Access to Information Modernization Action Plan Tracker
Institutions regularly assess the feasibility of releasing information and data outside of the access to information (ATI) regime.
Canadians have access to more information and data of interest without having to submit an ATI request.
Published by the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS), the 2023-2026 Data Strategy for the Federal Public Service identifies government-wide priorities intended to strengthen data-driven results and outcomes to promote the consideration of data by design and to position the Government of Canada (GC) to effectively leverage data to enable evidence-based decision-making and service delivery. This includes setting clear expectations for responsible, transparent, and ethical data stewardship to maintain trust, as well as providing guidance to enhance the transparency of data practices and adoption of open-by-design principles.
Key accomplishments in year one of the strategy included defining and establishing data management governance and processes to support data interoperability and reuse, in addition to developing common standards and guidelines to support interoperability and data exchange across government.
Specifically, in fiscal year 2024-25, TBS published standards and guidance to help ensure government data is of high quality and coherent to better enable open data that is interoperable, discoverable, accessible, and reusable for Canadians. These include:
• Additional GC enterprise data reference standards through an established governance pipeline to promote coherence, quality, and the sharing of open data;
• Guidance on Assessing Readiness to Manage Data According to the Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable (FAIR) Principles (January 2025).
As part of delivering on commitments under Canada’s National Action Plan on Open Government 2022-24, TBS convened an Open Data Advisory Group composed of government officials, representatives from civil society organizations, academics, and open data experts to collaboratively advance open data initiatives. The group’s deliberations resulted in the development and its endorsement of a dedicated open data plan for the GC, with efforts currently focused on implementing the plan’s first phase.
The development of service standards for prioritizing and releasing open data and using the Open Government Portal as part of the plan is on track for completion in 2025.
Under the plan, TBS is also developing a maturity model for open data for the GC in consultation with the Open Data Advisory Group. The open data maturity model is intended to support departments in enhancing open data practices by providing clear criteria for assessing maturity and guidance for tracking progress and aligning open data strategies with government-wide goals for transparency, accessibility, and innovation. While the work is still in progress, significant strides have been made in shaping the model to align with industry best practices and standards and it is on track for completion in 2025.