Implementation Report No. 110 - Info Source 2008 Publications Requirements

Implementation Report No.110

Date: February 26, 2008

To: Access to Information and Privacy Coordinators

Subject: Info Source 2008 Publications Requirements

Please read this Implementation Report with careful attention as it contains comprehensive instructions for all institutions.

This also applies to those institutions that became subject to the Access to Information Act and/or Privacy Act in 2007.

DUE DATE

Input to the 2008 edition of Info Source: Sources of Federal Government Information and Sources of Federal Employee Information is due no later than June 27, 2008.

While Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS) has granted extensions in the past, this is no longer possible. Please ensure all input is received by the deadline cited above.

Input not received by the stated deadline will not be included in this year's Info Source publications. Instead the following notation will appear at the beginning of the institution's chapter: "The annual update for this institution was not received for inclusion in the 2008 version of this Info Source publication. The following is from the 2007 version of Info Source."

Please note that if an institution did not contribute an update for the 2007 publications, the above notice will indicate the publication year in which the last update was received.

Input to Info Source

ATIP Coordinators must approve the submission.

Entries must be submitted in electronic format.

Submissions that do not comply with the instructions provided in this Implementation Report will not be accepted.

Institutions are responsible for ensuring that their entries are up-to-date and accurate.

Addresses and telephone numbers located in the Introduction and under the "Additional Information" section of an institution's chapter should be verified. The inclusion of institutional web site and electronic mail addresses is recommended.

Material must be submitted in both official languages and must be consistent in both versions.

All documents must be checked for spelling and grammar by the institution prior to forwarding them to Treasury Board Secretariat.

To facilitate the updating process for this year, an e-mail message will be sent to each ATIP Coordinator. Attached to the email will be the electronic files of the institution's chapters from the 2007 versions of Info Source: Sources of Federal Government Information and Sources of Federal Employee Information in Word format.

It is essential that these files be utilized and returned as they have been specifically formatted to facilitate the update process. Other file formats cannot be accepted.

The required information for institution-specific chapters in Info Source: Sources of Federal Government Information is outlined in "Appendix A".

The required information for institution-specific chapters in Info Source: Sources of Federal Employee Information is outlined in "Appendix B".

Detailed format instructions for both Info Source publications are outlined in "Appendix C".

A Glossary of Terms is attached as "Appendix D".

If you need assistance or further information on this matter, please contact:

Compliance, Assessment and Reporting Team
Information and Privacy Policy Division
Chief Information Officer Branch
Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat
219 Laurier Street West, 14th Floor
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0R5
Telephone: 613-941-4931
Facsimile: 613-957-8020
E-mail: Infosource@tbs-sct.gc.ca

Donald Lemieux
Executive Director
Information and Privacy Policy Division
Chief Information Officer Branch

cc: Heads of Communication

Attachments

Appendix A - Information to be included in Info Source: Sources of Federal Government Information

Appendix B - Information to be included in Info Source: Sources of Federal Employee Information

Appendix C - Format Instructions

Appendix D - Glossary of Terms

Appendix A - Information to be included in Info Source: Sources of Federal Government Information

Institution-Specific Chapters

The following information must be included in all institution-specific chapters.

General Information

Background

Provide a concise description of the institution's history, including reference to its legislative foundation.

Responsibilities

Briefly describe the institution's mandate and its major policy and program responsibilities.

Legislation

In alphabetical order, list the titles of the acts and regulations that the institution administers, or for which the institution has primary responsibility.

Note: Do not include By-Laws or policies.

Organization

Summarize the functions, programs and activities of all major organizational units. If applicable, institutions may wish to consult the following documents for guidance: the Institution's Program Activity Architecture, Annual Report(s) and/or Report on Plans and Priorities.

Information Holdings

Classes of Records

Provide a description of all records and information created, captured and maintained by the institution.

Classes of Records were previously called "Program Records". The title of this section has been changed to "Classes of Records".

Note: There are mandatory and optional fields for Classes of Records as outlined below.

