2022-23 Departmental Results Report
The Honourable Arif Virani, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Caroline Maynard
Information Commissioner of Canada
© His Majesty the King in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Justice, 2023
Cat. No. IP1-8E-PDF
ISSN 2561-2697
Table of contents
- From the Commissioner
- Results at a glance
- Results: what we achieved
- Spending and human resources
- Corporate information
- Supporting information on the program inventory
- Supplementary information tables
- Federal tax expenditures
- Organizational contact information
- Appendix: definitions
From the Commissioner
I am proud to present the 2022-23 Departmental Results Report of the Office of the Information Commissioner (OIC). The tangible outcomes my team was able to achieve during the twelve months covered in this report reflect the maturity of this organization. They are the culmination of my team’s efforts over several years to streamline, prioritize and re-orient resources towards our core mission ─ carrying out investigations into complaints about federal institutions’ handling of access to information requests.
A remarkable achievement this year was the resolution of 8,089 complaints, an unprecedented number that serves as a testament to the effectiveness of our endeavours. My increasing use of the order-making power to require institutions to disclose information under their control is having a positive impact, and is proving to be an impactful way to enforce the Access to InformationAct. During fiscal year 2022-2023, we also managed to decrease our inventory of complaints by 16%, and I remain committed to do everything I can to get the few remaining complaints that I inherited when I became Commissioner resolved before the end of my mandate.
However, this is just one side of the story. The OIC also registered a record number of new complaints. The high volume of complaints tells us that Canadians are exercising their right to seek access to information from their government, but are either unable to receive it in a timely manner or are unsatisfied with the information received. In addition, my office is increasingly involved in litigation as I seek to ensure compliance with my orders through the judiciary and as institutions challenge my orders in the courts, creating new pressures to contend with.
As I approach the final phase of my mandate, I remain deeply concerned about the state of the access to information system. Throughout the past year, I actively engaged with stakeholders to advocate for the right of access and the importance of government transparency. The study on the access to information system launched by the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics (ETHI) in May 2022 gave me further opportunities to reiterate the urgent need for improvements to the system, including much needed changes to the Act. While I welcome the recommendations issued by the ETHI committee in its reporttabled last June, it is now up to the Government to take concrete action to fix the system.
July 2023 marked the 40th anniversary of the Access to Information Act. This important milestone affords us the opportunity to reflect on the fact that access to information is not a mere service offered nor privilege granted by the government. It is a quasi-constitutional right at the foundation of our democracy, empowering citizens to stay informed, participate in governance, and hold their governments accountable for their actions and decisions, and it should be treated as such.
Results at a glance
Total actual spending, 2022–23: $16.5 million (including statutory spending)
Actual full-time equivalents, 2022–23: 128
Key results
- Once again, the OIC concluded an unprecedented number of complaints: 8089.
- The Commissioner appeared before Parliament and ETHI advocating for ATI System improvements
- Published 51 final reports and summaries to improve the OIC’s transparency, allowing institutions and complainants’ access to the Commissioner’s views on key issues.
- The OIC fully adapted its future of work strategies to implement a hybrid workplace all while improving processes, and gaining efficiencies
The most significant factor affecting the Office of the Information Commissioner (OIC) operations in 2022-23 was the unprecedented and record-setting number of complaints received.
The OIC continues to be guided by three strategies:
Invest in and support resources: The OIC continued to invest in its resources, specifically its investigations workforce, through further improvements to the Professional Development Program (PDP) for Investigators. The PDP for Investigators now includes the possibility of promotions from the PM-02 to the PM-06 level. PM-06 Lead Investigators, have benefitted from years of training, on-the-job learning, mentoring and other developmental opportunities. As a small organization, the OIC must continue to invest in its resources in order to attract and retain a high performing workforce. Other updates to the PDP for Investigators included the use of gender-neutral pronouns. In addition to PDP for Investigators, the OIC participates in the TBS-lead PDP for the Finance group. The OIC knows that attracting and retaining a diverse workforce hinges on its ability to create an inclusive work environment. A diverse workforce improves opportunities to innovate and leverage talent immediately and into the future.
