Access to Information Modernization Action Plan Tracker
ATI professionals receive centralized training and guidance to be more consistent in how they apply exemptions and exclusions.
Exemptions and exclusions are applied more consistently to ATI requests across government, so Canadians receive more consistent responses to ATI requests.
From June 2023 to February 2025, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) delivered Deep Dive training sessions through the Access to Information and Privacy Communities Development Office (APCDO) on various exemptions and exclusions under the Access to Information Act (the Act). This includes presentations on information obtained in confidence, information tied to federal-provincial affairs, to law enforcement and investigations, to international affairs and defence, to solicitor-client privilege, and to personal information.
These efforts built on training delivered to the ATIP community by the Privy Council Office in March 2024 specifically on Confidences of the King’s Privy Council of Canada in the context of access to information and privacy.
Further, in August 2024, TBS published an updated version of Chapter 10 – General Information on Exemptions of the Access to Information Manual. The chapter provides information on the nature of exemptions under the Act, on applying discretionary and mandatory exemptions, and on best practices in the context of processing and responding to access to information requests.
Finally, in October 2024, TBS delivered an InfoBlitz training session through the APCDO to provide additional information and respond to questions related to the content of Chapter 10.
In total, 2,928 participants attended these APCDO training sessions. Since June 2024, session recordings have been posted to the ATIP Professionals GCcollab group.