Annual Report on the Access to Information Act 2024‑2025

Table of contents

• Introduction
• Organizational Structure
• Delegation of Authority
• Statistics
• Interpretation of the Statistical Report
  • Section 1. Requests Under the Access to Information Act
  • Section 2. Informal Requests
  • Section 3. Applications to the Information Commissioner on Declining to Act on Requests
  • Section 4. Requests Closed During the Reporting Period
  • Section 5. Extensions
  • Section 6. Fees
  • Section 7. Consultations Received from Other Institutions and Organizations
  • Section 8. Completion Time of Consultations on Cabinet Confidences
  • Section 9. Investigations and Reports of Findings
  • Section 10. Court Action
  • Section 11. Resources Related to the Access to Information Act
• Highlights
  • Training and Awareness
  • Policies, Guidelines and Procedures
  • Complaints
  • Monitoring Compliance
  • Information Holdings
• Proactive Publication under Part 2 of the Access to Information Act
• APPENDIX A: Delegation Order

Introduction

The Canada School of Public Service (the School) is pleased to present to Parliament its annual report on the administration of the Access to Information Act (ATIA). This report has been prepared and tabled in accordance with section 94 of the ATIA and describes how the School administered and fulfilled its obligations under the Act between April 1, 2024, and March 31, 2025.

Purpose of the Access to Information Act

The purpose of the ATIA is to enhance the accountability and transparency of federal institutions to promote an open and democratic society and to enable public debate on the conduct of those institutions. To further that purpose:

• Part 1 extends the present laws of Canada to provide a right of access to information in records under the control of a government institution in accordance with the principles that government information should be available to the public, that necessary exceptions to the right of access should be limited and specific, and that decisions about the disclosure of government information should be reviewed independently of government.
• Part 2 sets out requirements for the proactive publication of information.

About the Canada School of Public Service

Background

The Canada School of Public Service (the School) was created on April 1, 2004, when the legislative provisions of Part IV of the Public Service Modernization Act came into force. The School has been part of the Treasury Board Portfolio since July 2004. Operating under the authority of the Canada School of Public Service Act, the School was created from an amalgamation of the following three organizations: the Canadian Centre for Management Development, Training and Development Canada and Language Training Canada. It reports to Parliament through the Minister of the Treasury Board, who is the Minister responsible for the School.

Read more about the School's mandate.

Responsibilities

The School has the legislative mandate to provide a range of enterprise‐wide learning activities to build individual and organizational capacity and management excellence within the core public service. Using a broad ecosystem of learning products, delivery approaches, and an online learning platform, the School provides public servants with the foundational knowledge, skills, and competencies now and in the future, to serve Canadians with excellence.

The School has one strategic outcome: Federal public service employees have the common knowledge, skills and competencies to fulfil their responsibilities in serving Canadians.

For information about the School's core responsibilities, planned results and resources, reporting framework and more, consult our Departmental Plan 2024-2025.

Organizational Structure

The School's Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) Office (the ATIP Office) is responsible for the coordination and implementation of policies, guidelines, and procedures to ensure departmental compliance with the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act. The ATIP Office is also responsible for responding to requests made under the Acts.

The ATIP Office is housed within the Corporate Secretariat of the Communications and Engagement Directorate. When fully staffed, the School's ATIP Office has a total of six employees.

In addition to activities related to the Access to Information Act, the responsibilities of the School's ATIP Office include:

• processing requests for information submitted under the Access to Information Act and requests for personal information pursuant to the Privacy Act in accordance with legislation, regulations and Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) policies and guidelines;
• responding to ATIP consultations received from other government institutions and organizations;
• providing advice and guidance to requesters on the application of ATIP legislation, as well as promoting awareness and training to School employees;
• collaborating with the Office of the Information Commissioner and with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner on the resolution of complaints;
• reviewing departmental documents prior to disclosure on public facing websites;
• ensuring the School's information holdings (classes of records and personal information banks) are updated annually in its Info Source chapter;
• preparing statistical reports and annual reports on the administration of the Access to Information Act and Privacy Act;
• participating in ATIP community activities, such as the Treasury Board Secretariat-led ATIP coordinators and ATIP practitioners' meetings and working groups;
• raising awareness on a variety of access to information and privacy-related matters to ensure compliance with access to information and privacy legislation;
• monitoring proactive publications pursuant to requirements under Part 2 of the Act. For a breakdown of the groups responsible for meeting each applicable proactive publication requirement under Part 2 of the ATIA, visit the section Proactive Publication under Part 2 of the ATIA.