Innovate and transform our operations: The hybrid work environment implemented by the OIC, allowing for staff flexibility, has demonstrated to be effective and efficient. Even though most of the OIC’s workforce continued to work remotely, they were still able to close 8089 complaints in the past year - an unprecedented amount. With improvements to technology, collaboration with institutions has also been improved through the use of frequent working meetings.
Maintain and enhance credibility: The OIC aims to be open and transparent. In support of this, the organization continued to update and publish guidance on its website as well as the final reports of its investigations. These are key resources, allowing complainants to understand their rights and for institutions to better understand their responsibilities. All investigations which ended in the Commissioner issuing an order are now published, as well as decisions she deems of value in providing guidance to institutions and complainants. The OIC published 51 final reports, 1 notice issued under subsection 30(5) and the orders made on 119 administrative complaints.
The OIC also published four new guidance documents and updated an additional three, along with frequently asked questions. These included making representations during investigations and How the OIC processes and investigates complaints. These publications help ensure the OIC’s procedures are transparent and predictable and assist parties of a complaint in navigating the investigation processes.
For more information on OIC’s plans, priorities and results achieved, see the “Results: what we achieved” section of this report.
Results: what we achieved
Core responsibility
Government Transparency
Description
The Information Commissioner is the first level of independent review of government decisions relating to requests for access to information under the control of government institutions. The second level of independent review is performed by the Federal Court.
Results
Through the June 2019 amendments to the Act (Bill C-58), the Commissioner has been granted new responsibilities and authorities, including the power to order institutions to release records at the end of an investigation, if she finds that a complaint is well founded.
For complaints registered prior to Bill C-58 coming into force, only recommendations can be issued, which unlike orders, are not binding upon the institution.
Due to the implementation of more efficient and effective processes, the OIC closed 8089 complaints - a record number. The OIC has made it a top priority to reduce the number of complaints dating from before the 2019 amendments to the Act.
Of the 3566 registered complaints in the OIC’s inventory prior to the June 2019 amendments to the Act, only 219 remain at the end of 2022-23. As of April 1, 2023, the OIC’s inventory consisted of 3,472 complaints. During fiscal year 2022–23, despite a record number of new complaints registered - 7,407 - the OIC managed to decrease its inventory by 16%. Tackling these older complaints continues to be a top priority for the Commissioner.
In 2022-23, the OIC published 119 orders on administrative complaints and 51 final reports. Other reports are also published when they are novel, or provide guidance on important aspects of the Act and its interpretation.
A key enabler to help ensure the OIC closes complaints efficiently is the publication of guides and other relevant information for institutions and complainants. During 2022-23, the OIC published four new and updated three additional guides and frequently asked questions, including Making representations during investigations and How the OIC processes and investigates complaints. These publications ensure the OIC’s procedures are transparent and predictable and assist parties of a complaint in navigating the investigation processes.
The Legal Services team contributed to the efficient delivery of the investigations program by expanding the development of various tools and delivering training opportunities for investigators. This team provided continued support to the Commissioner on a broad range of internal services and investigations related matters. The team also provided advice on an increased number of orders issued by the Commissioner, as well as decisions for publication and institutions’ application to decline to act on requests. Throughout the year, Legal Services represented the Commissioner before the Federal Court to defend the right of access in several litigious files.
The Commissioner and OIC staff actively participated in various conferences, panels and meetings to advocate for government transparency and uphold the right of access to information. Additionally, the Commissioner appeared twice before the Standing Committee on Access to Information and Ethics, as part of the Committee’s study of the access to information and privacy systems. Her appearances contributed to the Committee’s report on the state of Canada’s access to information regime, tabled in June 2023. The report contained 38 recommendations to fix the access system, including the establishment of an independent funding mechanism for the Office of the Information Commissioner of Canada and other Agents of Parliament constrained by the current Government of Canada funding arrangement.
Gender-based analysis plus
The OIC helps Canadians obtain access to information about government activities and decisions, including gender based (GBA+) information. However, the confidentiality requirements of investigations conducted pursuant to the Access to Information Act hamper GBA+ data collection efforts. The OIC evaluated possibilities for complainant consultations about its program delivery. Results will also identify any potential barriers.
