PDF Version (PDF, 489.44 KB)

Table of contents

• Introduction
  • Administration of the Privacy Act
  • Organization and mandate of Statistics Canada
  • Delegation instrument
  • Resources
  • Statistical report
• Implementation: Privacy
  • Privacy requests
  • Other requests
  • Disposition of completed requests
  • Completion time and extensions
  • Exemptions invoked
  • Costs
• Training initiatives for privacy
• Policies, guidelines and procedures
• Complaints and investigations
• Monitoring of the requests
• Privacy breaches
• Privacy impact assessments
  • Client Relationship Management System
  • Employee Wellness Surveys and Pulse Check Surveys
  • Engaging Disability Innovation Study
  • Meltwater: Social Media Communications Tool
  • Microsoft 365
  • Vitali-T-Stat Mobile Application
  • Supplement: 2021 Census of Population
  • Supplement: Canadian Child Welfare Information System
  • Supplement to the Canadian COVID-19 Antibody and Health Survey for Cycle 2
  • Supplement: Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline Feasibility Study Data Acquisition Project
  • Supplement: Childhood National Immunization Coverage Survey
  • Supplement: Update to the Longitudinal Immigration Database
  • Supplement: Mental Health and Access to Care Survey
  • Supplement: Pilot Study on Everyday Well-Being
  • Supplement: Survey of Employees under Federal Jurisdiction
  • Supplement: Survey on Health Care Workers' Experiences During the Pandemic
• Microdata linkage
• Types of disclosure under subsection 8(2) of the Privacy Act
• Appendix A: Delegation Order
• Appendix B: Statistical Report
• Appendix C: Microdata Linkage

Introduction

The Privacy Act gives Canadian citizens and people living in Canada the right to access their personal information being held by federal government institutions. The Act also protects against unauthorized disclosure of that personal information and it strictly controls how the government collects, uses, stores, discloses, and disposes of any personal information.

The Annual Report on the Administration of the Privacy Act is prepared and submitted, in accordance with section 72 of the Act, and it covers the period from April 1, 2021, to March 31, 2022. The report is tabled in Parliament.

Administration of the Privacy Act

The Privacy Act, which concerns itself with personal information, stipulates that government institutions can collect personal information only if it relates to the operation of programs or activities of these institutions. In the case of Statistics Canada, the Statistics Act provides the authority to collect personal information. In addition, institutions are required to protect the collected information from disclosure.

The Director of the Office of Privacy Management and Information Coordination administers the Access to Information and Privacy legislations within Statistics Canada, and is also the Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) Coordinator and Chief Privacy Officer for the Agency.

Organization and mandate of Statistics Canada

Statistics Canada's mandate derives primarily from the Statistics Act. The Act requires that the Agency collect, compile, analyze and publish statistical information on the economic, social, and general conditions of the country and its citizens. The Act also requires that Statistics Canada coordinate the national statistical system, in particular, to avoid duplication in the information collected by government. To this end, the Chief Statistician may enter into joint data collection or sharing agreements with provincial and territorial statistical agencies, as well as with federal, provincial and territorial government departments, pursuant to provisions of the Act.

The Statistics Act specifically requires Statistics Canada to conduct a Census of Population and a Census of Agriculture every five years as it did in 2021. The Act also gives the Agency substantial powers to request information through surveys of Canadian businesses and households. Under the Act, the Chief Statistician determines whether a survey will be mandatory or voluntary. Statistics Canada has generally made voluntary household data collection other than the Census of Population and the Labour Force Survey, as the latter produces key economic data. The Census of Agriculture and most other business surveys are mandatory. Refusal to participate in a mandatory survey is subject to legal penalties.

By law, Statistics Canada can also access administrative records, including personal and business tax data, credit information, customs declarations, and birth and death records. Such records are critical sources of statistical information that enable the Agency to reduce the reporting burden on businesses and individual respondents. Statistics Canada is considered a leader among the world's statistical agencies in reducing reporting burden by using administrative data.

Statistics Canada is ensuring that privacy protection methods and protocols continue to evolve as new data sources with varying levels of sensitivity emerge. The Necessity and Proportionality framework was implemented to ensure increasing transparency in the data acquisition process, to provide stronger justification (necessity) for data acquisition, and to be more explicit about the efforts used to gather data in a manner that is both efficient and proportional to its necessity and sensitivity. This includes ensuring that necessity (requirement for data or information) is well-defined; applying the scientific approach and a series of checkpoints on sensitivity, ethics and proportionality (quality, sample size, content and risk mitigation); considering alternative methods; and requiring a privacy impact assessment and communication throughout the process to ensure transparency.

Statistics Canada adopted a Responsible Privacy approach to honour the commitment made to Canadians to protect their personal information. These mechanisms help Statistics Canada to fulfill this commitment while ensuring that Canadians have all the key information on Canada's economy, society and environment that they require to function effectively as citizens and decision-makers in a rapidly evolving world.

Delegation instrument

The delegation instrument exercises the powers and functions of the Minister as the head of a government institution, pursuant to section 73 of the Privacy Act. The current detailed list of authorities under the Privacy Act has been formally delegated by the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development as of May 18, 2021, (Appendix A) and provides full delegated authority to the Director and Assistant Director of the Office of Privacy Management and Information Coordination.

Resources

The Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) Office operates within an allocation of 4.5 persons/year. One ATIP Manager, two Senior ATIP analysts, and two ATIP analysts work full time on the processing of requests.

Statistical report

The statistical report provides aggregate data on the application of the Privacy Act. This information is made public annually and is included with the annual report (Appendix B).

Implementation: Privacy

The Privacy Act has a substantial impact on Statistics Canada, but the impact cannot be measured only by the number of requests processed. Although society seeks a broader range of detailed information, it also demands more accountability on the part of government about the collection of personal information and the purposes served by the information.

The Agency has a strong track record of respecting the privacy of Canadians and has taken a number of initiatives to address the privacy challenges this dichotomy raises.

Statistics Canada has internal directives that reflect the basic principles found in the Privacy Act. The Agency's Directive on Informing Survey Respondents requires that all respondents be informed of the expected use of the statistics produced from the survey results, the authority under which the survey is taken, their obligation to respond, the confidentiality protection given to all information collected under the Statistics Act, and any data-sharing arrangements pursuant to provisions of the Statistics Act.

Statistics Canada also developed the Directive on Microdata Linkage to respond to concerns of both respondents and privacy advocates on the potential of matching an individual's information gathered from a variety of sources.

These two directives not only support compliance with the letter and the spirit of the Privacy Act, but also demonstrate the Agency's commitment to the protection and appropriate use of the personal information under its control, while still meeting its mandate.

The Agency has also developed and implemented a Necessity and Proportionality framework that ensures that any collection of personal information for its statistical programs is duly justified.

As we chart new paths and methods of collecting data, respecting and protecting the rightful privacy of Canadians sit at the heart of everything we do. Statistics Canada's Trust Centre underlines how we meet Canadians' information needs while keeping their data safe and private.

Recent unexpected events such as the pandemic and current societal changes (political, legislative, social and technological) are challenging Statistics Canada to adapt and lead as we continue our modernization journey and as we strive to meet the demands of a digital world in the 21st century.

Statistics Canada continues to work diligently to ensure that the confidentiality it has committed to in law and in principle, is upheld. This includes ensuring that privacy remains at the forefront of all our activities.

In the new reality of instant information over social media, meeting legal requirements is no longer sufficient. Institutions must pro-actively engage with Canadians regarding what is socially acceptable under a social contract.

Statistics Canada's very mandate requires that it produce information that helps Canadians better understand their country – its population, resources, economy, environment, society and culture. To achieve this, the Agency must collect a considerable amount of personal information directly from Canadians through surveys, or indirectly from private and public organizations. Parliament has given Statistics Canada this mandate to better serve Canadians, but with such authority comes great responsibility. Statistics Canada continually adjusts to new realities and adapts existing mechanisms, or develops new ones to protect Canadians' privacy and ensure that their data will not be misused. The Agency must demonstrate and provide assurances to Canadians that it can be trusted with their information.

As Statistics Canada continues to modernize, it is committing to Responsible Privacy. Responsible Privacy is instrumental in honouring our promise to diligently collect, use, disclose and protect Canadians' personal information. It ensures that we indefatigably strive to go beyond what is required, and encompasses innovative privacy checks and balances that ensure due diligence when handling personal information. It requires that privacy be imprinted in all our activities.

To foster the Responsible Privacy approach and meet the demands of a digital world in the 21st century, senior management at Statistics Canada has committed to a formalized Privacy Management Program (PMP).

Privacy Management Program

Image

While many of its components were already part of the Agency's regular activities, the PMP instils a systematic and strategic approach that reinforces our commitment to Canadians regarding their personal information.

Privacy requests

The Agency received 161 new requests in 2021-2022 and 36 requests were carried over from the previous reporting period. During this period, 65 requests were completed and 132 requests were carried forward to the next reporting period.

For 9 requests, information was disclosed completely and for 5 requests, information was partially disclosed, having redactions applied to protect personal information pertaining to other individuals. For 15 requests, the information did not exist, and 36 requests were abandoned as applicants did not respond to requests for additional information or chose to withdraw them entirely. The public is the largest privacy client group for Statistics Canada.

In addition to requests from the general public, the Agency receives requests from current and former federal public servants regarding personal or staff relations issues. Statistics Canada responds to a number of requests for personal information through its pension search program. This program provides members of the public with information from their own census records, and from the 1940 National Registration records, to support their applications for pensions, citizenship, passports and other services when other administrative records, such as birth certificates, are required but no longer exist or were never issued. Regulations permit duly authorized representatives to act on behalf of a minor or an incompetent person to administer their affairs or estate. To do so, the trustees and estate administrators seek personal information from the census or from 1940 national registration records of deceased individuals, minors, or dependent adults. In the case of the deceased, the administrator of the estate may exercise these rights, but only for the purposes of estate administration.

For the 2021-22 fiscal year, and in relation to the 2021 Census of Population, of the 161 new Privacy requests received, 81 were related to individuals requesting copies of their completed census questionnaires. It should be noted as well that, of the 132 requests carried over to the next fiscal year, 81 of those are due to the fact that extracts of the 2021 Census of Population information, are not yet available for distribution.

