2024 BC Broader Public Sector Requests

Request item 1
Current organizational charts that indicate freedom of information personnel and information management personnel.

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.

Request item 2
Delegation of authority charts for the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

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.

Request item 3
Policies or procedures regarding freedom of information (not privacy), including policies and procedures regarding the routine release of information and proactive disclosure.

Summary

Freedom of information policies.

Rational

Policies are the core of implementing any new public initiative.

Request item 4
Final reports regarding the public body’s performance reporting, program evaluations, or project implementation plans or proposals with respect to freedom of information.

Summary

Internal reports about freedom of information.

Rational

How public bodies monitor their performance matters.

Request item 5
Delegation of authority charts for the Information Management Act, as applicable.

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.

Request item 6
Interoffice memoranda about freedom of information and records/information management.

Summary

Memos about freedom of information and records/information management.

Rational

Internal communications can structure organizational activity.

Request item 7
Metadata Application Profiles and records disposition 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.

Request item 8
Office of primary responsibility designations/matrices.

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.

Request item 9
Technical manuals for records management systems.

Summary

User manuals for records management software.

Rational

Manuals contribute to how staff interact with technology.

Request item 10
Acceptable use of technology policy instruments (where “instrument” has the same meaning as in Treasury Board Directive 1/23 and onboarding manuals.

Summary

Acceptable use of technology policies.

Rational

Acceptable Use Policies govern how employees may appropriately interact with technology over the course of their job.

Request item 11
File plans/lists/indexes and/or records management ontologies/thesauri.

Summary

Lists of regularly created files.

Rational

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

Request item 12
Public body self-assessments and audits/evaluations of records/information management.

Summary

Self-assessments conducted according to an internal government standard.

Rational

Regular reviews of records management is best practice in information governance.

Request item 13
Policy instruments regarding records or information management.

Summary

Records management policies.

Rational

Policies are the core of implementing any new public initiative.

Request item 14
Copies of record retention schedules.

Summary

Record retention schemas.

Rational

Retention schedules are the key instrument in asserting control over records classification and retention.

Request item 15
The public body’s information resources/information asset plans/records management plans, as applicable.

Summary

Records management plans.

Rational

Records management is something that must be planned out carefully.

Request item 16
Licenses, contracts, or 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.

Request item 17
Final jobs description files for any employee who regularly performs a role or responsibility (1) in responding to a freedom of information request or (2) fulfilling public body’s records/information management needs, including if those job descriptions do not explicitly mention FOI requests or records/information management.

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.

Request item 18
Records confirming the appointment and responsibilities of subdivisional freedom of information (not privacy) or records management ‘champions,’ (i.e. an ambassador for records management or FOI within a particular unit, such as FOI Oversight Liaison Officers or Duty to Document Champions), if any. (If applicable roles exist, kindly include memorandums, plans, or reports issued by those persons).

Summary

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

Rational

Internal promotion of FOI and RM contributes to effective implementation.

Request item 19
Organizational charts that include records/information management personnel (or the relevant organizational charts if your public body does not have dedicated RM/IM personal).

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.

Request item 20
Final training packages (i.e. presentation slides, etc.) and training implementation history files (e.g. reports of completion, etc.) for freedom of information and records/information management, including initial training specific to FOI analysts/coordinators.

Summary

Training materials for freedom of information and records management.

Rational

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

Request item 21
internal surveys and the results of surveys concerning records/information management of freedom of information.

Summary

Surveys about records management and freedom of information.

Rational

Surveys of staff provide insight into the state of records management and freedom of information.

Request item 22
“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.

Request item 23
Final Requests for 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.

Request item 24
Copies of checklists, forms, templates, guides and other tools used in relation to processing freedom of information requests.

Summary

–

Rational

Workflow materials for freedom of information processing.

Request item 25
Contracts and statements of work for consultant services for freedom of information/records management work.

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.

Request item 26
Case management procedures (i.e. how analysts are assigned, what data is to be logged, how to notify program areas, etc.) for freedom of information requests.

Summary

Procedures for managing request workflows.

Rational

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

Request item 27
Copies of any plans or assessments done in preparation for the application of the Information Management Act (e.g. Readiness Assessments for the provision relating to document government decisions).

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.

Request item 28
Any previously unrequested/undisclosed records that assist in understanding how (1) records management is practiced in your public body, or (2) how decisions about freedom of information requests are made and how they are processed (e.g. any document, including an intranet file or records of another public body, that an employee references in the course of processing a request or describes how to apply exceptions, search for records, etc.).