United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals
In 2022-23, the OIC, as an Agent of Parliament initialized the development of its sustainable development strategy and will make every effort to review the possibility of integrating certain key elements of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development that align with its operating context. The OIC has only one mandate and program and operates as an independent agency (key target and key goals are not directly related to any specific government initiative.
Innovation
The concrete and highly positive outcome for the post-pandemic OIC is the implementation of a hybrid work environment. The OIC has been able to capitalize on hiring talent from across the country and hybrid telework agreements and flexible work arrangements, have produced a highly productive workforce. Never in its history has the OIC closed more complaint files. Given the OIC’s limited resources, the organization must continue to invest in its workforce, remain flexible, and keep pace with the evolving needs of staff in order to position itself to tackle the unprecedented number of complaints.
The OIC’s PDP for Investigators is the cornerstone for attracting and retaining a talented workforce. It provides the necessary framework for investigators to gauge progress in their learning and development and for managers to know when someone is ready for promotion take on more complex investigation files. The PDP was expanded to include the possibility for progressive promotion from the PM-02 to the PM-06 level and updated to include gender-neutral pronouns. The OIC understands that it must attract and retain a diverse workforce to keep pace with an ever-evolving work environment.
Key risks
Since the beginning of her mandate, the Commissioner has made it her mission that the OIC remain relevant by completing investigation complaints as quickly as possible, along with eliminating inefficient processes and improving workflows, wherever possible. This also means balancing work between older and newer files.
The OIC updated and posted on its website several key guidance documents and frequently asked questions. This has helped improve transparency and enables complainants and institutions to understand the OIC’s view point on numerous matters. That said, as the OIC becomes more and more efficient, it risks overwhelming institutions. To ensure institutions are able to keep pace, investigations staff held frequent targeted meetings with them to ensure collaboration and the timely resolution of issues. The Commissioner advocated on a number of occasions during 2022-23 for additional resources for ATIP staff within institutions under complaint, as she continued to argue that the system is verging on the brink of collapse.
Access to information and privacy professionals are a scarce and valuable resource. As the labour market continues to evolve and become increasingly competitive, the OIC, as a small organization with limited resources, risks being unable to attract and retain investigators. To mitigate this risk, the OIC continues to offer flexible work arrangements to best attract and retain talented individuals. The OIC also launches external advertised hiring processes each year and creates pools of qualified individuals who once hired, are part of the PDP for Investigators. Offering investigators a clear career path, doing important work, in a flexible work environment is key to mitigating this risk.
The OIC’s prioritizing investment into investigations has led to a decreased focus on organizational HR and IT capacity. Consequently, these two areas may present a risk to the OIC’s program delivery. As a result, the organization has applied mitigation mechanisms in the form of project prioritization and timely investments into these two areas.
Since the coming into force of C-58 in June 2019, the Information Commissioner now has the power to make orders. When a complaint falls within the scope of paragraph 30(1)(a), (b), (c), (d), (d.1) or (e) of the Access to Information Act, and the Commissioner determines that a complaint is well founded, she may order the institution to take appropriate, as long as the order relates to a record. Unless an institution applies to the Federal Court for a review of the subject of the complaint, institutions are legally obliged to abide by the Commissioner’s order.
Allegations of non-compliance to orders issued by the Commissioner result in a follow-up with the institution in question to ensure that respecting the order remains a priority. If this is not the case, the Commissioner has options to consider, including taking the institution to Federal Court to enforce compliance. As the Commissioner continues to issue orders, there remains the risk that greater number of these orders will continue to be challenged by institutions in Federal Court, or ignored altogether, forcing the Commissioner to resort to litigation.
Current resources in legal services are insufficient to adjust to this new reality. The situation is exacerbated by the OIC continuing to operate on a funding mechanism that remains dependent on Government priorities, as well as a level of permanent funding that is inadequate to handle the growing level of complaints and litigations. Additionally, there is a risk that the ongoing increase in access requests will likely result in the OIC receiving an increased number of complaints. Some, if not all aspects of this risk are outside the OIC’s control. Ultimately, not having the financial flexibility to adjust its resources to increased demand and properly fulfill its oversight mandate would affect the credibility of the Office of the Information Commissioner. This could have significant detrimental effects on democracy, the credibility of federal institutions, and the right of Canadians to access.