Responding to privacy requests involved reviewing more than 1,744 pages, of which 1,416 pages were released. Fourteen (14) requestors received information electronically by email or e-post and zero (0) requestors received the information in paper format.

Other requests

During this period, Statistics Canada did not receive any Privacy Act consultation requests from other departments.

Disposition of completed requests

The disposition of the 65 requests completed in 2021-2022 was as follows:

• 9 were fully disclosed (19%)
• 5 were disclosed in part (3%)
• 15 information did not exist (12%)
• 36 were abandoned by applicants (66%)

Completion time and extensions

In 2021-2022 the number of privacy requests completed was 65 for an average of 313 over the last five years. Over half of all completed requests in 2021-22 (35 requests or 54%) processed in 2021-2022 were within the time period and as prescribed by the Act. Several factors contributed to the timely response; information and training sessions with senior leaders and sector contacts, and a streamlined delegation order. There were no extensions taken.

The 65 requests completed in 2021-2022 were processed in the following time frames:

• 20 within 1 to 15 days (31%)
• 15 within 16 to 30 days (23%)
• 6 within 31 to 60 days (9%)
• 2 within 61 to 120 days (3%)
• 6 within 121 to 180 days (9%)
• 11 within 181 to 365 days (17%)
• 5 more than 365 days (8%)

Due to the exceptional measures taken to curb the spread of COVID-19 and to protect federal employees, Statistics Canada employees have been operating with significantly-reduced on-site workforces since April 2020. This impact brought forward new electronic changes to procedures that were implemented in order to facilitate the processing of requests remotely.

Exemptions invoked

In 2021-2022, one exemption was invoked as per the Privacy Act, which was as follows:

• Section 26: Exempting personal information about individuals other than the requestor (5).

Costs

During 2021-2022, the ATIP Office incurred an estimated $79,421 in salary costs and 0$ in administrative costs to administer the Privacy Act. With the introduction of Statistics Canada's return to work place plan entitled "virtual-by-design environment" the ATIP division has been able to reduce administrative costs for the fiscal year 2021-22 by reducing the use of paper, completing virtual training courses, lowering the cost of travel and reducing the costs of office supplies.

Training initiatives for privacy

In 2021-2022, the Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) Office began developing a formal training program for all staff across the Agency, which began in April 2020. Informal one-on-one training was made available, until such time as the formal training was implemented. The informal training assists staff in understanding their obligations under the Act, as well as informs them about policies and directives related to personal information at Statistics Canada.

Statistics Canada's Office of Privacy Management and Information Coordination offers courses on a variety of subjects related to the Statistics Act and the Privacy Act as well as supporting policies and directives. These include sessions on "Privacy Impact Assessment" and "Privacy and Confidentiality", with a focus on personal information collected about employees of Statistics Canada, clients or the public, and appropriate use of such personal information.

Statistics Canada also requires employees to complete computer-based courses on confidentiality. A mandatory course for new employees offers a brief overview of confidentiality, illustrating its importance at the Agency.

Policies, guidelines and procedures

The ATIP Office has a variety of tools in place to ensure that ATIP sector contacts are well informed about their roles and responsibilities for coordinating privacy requests. These tools include a concise checklist outlining steps to follow when providing responsive records for privacy requests, and a responsible contact from the ATIP team throughout the process. There are also a variety of directives and policies provided by the Treasury Board Secretariat, about the protection of personal information. Personal and confidential information is protected by the Privacy Act and the Statistics Act and will only be disclosed as permitted by these Acts.

Statistics Canada developed and published a privacy framework that identifies the full scope of privacy controls within the operations of Statistics Canada as a collection of approved practices, procedures and governance related to privacy. This includes the identification of the Director, Office of Privacy Management and Information Coordination, as the Chief Privacy Officer (CPO) for Statistics Canada, as designated by the Chief Statistician. The CPO provides leadership on matters related to privacy, develops business strategies and processes that ensure that privacy is considered and accounted for in business decision, and ensures the safeguarding of the information through administrative policy instruments and best practices.

Given its unique position in the federal government in collecting personal information solely for statistical and research purposes, Statistics Canada has determined that the privacy issues associated with its statistical activities undertaken under the authority of the Statistics Act could be addressed by means of a Generic Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA).

Although the Generic PIA is comprehensive and reflects the vast majority of Statistics Canada's operations, in the instance of extraordinary activities, specific PIAs are conducted with input from the Office of the Privacy Commissioner (OPC). Statistics Canada prepares supplements to the Generic PIA for all new and significantly redesigned surveys and statistical programs involving the collection, use or disclosure of personal information that raise unique or additional privacy, confidentiality or security risks that have not been addressed in the Generic PIA.

Complaints and investigations

There was one (1) time delay complaint made against Statistics Canada lodged with the OPC. The ATIP Office has responded to the complaint as identification was missing at the time from the complainant, and while the investigation has not yet been finalized, review of the records is on-going.

Monitoring of the requests

At Statistics Canada, the ATIP Office processes and monitors requests by registering them in a comprehensive system known as Privasoft – Access Pro Case Management. An acknowledgement of the request is sent to the client and a retrieval form is forwarded to the relevant program area, Office of Primary Interest (OPI), for responsive records. If the OPI and/or the ATIP Office need to clarify the request, the ATIP Office contacts the client.

The retrieval form was created by the ATIP Office at Statistics Canada and is based on the Policy on Privacy Protection and the Directive on Privacy Practices from the Treasury Board Secretariat. The form includes the text of the request, the name and phone number of the ATIP Officer, and the date by which records are required (normally 5 to 10 days). The form states that the ATIP Office is obligated to report annually on the administrative costs related to requests and thus information is needed on the group(s) and level(s) of those involved in the retrieval process, and the amount of time spent working on the request (including time for search, retrieval, internal review (relevant or not to the request) and photocopying). The individuals providing the records are asked to identify any areas which may be sensitive in nature (e.g., personal information, legal issues), and the Director General or responsible delegate of the program area signs the form.

The ATIP Office assists the program areas with the retrieval of records from day one. As 5 to 10 days are allowed for the retrieval, a follow-up is made on the fifth day. If additional time is required for the retrieval, this is when the program area is to notify the ATIP Office. An additional 1 to 5 days may be granted depending on the amount of work remaining. Once the documents are received from the OPI, the ATIP Office ensures the form is duly completed and that it has been signed by the appropriate manager. The ATIP Office takes 5 to 10 days to review and process the records. Once the work from the ATIP Office is completed, the final version is released to the client. The OPI and management are very aware of the importance of ATIP requests.

Privacy breaches

The Privacy and Information Breach Protocol provides clear identification of the various roles and responsibilities in the event of a breach. It includes the requirement to complete a standard template which incorporates the elements suggested in the Treasury Board Secretariat's guidelines on how to respond to a privacy breach. The template has been approved by the Agency's senior management. At a minimum, the incident report will contain the following information:

• a description of the incident (who, what, when, where, why, how)
• the actions already taken and planned for the future
• a description of the risks/impacts
• any other information that might be helpful in locating any lost item(s) or in assessing the consequences of loss or compromise
• recommendations for reducing or eliminating the risk of the event reoccurring in future
• information on whether the individuals or organizations whose information was breached were informed of the incident
• indication if the individuals, Office of the Privacy Commissioner (OPC) and Treasury Board Secretariat will be informed of the incident and if not, rationale for not informing them.

Best practices to eliminate or reduce future recurrences that are identified during an investigation must be communicated to other employees to prevent a recurrence of the breach.

Breaches are coordinated by a centralized group to ensure that all programs impacted by the breach provide input.

There were 18 privacy breaches at Statistics Canada during the reporting period, of which 3 were material in nature. A total of 410 people were affected by these 18 breaches. Amongst the 410 people affected, 200 were a result of 1 incident related to employment candidates email information that was not material in nature.

Three material breaches were reported to the OPC, affecting a total of 5 individuals:

• A Census Enumerator's vehicle was stolen including two completed Census long-form questionnaires.
• Two completed Census long-form questionnaires were stolen from a Census Enumerator's home during a break-in.
• A minor's name was erroneously disclosed through an invitation letter to participate in a Statistics Canada survey.

Additional measures, specific to the areas which experienced a breach were implemented, including the following:

• retraining of Census Enumerators on proper storage of Census materials;
• exploring and updating methodologies for the creation of survey frames for all surveys involving children.

Privacy impact assessments

The Statistics Canada Directive on Conducting Privacy Impact Assessments (PIAs) specifies the roles and responsibilities of its senior managers and privacy specialists with regard to the collection, use and dissemination of personal information. This directive applies to all statistical and non-statistical programs that engage in the collection, use or disclosure of personal information.

Statistics Canada's Generic PIA covers all aspects of the Agency's statistical programs that collect, use and disseminate information in support of the mandate under the Statistics Act. The Generic PIA addresses the ten privacy principles, and includes a threat and risk assessment for various collection and access modes.

Supplements to the Generic PIA are produced for new and significantly redesigned collections, uses or disclosures of personal information that raise unique or additional privacy, confidentiality or security risks. The Generic PIA and its supplements are posted on the Statistics Canada website: Generic privacy impact assessment.

Specific PIAs are also conducted for new or redesigned administrative programs and services that involve the collection, use and disclosure of personal information that are not addressed in the Generic PIA. Summaries of completed privacy impact assessments can be found on the Statistics Canada website: Privacy impact assessments.

In the current reporting period, 6 PIAs and 10 supplements were approved and submitted to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner and the Treasury Board Secretariat. The following are brief descriptions:

Client Relationship Management System

A PIA was conducted to determine if there were any privacy, confidentiality or security issues associated with updates to Statistics Canada's Client Relationship Management (CRM) system. Statistics Canada has been leveraging a Client Relationship Management (CRM) solution to help support the provision of client service delivery, business respondent relations, microdata access and Census respondent relations. The CRM system was updated to adapt to new realities and to support a strategic, holistic and consistent approach to the collection of quality client business intelligence data that can help to strategically respond to clients' needs and better serve Canadians. The assessment did not identify any privacy risks that cannot be managed using existing safeguards.