Description (mandatory)

• An explanatory statement identifying the records/information created, captured and maintained within the institution and that document a particular institutional program/activity.
• This statement must provide sufficient information for the general public to understand the program/activity to which the records relate.

Note: This field should describe the information contained in the institution's records rather than the program/activity itself.

Topics (mandatory)

Identifies specific document types found in the records; for example: contracts, statements of work, proposals, evaluation criteria, memoranda, procedures, policies, etc.

Note (optional)

Describes relevant information that is not captured by other fields; for example, former name of a program or date a program ceased.

Access (optional)

Describes how records are arranged to facilitate access and retrieval; e.g. by case number, database, name of individual, etc.

Format (optional)

• Specifies non-standard record format.
• This field should be used only for non-standard record formats; e.g. audio tapes, video tapes, photographs, specific types of database software.

Note: Do not list electronic or paper formats.

Record Number (mandatory) (formerly Program Record Number)

• Unique number created by each institution using:
  • institution's Federal Identity Program acronym; and
  • the unique file/identification number used within the institution to identify the records

Standard Classes of Records (formerly Standard Program Records)

Use Standard Classes of Records to identify records/information that document common administrative functions and activities such as Audit and Evaluation, Communications, Financial Management, etc.

Only the title of the Standard Class of Records is required.

List the titles in alphabetical order.

Personal Information Banks (PIBs)

All Personal Information Banks (PIBs) must be properly registered by TBS prior to inclusion in Info Source.

Note: This includes Institution-Specific and Standard PIBs.

Information on the development and registration of Personal Information Banks is forthcoming.

Each Institution-specific chapter should include all Personal Information Banks (PIBs) that are under the control of that institution.

The three types of Personal Information Banks included in Info Source: Sources of Federal Government Information relate to members of the general public and federal employees (current and former).

They should appear in the following order:

• Central Personal Information Banks (if applicable)
• Particular Personal Information Banks
• Standard Personal Information Banks

Classes of Personal Information

Classes of Personal Information describe personal information that is not used for administrative purposes or is not retrievable by personal identifiers; for example, unsolicited opinions, complaints or correspondence. This category was included to ensure that government institutions account for all personal information that they hold.

Note: Institutions may or may not have any Classes of Personal Information to declare.

Manuals

In alphabetical order, list the titles of all instructions, handbooks or procedures used by employees in administering or carrying out institutional programs and activities that affect the general public.

Additional Information

Provide the address and telephone number of a central information source where members of the public may obtain information informally.

Institutions may also include regional addresses, as applicable.

Note: A general information source must be listed rather than the ATIP office.

For institutions without a Receiver General Account the following text must be included:

"Please note: Requests made to the (name of institution) under the Access to Information Act must be accompanied by an application fee of $5.00. Cheques or money orders are to be made payable to the (name of institution)."

Reading Room

The address/location of a Reading Room available to the general public must be included.

Specific street addresses must be provided.

Appendix B - Information to be included in Info Source: Sources of Federal Employee Information

Institution-Specific Chapters

Personal Information Banks (PIBs)

All Personal Information Banks must be properly registered by TBS prior to inclusion in Info Source.

Note: This includes Institution-Specific and Standard PIBs.

Information on the development and registration of Personal Information Banks is forthcoming.

Each Institution-specific chapter should include all Personal Information Banks (PIBs) that are under the control of that institution.

The three types of Personal Information Banks included in Info Source: Sources of Federal Employee Information relate only to current and former Government of Canada employees.

They should appear in the following order:

• Central Employee Personal Information Banks (if applicable)
• Particular Employee Personal Information Banks
• Standard Employee Personal Information Banks

Appendix C - Format Instructions

Page Style Format

• Normal style. No headers, footers, footnotes, notes or numbering of paragraphs.

Font

• Arial 12 pitch.
• No bolding, underlining, highlighting, strike-out or italics (except to designate field titles established by Treasury Board Secretariat).
• No capital letters, except for acronyms.