The ATIP Office works closely with eight departmental ATIP liaison officers who are responsible for ensuring that requests are handled promptly and that relevant records are forwarded to the ATIP Office within prescribed deadlines.

Section 96 of the Access to Information Act allows government institutions to provide services related to access to information to another government institution that is presided over by the same minister. In 2024–25, the School's ATIP Office did not provide any such services.

Further to reporting requirements for non-operational "paper" subsidiaries, the School did not have any such entities during this reporting period.

Delegation of Authority

Pursuant to section 95(1) of the Access to Information Act, the School's President delegated full authority for the purposes of the Act, to the Director General of the Communications and Engagement Directorate.

A copy of the signed delegation instrument for the Act, which took effect on September 21, 2023, can be found as Appendix A.

Statistics

Interpretation of the Statistical Report

The following outlines the information contained in the Statistical Report on the Access to Information Act for the 2024–2025 reporting period.

Section 1. Requests Under the Access to Information Act

1.1 Number of requests

During the 2024–2025 reporting period, the School's ATIP Office received 23 new requests and carried forward two requests from the previous reporting period (2023–2024), for a total of 25 requests—of which 23 were closed during this reporting period.

The two requests carried forward from the previous reporting period were both from 2023–2024 and were carried over within their legislated timelines (including extensions).

The ATIP Office carried forward two requests into the 2025–2026 reporting period. One was carried over within its legislated timeline, while the other was carried over beyond its legislated timeline. Both requests originated during the 2024–2025 reporting period.

1.2 Sources of requests

Of the 23 requests received during this reporting period, 15 were from the public (65%), five requesters declined to identify themselves (22%), two were from the media (9%), and one was from a business (4%). No requests were identified as coming from academia or organizations.

1.3 Channels of requests

Of the 23 requests received in 2024-2025, 17 were submitted electronically via the Access to Information and Personal Information Online Request Service, and six were submitted by email.

Section 2. Informal Requests

An informal request is defined as a request for information made to the ATIP Office of a government institution that does not follow the formal procedures outlined in the ATIA. Application fees cannot be charged for informal requests and there is no prescribed timeline for responding. The requester also has no statutory right of complaint to the Information Commissioner of Canada.

With the consent of the requester, ATIP Offices may process requests received under the ATIA informally whenever it is appropriate to do so. Treating requests informally is possible to further the availability of information to the public.

Informal requests include, but are not limited to:

• Formal requests that were discontinued in favour of providing information informally. For example, the information requested may already be publicly available online. A request treated in this manner is not to be considered abandoned, nor should it be reported as a formal request.
• Requests for previously released information, such as those made further to the online publication of summaries of closed formal requests. These types of requests are also known as “re-releases” or “informal subsequent releases.”

2.1 Informal requests

During this reporting period, the ATIP Office received 108 informal requests, of which 106 were re-releases and two were treated informally.

2.2 Channels of informal requests

Of the 108 requests received, 106 were received via the Access to Information and Personal Information Online Request Service (AORS) and two were received by email.

2.3 Completion time of informal requests

Of the 108 requests received, all were completed within the 1 to 15 day timeframe.

2.4 Pages released informally

Of the two requests received and treated informally, 103 pages were processed and released.

2.5 Pages re-released informally

The ATIP Office received 106 requests to re-release previously released documents that were processed pursuant to the Act, and a total of 32,195 pages were re-released.