Employee Wellness Surveys and Pulse Check Surveys

A PIA was conducted to determine if there were any privacy, confidentiality or security issues associated with the Employee Wellness Surveys and associated Pulse Check Surveys. These internal surveys are administered only to Statistics Canada and Statistical Survey Operations employees and seek to offer up-to-date and representative measurement of the state of Statistics Canada's psychological health and safety. The results help the organization better understand where challenges to psychological health and safety reside, where resources to help bolster psychological health and safety exist, and how to best improve overall psychological health and safety, and ultimately, performance. The assessment did not identify any privacy risks that cannot be managed using existing safeguards.

Engaging Disability Innovation Study

A PIA was conducted to determine if there were any privacy, confidentiality or security issues associated with the Engaging Disability Innovation Study which consists of the quantitative Employment and Accessibility Survey and associated qualitative asynchronous online engagement. This internal study is conducted only with Statistics Canada and Statistical Survey Operations employees. It aims to help Statistics Canada's Accessibility Secretariat understand where challenges of accessibility and safety reside, where resources to help bolster accessibility exist, and how to best improve overall accessibility of Statistics Canada's recruitment, retention and promotion process, operational practices, and ultimately, employee performance. The assessment did not identify any privacy risks that cannot be managed using existing safeguards.

Meltwater: Social Media Communications Tool

A PIA was conducted to determine if there were any privacy, confidentiality or security issues associated with Statistics Canada's use of the Meltwater Social Media Communications Tool. The tool serves to search, monitor and analyze social media and traditional media traffic on issues and topics relevant to Statistics Canada. Using Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), Meltwater performs searches of social and traditional media content based on specific search query keywords relevant to the agency's mandate, indexes the related information found and then presents the results to the agency. The use of Meltwater allows the Agency to better understand current opinion, sentiment and overall conversation on specific Statistics Canada issues to create communications products that resonate with target audiences. While information publicly posted by social media users could include information such as profile picture, comments or opinions, personal preferences or interests, only information pertinent to public relations and communications are retained and used, and are never disseminated in identifiable format. The reports generated through Meltwater only include information in aggregate non-identifiable form. The assessment did not identify any privacy risks that cannot be managed using existing safeguards.

Microsoft 365

A PIA was conducted to determine if there were any privacy, confidentiality or security issues associated with the implementation of Microsoft 365. Microsoft 365 is an enterprise-level, cloud-based version of the Microsoft office productivity tools for creating documents, presentations, and spreadsheets, for internal communications, for managing emails, for work planning, and for other common administrative tasks. This integrated suite of tools supports the daily activities of Statistics Canada's employees, including collaboration within the organization. The assessment did not identify any privacy risks that cannot be managed using existing safeguards.

Vitali-T-Stat Mobile Application

A PIA was conducted to determine if there were any privacy, confidentiality or security issues associated with the Vitali-T-Stat Mobile Application. Statistics Canada developed and implemented a mobile application as a new means of inviting respondents to access the agency's secure survey collection infrastructure and complete a survey. The application itself does not collect any personal information; it simply prompts respondents and points them to the secure collection environment housed at Statistics Canada where they complete the survey questionnaire. The application does not utilise geo-location tracking, camera or microphone access, calendar integration, barcode scanning or beacon technology. It will first be used in the context of the longitudinal Pilot Study on Everyday Well-being which will collect data on the well-being of Canadians, and for which a separate supplement to Statistics Canada's Generic PIA supplement was developed. The assessment did not identify any privacy risks that cannot be managed using existing safeguards.

2021 Census of Population

A supplement to the Generic PIA was conducted to determine if there were any privacy, confidentiality or security issues associated with new content for the 2021 Census of Population. The Census of Population's purpose is to provide statistical information, analyses and services that measure changes in the Canadian population and demographic characteristics. It serves as a basis for public and private decision making, research and analysis in areas of concern to the people of Canada. Under the Statistics Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. S-19), Statistics Canada is responsible for conducting the Census of Population every five years. As in past censuses, extensive consultations on the questions to include in the 2021 Census of Population were held with Canadians. New and modified questions, developed to reflect new needs identified in the consultations, were qualitatively tested by Statistics Canada in 2018. The assessment concluded that, with the existing Statistics Canada safeguards, any remaining risks are such that Statistics Canada is prepared to accept and manage the risk.

Canadian Child Welfare Information System

A supplement to the Generic PIA was conducted to determine if there were any privacy, confidentiality or security issues associated with the Canadian Child Welfare Information System. The CCWIS is a national public health information system on child welfare, and its purpose is to support nationally standardized analyses and reporting on child maltreatment; investigations and outcomes; the number of children in need of protection; and passage through the child welfare system, including referral to services, placement in foster care, connections to family, reunification, and other requests for family services. Data on these issues inform regional and national child welfare prevention and protection policies and practices. Data-informed child welfare is crucial to protect and improve the lives of many Canadian children and their families. The assessment concluded that, with the existing Statistics Canada safeguards, any remaining risks are such that Statistics Canada is prepared to accept and manage the risk.

Supplement to the Canadian COVID-19 Antibody and Health Survey for Cycle 2

A supplement to the Canadian COVID-19 Antibody and Health Survey was conducted to determine if there were any privacy, confidentiality or security issues associated with Cycle 2 of the survey. The content of the Cycle 2 questionnaire is slightly different, and includes, in addition to gathering information on COVID-19 status and related health concerns, questions on use of the health care system, prescribed medications, active infections (nucleic acid-based testing) and previous infections (antibody testing). Participants may also be asked to participate in a self-administered collection of microbial nucleic acids from saliva. The collected specimen would be used to assess current SARS-CoV-2 infection status via a polymerase chain-reaction (PCR) test. Only with informed consent from respondents, results from the PCR test are sent to the respondents and local health authorities may be notified when results are positive. All other personal information collected is the same as in the previous cycle of the survey. The assessment concluded that, with the existing Statistics Canada safeguards, any remaining risks are such that Statistics Canada is prepared to accept and manage the risk.

Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline Feasibility Study Data Acquisition Project

A supplement to the Generic PIA was conducted to determine if there were any privacy, confidentiality or security issues associated with the Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline Feasibility Study Data Acquisition Project. In response to the National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking's call for enhanced data to help inform policy and programs that help victims and survivors, Statistics Canada is working with the Canadian Centre to End Human Trafficking to acquire and examine administrative data related to their operation of the Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline. The hotline has specific procedures in place to seek consent from callers and to inform why and how their information will be used. No information that directly identifies a victim or caller will be provided to Statistics Canada, and the agency will not publish any information that could potentially identify an individual based on the characteristics of victims or location of incidents. The assessment concluded that, with the existing Statistics Canada safeguards, any remaining risks are such that Statistics Canada is prepared to accept and manage the risk.

Childhood National Immunization Coverage Survey

A supplement to the Generic PIA was conducted to determine if there were any privacy, confidentiality or security issues associated with the Childhood National Immunization Coverage Survey. The main objectives of this survey are to determine if children are being vaccinated in accordance with the recommended immunization schedules for publicly-funded vaccines and to measure to what degree recent public health recommendations are being adopted to increase vaccination against the flu and pertussis during pregnancy. Results help health authorities focus vaccination campaigns for the under-vaccinated and vulnerable populations. Results also allow Canada to meet its commitment to provide the World Health Organization and the Pan American Health Organization with estimates of national coverage for childhood vaccines such as measles, diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus and polio. For the 2021 cycle, questions were added to help understand the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on immunization and vaccine coverage for children and pregnant women. The assessment concluded that with the existing Statistics Canada safeguards, any remaining risks are such that Statistics Canada is prepared to accept and manage the risk.

Update to the Longitudinal Immigration Database

A supplement to the Generic PIA was conducted to determine if there were any privacy, confidentiality or security issues associated with updates to the Longitudinal Immigration Database. The Database was implemented in 1997, and integrates immigration and citizenship data provided by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada with tax information provided by the Canada Revenue Agency. It is used for statistical research on the socioeconomic performance of non-permanent residents and immigrants in Canada, and supports public policy development on population migration, cultural diversity and the challenges of immigrant integration. The Database originally only included permanent resident data for immigrants admitted since 1980, and did not include information on non-permanent residents. With this update to the Database, coverage has been expanded to include immigrants admitted since 1952, and non-permanent residents. Statistics Canada only releases anonymized, aggregated statistical information on immigrants and non-permanent residents. Individuals will not be identifiable in any product disseminated to the public. The assessment concluded that with the existing Statistics Canada safeguards, any remaining risks are such that Statistics Canada is prepared to accept and manage the risk.

Mental Health and Access to Care Survey

A supplement to the Generic PIA was conducted to determine if there were any privacy, confidentiality or security issues associated with the Mental Health and Access to Care Survey. This voluntary survey collects information about the mental health status of Canadians, as well as their access to and need for services and support, whether formal or informal. It also assesses the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on population health as well as evaluate changes in patterns of mental health, service use and functioning in the last ten years. Results help inform government decision‐making and policy development in order to support vulnerable Canadians and their families dealing with mental health issues. Survey results regarding the unmet need for mental-health services also help guide decisions about which parts of the mental-health services system need to be improved, where awareness and treatment programs are most needed, and how such targeted treatment programs should be developed. The assessment concluded that with the existing Statistics Canada safeguards, any remaining risks are such that Statistics Canada is prepared to accept and manage the risk.

Pilot Study on Everyday Well-Being

A supplement to the Generic PIA was conducted to determine if there were any privacy, confidentiality or security issues associated with the Pilot Study on Everyday Well-Being. Canadians who opt to participate in this voluntary pilot study are asked to download Statistics Canada's mobile application (Vitali-T-Stat) and customize their setting to receive up to a maximum of five prompts a day over a thirty day period. Upon receiving and accepting a prompt, respondents are redirected to Statistics Canada's secure collection infrastructure and the Pilot Study on Everyday Well-being questionnaire that asks in-the-moment questions about their activities and feelings. The app itself, for which a PIA was conducted, does not collect any personal information. The results are used to fill key gaps in national-level subjective well-being and can inform governments' decisions regarding publicly-funded cultural and other programs that contribute to Canadians' well-being. The assessment concluded that with the existing Statistics Canada safeguards, any remaining risks are such that Statistics Canada is prepared to accept and manage the risk.

