Evidence of meeting #39 for Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics in the 40th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was records.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Deputy Chief Information Officer, Chief Information Officer Branch, Treasury Board Secretariat
He appoints a person who—
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Deputy Chief Information Officer, Chief Information Officer Branch, Treasury Board Secretariat
That depends. It's up to them to decide, but normally it's a senior manager. It's often the assistant deputy minister responsible for corporate services or the senior information manager of the department. The decision as to who is the best candidate to carry out this important information management role is left to the deputy minister.
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Carole Freeman Bloc Châteauguay—Saint-Constant, QC
So the departmental senior official who is appointed must see to the implementation and management of the entire access to information program for his or her department.
Deputy Chief Information Officer, Chief Information Officer Branch, Treasury Board Secretariat
Yes, precisely, and that person is normally responsible for the information and file management team in the institution.
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Carole Freeman Bloc Châteauguay—Saint-Constant, QC
That person's mandate is quite broad. He or she must not only ensure that the policy is established, but also be responsible for control if there are problems on the development side and take corrective action. It's the same person who has to do all that.
Deputy Chief Information Officer, Chief Information Officer Branch, Treasury Board Secretariat
Yes, but that person is normally supported by others. Depending on the size of the institution, there is a team of functional experts that works in this field. If it's the deputy minister of corporate services who is appointed senior official, a head of the file management service can handle the day-to-day aspects of this program. There can definitely also be audit and evaluation teams responsible for better policy implementation.
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Carole Freeman Bloc Châteauguay—Saint-Constant, QC
Section 7 of the directive, which is entitled “Consequences,” states:
7.1 In support of the responsibility of deputy heads to implement the Policy on Information Management and Related Instruments, departmental IM Senior Officials are to ensure corrective actions are taken [...]
One thing is a problem for me. It's these people who administer this policy, but they also corrects themselves. This states:
[...] departmental IM Senior Officials are to ensure corrective actions are taken to address instances of non-compliance with the requirements of this directive. Corrective actions can include requiring additional training, changes to procedures and systems, the suspension or removal of delegated authority, disciplinary action, and other measures.
Could you give me some more details on the responsibilities and powers that are granted to the departmental senior officials? They are asked both to manage information and to be responsible for corrective measures. If I understand correctly, they evaluate themselves. They have to take corrective measures and make the necessary changes.
However, these officials are also granted the power to take these measures: “[...] the suspension or removal of delegated authority, disciplinary action, and other measures.” Can you explain to me to a greater degree what that consists in?
November 24th, 2009 / 9:30 a.m.
Deputy Chief Information Officer, Chief Information Officer Branch, Treasury Board Secretariat
Yes. I agree with you that these officers must bear a fairly heavy and significant burden in relation to this policy. They must see to the implementation of policy elements and take corrective measures. The consequences are significant. The first is management within the institution, but if there are ever any obvious problems outside that institution, corrective measures must be taken by the Treasury Board Secretariat.
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Carole Freeman Bloc Châteauguay—Saint-Constant, QC
No, that's not it, Mr. Bruce. In point 7.1, the departmental senior officials are really given the power and obligation to oversee the directive's implementation. They must also ensure that corrective action is taken if the directive is not complied with. What causes a problem for me is that they are responsible for both implementing the directive and evaluating it and taking corrective action. If necessary, this may include disciplinary measures. They evaluate themselves in a way. It is one in the same person who is in charge of all that, but who evaluates that person and the work he or she does? From what point 7.1 states, everything relies on the departmental senior official.
Deputy Chief Information Officer, Chief Information Officer Branch, Treasury Board Secretariat
There are audit procedures within the department for implementing directives. This official will implement these information management programs in the context of all departmental programs. The idea is to ensure that an institution's operational programs include the functional aspect of information management, service delivery, programs and policies. It is in this context that the official must manage and oversee the implementation of standards.
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Deputy Chief Information Officer, Chief Information Officer Branch, Treasury Board Secretariat
Yes, but I believe that the answer—
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Carole Freeman Bloc Châteauguay—Saint-Constant, QC
I find it interesting that one person should have responsibility for both the work and for evaluating himself.
Deputy Chief Information Officer, Chief Information Officer Branch, Treasury Board Secretariat
Yes, but there are elements of oversight in the Treasury Board's Management Accountability Framework.
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Carole Freeman Bloc Châteauguay—Saint-Constant, QC
In your presentation, you emphasized that the departments assess their compliance with the Information Management Policy every year. This is conducted by the Treasury Board Secretariat. Can you tell us what kind of evaluation is done?
Deputy Chief Information Officer, Chief Information Officer Branch, Treasury Board Secretariat
It's done in the context of the Management Accountability Framework, which sets out the 19 operational areas of the departments for management excellence. One of those areas, area 12, is information management. We ensure that there is good governance, a strategy and a plan.
Now that this new directive is in place, we're going to start checking to see that the practices are also in place.
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Carole Freeman Bloc Châteauguay—Saint-Constant, QC
What coercive measures are there if the criteria aren't met?
It's over?
Deputy Chief Information Officer, Chief Information Officer Branch, Treasury Board Secretariat
There's even a specific policy on consequences: now there's a policy that describes the consequences that may be considered in the context of the Financial Administration Act, which is essentially the act that enables the Treasury Board to put these mandatory policies and directives in place.