Section 3. Applications to the Information Commissioner on Declining to Act on Requests

The ATIP Office did not seek approval of the Information Commissioner to decline to act on any ATI request received during the reporting period.

Section 4. Requests Closed During the Reporting Period

4.1 Disposition and completion time

Of the 23 requests closed during this reporting period, 14 (61%) were completed within 30 days, two (9%) required 31 to 60 days, six (26%) required 61 to 120 days, and one (4%) required 121 to 180 days to complete.

All 23 closed requests were released as follows: 12 (52%) were fully disclosed, nine (39%) were disclosed in part, and two (9%) were abandoned by the requester.

4.2 Exemptions

The most commonly invoked exemption cited in nine requests was section 19(1) of the Act (protection of personal information).

Subsection 15(1) - relating to the characteristics, capabilities, performance, potential, deployment, functions or role of any defence establishment, of any military force, unit or personnel or of any organization or person responsible for the detection, prevention or suppression of subversive or hostile activities;

Subsection 16(2) - The head of a government institution may refuse to disclose any record requested under this Part that contains information that could reasonably be expected to facilitate the commission of an offence, including, without restricting the generality of the foregoing, any such information

Paragraph 16(2)(c) - on the vulnerability of particular buildings or other structures or systems, including computer or communication systems, or methods employed to protect such buildings or other structures or systems;

Section 17 - The head of a government institution may refuse to disclose any record requested under this Part that contains information the disclosure of which could reasonably be expected to threaten the safety of individuals.

Subsection 19(1) - subject to subsection (2), the head of a government institution shall refuse to disclose any record requested under this part that contains personal information;

Paragraph 20(1)(a) - trade secrets of a third party;

Paragraph 20(1)(b) - financial, commercial, scientific or technical information that is confidential information supplied to a government institution by a third party and is treated consistently in a confidential manner by the third party;

Paragraph 20(1)(c) - information the disclosure of which could reasonably be expected to result in material financial loss or gain to, or could reasonably be expected to prejudice the competitive position of, a third party;

Paragraph 20(1)(d) - information the disclosure of which could reasonably be expected to interfere with contractual or other negotiations of a third party;

Paragraph 21(1)(a) - advice or recommendations developed by or for a government institution or a minister of the Crown;

Paragraph 21(1)(b) - an account of consultations or deliberations in which directors, officers or employees of a government institution, a minister of the Crown or the staff of a minister participate.

4.3 Exclusions

There were three exclusion provisions invoked for section 68(a).

68 (a) published material, other than material published under Part 2, or material available for purchase by the public.

4.4 Format of information released

Of the 23 requests closed, 21 were released in electronic format with a disclosure of either “all disclosed” or “disclosed in part,” while two requests were abandoned by the requester.

One of the 21 electronically released requests was also issued in paper format.

4.5 Complexity

The following sections detail several factors affecting the complexity of requests that were closed during this reporting period.

4.5.1 Relevant pages processed and disclosed for paper and e-record formats

Of the 23 requests closed (including 21 with responsive records and two that were abandoned), a total of 14,148 relevant pages were processed. Of these, 11,801 pages were disclosed, either in full or in part. The remaining 2,347 pages were withheld pursuant to exemptions under the Act, deemed not relevant or identified as duplicate documents.

4.5.2 Relevant pages processed per request disposition for paper and e-record formats by size of requests

Of the 23 closed requests that generated responsive records:

• Twelve requests required the processing of 100 pages or fewer, totaling 426 pages.
• Five requests required the processing of between 101 and 500 pages, totaling 1,137 pages.
• Three requests required the processing of between 501 and 1,000 pages, totaling 2,776 pages.
• Three requests required the processing of between 1,001 and 5,000 pages, totaling 10,109 pages.

4.5.3 Relevant minutes processed and disclosed for audio formats

The ATIP Office did not process any relevant minutes in audio format.

4.5.4 Relevant minutes processed and disclosed for audio formats by size of requests

The ATIP Office did not process or disclose any relevant minutes in audio format.

