Information & Ethics Committee on Nov. 24th, 2009

[The Chair, Liberal, Paul Szabo]

Thank you.

[Peter Bruce]

That can be done, yes.

[Bill Siksay, NDP, Burnaby—Douglas, BC]

But it's not being done. It can be done, but it's not under way at the moment?

[Peter Bruce]

We don't have any agreements in place of this type.

Can I comment?

[The Chair, Liberal, Paul Szabo]

Sure.

[Peter Bruce]

I was going to go back to the comment about the balance between business value and transparency and accountability. I really hope we've got it right in this directive. The expected results—5.2.1 and 5.2.2—sit there right beside each other. One says let's make sure we can connect the businesses of government, and then, let's make sure these records are kept so we can provide the transparency and accountability that's required. I think they're in a fairly good balance.

[The Chair, Liberal, Paul Szabo]

Thank you.

Mr. Dechert, we seem to have stretched time a little. You have about eight and a half minutes.

[Bob Dechert, Conservative, Mississauga—Erindale, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Good morning, gentlemen. Thank you very much for your remarks today and for the good work you're doing on behalf of the government and people of Canada. I very much appreciate that.

Mr. Bruce, perhaps I could start with you. What are the specific requirements for the directive on recordkeeping, and who is responsible for implementing those requirements?

[Peter Bruce]

The specific requirements for the directive on recordkeeping are described in section 6 and are initially to ensure that the information resources of business value are properly identified, that a risk profile for those information resources is created, and that it is done with respect to taking into consideration access to information and protection of personal information, and then, that measures are taken to respond to those risks.

Then there is the responsibility to ensure that the methodologies and mechanisms and tools are put in place to support the management of those records of business value. Another recordkeeping requirement is that the practices are documented and also that good communication goes out to departmental managers and employees to ensure they understand what their responsibilities are under the act. A companion directive talks about information management responsibilities and lays out what an employee's responsibility is and what a manager's responsibilities are, ensuring this information is communicated.

Under section 6.2, the requirements are around the monitoring. Under the IM policy, the deputy head appoints this IM senior official, who is the person responsible for the implementation and monitoring of that implementation within a department.

[Bob Dechert, Conservative, Mississauga—Erindale, ON]

Do you consider these to be substantial improvements over the previous system?

[Peter Bruce]

I do. There was no recordkeeping directive. We had policy on information management and, previous to that, a government policy on management of government information holdings. Both of them were much like the IM policy, but even our IM policy now has more explicit requirements. With this recordkeeping directive and the related supports that are coming in, I think we're much better off now in terms of our policy framework for recordkeeping in the Government of Canada.

[Bob Dechert, Conservative, Mississauga—Erindale, ON]

Do you believe the implementation of the directive on recordkeeping will help departments respond more quickly to access to information requests?

[Peter Bruce]

I certainly hope so. I think a lot of factors come into how quickly a department can respond to access to information requests, primarily the complexity of the requests and whether or not they have to go through consultations with other departments. But having the fundamentals of good recordkeeping so you know what records you have, where they are, and what their business value is, I expect, will be a significant help in making better both access to information and protection of privacy in the Government of Canada.

[Bob Dechert, Conservative, Mississauga—Erindale, ON]

It certainly sounds like a substantial improvement over what we had previously and should make it easier for departments to respond. I think that demonstrates a commitment to improving the access to information system. That's all good and something that in this committee we're very cognizant of and wish to support.

What is the objective and expected results of the directive on recordkeeping?

[Peter Bruce]

The objective is to ensure effective recordkeeping practices that enable departments to create, acquire, capture, manage, and protect the integrity of information resources of business value in the delivery of Government of Canada programs and services. The expected results are really making sure those records of business value are properly identified and then used and managed as strategic assets, and then, through effective recordkeeping practices, ensuring we have that transparency and accountability that is expected of a government organization.

[Bob Dechert, Conservative, Mississauga—Erindale, ON]

Very good. Thank you you very much.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Paul Szabo]

Would you like to share your time?

[Bob Dechert, Conservative, Mississauga—Erindale, ON]

How much time do we have? Five minutes? Okay.

[Kelly Block, Conservative, Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar, SK]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

Welcome, as well, to our guests this morning.

I have two questions with regard to the directive on recordkeeping.

In answering previous questions of my colleagues here this morning, you mentioned that Library and Archives Canada has the ability to advise specific departments and actually require compliance through the directive on recordkeeping. You then mentioned that you can encourage others. Do you think the directive on recordkeeping leads to improved accountability where it hasn't existed before?

[Peter Bruce]

I think the directive on recordkeeping will improve the quality of information management in departments and should ensure that the records of business value are properly there and retained. As that supports transparency and accountability, I believe it should help in terms of both of those things.

[Kelly Block, Conservative, Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar, SK]

Would you agree? Do you have anything to add, Mr. Rimmer?

[Douglas Rimmer]

No. I have nothing to add to what my colleague says. I think he's captured it very well.

[Kelly Block, Conservative, Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar, SK]

Thank you.

Also, Mr. Rimmer, in your opening remarks you mentioned the concept of information resources of business value, a concept based on international standards. You further state that this gives departments and agencies a sound basis from which to manage their information resources in order to support the delivery of mandated programs and activities.

Can you tell us what these standards are and provide an example of a country where they are also moving towards this type of recordkeeping?

[Douglas Rimmer]

I believe Australia uses the ISO standard that I referred to as the basis for record management in their country. As we mentioned in our remarks, we support the directive, which in turn supports the broad policy, with a number of guidelines. We're developing those further guidelines now. One of them will be on the notion of business value and helping departments understand in more detail how to apply those. There's a series of tools and supports that we provide under the policy, under the directive, to enable departments to actually use these concepts and put them in place in a meaningful way.

[The Chair, Liberal, Paul Szabo]

Second round, Ms. Simson, please.