Fields

• Ensure all mandatory fields have content and that no mandatory fields have been deleted.
• Field titles are italicized and left-justified.

Plain Language

• The Communications Policy of the Government of Canada requires the use of 'plain language', i.e. the elimination of overly bureaucratic terminology, jargon, etc.
• Simple, plain language must be used to ensure that any person is able to understand the content without difficulty.
• Acronyms must not be used unless spelt-out in full earlier in the same paragraph.

Consistency

• It is recommended that the institution's Communications Group review all content for spelling and grammatical errors as well as consistency between the French and English versions.

Alphabetical Order

• Titles of Classes of Records, Personal Information Banks, etc. should appear in alphabetical order in both the English and French versions.

Spacing

• A single space is required after periods, commas, colons and semi-colons.

Bullets

• The use of bullets is only to be used for the lists of legislation and manuals.

Addresses

• The names of provinces must be spelled out in full; i.e. Newfoundland and Labrador, British Columbia, etc. An example is "Ottawa, Ontario".

Appendix D - Glossary of Terms

Administrative Purpose

The use of personal information about an individual in a decision making process that directly affects that individual. This includes all uses of personal information for confirming identity (i.e. authentication and verification purposes) and for determining eligibility of individuals for government programs.

Classes of Personal Information

Other personal information not used administratively or not retrievable by personal identifier; for example, instance unsolicited opinions, complaints or correspondence.

This category was included to ensure that government institutions account for all personal information that they hold.

Classes of Records

Descriptions of the records and information created, captured and maintained by a federal institution in support of its mandate.

Formerly referred to as Program Records.

Data Matching

An activity involving the comparison of personal information from different sources, including sources within the same government institution, for administrative or non-administrative purposes. Data-matching includes the disclosure or sharing of personal information with another organization for data-matching purposes.

Manual

Instructions, handbooks or procedures used by employees in administering or carrying out institutional programs and activities that affect the general public.

Multi-Institutional Disposition Authority (MIDA)

A Records Disposition Authority granted by the Librarian and Archivist of Canada to government institutions on a multi-institutional basis. A MIDA relates to records managed by all or a multiple number of government institutions, and which allows the institutions empowered to use the authority to dispose of records under certain terms and conditions.

Personal Information Banks (PIBs)

A description of personal information that is organized and retrievable by a person's name or by an identifying number, symbol or other particular assigned only to that person. The personal information described in the personal information bank has been used, is being used, or is available for an administrative purpose and is under the control of a government institution.

There are six types of Personal Information Banks (PIBs):

• Central Banks - Employee (PCE)
• Central Banks – Public (PCU)
• Particular Banks – Employee (PPE)
• Particular Banks – Public (PPU)
• Standard Banks - Employee (PSE)
• Standard Banks - Public (PSU)

Record Number

A unique identifying number created for each Class of Records description.

This number is assigned by each institution as a finding tool to retrieve the information contained in the records.

Formerly referred to as Program Record Number.

Record

Any documentary material regardless of medium or form.

Records Disposition Authority (RDA)

The instrument that the Librarian and Archivist of Canada issues to enable government institutions to dispose of records which no longer have operational or other utility. There are three disposition methods – destroying the records (at the discretion of institutions), transferring historical records to the control of Library and Archives of Canada, or removing records from the control of the Government of Canada; for example, transfer to a Special Operating Agency or other level of government.

Retention and Disposal Standards

A timetable for the length of time records/information is maintained under the control of the institution. These standards also indicate the disposition method to be applied to institutional records when they are no longer required to meet operational, legal or other requirements, and when the RDA may be applied for final disposition.

Standard Classes of Records

Standard Classes of Records have been developed to describe records/information created, collected and used by most federal institutions in support of common functions and activities such as Human Resources Management, Materiel Management, and General Administration. These records document internal administrative functions and activities that are common to or shared by all federal government institutions and which help to manage and deliver the institution's programs and services.

Formerly referred to as Standard Program Records.