4.5.5 Relevant minutes processed and disclosed for video formats

The ATIP Office did not process any relevant minutes in video format.

4.5.6 Relevant minutes processed and disclosed for video formats by size of requests

The ATIP Office did not process or disclose any relevant minutes in video format.

4.5.7 Other complexities

During this reporting period, the ATIP Office consulted other government institutions and third parties on eight occasions.

4.6 Closed requests

The following section details the number of requests closed within legislated timelines.

4.6.1 Requests closed within legislated timelines

Of the 23 requests closed, all were completed within legislated timelines – indicating a compliance rate of 100.00%.

Table 4.6.1 Requests closed within legislative timelines - Multi year overview

4.7 Deemed refusals

The following sections provide context on the rationales applied to requests considered “deemed refusal” throughout this reporting period.

4.7.1 Reasons for not meeting legislative timelines

There were no requests closed beyond legislated timelines. This demonstrates the ATIP Office’s ongoing commitment to ensuring timely access to records and compliance with legislation.

4.7.2 Requests closed beyond legislated timelines (including any extension taken)

There were no requests closed beyond legislated timelines.

4.8 Requests for translation

The ATIP Office did not receive or process any requests for translation of responsive records during this reporting period.

Section 5. Extensions

5.1 Reasons for extensions and disposition of requests

Subsection 9(1) of the Access to Information Act allows the head of a government institution to extend its time limit in respect to requests under the following three circumstances:

(a) the request is for a large number of records or necessitates a search through a large number of records and meeting the original time limit would unreasonably interfere with the operations of the government institution;

(b) consultations are necessary to comply with the request that cannot reasonably be completed within the original time limit; or

(c) notice of the request is given pursuant to subsection 27(1) of the Access to Information Act.

A total of 16 extensions were taken on requests closed during this reporting period, pursuant to 9(1)(a), 9(1)(b) and 9(1)(c) of the Act.

5.2 Length of extensions

Of the 16 extensions invoked during the reporting period, the majority (87.50%) were extended to 60 days or less beyond the initial 30 day legislated timeline. Extensions were primarily invoked to consult with other government institutions or third parties. In some cases, extensions were invoked because there was a large volume of records and complying with the original time limit would have unreasonably interfered with operations.

When requesting extensions beyond 30 days, the ATIP Office notifies requesters as well as the Office of the Information Commissioner of Canada (OIC).

Section 6. Fees

The School waived 23 application fees for this reporting period. The amount of fees waived is $115.00.

Fees waived: The ATIP Office waives all fees prescribed by the Act and Regulations in addition to the $5.00 application fee charged for an access to information request, as set out in paragraph 7(1)(a) of the Regulations.

Section 7. Consultations Received from Other Institutions and Other Organizations

7.1 Consultations received from other Government of Canada institutions and other organizations

The ATIP Office received 15 consultation requests from other Government of Canada institutions, of which 14 requests were completed during the reporting period, which generated 2,058 pages of records processed.

The ATIP Office did not receive any requests for consultation from other organizations.

7.2 Recommendations and completion time for consultations received from other Government of Canada institutions

Of the 14 consultations completed within the prescribed timelines, the following recommendations were communicated to other Government of Canada institutions: 11 (79%) full disclosure; two (14%) partial disclosure; and one (7%) that fell within the “other” category.

7.3 Recommendations and completion time for consultations received from other organizations outside the Government of Canada

The ATIP Office did not receive any requests for consultation from other organizations, including any governments of provinces, territories, municipalities or other countries.

Section 8. Completion Time of Consultations on Cabinet Confidences

8.1 Requests with legal services

The ATIP Office did not send any consultation requests on Cabinet Confidences to the Department of Justice.

8.2 Requests with Privy Council Office

The ATIP Office did not send any consultations for the application of Cabinet Confidences to the Privy Council Office.