Survey of Employees under Federal Jurisdiction

A supplement to the Generic PIA was conducted to determine if there were any privacy, confidentiality or security issues associated with the Survey of Employees under Federal Jurisdiction. This voluntary targeted survey collects information on the quality of employees' work conditions, access to benefits and flexible work arrangements, labour relations, work-related well-being and workplace health and safety including harassment and discrimination. The information from this survey guides research and analysis to update the Canada Labour Code. The assessment concluded that with the existing Statistics Canada safeguards, any remaining risks are such that Statistics Canada is prepared to accept and manage the risk.

Survey on Health Care Workers' Experiences During the Pandemic

A supplement to the Generic PIA was conducted to determine if there were any privacy, confidentiality or security issues associated with the Survey on Health Care Workers' Experiences During the Pandemic. The purpose of this voluntary survey is to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on health care workers in Canada. It covers topics such as job type and setting, personal protective equipment and infection prevention and control practices and protocols, COVID-19 vaccination and diagnosis, and the impacts of the pandemic on personal health and work life. It also includes general demographic questions. The results of this survey help inform health care workforce planning, the delivery of health care services, and to better understand what health care workers need in terms of equipment, training and support. The assessment concluded that with the existing Statistics Canada safeguards, any remaining risks are such that Statistics Canada is prepared to accept and manage the risk.

Microdata linkage

As outlined in Statistics Canada's Directive on Microdata Linkage, linkages of different records pertaining to the same individual are carried out only for statistical purposes and only in cases where the public good is clearly evident. One of the primary objectives of these linkages is to produce statistical information that facilitates a better understanding of Canadian society, the economy and the environment.

All microdata linkage proposals must satisfy a prescribed review process as outlined in the directive. In addition to demonstrating the public benefit, each submission must provide details of the output. The public dissemination of any information resulting from microdata linkage, like all other statistical information, is only at an aggregate level which protects the confidentiality of the information of individuals.

In 2021-2022, there were 27 approved microdata linkages that involved personal information. A summary of these record linkages is found in Appendix C.

8(2)(m) of the Privacy Act

No disclosures were made under paragraph 8(2)(m) of the Privacy Act during the reporting period.

Appendix A: Delegation Order

Access to Information and Privacy Acts Delegation Order

The Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, pursuant to section 73 of the Access to Information Act and section 73 of the Privacy Act, hereby designates the persons holding the positions set out in the schedule hereto, or the persons occupying on an acting basis those positions, to exercise the powers and functions of the Minister as the head of Statistics Canada, under the section of the Act set out in the schedule opposite each position. This Delegation Order supersedes all previous Delegation Orders.

Schedule

The original version was signed by
The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne
Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry
Dated, at the City of Ottawa
May 18, 2021

Appendix B: Statistical Report on the Privacy Act

Name of institution: Statistics Canada

Reporting period: 2021-04-01 to 2022-03-31

Section 1: Requests Under the Privacy Act

1.1 Number of requests recevied

1.2 Channels of requests

Section 2: Informal requests

2.1 Number of requests received

2.2 Channels of informal requests

2.3 Completion time of informal requests

2.4 Pages released informally

Section 3: Requests Closed During the Reporting Period

3.1 Disposition and completion time

3.2 Exemptions

3.3 Exclusions

3.4 Format of information released

3.5 Complexity

3.5.1 Relevant pages processed and disclosed for paper and e-record formats

3.5.2 Relevant pages processed by request disposition for paper and e-record formats by size of requests

3.5.3 Relevant minutes processed and disclosed for audio formats

3.5.4 Relevant minutes processed per request disposition for audio formats by size of requests

3.5.5 Relevant minutes processed and disclosed for video formats

3.5.6 Relevant minutes processed per request disposition for video formats by size of requests

3.5.7 Other complexities

3.6 Closed requests

3.6.1 Number of requests closed within legislated timelines

3.7 Deemed refusals

3.7.1 Reasons for not meeting legislated timelines

3.7.2 Request closed beyond legislated timelines (including any extension taken)

3.8 Requests for translation

Section 4: Disclosures Under Subsections 8(2) and 8(5)

Section 5: Requests for Correction of Personal Information and Notations

Section 6: Extensions

6.1 Reasons for extensions

6.2 Length of extensions

Section 7: Consultations Received From Other Institutions and Organizations

7.1 Consultations received from other Government of Canada institutions and other organizations

7.2 Recommendations and completion time for consultations received from other Government of Canada institutions

7.3 Recommendations and completion time for consultations received from other organizations outside the Government of Canada

Section 8: Completion Time of Consultations on Cabinet Confidences

8.1 Requests with Legal Services

8.2 Requests with Privy Council Office

Section 9: Complaints and Investigations Notices Received

Section 10: Privacy Impact Assessments (PIAs) and Personal Information Banks (PIBs)

10.1 Privacy Impact Assessments

10.2 Institution-specific and Central Personal Information Banks

Section 11: Privacy Breaches

11.1 Material Privacy Breaches reported

11.2 Non-Material Privacy Breaches

Section 12: Resources Related to the Privacy Act

12.1 Allocated Costs

12.2 Human Resources

Appendix C: Microdata linkages 2021-2022

Approved record linkages containing personal information

Canadian Forces Cancer and Mortality Study II (CF CAMS II) and the Veteran Suicide Mortality Study (VSMS) (005-2021)

Purpose: Canadian Forces (CF) are tasked with protecting Canada and its citizens from threats to security. CF members may be involved in combat, peace-keeping and observer missions, post-conflict peace building and humanitarian assistance. The very nature of these operations can pose unusual and uncommon exposures with known and unknown risks. Adverse outcomes, including death, may be immediate or delayed. In order to identify risks, Department of National Defence (DND) and Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) must be able to conduct on-going analysis and interpretation of health information for CF personnel during and after their active military service period.

DND and VAC do not currently have access to complete information on mortality and cancer outcomes of serving and retired CF personnel.

The Canadian Forces Cancer and Mortality Study II, and the Veteran Suicide Mortality Study address major gaps in the health surveillance of CF personnel (serving and released). The general objectives of the studies are to describe the mortality and cancer experience in order to inform:

• Health promotion and health protection policies and programs for serving personnel
• Programs that deliver care for veterans (released), and their families.

Output: Only aggregate tabular statistics that conform to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act and any applicable requirements of the Privacy Act will be released outside of Statistics Canada.

Findings from the Canadian Forces Cancer and Mortality Study, and the Veterans Suicide Mortality Study will be disseminated through DND and VAC publications, in peer-reviewed journals, through Veterans Associations publications and in scientific meetings/conferences. All information and reports will contain non-confidential aggregate statistics that will not result in the identification of individual members. If required, additional presentations of study results will be provided by the Canadian Forces Health Services Group at DND to CF leadership and employees; and by VAC's Research Directorate to the Department of Veterans Affairs' leadership and employees.

Record linkages for the 2021 Census of Population (007-2021)

Purpose: The purpose of this linkage project is to obtain specific detailed information to supplement or replace the data collected through the 2021 Census questionnaires and to improve overall the data quality of the Census Program. This use of record linkage provides better-quality, detailed information for small communities and populations, saves time and money, and ensures that the census remains accurate, relevant and efficient. By expanding the use of administrative data in the 2021 Census through record linkage, the burden of response is also reduced as Canadians are spared from supplying the same information they have already provided elsewhere.

Output: The data from these linkages are integrated with collected census data and used to produce estimates for dissemination as part of the standard census product line. Outputs for the census include a wide range of analysis and standard data tables, as well as custom tabulations. Only aggregate statistical estimates and analyses conforming to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act and any applicable requirements of the Privacy Act are released outside of Statistics Canada.

Linkage of emergency and recovery programs and other administrative files with individual and family characteristics from the 2016 Census and selected household surveys (008-2021)

Purpose: This linkage project will help to measure the extent of income support provided during the pandemic. This project will benefit all Canadians on various levels.

Canadians will be better informed to discuss the context surrounding the measures. Furthermore, it will inform discussions about diversity and equity. In addition, it will provide relevant information to the academic community and policy-makers to better serve Canadians.

It will be possible to obtain the level of participation in the programs compared with all workers in the previous year. The integration of selected sociocultural characteristics, level of education and labour market activities that are not available in the administrative databases will enable the analysis to focus on vulnerable or discriminated populations as well as persons with a disability.

Output: To ensure compliance with the provisions of the Statistics Act and the Privacy Act, any data that will be published outside Statistics Canada and its network of Research Data Centres will first be assessed against pre-established confidentiality rules and will be censored to comply with these suppression criteria.

Once these statistical products are certified as compliant with the suppression rules, they will be verified with partner agencies and, where appropriate, published on the Statistics Canada's website.

The products will include a series of characteristic tables in spring 2021. Written analyses will follow.

Ontario Social Assistance Data Linkage Project (009-2021)

Purpose: The Ontario Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services has elaborated a research plan focusing on a better understanding of the characteristics of social assistance recipients, the recipients' interactions with the social assistance and income security systems and the impact of social assistance across a range of recipient outcomes. The project focuses in particular on the earnings, income, and health trajectories of social assistance recipients and their dependents before, during, and after their time in Ontario's caseload. As part of this project, a linkage between the Ontario Social Assistance Member Information File to multiple administrative sources held by Statistics Canada will be performed. The development of analytical research projects are also expected to help researchers, the general public and government to understand and to improve assistance policies or programs.

Output: The analysis file, once identifiers are removed, and the linkage keys will be placed in the Research Data Centre (RDC) network where deemed employees will be able to conduct specific analyses.

All access to the linked microdata file will be restricted to Statistics Canada personnel (including Statistics Canada deemed employees) whose work activities require access. Research reports and presentations to various groups will be generated from the analysis files. Only non-confidential aggregate data or tables conforming to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act and any applicable requirements of the Privacy Act will be released outside of Statistics Canada.