Results achieved
The following table shows, for Government Transparency, the results achieved, the performance indicators, the targets and the target dates for 2022–23, and the actual results for the three most recent fiscal years for which actual results are available.
| Departmental results | Performance indicators | Target | Date to achieve target | 2020–21 actual results | 2021–22 actual results | 2022–23 actual results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canadians receive timely resolution of complaints about how federal institutions process access to information requests | Median turnaround time for completion of investigations of administrative complaints | At most 30 days |
March 31, 2023 | 81 days | 34 days | 17 days |
| Percentage of investigations of administrative complaints completed within 60 days | At least 85% |
March 31, 2023 | 40.6% | 56.8% | 79% | |
| Percentage of administrative complaints assigned to investigators within 30 days of being registered | At least 85% |
March 31, 2023 | 52.1% | 27.7% | 33% | |
| Median turnaround time for completion of investigations of refusal complaints | At most 120 days |
March 31, 2023 | 273 days | 158 days | 197 days | |
| Percentage of investigations of refusal complaints completed within 270 days | At least 85% |
March 31, 2023 | 49.4% | 65.7% | 57.7% | |
| Percentage of refusal complaints assigned to investigators within 180 days of being registered | At least 85% |
March 31, 2023 | 40.5% | 38.2% | 47.1% | |
| Percentage of complaints in the inventory at each year-end that were registered during the current year and previous year | At least 85% |
March 31, 2024 | 67.1% | 73.5% | 82.9% | |
| Complaint investigations result in increased access to government information | Percentage of completed refusal investigations that result in more information being released to complainants* | At least 50% |
March 31, 2023 | 48.9% | 39.9% | 46.6% |
*includes well founded, not well founded, resolved, cease to investigate-resolved.
Financial, human resources and performance information for OIC’s program inventory is available in GC InfoBase.
Budgetary financial resources (dollars)
The following table shows, for Government Transparency, budgetary spending for 2022–23, as well as actual spending for that year.
| 2022–23 Main Estimates | 2022–23 planned spending | 2022–23 total authorities available for use | 2022–23 actual spending (authorities used) | 2022–23 difference (actual spending minus planned spending) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12,091,774 | 12,091,774 | 11,584,492 | 11,149,529 | -942,245 |
Financial, human resources and performance information for OIC’s program inventory is available in GC InfoBase.
Human resources (full-time equivalents)
The following table shows, in full‑time equivalents, the human resources the department needed to fulfill this core responsibility for 2022–23.
| 2022–23 planned full-time equivalents | 2022–23 actual full-time equivalents | 2022–23 difference (actual full‑time equivalents minus planned full‑time equivalents) |
|---|---|---|
| 96 | 91 | -5 |
Financial, human resources and performance information for OIC’s program inventory is available in GC InfoBase.
Internal services
Description
Internal services are groups of related activities and resources that the federal government considers to be in support of programs, and/or, required to meet corporate obligations of an organization. Internal services refers to the activities and resources of ten distinct service categories supporting program delivery in the organization, regardless of the internal services delivery model in a department. The ten service categories are:
- acquisition management services
- communication services
- financial management services
- human resources management services
- information management services
- information technology services
- legal services
- material management services
- management and oversight services
- real property management services
In 2022–23, the OIC focused all of its available resources on building the capacity required to respond to the unprecedented volume of complaints. Past efforts aimed at workforce stabilization, process improvements and office space optimization all attributed to the organizational maturity that has been a key enabler for the Investigations Program to close the record-breaking number of complaints.
