Information Management Priorities in the 2013-14 Reports on Plans and Priorities

March 29, 2013

On March 28, 2013, Tony Clement, President of the Treasury Board, tabled the 2013-14 Reports on Plans and Priorities for 93 government departments and agencies.

In addition to providing details about the program priorities for each department and agency, the RPPs also identify priorities for their internal services.

Below are the information management related priorities as identified by individual departments and agencies.

Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada and Canadian Polar Commission

• Implement key projects to shift towards an Enterprise Architecture to deliver on three strategic areas: Improved Information Management and Information Technology Governance; Enterprise Information Management; and Project Portfolio Management.

Canada Border Services Agency

• The Agency will also take steps to strengthen information technology and information management systems and capacity.

Canada Revenue Agency

• We continue to pursue innovative arrangements when they make good business sense. In response to the Library and Archives Canada’s announcement of its intention to suspend its paper storage services, the CRA announced that it would be moving to a managed storage solution for paper records. The CRA is redesigning its approach to the management of paper records to eliminate processing steps and increase efficiencies. This process will help the CRA manage the decreasing workload associated with paper records as the uptake of e-services by citizens increases. As the CRA takes the security of all taxpayer information very seriously, we will ensure that the personal information and privacy of taxpayers and benefit recipients continues to be safeguarded with this new approach.

• Tax authorities around the world are increasingly adopting business intelligence-based solutions to better understand taxpayer behaviour and to identify more efficient administrative processes. The CRA has made significant progress in using business intelligence in several programs and we are now turning our attention to mapping out the key business intelligence initiatives we plan to carry out over the next five years. We will develop a strategy for the comprehensive application of intelligence across programs where this will make us more effective and efficient.

Canada School of Public Service

• The School will capitalize on opportunities emerging from the Government of Canada’s Open Government Strategy and Recordkeeping Directive by rethinking the design of the School’s data management practices, information management system and engagement strategies. Furthermore, the School will continue its transition to GCDocs in order to increase collaboration and information sharing across the organization.

Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency

• Review knowledge and information management systems that support the delivery of the environmental assessment process under CEAA 2012, which will include identifying potential system improvements to streamline the management of EA information and tasks;

Canadian Food Inspection Agency

• The Agency has developed a medium-term strategic plan (IM/IT Campaign Plan) to guide IM/IT activities. Another key initiative within this plan is information management. The objective of this initiative is to better enable active management of the Agency’s information holdings in order to fulfill the growing need for timely, consistent, accessible, and trusted information, and to ensure foundational systems are in place to support the Agency’s modernization efforts.

• Additionally, the CFIA will continue to work towards completing a series of Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) Modernization improvements by developing and implementing a Privacy Policy Framework. Although work began in 2012–13, with respect to this initiative, the new Policy will be finalized and communicated to CFIA staff through information sessions in 2013–14.

Canadian Forces Grievance Board

• To improve management of information, the Board will develop a migration strategy plan for the Government of Canada standardized and consolidated Enterprise Electronic Document and Records Management System (GCDOCS), and share implementation lessons with other government departments, particularly small and micro agencies with limited resources for information management. This will include reviewing and updating Information Management business rules and procedures, as well as user training on the new system. This initiative will enhance the Board’s document management processes and increase production.

Canadian Human Rights Commission

• implementing the Information Management and Record Keeping Directive by March 2015 to prepare the Commission for the closure of federal record centres and the launch of the government-wide eOffice initiative;

Canadian International Development Agency

• Information management and information technology initiatives will support progress in business modernization, decentralization, transparency, and workplace and workforce renewal. For example, as part of the Government of Canada’s Open Government Action Plan, CIDA will further the transparency of its development assistance by releasing increasing amounts of data compatible with international transparency standards.

Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission

• Coordinate and participate in Government of Canada directives and shared services initiatives such as:
  • Shared Services Canada
  • GOC Web Renewal Initiative (i.e. 3,000 websites to no more than 5), and
  • the implementation of the Directive on Recordkeeping

• Work with Treasury Board Secretariat Chief Information Officer Branch to establish the CNSC as the service provider for integrated electronic document management services for the small departments and agencies community

Canadian Space Agency

• The implementation of a Space Data Management Framework to ensure an effective life cycle program from creation to disposition.