The impact of preterm birth on socioeconomic and educational outcomes of children and families (010-2021)

Purpose: To account for the complex nature of the data and outcomes, we will employ longitudinal methods, multistate models and parametric survival models. We will answer the following questions:

1. What is the impact of preterm birth on short-term outcomes such as family income, maternal labor market participation, and maternal educational attainment?
2. What is the impact of preterm birth on long-term outcomes such as the preterm-birth survivor's educational attainment and income?

Output: Only aggregate data that conform to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act will be released outside of Statistics Canada. Analytical datasets will be placed in the Research Data Centres (RDCs) and access will be granted following the standard RDC approval process. The source datasets will be anonymized and will respect variable restrictions in effect for the source datasets (e.g., hospital, vital statistics, and tax files). Major findings will be used to create research papers for publication in peer-reviewed journals and presentations at workshops and conferences.

Linkage of the 2017 Canadian Survey on Disability (CSD) to select T1FF data and Disability Tax Certificate (DTC) holders. (011-2021)

Purpose: The federal personal income tax system recognizes the additional costs borne by persons with disabilities and provides tax relief to this population through several tax expenditures (e.g., the Disability Tax Credit (DTC)). However, due to the specific eligibility criteria of these measures, using them as proxies for identifying persons with disabilities in tax data may underestimate this population in Canada. On the other hand, while the Canadian Survey on Disability (CSD) may allow a better identification of persons with disabilities, it contains few details on the disability benefit programs such as the DTC. Using these two data sources separately limits the ability to study the impacts of federal income tax expenditures on persons with disabilities.

Output: Results from this data linkage will inform around the current economic context for persons with disabilities in Canada and be instrumental in the development of the Government of Canada's Disability Inclusion Action Plan.

Addition of the Diversity and Skills Database (DSD) to the Linkable File Environment (LFE) of Statistics Canada (012-2021)

Purpose: The purpose of the project is to better understand the ownership and employee characteristics of Canadian enterprises, particularly those supported by the federal government. In the initial usage of this linkage, to be conducted by Statistics Canada's Economic Analysis Division in conjunction with the Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS) of Canada at Statistics Canada's Business Data Access Centre, ownership and employee characteristics of government-supported enterprises in the Business Innovation and Growth Support (BIGS) program will be analysed. This will allow TBS and federal policy makers to determine if the demographic distribution of federal business funding is equitable, reasonable and fair, and how it should be adjusted to maximize the common good of all sectors of Canadian society.

Output: Only non-confidential aggregate statistical outputs and analysis that conform to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act will be released outside Statistics Canada.

These outputs will include aggregate statistical tabulations showing diversity and skills characteristics of owners and employees of enterprises in government support programs such as those included in the Business Innovation and Growth Support program conducted by Statistics Canada on behalf of TBS. The characteristics currently in the DSD are gender, age, immigration status, and business experience.

Military Veteran Status File (013-2021)

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to establish, for the first time, a longitudinal status file that captures all Veterans who have served in the Canadian Armed Forces. This information will be used to expand the research and analysis on the socio-economic status of the entire Veteran population and their families.

Output: Only non-confidential data and analytical products, conforming to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act and any applicable requirements of the Privacy Act will be released outside of Statistics Canada.

Integration of parent and child records from the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (NLSCY) to data from the T1 Family File (T1FF). (014-2021)

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to answer numerous questions related to parents and children and their outcomes over time, including those that require a long period of observation. These answers can help to improve government program design (for example, parental leave programs) and identify where intervention or solutions could be beneficial (for example, in relation to acceptable levels of air pollution). The NLSCY is Canada's best source of information on children. Linking the NLSCY to the T1FF information of the children and youth and their parents will make it possible to better understand what helps and does not help children over the life course which can benefit the society. Children that are born now will not enter the labour market for another 15 to 30 years, while those of the NLSCY are entering the labour market as we speak.

Output: Dissemination plans may include research papers, data tables, workshops or conferences, media (various forms). Only non-confidential statistical aggregates will be disseminated outside of Statistics Canada.

Alberta Interprovincial Talent Mobility (015-2021)

Purpose: The Alberta Interprovincial Talent Mobility project objective is to understand the current landscape of talent supply and retention in Alberta. In particular, the project will help quantify the talent exodus, if any, from Alberta and help inform interventions that are targeted towards retaining talented high school graduates in the Alberta post-secondary education system and the labour force. It will also inform the adequacy of current post-secondary education programming available to Albertans.

Output: The linked outcome file, with all identifiers removed, will be made available to the Alberta Ministry of Advanced Education in the Statistics Canada, Alberta Secure room, located in the Alberta Office of Statistics and information (OSI).

Linkage of APEX-AMI clinical cohort to hospitalization and socioeconomic data (016-2021)

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to create a series of outcome files resulting from the APEX-AMI files being linked to DAD, CVSD, and T1FF data.

The specific aims of this project are to study the:

• Differences in characteristics of patients from Canada enrolled in a clinical trial known as the Assessment of Pexelizumab in Acute Myocardial Infarction (APEX AMI) and not enrolled in the trial during the same time period (e.g. age, sex, urban/rural residence, marital status, socio-economic status (SES));
• Differences in health care resource (e.g. number of hospitalizations, days in hospital, cardiovascular procedures) and long-term mortality among patients enrolled in the trial compared to those not enrolled in the trial;
• Impact of marital status on long-term mortality in patients with a ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI); and
• Impact of SES on long-term mortality in patients with a STEMI.

The integrated dataset will fill an existing data gap by examining enrollment in clinical trials through an equity, diversity, and inclusiveness (EDI) lens. For example, if we find the ratio of men to women enrolled in the trial is significantly different from the proportion of men to women who could have been enrolled in the trial, it would inform the design and conduct of future clinical trials. The integrated data will also be able to shed light on the long-term health outcomes of patients enrolled in the trial and compare them to those who were not enrolled in the trial. The linkage will allow for the examination of how social determinants of health (such as urban/rural residence, marital status, and socio-economic status) which were not captured as part of the trial, affect long-term outcomes in patients hospitalized with a STEMI.

Output: Only aggregate data that conform to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act will be released outside of Statistics Canada. Analytical datasets will be placed in the Research Data Centres (RDCs) and access will be granted following the Microdata Access Portal application process. Patient identifiers resulting from the linkage will be removed from the linked datasets and the datasets will respect variable restrictions in effect for the source datasets (e.g. Discharge Abstract Database, Vital Statistics – Death Database, and T1 Family File). All linked datasets that will be produced will have their identifiers removed before they are placed in the RDCs. Major findings will be used to create research papers for publication in peer-reviewed journals and presentations at workshops and conferences.

The Impact of Surgery on Work and Earnings for those with Degenerative Conditions of the Spine, Hip and Knee (017-2021)

Purpose: The specific aim of this project is to study the impact of surgery on employment and earnings for patients with osteoarthritis of the spine, hip and knee.

Our central hypothesis is that surgical intervention for end-stage osteoarthritis of the spine, hip and knee will result in elevated workforce participation and increased earnings. We will evaluate this using linked longitudinal health and earnings data. Healthcare data will be derived from the Canadian Institute for Health Information Discharge Abstract Database (DAD), the National Ambulatory Care Reporting System (NACRS), and the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS). Earnings data will be obtained from the T1 Family File, which contains yearly tax returns for all Canadians.

Output: Only aggregate data that conform to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act will be released outside of Statistics Canada. Analytical datasets will be placed in the Research Data Centres (RDCs) and access will be granted following the standard RDC approval process. The source datasets will be anonymized and will respect variable restrictions in effect for the source datasets (e.g., hospital, vital statistics, and tax files). All linked file(s) that will be produced will have their identifiers removed before they are placed in the RDC. Major findings will be used to create research papers for publication in peer-reviewed journals and presentations at workshops and conferences.

Atlantic Student Tracking System (ASTS) project (019-2021)

Purpose: The objective of the Atlantic Student Tracking System project is to understand the pathways of current and prospective students in the Atlantic provinces, from Kindergarten to Grade 12 through to postsecondary education.

In particular, the project will provide policy-relevant statistical information by identifying the pathways Atlantic K-12 students follow as they enter, move through and complete their postsecondary education as well as to the labour market. The project builds upon what is currently available in the Atlantic provinces by including postsecondary and apprenticeship enrolment of students in all Canadian provinces, so that movement of high school graduates outside the Atlantic provinces can be fully understood. It also allows study of graduate outcomes related to earnings and employment.

Output: The regional linked outcome file, with all identifiers removed, will be made available to the clients in the New Brunswick University Research Data Centre.

Graduate Outcome Indicators, Project (020-2021)

Purpose: The Graduate Outcome Indicators aims to provide policy-relevant statistical aggregates on students and graduates of Alberta's universities and colleges. In particular, the project will focus on the outcomes and pathways of students and graduates. The expected result is that Alberta will have a greater understanding of student pathways, transitions to the labour market and outcomes over time.

Output: The linked outcome file, with all identifiers removed, will be made available to the Alberta Ministry of Advanced Education in the Statistics Canada, Alberta Secure room, located in the Alberta Office of Statistics and information (OSI).

Linkage of the 2020 Canadian Internet Use Survey (CIUS) data to the 2019 T1 Family File, and Longitudinal Immigration database (IMDB) (021-2021)

Purpose: The purpose of the linkage is to respond to the data needs of the Government of Canada to measure the digital economy, including informing the Universal Broadband Fund. As the barriers to accessing digital technologies and their impacts can vary by different socioeconomic and demographic characteristics, it is important to include this perspective when producing statistics where possible in order to inform relevant policies and programs. Income and Immigration statistics are very important when looking at differences in Internet access and use to determine barriers and to address issues specific to the digital divide. These data are not collected in the questionnaire and can only be obtained through microdata linkage.

The CIUS collects information on internet access and use amongst Canadians 15 years of age or older in the 10 provinces. Historically, data on household income and other sociodemographic characteristics have been collected through self-report. Linkage through the SDLE offers the opportunity to link to administrative data sources to reduce respondent burden and increase data quality, following a well-proven method used by many other social surveys.

