Question Period Note: CAPACITY DURING THE PANDEMIC SUJET

Workplace measures to curb the COVID-19 pandemic and protect the health and safety of federal employees affected institutions’ ability to respond to access to information and personal information requests.

• The Government remains committed to maintaining the openness and transparency of government during this challenging time.
• The Government of Canada implemented exceptional workplace measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 and to protect public health and safety.
• These measures had an impact on institutions’ ability to respond to access to information and personal information requests.
• All institutions now report they have full capacity or partial capacity to respond to requests.
• TBS is sharing guidance, best practices, and operational solutions with institutions to help them overcome the challenges brought on by COVID-19 in their operations.

Government of Canada employees are currently working from home wherever possible to help slow the spread of COVID-19. Consequently, most institutions are operating with significantly reduced onsite workforces, which for many institutions limits their ability to respond to requests within the timelines mandated by the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act.

TBS has issued guidance to institutions to make best efforts to process requests, in accordance with operational realities. Notices currently posted on the Open Government Portal and the Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) Online Request Service inform requesters of potential delays due to COVID-19 measures.

Institutions have worked hard to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 measures on their ability to respond to requests:
• Institutions are offering to provide electronic records to requesters, where paper records cannot currently be accessed.
• Institutions are utilizing e-post where possible to facilitate providing responses to requesters.

TBS continues to support institutions with guidance, best practices for working digitally to respond to requests.

The review of the Access to Information Act which began in June 2020 offers an opportunity to have an open exchange on making ATI systems and processes more resilient.

In October 2018, the Government launched the new ATIP Online Request Service in an effort to modernise the ATIP process for Canadians. That was an important first step in making ATIP a digital process by enabling Canadians to make access to information and personal information requests electronically to more than 190 institutions. In our use of artificial intelligence in the portal, we are helping requesters choose the institution that is most likely to have the information they want.

The Government continues to update and improve the ATIP Online Request Service with tools and functionality, making the receipt, processing and delivery of requests more secure and efficient. In particular, we continue to work on how to streamline the process and avoid paper and compact discs.

Parallel to our work on the ATIP Online Request Service, the Government is also undertaking a procurement process to ensure modern ATIP request processing software is in the hands of the government institutions.

OCIO continues to engage with the Offices of the Information Commissioner and Privacy Commissioner to ensure that these oversight bodies are aware of institutions’ operational status.

• As of September 22, all institutions report they have full capacity or partial capacity to respond to requests.
• As workplace restrictions continue to be lifted and capacity is increased, ATIP Offices will be addressing outstanding requests.