• The ongoing management of information assets and information systems created by or for the CSA in order to guarantee secured access for decision making in conformity with Canadian regulations and to assure preservation for historical purposes.

Canadian Transportation Agency

• implementing the IM/IT strategy and Web service enhancements and tools

Citizenship and Immigration Canada

• meeting commitments to open government and reducing costs and improving productivity, information sharing and storage capacity by instituting the systematic use of modern information management tools such as GCDOCs

Correctional Service Canada

• Continue to elaborate a plan for an electronic document records-management solution

Courts Administration Service

• To meet CAS‘ information management needs and to comply with Treasury Board information management policies, principles, standards and practices, CAS will update its information management framework and implement a new Document Management System. This will enable technological integration with other corporate systems and ensure that digital information can be easily accessed and shared.

Department of Finance Canada

• The Department of Finance Canada will continue to improve its information management (IM) and information technology (IT) infrastructure and services, to manage security concerns in a manner that addresses both security and work environment requirements. The Department will also be updating its IM and IT Strategic Plan, first, to strengthen information management practices and work toward full implementation in 2015 of the Treasury Board Directive on Recordkeeping, and second, to ensure that the department’s employees continue to have the environment, tools and technical capacity to be effective and efficient by offering services in partnership with Shared Services Canada.

Department of Justice Canada

• implement projects selected for their capacity to transform business processes through new ways of working, using modern, digital tools to create, share, and manage information securely

• contribute to Government of Canada initiatives including the modernization of websites that serve the public, and transform departmental web publishing through a centralized model

Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec

• Migration toward higher-performance electronic tools, in particular through the implementation of electronic document management.

Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario

• Sustained efforts to implement system and office improvements in 2013–14—including the full adoption of the Government of Canada’s information management strategy for the transition to electronic document management by March 2014—will place FedDev Ontario as a model for a modernized workforce and workplace environment.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada

• Use of Web Technology — Expand the use of web technology as a new service delivery channel by ensuring compliance with Treasury Board’s Standard on Web Accessibility by July 2013 and by increasing the Department’s virtual library services (led by the Human Resources and Corporate Services Sector).

• Information Management Strategy Action Plan — Implement the 2013-14 portion of the Department’s Information Management Strategy Action Plan to safeguard the Department’s information assets and improve service delivery (led by the Human Resources and Corporate Services Sector).

Health Canada

• Key initiatives include the implementation of common HR processes; a strategy for aging IT; a National Accommodation Strategy; and, the initial implementation of an Enterprise Content Management System.

Human Resources and Skills Development Canada

• Advancing the Department’s commitment to privacy renewal: HRSDC will continue to modernize its privacy processes, policies and support functions to ensure that it continues to meet the highest standards for the protection of personal information. This includes the horizontal coordination and prioritization of Department-wide privacy and security initiatives; program-led privacy action plans; the modernization of Information Sharing Agreements and Public Interest Disclosure management; and the renewal of the Department’s Privacy Policy suite, processes and tools. Privacy training and awareness will be strengthened to ensure that all employees understand their roles and responsibilities for the protection of personal information.

• Further strengthening approaches to information management: HRSDC is moving to integrate information management in a more systematic way across the Department and modernize recordkeeping functions. All Departments are required to be in compliance with Treasury Board Secretariat’s new Directive on Recordkeeping by 2015. As part of this process, Library and Archives Canada has returned a large number of paper documents to the Department for review. HRSDC will examine its existing paper file holdings to determine which records should be kept, archived electronically or destroyed if no longer required. The Department will also make more active use of new technologies to improve the sharing of knowledge and information internally, as well as make further improvements to information security, including the security of personal information.

Infrastructure Canada

• Support the Government of Canada’s Directive on Recordkeeping: An Infrastructure Canada recordkeeping management project will be concluded to ensure compliance with the Treasury Board Secretariat Directive by March 31, 2015

Library and Archives Canada

• Simplify the process for appraising and rolling out disposition instruments so as to provide, by 2015, comprehensive disposition coverage for the 290 federal institutions that are subject to the Library and Archives of Canada Act.