Variables from the T1FF file and the IMDB database will be linked to the CIUS data to provide a more comprehensive dataset.

Output: Only aggregate data that conform to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act will be released outside of Statistics Canada. Findings are expected to be used to inform policy, for research papers, internal and external reporting documents, presentations at workshops and conferences, and external publications.

Data will be released in the following products:

1. Microdata file in the Research Data Centres (RDC)
2. Public Use Microdata File (PUMF)
3. Aggregates in client tables

Developing a Socio-Demographic Profile of Recipients of the Wage Earner Protection Program to Support Program Evaluation (023-2021)

Purpose: The main objective of this study is to develop a profile of key socio-demographic characteristics for recipients of the Wage Earner Protection Program (WEPP). The linkage will provide information about income, employment, disability and ethnicity. The socio-demographic profile will be used to evaluate the demographics of individuals benefitting from the Wage Earner Protection Program in order to inform future policy decisions. The evaluation will be presented to ESDC's Performance Measurement and Evaluation Committee in 2022. Based on the analysis of the linked files, observations about the program will be made that could result in changes to how the program operates.

Output: All access to the linked microdata file will be restricted to Statistics Canada personnel (including Statistics Canada deemed employees) whose work activities require access. Only aggregate data that conform to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act will be released outside of Statistics Canada. The linked outcome files will be made available in Statistics Canada's Research Data Centre. Findings will be used in research papers and in presentations at workshops and conferences. Statistics Canada will also explore opportunities to collaborate with the client, as well as other partners, on data releases on this topic.

Evaluation of Federally-Funded Drug Treatment Courts (2015-2018 Cohort) (024-2021)

Purpose: Drug Treatment Courts (DTCs) are specialized problem-solving courts that provide individuals involved in non-violent crime related to substance use with an alternative to the conventional justice system by offering them the opportunity to complete a judicially-supervised substance use treatment program. The objective of this study is to estimate the extent to which federally funded DTCs are associated with reductions in re-contact with the criminal justice system compared to the conventional criminal justice process. The results will inform future criminal justice policy and program decisions aimed at improving public safety.

Output: Only non-confidential aggregate statistics and analyses that will not result in the identification of an individual person, business or organization will be released outside of Statistics Canada. Findings will be reported in the form of an analytical report, which may be published by the Department of Justice Canada.

A profile of the Canadian quantum sector (028-2021)

Purpose: The goal of this project is to produce the first profile of the quantum computing sector in Canada. This first profile will serve as a baseline to assess the impact of the Government of Canada's National Quantum Strategy.

A list of businesses in the quantum sector in 2021 from Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada will be linked to the Canadian Employer–Employee Dynamics Database to create a profile of the sector, specifically, on aspects pertaining to the business, such as revenue and employment, and on aspects of the workers, such as gender and age.

Output: Statistics Canada will provide the following output to Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada:

1. A methodology report explaining the file matching processes, constraints and key issues related to the quality of the data;
2. A document containing non-confidential statistics for the quantum sector, such as: the total revenue; sales; net income; average number of years in business; total employment; as well as the number of workers by sex, age, income-level and geography.

Only non-confidential aggregate statistical outputs and analyses that conform to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act will be released outside of Statistics Canada.

Improving residence information on Canadian Vital Statistics – Deaths Database (029-2021)

Purpose: The specific near-term aim of this project is to address the gaps in the understanding of COVID-19 mortality related to the characteristics of the decedent's residence and, in particular, better identify deaths occurring to residents of nursing and residential care facilities in the COVID-19 pandemic.

This will be performed by linking the decedent in the Canadian Vital Statistics – Deaths (CVSD) database to the Address Register (AR)/Statistical Building Register (SBgR), Business Register (BR), Canadian Housing Statistics Program (CHSP) data, and Nursing and Residential Care Facilities Survey (NRCFS) through the decedent's address of residence.

The demand for such information is high and the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) and other stakeholders have explicitly communicated this data need to Statistics Canada to help support their responses to the pandemic.

Additionally, in the longer term, the purpose of the linkage is to fill data gaps and improve knowledge related to:

• The influence of collective or structural characteristics of the dwelling on broader mortality outcomes.
• The influence of neighbourhood characteristics on mortality outcomes.

Output: -

• A derived categorical variable that describes, at a high level, the characteristics of the dwelling of the decedent will be added to the master file of the Canadian Vital Statistics – Deaths database.
• Non-confidential aggregate statistics and analyses that conform to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act intended for release outside of Statistics Canada.
• Analytical datasets may also be placed in the Research Data Centres (RDCs) and access will be granted following the standard RDC approval process. The source datasets will be anonymized and will respect variable restrictions in effect for the source datasets (e.g., vital statistics).

A Comprehensive Analysis of the Pathways to Education Program on Health and Crime Outcomes of Eligible Participants (033-2021)

Purpose: The study will examine the average outcomes of the Pathways to Education Canada (Pathways) program on its participants. It builds upon the previous studies focusing on the economic and academic outcomes of Pathways, and extends to other non-pecuniary outcomes, such as health and crime. Specifically, it will examine the channels through which Pathways improves the health and mitigates crime outcomes of its participants. This study will contribute to the academic literature on identifying the channels through which comprehensive interventions delivered at the high school level improve outcomes. The findings from the study will be used by ESDC to more accurately evaluate the Pathways program. More generally, they will enable the Department to better design and deliver the program in helping students in disadvantaged communities in Canada. In addition, the project will contribute to building the Department's capacity – as part of the departmental evaluation plan in 2022 – monitoring and evaluating early intervention and social partnership initiatives.

Output: Only non-confidential aggregate statistical outputs and analyses that conform to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act will be released outside of Statistics Canada. The information will be presented in the form of tables of regression results and summary statistics related to the project's goal of evaluating the Pathways program.

Access to the analytical file by researchers who have become deemed employees of Statistics Canada, will be by following the approved standard procedures for access via Statistics Canada's Federal Research Data Centre or Research Data Centre.

Linkage of the 2020 General Social Survey (cycle 35), T1FF, Emergency and Recovery Benefits (ERB) file, and Longitudinal Immigrant Database (IMDB) (037-2021)

Purpose: This integrated analytical dataset will allow researchers to provide new insights into the impacts of the pandemic on diverse population groups. The linked dataset will be used to examine the role government transfer payments play in reducing inequality and the societal impacts of long-term economic exclusion (e.g., lack of social cohesion).

Output: The integrated data, which will not contain any direct personal identifiers, will be available to deemed employees to use in a Research Data Centre (RDC). Access will be granted following the standard RDC process. All data and analytical products to be released outside of Statistics Canada will conform to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act.

Linkage of the Canadian Correctional Services Survey to the Census of Population and the National Household Survey for Disaggregated Data Evaluation (038-2021)

Purpose: The Canadian Correctional Service Survey (CCSS) collects comprehensive microdata from correctional service programs in Canada, including whether persons supervised self-report as Indigenous or to a racialized group. Over-representation of Indigenous persons and other racialized groups, in particular Black Canadians, is one of the most important issues facing the criminal justice system. To better understand Indigenous and Racialized group information being collected by correctional service programs, and whether or not there may be under-reporting in the correctional data, CCJCSS proposes a record linkage between the CCSS and the Census of Population. The project will identify individuals responding to both the corrections survey and the Census, to compare how consistently Indigenous and racialized group information is being reported overall between the two data collection mechanisms.

Output: Only non-confidential aggregated tables, conforming to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act, will be released outside of Statistics Canada. Confidentiality rules for the Census would be applied to all products before release.

Canadian Perinatal Health Surveillance (001-2022)

Purpose: The report on Canadian maternal and infant health indicators and their determinants, with a focus on the social determinants of health. Specific research questions include, but are not limited to, the following:

• What are the rates of infant/fetal outcomes such as stillbirth, preterm birth and neonatal mortality for various sociodemographic subgroups (e.g., income quintiles, maternal educational attainment, immigrant status) and by birthweight.
• What are the rates and causes of death among women who have given birth (live or stillbirth) in the 12 months prior to their death? How do these rates compare to conventional maternal mortality statistics?
• How do the underlying cause of death in vital statistics compare to the diagnoses and interventions recorded in hospital discharge data for pregnancy-related deaths?
• What are the underlying cause(s) of death for infants in the neonatal and post-neonatal periods, and how do these compare over time?

Output: Only aggregate data that conform to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act will be released outside of Statistics Canada. Analytical datasets will be placed in the Research Data Centres (RDCs) and access will be granted following the standard RDC approval process. The source datasets will be anonymized and will respect variable restrictions in effect for the source datasets (e.g., hospital, vital statistics, and tax files). Major findings will be used to create research papers for publication in peer-reviewed journals and presentations at workshops and conferences.

Microdata Linkage for the Canadian Fishing Fleet Cost and Earnings Study (Phase 3) (003-2022)

Purpose: This study is carried out on a cost-recovery basis by Statistics Canada for Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Its purpose is to develop a methodological framework that will allow Fisheries and Oceans Canada to evaluate the financial performance of a subset of fishing fleets across Canada in a more efficient and cost-effective manner and to test it by preparing aggregate-level statistical tables.

Output: Statistical tables will be prepared at the aggregate level while meeting the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act. Only statistics such as averages, standard deviations, etc., will be provided to the client. The linkage will be performed at Statistics Canada by Statistics Canada staff, and the linked files will be kept on a secure, password-protected server.

Analysis of the profile of recipients of a Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) mail-out and the determinants of their response through record linkage with Census and T1FF data. (004-2022)

Purpose: The main objective of this study is to develop a profile of key socio-demographic characteristics of respondents and non-respondents to the GIS mail-out. The proposed study will link the records of mailing recipient list to their background and survey information from the 2016 Census and income data from the T1 Family File (T1FF). The linkage results will allow us to conduct a comparative analysis of the profiles of the two groups and uncover relevant differences between them. It will also allow us to assess the importance of recipients' personal characteristics and attributes for response to the mail-out and the determinants of response probability.