The OIC aspires to be favoured among peer organizations as an employer of choice and continuously applies an integrated approach where people, technology and the work environment jointly contribute to the fulfillment of that goal. This has helped the OIC mitigate challenges related to securing a stable workforce and minimizing the 2022-23 global trend in staff turnover. Employees are able to benefit from an array of organizational support ranging from structured career progression programs to formal, yet flexible hybrid work agreements in place. This is creating the conditions that will enable OIC employees to perform at their best, no matter their specific needs and individual situations. To this end, the OIC published an Accessibility Strategy, a key pillar that complements the organization’s existing three-year plans on wellness, mental health and equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI).
Finally, in 2022–23, the OIC made the hard commitment to advancing technology by securing the necessary resources for replacing the current electronic records system. This will remain the focus of IM/IT team for the upcoming period, along with the planning of the online form portal and intranet and internet improvements, including enhancements to the decisions database and online guidance material. These improvements will provide additional resources for both institutions and complainants. This important step will further enable collaboration and position the OIC to keep up to date with technology advancements.
Contracts awarded to Indigenous businesses
OIC is a Phase 3 organization which requires it to achieve the minimum 5% target of contracts awarded to Indigenous businesses by the end of 2024-25. The OIC was able to reach this goal in 2022-23.
The measures that OIC has taken and will be taking to continue to achieve the 5% minimum target include:
- disseminating communiqués to inform OIC budget managers of this commitment;
- ensuring that necessary training is provided to budget managers and contracting specialists; and
- multi-year contracts considerations
As a smaller organization, the OIC relies on the Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC) for procurement services, and will continue to work jointly with CHRC to continue achieve the target. The OIC plans to continue to achieve our 5% target by procuring IM/IT services from Indigenous firms, as this particular segment represents the highest operational expenditure for the organization.
Budgetary financial resources (dollars)
The following table shows, for internal services, budgetary spending for 2022–23, as well as spending for that year.
| 2022–23 Main Estimates | 2022–23 planned spending | 2022–23 total authorities available for use | 2022–23 actual spending (authorities used) | 2022–23 difference (actual spending minus planned spending) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3,818,455 | 3,818,455 | 5,583,177 | 5,373,546 | 1,555,091 |
Human resources (full-time equivalents)
The following table shows, in full‑time equivalents, the human resources the department needed to carry out its internal services for 2022–23.
| 2022–23 planned full‑time equivalents | 2022–23 actual full‑time equivalents | 2022–23 difference (actual full‑time equivalents minus planned full‑time equivalents) |
|---|---|---|
| 32 | 34 | 2 |
Spending and human resources
Spending
Spending 2020–21 to 2025–26
The following graph presents planned (voted and statutory spending) over time.
Text version
| Fiscal year |
Total |
Voted |
Statutory |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020–21 | 16,133,389 | 14,504,595 | 1,628,794 |
| 2021–22 | 17,898,054 | 16,150,614 | 1,747,440 |
| 2022–23 | 16,523,075 | 14,673,725 | 1,849,350 |
| 2023–24 | 16,033,696 | 14,212,217 | 1,821,479 |
| 2024–25 | 16,033,696 | 14,212,217 | 1,821,479 |
| 2025-26 | 16,033,696 | 14,212,217 | 1,821,479 |
The OIC spent $16.5 million in 2022–23 to carry out its program and meet its strategic outcome. The Commissioner is committed to ensuring that the OIC uses its financial resources in the most strategic and responsible manner to continually improve service delivery and ensure that investigations and other activities aimed at enhancing government openness and transparency have the most impact. The vast majority of the OIC’s spending (86 percent) was for salaries and associated employee costs.
Spending in 2021-22 was higher due to $0.96 million being re-profiled from 2020–21 to 2021–22, a carry forward of $0.47 million from 2020-21 to 2021-22, as well as a one-time transfer between salary and operating resulting in an increase of $0.46 million to cover the cost of temporary help services. In 2022-23, $0.15 million of funds were re-profiled from 2021-22 to 2022-23 and there was a carry forward of $0.71 million from 2021-22 to 2022-23.
