yes yes yes      
Refuse access – person under sentence 24 yes yes   yes yes yes      
Refuse access – safety of individuals 25 yes yes   yes yes yes      
Refuse access – another person’s information 26 yes yes   yes yes yes yes yes yes
Refuse access – solicitor-client privilege 27 yes yes   yes yes yes      
Refuse access – medical record 28 yes yes   yes yes yes      
Receive notice of investigation 31 yes yes   yes yes yes      
Representation to Privacy Commissioner 33(2) yes yes   yes yes yes yes yes yes
Response to findings and recommendations of the Privacy Commissioner within a specified time 35(1)(b) yes yes   yes yes yes      
Access given to complainant 35(4) yes yes   yes yes yes      
Response to review of exempt banks 36(3)(b) yes yes   yes yes        
Response to review of compliance 37(3) yes yes   yes yes yes      
Request of court hearing in the National Capital Region 51(2)(b) yes yes   yes yes        
Ex parte representation to court 51(3) yes yes   yes yes yes      
Privacy Regulations
Examination of records 9 yes yes   yes yes yes yes yes yes
Correction of personal information 11(2) yes yes   yes yes yes yes yes yes
Notification of refusal to correct personal information 11(4) yes yes   yes yes yes yes yes yes
Disclosure – medical information 13(1) yes yes   yes yes        
Disclosure – medical information – examine in person, in the presence of a duly qualified medical practitioner 14 yes yes   yes yes        

Legend

DM
Deputy Minister
ADMCS/ DGCA
ADM, Corporate Services / Director General, Corporate Affairs
AADMSPP/
DGRE
Associate ADM, Strategic and Program Policy / Director General, Research and Evaluation
ATIP/ DIR
Director, Access to Information and Privacy (EX-01)
ATIP/ MCCI
Manager, Complex Cases and Issues, ATIP (PM-06)
ATIP/ MPM05/
SUPPM04
Managers, Operations and Fast Track, ATIP (PM-05) / Supervisor, Fast Track (PM-04)
ATIP/ PM05
Senior ATIP Administrators, ATIP (PM-05)
ATIP/ PM04
ATIP Administrators, ATIP (PM-04)
ATIP/ PM03
ATIP Officers, ATIP (PM-03)

* Includes acting appointments and assignments to these positions made pursuant to the Public Service Employment Act and regulations.

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