Output: All access to the linked microdata file will be restricted to Statistics Canada employees (including Statistics Canada deemed employees) whose work activities require access. Only aggregate data that conform to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act will be released outside of Statistics Canada. The linked outcome files will be made available in Statistics Canada's Research Data Centre, with access limited to authorized analysts from ESDC Chief Data Office. The results of linked data analyses will be used to inform ESDC senior management, relevant program areas and internal stakeholders on the topic, as well as to advise on outreach activities related to the Reaching All Canadians initiative. Key highlights, high-level findings, and aggregate summary statistics of the data may also be shared with the Office of the Auditor General of Canada upon request.

Exploring the Demographic and Socio-Economic Characteristics Associated with Repeated Convictions among Individuals who have been Supervised by a Correctional Program (005-2022)

Purpose: The purpose of this microdata linkage project is to explore the extent and nature of new criminal convictions among individuals who have been supervised by a correctional program. This project will also explore the demographic and socio-economic factors associated with repeated convictions, including employment, education, household composition, health, and use of social services. Previous research has shown that a small group of individuals is responsible for a disproportionate amount of crime, and that these individuals are more likely to be economically marginalized, have higher mortality rates, and be hospitalized more frequently. Therefore, understanding the characteristics associated with repeated convictions is important for criminal justice policy, programs, and initiatives aimed at preventing and reducing crime. Furthermore, the current project will inform the development of integrated, multi-agency interventions to improve socio-economic outcomes for at-risk populations.

Output: Analytical files will be used by Statistics Canada to produce non-confidential aggregate statistical tables and analytical reports, such as reports for Statistics Canada's flagship justice and public safety publication, Juristat. Anonymous justice data will also be placed in Statistics Canada's Research Data Centres, along with key files allowing integration with other Statistics Canada files, to facilitate research on the demographic and socioeconomic factors associated with repeated convictions within a secure research environment. Researchers must become deemed employees of Statistics Canada in order to access the files in the Research Data Centres. Additionally, access will only be granted once a research proposal has been approved.

Microdata linkage for community-level analysis of fishing incomes and communities (006-2022)

Purpose: This study is being carried out on a cost-recovery basis by Statistics Canada for Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO). Its purpose is to improve the geographic accuracy of tax files by combining them with census location data at the municipal level to allow DFO to better assess the situation of fishing communities in Canada in order to support policy development and decision making. The outputs will be aggregate-level statistical tables that will allow DFO to evaluate the fishing reliance of communities in British Columbia as a pilot to see if this type of linkage can improve the geographic accuracy of tax data by appending census geographic information.

Output: Statistical tables will be prepared in conjunction with the International Cooperation and Methodology Innovation Centre at the aggregate level while meeting the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act. Only aggregate statistics such as counts, percentages and sums will be provided to the client and only after appropriate suppression has been applied. A total of three tables will be provided to the client, one for each tax year of interest, giving information at the community level for all communities in British Columbia for which data can be published. A short report on the methodology and results will also be delivered to the client.

PDF Version (PDF, 391.36 KB)

Table of contents

• Introduction
  • Administration of the Access to Information Act
  • Administration of the Service Fees Act
  • Organizational structure and mandate
  • Delegation order
  • Resources
  • Statistical report
• Implementation: Access to Information
  • Access to information requests
  • Types of records requested
  • Other requests
  • Trends in the disposition of completed requests
  • Public Interest
  • Completion time and extensions
  • Exemptions and exclusions invoked
  • Fees
  • Costs
• Training initiatives for Access to Information
• Policies, guidelines and procedures
• Complaints and investigations
• Monitoring of the requests
• Appendix A: Delegation order
• Appendix B: Statistical report

Introduction

The Access to Information Act establishes the principle that the general public has the right to access information controlled by federal government institutions, and that exceptions should be limited and specific.

The Annual Report on the Administration of the Access to Information Act is prepared and submitted, in accordance with section 94(1) of this Act and covers the period from April 1, 2021, to March 31, 2022. The report is tabled in Parliament.

Administration of the Access to Information Act

By virtue of section 24 of the Access to Information Act, which is a mandatory provision, information collected under the Statistics Act, and protected by section 17 of that Act, cannot be made available to anyone attempting to obtain it using the Access to Information Act. This exception enables the Agency to continue giving a clear and unqualified assurance to its respondents that the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act are preserved by the Access to Information Act.

The administration of the access to information legislation within Statistics Canada is the responsibility of the Director of the Office of Privacy Management and Information Coordination, who is also the ATIP Coordinator and the Chief Privacy Officer for the Agency.

Administration of the Service Fees Act

The Statistics Canada Annual Report is prepared and tabled in Parliament in accordance with section 20 of the Service Fees Act, as listed in Schedules I, I.1 and II of the Financial Administration Act (FAA).

Organizational Structure and Mandate

Statistics Canada's mandate derives primarily from the Statistics Act. The Act requires that the Agency collect, compile, analyze and publish statistical information on the economic, social, and general conditions of the country and its citizens. The Act also requires that Statistics Canada co-ordinate the national statistical system, specifically to avoid duplication in the information collected by government. To this end, the Chief Statistician may enter into joint data-collection or data-sharing agreements with provincial and territorial statistical agencies, as well as with federal, provincial, and territorial government departments pursuant to provisions of the Act.

Statistics Canada is also working with Canadians to help educate the population on the differences between requests for datasets, data tables and custom data tabulations and requests for Access to Information for existing records under the control of the institution. Data requests are handled by the Statistics Canada InfoStats program specifically.

The Statistics Act specifically requires Statistics Canada to conduct a Census of Population and a Census of Agriculture every five years as it did in 2021. The Act also gives the Agency substantial powers to request information for statistical purposes through surveys of Canadian businesses and households. Under the Act, the Chief Statistician determines whether a survey will be mandatory or voluntary. Statistics Canada has generally made voluntary household data collection other than the Census of Population and the Labour Force Survey, as the latter produces key economic data. The Census of Agriculture and most other business surveys are mandatory. Refusal to participate in a mandatory survey is subject to legal penalties.

By law, Statistics Canada can also access administrative records, including personal and business tax data, credit information, customs declarations, and birth and death records. Such records are critical sources of statistical information that enable the Agency to reduce reporting burden on businesses and individual respondents. Statistics Canada is considered a leader among the world's statistical agencies in reducing reporting burden by using administrative data

These mechanisms help Statistics Canada fulfill its commitment to ensuring that Canadians have all of the key information on Canada's economy, society, and environment that they require to function effectively as citizens and decision makers in a rapidly evolving world. Information is important to Canadians and the Statistics Canada's Trust Centre is committed to protecting it. For more than 100 years, Statistics Canada has collected, analyzed and reported the data obtained from the public, respecting and protecting the rightful privacy of Canadians.

Delegation Order

The delegation order exercises the powers and functions of the Minister as the head of a government institution, pursuant to section 95(1) of the Access to Information Act. The current detailed list of authorities under the Access to Information Act was formally delegated by the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development as of May 2021 (Appendix A), provides full delegated authority to the Director and Assistant Director of the Office of Privacy Management and Information Coordination.

Resources

The Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) Office operates within an allocation of 4.5 persons/year. One ATIP Manager, two Senior ATIP analysts, and two ATIP analysts work full time on the processing of requests. There were no service agreements under section 73.1 of the Privacy Act to which Statistics Canada was party during the reporting period

Statistical report

The statistical report provides aggregate data on the application of the Access to Information Act (Appendix B). This information is made public annually and is included with the annual report.

Implementation: Access to Information

Access to Information requests

During the reporting period, from April 1, 2021, to March 31, 2022, Statistics Canada received 79 new access to information requests. In addition, 56 requests were carried forward from the previous reporting period, for a total of 135 requests. Of the total, 97 requests were completed; leaving 38 to be carried forward to the next reporting period.

Business and the public were the largest client groups, as they represented 54 of the 79 requests that were received during the reporting period.

For the completed requests, all records were either disclosed in full or in part for 42 requests, the information was fully exempted/excluded for 2 requests, no records existed for 33 requests, 18 requests were abandoned by the requestors and 2 requests were transferred to another federal institution.

In responding to the formal access to information requests, 25,550 pages were reviewed and 4,849 pages were released. A total of 41 requestors received information electronically via e-post, and 1 was provided in paper format.

The following table shows the latest five-year trend of the Agency's processing of access to information requests.

Types of records requested

The substance of the requests covered the entire range of matters pertaining to Statistics Canada's role and included the following types of records relating to:

• Census and various other statistical information;
• the administration and communications of the Agency;
• data breaches;
• professional service contracts;
• Briefing notes to the Chief Statistician.

Other requests

From April 1, 2021, to March 31, 2022, Statistics Canada also received 75 Access to Information Act consultation requests from other departments and organizations. The Agency was asked to review 6,900 pages of information. The Access to Information and Privacy Office processed 75 consultations, including some reported from the previous year. Forty-six (46) consultations were completed within 1-15 days, twenty-three (23) consultations were completed within 16-30 days, four (4) consultations were completed within 31-60 days, one (1) was completed within 61-120 days, and one (1) was completed within 181-365 days.

Summaries of completed Access to Information Act requests are available on the "Open Government Portal". Requests for copies of these completed requests, as well as requests not processed under the Act, are classified as informal requests. This fiscal year, forty-one (41) requests were processed informally. Zero (0) requests were carried over to the next fiscal year.

