2024 BC Core Government Requests

Question 1
Current organizational charts that indicate freedom of information personnel and information management personnel; (ARCS 105-02)

Summary

Charts that outline where freedom of information personnel and information management personnel exist within an organization.

Rational

Organizational charts help identify who is responsible for fulfilling certain obligations.

Question 2
delegation of authority charts for the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act; (ARCS 265-20)

Summary

Charts that outline who has certain powers under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

Rational

Delegation of authority charts are standard instruments across the implementation of any law with delegable and discretionary powers.

Question 3
policies or procedures regarding freedom of information (not privacy), including policies and procedures regarding the routine release of information and proactive disclosure, but excluding the FOIPPA Policy & Procedures Manual; (ARCS 292-00, 292-27)

Summary

Freedom of information policies.

Rational

Policies are the core of implementing any new public initiative.

Question 4
final reports regarding public body-specific performance reporting, program evaluations, or project implementation plans or reviews with respect to freedom of information; (ARCS 400-02, ARCS 400-10, ARCS 400-20, ARCS 400-40, ARCS 400-50, ARCS 440-02, ARCS 400-20)

Summary

Internal reports about freedom of information.

Rational

How public bodies monitor their performance matters.

Question 5
delegation of authority charts for the Information Management Act, as applicable; (ARCS 265-20)

Summary

Charts that outline who has certain powers under the Information Management Act.

Rational

Delegation of authority charts are standard instruments across the implementation of any law with delegable and discretionary powers.

Question 6
interoffice memoranda about freedom of information and records/information management; (ARCS 195-20, 195-45)

Summary

Memos about freedom of information and records/information management.

Rational

Internal communications can structure organizational activity.

Question 7
Metadata Application Profiles and Information Destruction Models, as well associated policies and procedures and implementation plans and reports;

Summary

Metadata schemas for records management systems.

Rational

Metadata is an essential part of establishing control over records.

Question 8
office of primary responsibility designations/matrices; (ARCS 432-12)

Summary

Lists of offices responsible for certain organizational records.

Rational

Lists like this are often a reflection of the classification logics used to manage records.

Question 9
technical manuals for records management systems;

Summary

User manuals for records management software.

Rational

Manuals contribute to how staff interact with technology.

Question 10
file lists and indexes; (ARCS 432-10)

Summary

Lists of regularly created files.

Rational

File lists are a prerequisite to an up-to-date file classification plan.

Question 11
final training packages and training implementation history files (excluding correspondence; ARCS 1735-25) for freedom to information and records/information management training;

Summary

Training materials for freedom of information and records management.

Rational

Training is necessary for the successful implementation of FOIPPA and IMA.

Question 12
ministry self-assessments for records/information management based on the frameworks provided by the Chief Records Officer;

Summary

Self-assessments conducted according to an internal government standard.

Rational

Part of the Chief Records Officer’s mandate is to evaluate records management.

Question 13
the public body’s policies and procedures regarding records/information management (ARCS 432-00);

Summary

Records management policies.

Rational

Policies are the core of implementing any new public initiative.

Question 14
the public body’s Information Resource Management Plans;

Summary

A type of information management plan required by core government policy.

Rational

Information resource plans are a key reporting and planning mechanism under core government policy.

Question 15
copies of licenses, contracts, and agreements between the public body and recordkeeping system service providers or contractors;

Summary

Contracts for recordkeeping systems.

Rational

Contracts detail roles and responsibilities with respect to system implementation and maintenance.

Question 16
acceptable use of technology policies and procedures;

Summary

Acceptable use of technology policies.

Rational

AUPs govern how employees may appropriately interact with technology over the course of their job.

Question 17
final job description files for any employee who regularly performs a role or responsibility in responding to a freedom of information request or fulfilling public body’s records/information management program (ARCS 1360-20);

Summary

Job descriptions for records management and freedom of information staff.

Rational

Job descriptions articulate the necessary skills and anticipated responsibilities of people charged with doing FOI or RM work.

Question 18
“Documenting government decisions” policy instruments (where “instrument” has the same meaning as in Treasury Board Directive 1/23.

Summary

Duty to document policies.

Rational

The Chief Records Officer has developed directives instructing public bodies to develop organization-specific policies for documenting government decisions.

Question 19
policies and procedures concerning incidents regarding sections 65.3 [Offence to willfully evade access provisions] and 30.3 [whistle-blower protection] of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act;

Summary

Policies concerning offences to willfully evade FOI requests.