Section 9. Investigations and Reports of Findings

9.1 Investigations

At the start of this reporting period, the ATIP Office had two outstanding complaints pursuant to the Act.

During the reporting period, the ATIP Office did not receive any new complaints pursuant to the Act.

The Office of the Information Commissioner of Canada (OIC) provided notice that one of the two complaints was considered 'resolved' under the category 'ceased to investigate' after the ATIP Office provided additional information to the complainant, who confirmed their satisfaction, leading the Commissioner's office to close the investigation.

9.2 Investigations and reports of findings

During this reporting period, the ATIP Office did not receive any formal report of findings.

There is currently one outstanding complaint from the 2023-2024 reporting period that has been carried forward to the next reporting period (2025-2026).

Section 10. Court Action

10.1 Court actions on complaints

There is currently one Federal Court action on complaints pursuant to the Act. This was initiated by the complainant.

10.2 Court actions on third party notifications under paragraph 28(1)(b)

There were no Federal Court actions on third party notifications under paragraph 28(1)(b) pursuant to the Act.

Section 11. Resources related to the Access to Information Act

11.1 Allocated costs

During the reporting period, the ATIP Office spent a total of $132,469 on staffing and goods and services. This amount does not include the resources required of the School’s program areas to meet the requirements under the Act.

11.2 Human Resources

A total of 1.450 combined full-time equivalents (FTEs) were dedicated to access to information activities.

Highlights

2024-2025 Points of interest

Training and Awareness

The 2024–25 fiscal year was a productive period for the School's ATIP Office. In addition to processing requests, the Office worked to improve internal processes and services, providing robust guidance to its Offices of Primary Interest and School officials. Client service-focused, the ATIP Office continues to strive for on-time compliance with requests active in its queue. It also supports departmental programs and shares its expertise to advance initiatives beyond the requirements of the Access to Information and Privacy Acts.

The ATIP Office is committed to enhancing its information products and resources, providing School employees and liaison officers with essential, up-to-date information on access to information and privacy. These efforts aim to uphold both individual and institutional accountabilities in accordance with the Acts.

The School ensures all employees complete the mandatory privacy training outlined in the Directive on Privacy Practices. As part of this commitment, the School includes Access to Information and Privacy Fundamentals (COR502) as a required course for all School employees.

On a quarterly basis, directors and managers receive reports identifying outstanding mandatory courses for their direct reports.

In addition to the regular support and guidance provided to sectors processing ATIP requests, the ATIP Office delivered eight bilingual information sessions on access to information and privacy legislation to over 80 School employees. Some sessions were tailored to meet the specific needs of certain teams and sectors.

Employees of the ATIP Office are required to complete the following courses annually, ensuring that staff remain equipped with up-to-date knowledge and practical skills relevant to their day-to-day responsibilities:

• COR503 – Access to Information in the Government of Canada
• COR504 – Privacy in the Government of Canada

Additionally, ATIP Office staff participate in all sessions organized by the Access to Information and Privacy Communities Development Office at the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS).

Policies, Guidelines and Procedures

In response to Treasury Board amendments to the Policy on Privacy Protection and the Directive on Privacy Practices effective October 9, 2024, the ATIP Office proactively updated its privacy documentation, including the following templates:

• Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) Checklist
• Privacy Protocol
• Personal Information Bank
• Web Summaries
• Privacy Impact Assessment

Additionally, guidelines and procedures on privacy impact assessments (PIAs) were revised in support of the new Directive. The revised guidelines now emphasize the early integration of privacy considerations into system design and procurement processes. By conducting PIAs at the outset of a project, the School now proactively identifies and mitigates privacy risks before they become embedded in operations. This shift aligns with the principles of privacy by design and enhances the School's ability to comply with legal and regulatory obligations under the new Directive.

Finally, the new guidance mandates regular review and updating of PIAs to reflect changes in activities and programs. This ongoing evaluation helps maintain the relevance and effectiveness of privacy safeguards over time.

Complaints

At the start of this reporting period, the ATIP Office had two outstanding complaints pursuant to the Act.

