Information & Ethics committee  But you are right about the timeframe.

Information & Ethics committee  I received the documents from GHH and proceeded to send them to our clerks downstairs to put on our electronic system--it makes it easier for giving out to the requesters. They are very busy, so it took a few days. They got back to me and said they couldn't scan these documents into our system because they were highlighted in different colours.

Information & Ethics committee  Yes.

Information & Ethics committee  Nor is it the only one that has this delay because of.... It depends on the number of documents you're going to get. If you get one document, one page, that's not very difficult to deal with. But if you get 1,000 pages, and I have dealt in the past with records containing 15,000 pages, well, when you're trying to do that and maintain the rest of your files, because the bottom line is...and I think Mr.

Information & Ethics committee  Do you mean when I finish working on the file and then send them for processing? I sent them to my manager at the time—his name is Chuck Melvin—for his review of the information, making sure that the letter was appropriate and that I had done everything I was supposed to do in the file.

Information & Ethics committee  One of the most recent changes came about because of the Federal Accountability Act, which added a section in the Access to Information Act. I believe it's the Information Commissioner or Treasury Board that then notifies the departments that these changes have been made. It's then up to the delegated authority—and also the analysts working on the file—to make sure they're aware that these sections are there and what it might mean to you when you're reviewing a file.

Information & Ethics committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair and committee members. My name is Gary Switzer. I'm an analyst in the access to information and privacy protection division of the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade. I've been working in the access field for seven years, but I just started with the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade on January 2, 2007.