• Pursue negotiations with key federal institutions that are not subject to the Library and Archives of Canada Act.

• Continue to develop generic recordkeeping tools for federal institutions.

• Continue to provide federal institutions with recordkeeping guidance and tools through a Recordkeeping Portal and by means of advice from LAC’s experts.

• Take a leadership role in government-wide recordkeeping and information management initiatives, including:

• the implementation of the Digital Office in collaboration with the Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS). The Digital Office will facilitate compliance with recordkeeping standards through the availability of user-friendly tools in an ergonomic environment. The benefits of this project include ready access to all of the information resources used by employees, lower printing and paper storage costs, greater opportunities for reusing information and more effective public access.
• commitments made to Canadians respecting open government. To provide quicker access to the material it acquires, LAC will ensure there is a clause in each new disposition authority whereby departments and agencies will only transfer their records of enduring value once access to them is no longer restricted in any way.
• strategies that LAC will work on with Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada to help departments provide archival records from LAC’s collections that are deemed relevant to the proceedings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada.
• the International Organization for Standardization. LAC will represent Canada and take part in meetings on the development of information management standards.​

• Finalize and update the framework, tools and policy instruments as well as the appraisal and acquisition directives.

• Integrate the Whole-of-Society Approach into all discretionary activities for appraising and acquiring documentary heritage.

• Contact producers and holders of analogue and digital information resources to let them know what LAC is interested in acquiring.

• Continue to develop infrastructure and procedures to facilitate the transfer of digital information resources from publishers, federal departments and agencies and partners.​

• Implement a film digitization strategy.

• Pursue work to complete the trusted digital repository so that it can fully accommodate the various types of records LAC receives in digital format (e.g., government records, books, documentary art).

• Continue to implement the 10-year audiovisual migration strategy launched in 2009, which aims to solve the problem of video and audio formats facing obsolescence so as to preserve the content and ensure its long-term accessibility.

• Rehouse analogue information resources in a new high-density storage facility in Gatineau in 2014. The building will bring together in a state-of-the-art facility information resources currently stored in various locations in less than optimal conditions. This initiative will free up five buildings in the National Capital Region and the entire national newspaper collection will be stored in the new building along with the records of Second World War veterans.

• Implement a new approach to describe LAC’s documentary heritage, which is better adapted to users’ needs and the digital environment. This approach will make it easier for Canadians to explore the entire range of the collection to which they have access. To support its implementation, LAC will put in place an institutional discoverability policy that will address resource discovery issues and the specific policy instruments that are needed as a framework for the approach.

• Set up a new reference service model that will make use of new digital technology and meet the specialized research needs of users.

• Increase the amount of online digital material with the implementation of a multi-year digitization plan. One of the plan’s initial projects is to adopt a new way of accessing holdings using online self-service.

• Continue to increase access to LAC’s collection online over the next five years by adding some 160,000 additional works to the Portrait Portal. LAC will especially rely on the public to help complete its descriptions, as it did with northern Aboriginal communities for Project Naming.

• Intensify collaboration with various public and private partners (libraries, archives, museums and other organizations) interested in making Canada’s documentary heritage accessible.

• Set up a new collaborative online platform as part of preparations for the celebration of Canada’s 150th anniversary in 2017, where users can enhance and contribute to digitized content from the Sir John A. Macdonald collection.

• Begin phase one of an online retrospective showcasing the documentary heritage of the First World War. This initiative and the collaborative online platform will give Canadians direct access to content from two important periods in Canada’s history.

• Take measures needed to reflect Canada’s linguistic duality in all of these processes, from acquisition to access. LAC helps promote the development, vitality and viability of Official Language Minority Communities by compiling and making accessible information resources that reflect Canada’s linguistic duality.

• Increase collaboration with stakeholders to make known LAC treasures related to official language communities; the 150th anniversary celebrations commemorating Canada’s Confederation in 2017 will clearly demonstrate this co-operation. The heritage community as well as federal government partners will be invited to take part in celebrations. Such partnerships will also enable LAC to increase travelling exhibitions that showcase Canadian documentary heritage, its linguistic duality and its diversity.