The Office of the Information Commissioner of Canada (OIC) provided notice that one of the two complaints was considered “resolved” under “ceased to investigate.”

During this reporting period, the ATIP Office did not receive any formal report of findings.

There is currently one outstanding complaint from the 2023-2024 reporting period that has been carried forward to the next reporting period (2025-2026).

Monitoring Compliance

The ATIP Office regularly updates senior management on active requests. This includes a weekly report and ongoing verbal briefings with senior management and liaison officers.

Of the 23 requests closed, all were completed within legislated timelines – indicating a compliance rate of 100.00%.

Information Holdings

The School publishes an inventory of its information holdings, as well as relevant details about personal information under its control.

The primary purpose of this inventory is to assist individuals in exercising their rights under the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act. The inventory also supports the federal government's commitment to facilitate access to information on its activities, since it is available to the public on the Internet, free of charge.

A description of the School's functions, programs, activities and related information holdings can be found here: Info-Source: Sources of Federal Government and Employee Information – CSPS (csps-efpc.gc.ca)

Proactive Publication under Part 2 of the Access to Information Act

The ATIP Office works in collaboration with departmental officials to fulfill the proactive publication legislative requirements found in Part 2 of the Act, more specifically, sections 82 to 88, which stipulate that government entities are required to publish proactively: travel expenses, hospitality expenses, reports tabled in parliament, reclassification of positions, contracts, grants and contributions, briefing materials, and expense reports. Within the School, this responsibility falls to the President's Office, Business Enablement Branch and the User Experience and Services Branch, in collaboration with the ATIP Office.

Ensuring alignment with Treasury Board policy requirements, in 2024-2025 the School developed strategies to streamline and improve proactive publication procedures, including the development of an interactive management system to track and monitor proactive disclosures.

In the 2024-2025 fiscal year, the School met the proactive publication requirements at a compliance rate of one hundred percent (100%). Table 1 below sets out the relevant sections of Part 2 of the ATIA.

In accordance with the Directive on Access to Information Requests, the ATIP Office publishes summaries of completed access to information requests monthly. A total of 18 summaries were published in 2024-25 with a compliance rate of 100%.

Monitoring the Accuracy and Completeness of Proactively Published Information under Part 2 of the Act

Ensuring the accuracy and completeness of proactively published information under Part 2 of the Act is a cornerstone of the School's commitment to transparency and accountability. The School employs a robust monitoring framework designed to uphold the highest standards of integrity and reliability in the information we provide to the public. It achieves this though:

• Continuous Review Process – At the heart of monitoring efforts is a continuous review process that involves regular assessments of all information scheduled for proactive publication. This process is conducted by dedicated individuals within the ATIP Office, who examine each proactive publication to verify its accuracy and completeness. Also, an organizational web-based tracking tool was developed to monitor and effectively gauge compliance and reporting of all proactive publications, as per the policy requirements set out in the Directive on Proactive Publication under the ATIA, helping to identify any discrepancies or gaps in the published data, and ensuring that it remains up-to-date and reliable.
• Transparency and Accountability – Transparency and accountability are fundamental principles guiding the School's approach to monitoring the accuracy and completeness of proactively published information. As part of its commitment to openness, the School regularly reports on the results of its monitoring efforts in its annual reports, providing stakeholders with insight into the measures undertaken to maintain the quality of the information disclosed. By fostering a culture of transparency and accountability, the School strives to instill public confidence in the integrity of its information disclosure practices and upholds the principles of the Act.

Appendix A: Delegation order

Access to Information Act

The President of the Canada School of Public Service, pursuant to section 95 of the Access to Information Act, hereby designates the persons holding the positions set out in the schedule hereto, or the persons occupying on an acting basis those positions, to exercise the powers, duties and functions of the President, as the head of the Canada School of Public Service, under the provisions of the Act and related regulations set out in the schedule opposite each position. This designation replaces all previous delegation orders.

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