Rational

The offence was created to deter bad practices frustrating the public’s right to know.

Question 20
final Requests for Proposals (and any attachments to those proposals) concerning records management/freedom of information (not privacy);

Summary

Requests for proposals for freedom of information and records management projects.

Rational

RFPs document a public body’s needs in order to identify the solutions they are seeking proposals to address.

Question 21
final Requests for Proposals (and any attachments to those proposals) concerning records management/freedom of information (not privacy);

Summary

Requests for proposals for freedom of information and records management projects.

Rational

RFPs document a public body’s needs in order to identify the solutions they are seeking proposals to address.

Question 22
contracts and statements of work for consultant services for freedom of information related work (if more than one, please provide only the last five);

Summary

Contracts and statements of work for consultants’ work related to freedom of information and records management.

Rational

Contracts and statements of work define the boundaries of what work the public body performs and what work it relies on others’ to perform.

Question 23
Copies of records management ontologies/thesauri;

Summary

Controlled vocabularies for records management.

Rational

Controlled vocabularies are a prerequisite to applying metadata.

Question 24
Copies of checklists, forms, templates, guides and other tools used in relation to processing freedom of information requests (please include intranet files when responsive, by print PDF or screen capture if necessary).

Summary

–

Rational

Workflow materials for freedom of information processing

Question 25
Records confirming the appointment and responsibilities of FOI Oversight Liaison Officers and Duty to Document Champions, or roles that perform a similar function if those titles are antiquated.

Summary

Records concerning the appointment of employees responsible for promoting freedom of information and records mangement.

Rational

Internal promotion of FOI and RM contributes to effective implementation.

Question 26
Case management procedures for freedom of information requests;

Summary

Case management software helps public bodies keep track of requests and organize their responses

Rational

Procedures for managing request workflows

Question 27
Onboarding manuals;

Summary

Manuals given to employees when they first enter an organization.

Rational

Onboarding employees should include both awareness of FOI and RM.

Question 28
the public body’s duty to document readiness assessments (produced in Winter 2019);

Summary

Reports produced to prepare to implement duty to document.

Rational

These reports established the baseline position from which duty to document was purportedly implemented.

These questions were sent to the following public bodies in FOI requests.

Core Government

2024 BC Core Government Requests
Ministry of Agriculture and Food
Ministry of Attorney General
Ministry of Children and Family Development
Ministry of Citizens’ Services
Ministry of Education and Child Care
Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness
Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation
Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy
Ministry of Finance
Ministry of Forests
Ministry of Health
Ministry of Housing
Ministry of Indigenous Relations & Reconciliation
Ministry of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation
Ministry of Labour
Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions
Ministry of Municipal Affairs
Ministry of Office of the Premier
Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills
Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General
Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction
Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport
Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure
Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship

Similar questions were sent to the following public bodies in FOI requests.

Broader Public Sector

2024 BC Broader Public Sector Requests
Provincial Agricultural Land Commission
Board of Examiners (Local Government Act)
British Columbia Arts Council
British Columbia Emergency Health Services Authority
British Columbia Housing Management Commission
Innovate BC
British Columbia Lottery Corporation
British Columbia Pavilion Corporation
British Columbia Securities Commission
British Columbia Transit Corporation
British Columbia Transportation Financing Authority
Building Code Appeal Board
Columbia Power Corporation
Community Care and Assisted Living Appeal Board
Community Living British Columbia
Credit Union Deposit Insurance Corporation of British Columbia
Destination British Columbia
Environmental Appeal Board
British Columbia Financial Services Authority
Financial Services Tribunal
First Peoples’ Heritage, Language and Culture Council
Forensic Psychiatric Services Commission
Forest Appeals Commission
Forest Practices Board
Health Professions Review Board
Hospital Appeal Board
Independent Investigations Office
Justice Institute of British Columbia
Knowledge Network Corporation
Medical Services Commission
Oil and Gas Appeal Tribunal (Energy Resource Appeal Tribunal)
Oil and Gas Commission
Patient Care and Quality Review Board (Vancouver Coastal)
Patient Care and Quality Review Board (Fraser Valley)
Patient Care and Quality Review Board (Island)
Patient Care and Quality Review Board (Northern)
Patient Care and Quality Review Board (Interior)
Patient Care and Quality Review Board (PHSA)
Provincial Health Services Authority
Royal British Columbia Museum
Skilled Trades BC Appeal Board
Transportation Investment Corporation

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