The access to information request is sent to the Access to Information Office. A cheque for $5 is required to pay the ATIP processing fee. The Office then identifies the specific area or areas where the information may be held. It does a search, finds the documents and identifies portions to be severed in accordance with the Access to Information Act under the exceptions regime in sections 13 to 23 of the Act. There are also exclusions for Cabinet confidences. That process goes forward, and then a review is undertaken.
The Office may then consult other people or third parties who are neither institutions nor the applicant. It could be a company, an organization or other departments. After all that work is completed, the analysis is done and there is a final product. Depending on the institution -- more than 180 are subject to the Act, and some are larger than others -- the Access to Information Coordinator is then able to respond to the request.
As regards the categories mentioned earlier, there is a way of identifying these requests that may not always be used. Some institutions do it, but not all. The program is called ATIPflow. The purpose of that program used by some departments is to manage ATIP requests appropriately, in order to meet deadlines. For example, there is a 30-day deadline for a typical request.