Budgetary performance summary for core responsibilities and internal services (dollars)
The “Budgetary performance summary for core responsibility and internal services” table presents the budgetary financial resources allocated for OIC’s core responsibility and for internal services.
| Core responsibilities and internal services | 2022–23 Main Estimates | 2022–23 planned spending | 2023–24 planned spending | 2024–25 planned spending | 2022–23 total authorities available for use | 2020–21 actual spending (authorities used) | 2021–22 actual spending (authorities used) | 2022–23 actual spending (authorities used) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Government Transparency | 12,091,774 | 12,091,774 | 11,223,587 | 11,223,587 | 11,584,492 | 10,208,219 | 11,631,748 | 11,149,529 |
| Subtotal | 12,091,774 | 12,091,774 | 11,223,587 | 11,223,587 | 11,584,492 | 10,208,219 | 11,631,748 | 11,149,529 |
| Internal services | 3,818,455 | 3,818,455 | 4,810,109 | 4,810,109 | 5,583,177 | 5,925,170 | 6,266,306 | 5,373,546 |
| Total | 15,910,229 | 15,910,229 | 16,033,696 | 16,033,696 | 17,167,669 | 16,133,389 | 17,898,054 | 16,523,075 |
The net increase of $1.3 million between the total authorities available for use ($17.2 million) and the planned spending ($15.9 million) for 2022-23 consists of funding received for the operating budget carry forward exercise, amounts re-profiled from the prior year, and compensation allocations.
Total authorities available for use ($17.2 million) compared to actual spending ($16.5 million) in 2022-23 resulted in a lapse of $0.7 million (4% of authorities available for use), which is within 5% threshold of total budget. This amount represents the operating lapses reported in the Public Accounts of Canada by the OIC.
Human resources
The “Human resources summary for core responsibilities and internal services” table presents the full-time equivalents (FTEs) allocated to each of OIC’s core responsibility and to internal services.
Human resources summary for core responsibilities and internal services
| Core responsibilities and internal services | 2020–21 actual full‑time equivalents | 2021–22 actual full‑time equivalents | 2022–23 planned full‑time equivalents | 2022–23 actual full‑time equivalents | 2023–24 planned full‑time equivalents | 2024–25 planned full‑time equivalents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Government Transparency | 73 | 91 | 96 | 91 | 96 | 96 |
| Subtotal | 73 | 91 | 96 | 91 | 96 | 96 |
| Internal services | 36 | 38 | 32 | 34 | 32 | 32 |
| Total | 109 | 129 | 128* | 125 | 128 | 128 |
*In-cycle planned FTE level adjustment (from 135 to 128) was made to reference level that was detected during quality assurance exercise.
Expenditures by vote
For information on OIC’s organizational voted and statutory expenditures, consult the Public Accounts of Canada.
Government of Canada spending and activities
Information on the alignment of OIC’s spending with Government of Canada’s spending and activities is available in GC InfoBase.
Financial statements and financial statements highlights
Financial statements
OIC’s financial statements (audited) for the year ended March 31, 2023, are available on the department’s website.
Financial statement highlights
Condensed Statement of Operations (audited) for the year ended March 31, 2023 (dollars)
| Financial information | 2022–23 planned results | 2022–23 actual results | 2021–22 actual results | Difference (2022–23 actual results minus 2022–23 planned results) |
Difference (2022–23 actual results minus 2021–22 actual results) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total expenses | 17,882,329 | 18,845,524 | 19,962,003 | 963,195 | - 1,116,479 |
| Total revenues | - | 149 | 261 | 149 | - 112 |
| Net cost of operations before government funding and transfers | 17,882,329 | 18,845,375 | 19,961,742 | 963,046 | - 1,116,367 |
The actual net cost of operations in 2022–23 was lower than 2021–22 actual results due to a smaller operating budget carry forward and re-profile from the prior year in 2022-23.
The 2022–23 planned results information is provided in OIC’s Future-Oriented Statement of Operations and Notes 2022–23.
Condensed Statement of Financial Position (audited) as of March 31, 2023 (dollars)
| Financial information | 2022–23 | 2021–22 | Difference (2022–23 minus 2021–22) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total net liabilities | 2,136,957 | 2,527,611 | - 390,654 |
| Total net financial assets | 1,657,209 | 1,751,787 | - 94,578 |
| Departmental net debt | 479,748 | 775,824 | - 296,076 |
| Total non-financial assets | 2,222,697 | 2,482,779 | - 260,082 |
| Departmental net financial position | 1,742,949 | 1,706,955 | 35,994 |
Total net liabilities for 2022–23 were $2.1 million, a decrease of $0.4 million from 2021–22. This is mainly due to a decrease in year-end accounts payable. The decrease in non-financial assets largely resulted from amortization recorded for the year on tangible capital assets.