• Roll out technology infrastructure that will make it possible to automate some work processes and to redirect expertise to areas that would benefit from the added value.

• Advance work to comply with TBS’s new Web standards to provide government websites that are more accessible, usable and interoperable. These standards ensure that Government of Canada websites can be adapted for mobile devices and that government information is easy to find, clear, accurate and up to date.

• Continue working with communities of practice and universities to discuss strategic issues and research matters and to define the documentary heritage management skills of tomorrow.

• Finalize and implement a long-term infrastructure strategy that takes into account the new digital reality and will allow space requirements to be planned and met more effectively.

Military Police Complaints Commission

• Electronic Document Management: Consistent with the information management IM and IT management reviews, an implementation plan has begun to identify an electronic document management solution that will best meet the requirements of all areas of Commission’s operations including information, records, litigation / case management, and privacy and access to information systems.

National Film Board of Canada

• Modifying the media information system is an aspect of information management at the NFB. The objective is to adapt the existing systems to cope with the increasing digitization of data and the NFB’s various media management and processing activities. The NFB will thus improve the effectiveness of its systems, while ensuring they meet government standards.

National Research Council Canada

• NRC will continue to develop its expertise and capacity in intelligence and decision support services in order to identify the best opportunities for working with Canadian industry. Environmental scanning and competitive and market intelligence functions will be enhanced so that management has the best available information on which to base business decisions. Besides responding to the current environment, NRC will identify future national and industry needs through foresight studies, performing at least two to three studies annually by 2014‑15 to support planning for emerging opportunities. Over the next three years, NRC will implement an electronic records and corporate information management system and develop related processes to ensure that all corporate information of business value is collected, stored and made accessible to support future business decisions and meet Government of Canada directives. NRC will also extend the reach and functionality of its collaboration platform, so that most NRC programs will have an online space to exchange ideas and working documents in an open and immediate manner.

Natural Resources Canada

• Adopt an enterprise-wide solution for electronic records and document management (GCDocs).

Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada

• Developing an Open Access Policy: In 2013-14 and beyond, NSERC will continue its work on developing an Open Access policy for research publications, in collaboration with SSHRC and CIHR.

• Follow-up Audit on Information Management: In 2013-14, NSERC will carry out a follow-up audit to ensure that recommendations outlined in previous information management audits have been implemented and that any issues identified have been addressed. This follow-up audit is expected to be completed in 2013-14.

Office of the Chief Electoral Officer

• Strengthen Information Management

• In keeping with direction from central agencies, Elections Canada continues to strengthen its information management program. As we prepare to consolidate all employees in a single building, we are taking this opportunity to identify information of business value, establish information-retention periods and dispose of electronic and paper information that is no longer required.
• Additionally, we will extend our efforts to digitize paper records of business value, categorizing and storing them in a new corporate information structure. This information architecture will allow us to carry out a pilot project in 2013–2014 of a computer application that efficiently captures, retrieves and manages records in an electronic-information environment, while protecting the integrity of personal information.

Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

• Further enhance information sharing and promote collaboration by fully implementing a new electronic document management system.

Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions

• Continue to develop and implement an enterprise information and FRFI data management strategy and framework, as per sound Enterprise Information Management principles, to ensure OSFI effectively obtains, captures and shares FRFI information.

Parks Canada Agency

• Continue identifying information resources of business value and required controls to facilitate the effective management, sharing and use of information in compliance with the Treasury Board Directive on Recordkeeping.

Privy Council Office

• continue to implement PCO’s multi-year strategy to improve recordkeeping practices, in support of effective and efficient business processes and compliance with Government of Canada legislation and policy on the management of records and information

Public Prosecution Service of Canada

• The PPSC will renew its memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Department of Justice (JUS) for the continued provision of a range of information management, information technology and library services. It will also negotiate new formal agreements with Shared Services Canada for the provision of data centre, network and email services previously delivered by JUS under this MOU. The Directorate will continue to work on several initiatives including enabling technologies to support electronic disclosure and knowledge management and will initiate a new cycle of IM–IT planning in 2013-14. It will also increase the use of laptops to support prosecution staff in the courtroom. Following the recent signing of a Records Disposition Authority (RDA) with Library and Archives Canada, a number of IM processes will be established to support the RDA.