The ATIP Office acted as a resource for Statistics Canada officials, offering advice and guidance on the provisions under the legislation. The office was consulted on the disclosure and collection of data on a wide range of matters, including:

• proactive publications to be posted on the open government portal;
• proactive disclosures on travel and hospitality;
• Management Accountability Framework assessments;
• security of information;
• reviews of audits to be posted on the internet;
• reviews of parliamentary questions and responses;
• updates to the ATIP internet and intranet sites;
• reviews of and updates to ATIP business practices and procedures.
• support to raise awareness on information management

Trends in the disposition of completed requests

The disposition of the 97 requests completed in 2021-2022 was as follows:

• 26 were fully disclosed (27%)
• 16 were partially disclosed (16%)
• 2 were exempt/excluded in entirety (2%)
• 18 were abandoned by applicants (19%)
• 33 information did not exist (34%)
• 2 were transferred to another department (2%)

Due to the exceptional measures taken to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and to protect the health and safety of federal employees, Statistics Canada maximized telework granting only limited employee access on-site. As a result, the lockdown restrictions further prevented employees from entering the building for lengthy periods of time which resulted in additional delays of being able to process requests. Staff also experienced connectivity and ATIP software accessibility issues that impeded the ATIP process. To address some of these challenges, new electronic procedures were created and implemented in order to accommodate remote work. On November 15, 2021, the ATIP office reached full processing capacity with the introduction of Statistics Canada's return to work place plan entitled "virtual-by-design environment".

Public Interest Disclosure

No disclosures were made under paragraph 8(2)(m) of the Privacy Act during the reporting period.

Completion time and extensions

Over half of all completed requests in 2021-22 (53 requests or 54%) were processed as prescribed by the Act and within the time required for all of them. Factors that contributed to Statistics Canada's timely response rate over the past year are the training and information sessions held with senior leaders, and a new delegation order.

The compliancy rate for completed requests is as follows:

• 26 within 1 to 15 days (27%)
• 23 within 16 to 30 days (24%)
• 7 within 31 to 60 days (7%)
• 7 within 61 to 120 days (7%)
• 7 within 121 to 180 days (7%)
• 12 within 181 to 365 days (12%)
• 15 more than 365 days (16%)

Out of the 97 requests processed, an extension was taken in 34 cases for interference with operations of the department, and to consult with other federal institutions and third parties.

Exemptions and exclusions invoked

The Access to Information Act allows and in some case requires that certain data not be released. In 2021-2022 the following sections of the Act were invoked:

• Section 13(1) – Information obtained in confidence (2)
• Section 16(2) – Law enforcement and investigations (7)
• Section 18 – Economic interest of Canada (2)
• Section 19(1) – Personal information (10)
• Section 20(1) – Third party information (7)
• Section 21(1) – Operations of government, advice, etc. (7)
• Section 24(1) – Statutory prohibition against disclosure (6)

Fees

The Service Fees Act requires a responsible authority to report annually to Parliament on the fees collected by Statistics Canada.

With respect to fees collected under the Access to Information Act, the information below is reported in accordance with the requirements of section 20 of the Service Fees Act.

In accordance with the Interim Directive on the Administration of the Access to Information Act, issued on May 5, 2016, and the changes to the Access to Information Act that came into force on June 21, 2019, Statistics Canada waives all fees prescribed by the Act and Regulations, other than the $5 application fee set out in paragraph 7(1)(a) of the Regulations. During the reporting period, $395 was collected in application fees.

Costs

During 2021-2022, the ATIP Office incurred an estimated $238,263 in salary costs and $0 administrative costs to administer the Access to Information Act. With the introduction of Statistics Canada's return to work place plan entitled "virtual-by-design environment", coupled with a remote workplace, the ATIP division has been able to reduce administrative costs for the fiscal year 2021-22.

Training initiatives for Access to Information

In 2021-2022, the ATIP Office began developing a formal training program for all staff across the Agency, which began in April 2020. This included training to senior executives on ATIP processes and procedures in order to streamline records retrieval and approvals. ATIP also provided advice and expertise to senior leaders on their responsibilities under the Act and the related delegated authorities for proper records management, document retrieval and approval procedures. Information management awareness was also at the forefront of these discussions at the senior management tables, focusing heavily on best practices and the differences between transitory and information of business value. We also had targeted discussions and training towards the proper use of safe guarding of sensitive information in GCDOCS, including limited access rights, types of information and security classifications. Informal one-on-one and formal group training was made available to all staff within the Agency. The informal training assists staff in understanding their obligations under the Act, as well as informing them about policies and directives related to information at Statistics Canada. ATIP training, both formal and informal, was provided to approximately 12 employees. Approximately 600 employees were trained in the previous fiscal year (20-21), which reduced the amount of training needed this year (21-22), however ATIP training through the Canada School of Public Service was widely recommended.

Policies, guidelines and procedures

The ATIP Office has a variety of tools in place to ensure that ATIP contacts are well informed about their roles and responsibilities for coordinating ATIP requests. These tools include a checklist outlining proper protocol when providing responsive records to the ATIP office for access to information requests, and the appropriate contact from the ATIP team to seek clarification and guidance from throughout the process.

In 2021-2022, more concise and streamlined procedures were implemented in order to improve efficiencies with the retrieval of information and protocol for the overall ATIP process. This included modifying, updating and creating new templates, procedures, weekly workplans and achievable targets with key metrics that increased overall pages reviewed and processed as time went on.

Complaints and investigations

There were five (5) complaints lodged against Statistics Canada with the Office of the Information Commissioner of Canada (OIC) during the reporting period. Four (4) complaints pertained to a time delay when providing records, and one (1) complaint related to the improper application of exemptions. The OIC deemed one (1) complaint pertaining to a time delay as resolved and no further investigation was to be conducted. Three (3) complaints regarding time delays and one (1) complaints regarding exemptions invoked are still ongoing. In order to address some of these issues, training and awareness has been offered both to employees within Statistics Canada, as well as those in the ATIP Office.

Monitoring of the requests

At Statistics Canada, the ATIP Office processes and monitors requests by registering them in a comprehensive system known as Privasoft – Access Pro Case Management. An acknowledgment of the request and of the application fee of $5.00 is sent to the client and a retrieval form is forwarded to the relevant program area (Office of Primary Interest (OPI)). If the OPI and/or the ATIP Office need to clarify the request, only the ATIP Office contacts the client, unless prior approval is provided by the client. Client names are always kept confidential.

The retrieval form provided to the OPI was created by the ATIP Office at Statistics Canada and is based upon the Policy on Access to Information and the Directive on the Administration of Access to Information from the Treasury Board Secretariat of Canada. The form includes the text of the request, the name and phone number of the ATIP Officer, and the date by which records are required (normally 5 to 10 days). It is noted on the form that the ATIP Office is required to report annually on the administrative costs related to requests and thus information is needed on the group(s) and level(s) of those involved in the retrieval, the amount of time spent working on the request (this includes time for search, retrieval, internal review (relevant or not to the request) and photocopying). The individuals providing the records are asked to identify any records which may be sensitive in nature (e.g., legal issues, Cabinet confidences, personal information, company information, advice to the Minister), which may require consultations, and/or which may generate media interest. The Director General, or appropriate delegate, of the program area sign-off the form.

The ATIP Office assists the program areas with the retrieval of records from day one. As 5 to 10 days are allowed for the retrieval, a follow-up is made on the fifth day. If additional time is required for the retrieval, this is when the program area is to notify the ATIP Office. An additional 1 to 5 days may be granted depending on the amount of work remaining. Once the documents are received from the OPI, the ATIP Office ensures the form is duly completed and that it has been signed by the appropriate manager. The ATIP Office then takes 5 to 10 days to review and process the records. If sensitive issues are identified in the submitted materials, 1-3 days prior to the release of the final version to the client, an e-mail is sent to Strategic Communications and Outreach Branch and to any other relevant programs to inform them of the release. The OPI and management are continually reminded of the importance of responding to ATIP requests in a timely and comprehensive manner.

Appendix A: Delegation order

Access to Information and Privacy Acts Delegation Order

The Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, pursuant to section 73 of the Access to Information Act and section 73 of the Privacy Act, hereby designates the persons holding the positions set out in the schedule hereto, or the persons occupying on an acting basis those positions, to exercise the powers and functions of the Minister as the head of Statistics Canada, under the section of the Act set out in the schedule opposite each position. This Delegation Order supersedes all previous Delegation Orders.

Schedule

The original version was signed by
The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne
Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry
Dated, at the City of Ottawa
May 18, 2021

Appendix B: Statistical Report on the Access to Information Act

Name of institution: Statistics Canada

Reporting period: 2021-04-01 to 2022-03-31

Section 1: Requests Under the Access to Information Act

1.1 Number of requests

1.2 Sources of requests

1.3 Channels of requests

Section 2: Informal requests

2.1 Number of requests received

2.2 Channels of informal requests

2.3 Completion time of informal requests

2.4 Pages released informally

2.5 Pages re-released informally

Section 3: Applications to the Information Commissioner on Declining to Act on Requests

Section 4: Requests Closed During the Reporting Period

4.1 Disposition and completion time

4.2 Exemptions

4.3 Exclusions

4.4 Format of information released

4.5 Complexity

4.5.1 Relevant pages processed and disclosed for paper and e-record formats

4.5.2 Relevant pages processed by request disposition for paper and e-record formats by size of requests

4.5.3 Relevant minutes processed and disclosed for audio formats

4.5.4 Relevant minutes processed per request disposition for audio formats by size of requests

4.5.5 Relevant minutes processed and disclosed for video formats

4.5.6 Relevant minutes processed per request disposition for video formats by size of requests

4.5.7 Other complexities

4.6 Closed requests

4.6.1 Number of requests closed within legislated timelines

4.7 Deemed refusals

4.7.1 Reasons for not meeting legislated timelines

4.7.2 Request closed beyond legislated timelines (including any extension taken)

4.8 Requests for translation

Section 5: Extensions

5.1 Reasons for extensions and disposition of requests

5.2 Length of extensions

Section 6: Fees

Section 7: Consultations Received From Other Institutions and Organizations

7.1 Consultations received from other Government of Canada institutions and organizations

7.2 Recommendations and completion time for consultations received from other Government of Canada institutions

7.3 Recommendations and completion time for consultations received from other organizations

Section 8: Requests with Legal Services

8.1 Requests with Legal Services

8.2 Requests with Privy Council Office

Section 9: Investigations and Reports of finding

9.1 Investigations

9.2 Investigations and Reports of finding

Section 10: Court Action

10.1 Court actions on complaints

10.2 Court actions on third party notifications under paragraph 28(1)(b)

Section 11: Resources Related to the Access to Information Act

11.1 Allocated Costs

11.2 Human Resources