Remarks on Supplementary Estimates B

Appearance before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics (ETHI) 

by Suzanne Legault, Information Commissioner of Canada

November 24, 2016
Ottawa, Ontario

(Check against delivery)

Download the PowerPoint presentation 

Good afternoon. Thank you for asking me to appear today. I am here with Layla Michaud, my Acting Assistant Commissioner and Chief Financial Officer.

Mr. Chair, I am here today to ask you to approve our request for additional funding, which was included in Supplementary Estimates (B) tabled on November 3^rd.

To assist the committee in makings its decision, I have prepared a series of slides on the Office of the Information Commissioner’s complaint inventory reduction strategy. These slides explain the objective of the strategy, the purpose of requesting additional funding, how this strategy will be implemented, and the intended results.

[PowerPoint presentation begins]

Request for supplementary resources

• The Office of the Information Commissioner (OIC) requested additional funds from the Treasury Board to reduce the inventory of complaints. The Treasury Board supported the request for additional funds for one year.

• This is temporary funding for fiscal year 2016-17.
• The funding request is a fit-gap measure pending the possible introduction and passage of amendments to the Access to Information Act.
• The funding has been strictly allocated to investigations.

Objective

• The objective of the OIC’s complaints reduction strategy is to close 2,361 complaints by March 31, 2017, as follows:
  • 1,061 files closed due to augmented investigative capacity
  • 1,300 files that would ordinarily be closed in a year (based on 2015-16 figures)
• With the requested supplementary resources, the OIC would be able to reduce its inventory of complaints to 2,624 files at year-end. Without these resources, the inventory would climb to 3,685 complaints.
  • Started 2016-17 with 3,000 complaints in inventory
  • Expects to receive 1,985 new complaints, based on current projections
  • With augmented investigative capacity, will close 2,361 files, leaving 2,624 complaints in inventory
  • Without augmented investigative capacity, will close 1,300 files (those ordinarily closed in a year), leaving 3,685 complaints in inventory

Implementation

• Hired investigators: a mix of consultants and full-time equivalents (FTEs)
  • New investigators arrive with a variety of experience; are assigned files accordingly
• Provided comprehensive training to new FTEs
• Fit up office space provided by Elections Canada in same building as existing office
• Upgraded IT network to handle increased traffic
• Monitoring results
  • Set file closure targets
  • Weekly review of progress against targets by Commissioner, Assistant Commissioner, and General Counsel and Director of Legal Services
  • Monthly review by Executive Committee
  • Quarterly review by Audit and Evaluation Committee

Results

• Files closed as of November 23, 2016: 1,384 (59 percent of target for year)

Next steps

• Standing Committee approval of supplementary resources
• Report to Parliament and Standing Committee in annual report

[PowerPoint presentation ends]

Once again, thank you, Mr. Chairman, for your invitation to discuss our request for additional funding. We would be pleased to answer your questions.