Public Safety Canada

• Public Safety Canada will also continue the implementation of the Information Management Strategic Action Plan in an effort to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the information management function.

• [C]ontinue the Department’s transition to a Virtual Library, which includes the digitization of print materials and the collection of electronic resources to support the Department’s greening goals.

Public Service Labour Relations Board

• In addition to continuing to implement its IM strategy and action plan, throughout 2013-14, the PSLRB will issue an IM policy suite and promote good record-keeping practices. The organization also plans to create an IM Centre of Expertise that, combined with several communications initiatives, will offer employees the tools and support they need to effectively manage their information.

Public Service Staffing Tribunal

• Implement information management strategies and systems aligned with Treasury Board Secretariat directives, standards and tools for Web applications; and

• Develop a succession strategy to include documenting processes and managing corporate records.

Public Works and Government Services Canada

• PWGSC will enhance Information Management practices to support effective decision making, facilitate knowledge retention and enable better delivery of PWGSC services and programs.

• PWGSC is also implementing a new records management Service Delivery Model comprised of a Centre of Expertise and Branch Operations Model, to focus on PWGSC‘s recordkeeping obligations and is also enhancing internal promotion of good recordkeeping practices. A project was also initiated to review, analyze and develop action plans to address branch legacy record and information holdings. This work will support the establishment of an inventory of all structured and unstructured information repositories, including shared drives. A review of the electronic records currently captured and maintained within the current electronic document management system is also underway to assess their business value and retention; and disposition requirements. This work will facilitate the migration to GC Docs the new information management software.

• In order to respond on time to Access to Information (ATI) requests, PWGSC‘s Access to Information and Privacy Directorate will continue to provide training and support for ATIP liaison officers and employees in the Department in order to maintain consistent results in ATI response rates. An action plan was developed in 2012-13 by the Privacy Working Group, which has been established to identify opportunities for the improvement of the PWGSC‘s management of personal information by looking at best practices in other institutions and reviewing the Department’s privacy breach protocol.

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council

• Undertake a follow-up information management audit to ensure that recommendations outlined in previous information management audits have been implemented and that any issues identified have been addressed.

Statistics Canada

• The Agency is conducting a comprehensive review and automation of its internal services and launching the development of the data service centre initiative for statistical information management.

• Consult with other departments and Treasury Board Secretariat to get more information about the functionality of Systems, Applications and Products (SAP) and PeopleSoft —and the interoperability of these tools —as well as GCDOCS and email, to evaluate the timing and roadmap for migration to these common tools.

Status of Women Canada

• In 2013–14, SWC will continue to implement information management initiatives to safeguard the agency’s information as a strategic asset and to maximize its value in the service of Canadians.

Supreme Court of Canada

• The Library and Information Management Branch supports the information management needs of the organization.  Priorities for 2013-14 include:

• Reviewing the results of the GC Docs Pilot Project and developing a migration strategy to deploy GC Docs across the organization.
• Improving the search experience and the efficiency and effectiveness of searching for information across organizational repositories.
• Ensuring that the Office of the Registrar is able to meet its obligations under the Treasury Board Secretariat’s Directive on Recordkeeping.

Transportation Safety Board of Canada

• The second priority for Internal Services in 2013–14 is to improve the tools and guidance with respect to information management. During 2012–13, the TSB undertook two important initiatives that serve as important information management foundation work: the identification of information resources of business value and the implementation of an electronic records and data management system on a pilot basis. The TSB will build on the lessons learned from these initiatives in prioritizing the next steps to improve its information management tools and guidance. Additionally, the TSB will complete its work on the modernization of the Marine investigations database that captures occurrence information and initiate work on the modernization of the Air investigations database.

Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat

• Continue to implement Open Government, including key commitments in Canada’s Action Plan on Open Government, in particular “open data,” and modernize the Access to Information and Privacy program

Veterans Affairs Canada

• The Department will continue its work on retention and disposition of records. The goal is to complete the appropriate disposal of all electronic and paper records by March 2015.