The complainant alleged that Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) did not conduct a reasonable search in response to an access request under the Access to Information Act for records from 2014 onwards related to the National Priority Ranking Framework, the Priority Framework for Water and Wastewater Projects, and long-term First Nations Infrastructure Investment Plans - including internal correspondence. The complaint falls within paragraph 30(1)(a) of the Act.

The investigation determined that the Offices of Primary Interest (OPIs) tasked with retrieval of responsive records may not have been the only appropriate OPIs to task, and that additional OPIs may hold responsive records.

The Information Commissioner ordered that ISC conduct a new search for additional records that respond to the access request and provide a new response once the search is complete that either gives access to any additional records or identifies why no such records were located.

ISC responded that it would implement the orders and expand the breadth of its search and provide any additional records by July 31, 2023.

The complaint is well founded.