Access to Information Modernization Action Plan Tracker

Provide guidance on how record categorization impacts the access to information (ATI) regime, and the importance of assigning appropriate security categories and periodic re-assessment.

Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat

(C02) Enhancing Trust and Transparency

(C02.1) Actions to address declassification and information management

Completed

C02.1.2

Fiscal Year 2025-26

Public servants are encouraged to regularly re-assess the security categorization of records, which may result in downgrading and declassification where appropriate.

Sensitive information in records is reviewed and maintained appropriately, resulting in more efficient ATI request processing.

In December 2024, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) published the Access to Information Implementation Notice 2023-02: Leveraging Access to Information to Promote Declassification and Downgrading of Government Records, which provides guidance to government institutions on how they can leverage existing access to information (ATI) processes and training to promote the declassification or downgrading of the security category assigned to information resources. The implementation notice was broadly communicated ATI, Data and Information and Security communities of practice. Information sessions were provided to over 700 public servants to support their implementation of the guidance within their institutions. Material prepared for these sessions was made available to employees through internal information sharing forums after the sessions.