The 2022–23 planned results information is provided in OIC’s Future-Oriented Statement of Operations and Notes 2022–23.
Corporate information
Organizational profile
Appropriate minister[s]: Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Institutional head: Caroline Maynard, Information Commissioner of Canada
Ministerial portfolio: Department of Justice Canada
Enabling instrument[s]: Access to information Act (RSC, 1985, C-1)
Year of incorporation / commencement: 1983
Other: For administrative purposes, the Minister of Justice is responsible for submitting the organization’s Departmental Plan and Departmental Results Report.
Raison d’être, mandate and role: who we are and what we do
“Raison d’être, mandate and role: who we are and what we do” is available on OIC’s website.
Operating context
Information on the operating context is available on OIC’s website.
Reporting framework
OIC’s departmental results framework and program inventory of record for 2022–23 are shown below.
Text version
| Departmental Results Framework | Core Responsibility: Government Transparency | Internal Services | |
| Canadians receive timely resolution of complaints about how federal institutions process access to information requests. | Percentage of investigations of refusal complaints assigned to investigators within 180 days of being registered | ||
| Percentage of investigations of refusal complaints completed within 270 days | |||
| Median turnaround time for completion of investigations of administrative complaints | |||
| Median turnaround time for completion of investigations of refusal complaints | |||
| Percentage of investigations of administrative complaints assigned to investigators within 30 days of being registered | |||
| Percentage of investigations of administrative complaints completed within 60 days | |||
| Percentage of complaints in the inventory at each year-end that were registered during the current year and previous year | |||
| Complaint investigations result in increased access to government information | Percentage of completed refusal investigations that result in more information being released to complainants | ||
| Program Inventory | Compliance with access to information obligations | ||
Supporting information on the program inventory
Financial, human resources and performance information for OIC’s program inventory is available in GC InfoBase.
Supplementary information tables
The following supplementary information tables are available on OIC’s website:
- Reporting on Green Procurement
- Gender-based analysis plus
- United Nations 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals
Federal tax expenditures
The tax system can be used to achieve public policy objectives through the application of special measures such as low tax rates, exemptions, deductions, deferrals and credits. The Department of Finance Canada publishes cost estimates and projections for these measures each year in the Report on Federal Tax Expenditures. This report also provides detailed background information on tax expenditures, including descriptions, objectives, historical information and references to related federal spending programs as well as evaluations and GBA Plus of tax expenditures.
Organizational contact information
Mailing address:
France Labine
Deputy Commissioner, Corporate Services, Strategic Planning
and Transformation Services
Office of the Information Commissioner of Canada
30 Victoria Street
Gatineau QC K1A 1H3
Telephone: 613-462-4441
Email: france.labine@ci-oic.gc.ca
Website(s): www.oic-ci.gc.ca
Appendix: definitions
appropriation(crédit)
Any authority of Parliament to pay money out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund.
budgetary expenditures(dépenses budgétaires)
Operating and capital expenditures; transfer payments to other levels of government, organizations or individuals; and payments to Crown corporations.
core responsibility(responsabilité essentielle)
An enduring function or role performed by a department. The intentions of the department with respect to a core responsibility are reflected in one or more related departmental results that the department seeks to contribute to or influence.
Departmental Plan(plan ministériel)
A report on the plans and expected performance of an appropriated department over a 3‑year period. Departmental Plans are usually tabled in Parliament each spring.
departmental priority(priorité)
A plan or project that a department has chosen to focus and report on during the planning period. Priorities represent the things that are most important or what must be done first to support the achievement of the desired departmental results.
departmental result(résultat ministériel)
A consequence or outcome that a department seeks to achieve. A departmental result is often outside departments’ immediate control, but it should be influenced by program-level outcomes.
departmental result indicator (indicateur de résultat ministériel)
A quantitative measure of progress on a departmental result.
departmental results framework(cadre ministériel des résultats)
A framework that connects the department’s core responsibilities to its departmental results and departmental result indicators.
Departmental Results Report(rapport sur les résultats ministériels)
A report on a department’s actual accomplishments against the plans, priorities and expected results set out in the corresponding Departmental Plan.
full‑time equivalent(équivalent temps plein)
A measure of the extent to which an employee represents a full person‑year charge against a departmental budget. For a particular position, the full‑time equivalent figure is the ratio of number of hours the person actually works divided by the standard number of hours set out in the person’s collective agreement.
gender-based analysis plus (GBA Plus)(analyse comparative entre les sexes plus [ACS Plus])
An analytical tool used to support the development of responsive and inclusive policies, programs and other initiatives; and understand how factors such as sex, race, national and ethnic origin, Indigenous origin or identity, age, sexual orientation, socio-economic conditions, geography, culture and disability, impact experiences and outcomes, and can affect access to and experience of government programs.
government-wide priorities(priorités pangouvernementales)
For the purpose of the 2022–23 Departmental Results Report, government-wide priorities are the high-level themes outlining the government’s agenda in the November 23, 2021, Speech from the Throne[xxii]: building a healthier today and tomorrow; growing a more resilient economy; bolder climate action; fighter harder for safer communities; standing up for diversity and inclusion; moving faster on the path to reconciliation; and fighting for a secure, just and equitable world.
horizontal initiative(initiative horizontale)
An initiative where two or more federal organizations are given funding to pursue a shared outcome, often linked to a government priority.
non‑budgetary expenditures(dépenses non budgétaires)
Net outlays and receipts related to loans, investments and advances, which change the composition of the financial assets of the Government of Canada.
performance(rendement)
What an organization did with its resources to achieve its results, how well those results compare to what the organization intended to achieve, and how well lessons learned have been identified.
performance indicator(indicateur de rendement)
A qualitative or quantitative means of measuring an output or outcome, with the intention of gauging the performance of an organization, program, policy or initiative respecting expected results.
performance reporting(production de rapports sur le rendement)
The process of communicating evidence‑based performance information. Performance reporting supports decision making, accountability and transparency.
plan(plan)
The articulation of strategic choices, which provides information on how an organization intends to achieve its priorities and associated results. Generally, a plan will explain the logic behind the strategies chosen and tend to focus on actions that lead to the expected result.
planned spending(dépenses prévues)
For Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports, planned spending refers to those amounts presented in Main Estimates.
A department is expected to be aware of the authorities that it has sought and received. The determination of planned spending is a departmental responsibility, and departments must be able to defend the expenditure and accrual numbers presented in their Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports.
program(programme)
Individual or groups of services, activities or combinations thereof that are managed together within the department and focus on a specific set of outputs, outcomes or service levels.
program inventory(répertoire des programmes)
Identifies all the department’s programs and describes how resources are organized to contribute to the department’s core responsibilities and results.
result(résultat)
A consequence attributed, in part, to an organization, policy, program or initiative. Results are not within the control of a single organization, policy, program or initiative; instead they are within the area of the organization’s influence.
Indigenous business(enterprise autochtones)
For the purpose of the Directive on the Management of Procurement Appendix E: Mandatory Procedures for Contracts Awarded to Indigenous Businesses and the Government of Canada’s commitment that a mandatory minimum target of 5% of the total value of contracts is awarded to Indigenous businesses, an organization that meets the definition and requirements as defined by the Indigenous Business Directory.
statutory expenditures(dépenses législatives)
Expenditures that Parliament has approved through legislation other than appropriation acts. The legislation sets out the purpose of the expenditures and the terms and conditions under which they may be made.
target(cible)
A measurable performance or success level that an organization, program or initiative plans to achieve within a specified time period. Targets can be either quantitative or qualitative.
voted expenditures(dépenses votées)
Expenditures that Parliament approves annually through an appropriation act. The vote wording becomes the governing conditions under which these expenditures may be made.