Info Source Publications Requirements 2005-2006

Please read this Implementation Report with careful attention, as it contains comprehensive instructions for all institutions. 

Input to the 2005-2006 edition of Info Source: Sources of Federal Government Information and Sources of Federal Employee Information is due no later than June 30, 2005. Extensions will only be granted by TBS in extenuating circumstances.

AREAS OF FOCUS 

It is recommended that all content be examined by your institution’s Communications Group to review for spelling and grammatical errors as well as consistency between the French and English versions. Submissions that are found to contain spelling or grammatical errors will not be accepted by TBS and will be returned. 

TBS continues to examine all Info Source publications to monitor and improve the content of these publications. In keeping with this objective, institutions are asked to focus on ensuring that all mandatory information has been included in their Info Source chapters. 

The required information for institution-specific chapters in Info Source: Sources of Government Information is outlined in “Appendix A”. 

For Info Source: Sources of Federal Employee Information, institutions are asked to ensure that all mandatory PIB fields have been addressed. Please see “Appendix B” for more details. 

To facilitate the update process this year, mandatory information that is missing has been highlighted in both the English and French versions of the electronic files of Info Source: Sources of Government Information and Federal Employee Information for your institution. It is essential that the files sent to the ATIP Coordinators from TBS be used for your preparation of the input to Info Source 2005-2006. 

PLAIN LANGUAGE LANGAGE CLAIR
Please be reminded that in accordance with the Communications Policy of the Government of Canada 
( http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/pubs_pol/sipubs/comm/comm1_e.asp), “An institution's duty to inform the public includes the obligation to communicate effectively. Information about policies, programs, services and initiatives must be clear, relevant, objective, easy to understand and useful. 

To ensure clarity and consistency of information, plain language and proper grammar must be used in all communication with the public.” 

INPUT TO INFO SOURCE 

Input accepted by TBS for the 2005-2006 editions of Info Source: Sources of Federal Government Information and Sources of Federal Employee Information is due no later than June 30, 2005. 

Note: Please refer to “Appendix D” for a detailed timetable for both Info Source publications. 

Input not received by the stated deadline will not be included in this year’s Info Source publications. Instead the following notation will appear at the beginning of the institution’s chapter “The annual update for this institution was not received for inclusion in the 2005-2006 version of this Info Source publication. The following is from the 2004-2005 version of Info Source.” 

Please note that if an institution did not contribute an update for the 2004-2005 publications, the above notice will indicate the publication year in which the last update was received. 

This Implementation Report will be sent to every ATIP Coordinator by email. Electronic copies of your institution’s information gathered from the 2004-2005 publications in Word format will be attached to the e-mail. It is essential that these files be utilized as these files have been specifically formatted to facilitate the update process. Please forward these files to the resources responsible for the Info Source update process. Other file formats will not be accepted. “Appendix C” contains detailed format instructions for both Info Source publications. 

CONTENT 

Submissions that do not comply with the instructions provided in this Implementation Report will not be accepted. 

Institutions are responsible for ensuring that their entries are up-to-date and for editing them. 

Addresses and telephone numbers located in the introduction and under the “Additional Information” section of your department’s chapter should be verified. The inclusion of institutional web site and electronic mail addresses is recommended. 

Material must be submitted in both official languages and must be consistent in both versions. 

All content must be spellchecked and grammar checked by the institution prior to returning them to Treasury Board. Chapters that have grammatical or spelling errors will be returned to the institution for correction. This revised return will not be considered for a deadline extension. 

Institutions must provide entries for all of their information holdings (administrative and operational records), including those in electronic format. 

All PIBs appearing in Info Source must have been properly registered by TBS prior to inclusion in Info Source.

Attention must be paid to identifying and describing all data-matching activities that involve the collection, use and disclosure of personal information. 

PERSONAL INFORMATION BANKS (PIBs) 

For instructions on the registration process for PIBs, please see Implementation Report (IR) #95. 

VERY IMPORTANT NOTICE: 

To ensure that new PIB Registrations are reviewed and approved in time for inclusion with an institution’s Info Source update, the following timelines must be respected: 

• All new institution-specific PIBs must be submitted to TBS by April 29, 2005.

• All new standard PIBs must be submitted to TBS by May 31, 2005. 

The review and approval process for new PIB registrations is a time-consuming and iterative process. 

• New PIB registrations should be submitted to the Information, Privacy and Security Policy Division (IPSPD) of the Treasury Board Secretariat throughout the year – on an ongoing basis. 

• New PIB Registrations that are submitted to IPSPD with an institution’s Info Source update will not be reviewed and approved in time to be included in that year’s Info Source. Info Source updates submitted with PIBs that have not been approved and registered by TBS will be revised and the unregistered PIBs removed. 

INFO SOURCE PUBLICATIONS UPDATE PROCESS 

• ATIP Coordinators must approve the submission.

• Entries must be submitted in electronic format.

• Entries must be returned to TBS by June 30, 2005. 

A Glossary of Terms is attached as “Appendix E”. 

If you need assistance or further information on this matter, please contact: Nancy Olive at (613) 954-3720 or Laura Simmermon at (613) 948-2937, both of whom are employees of the:

Information, Privacy and Security Policy Division
Chief Information Officer Branch
Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat
2745 Iris Street, 4th Floor
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0R5 
Fax: (613) 957-8020
E-mail: Olive.Nancy@tbs-sct.gc.ca or Simmermon.Laura@tbs-sct.gc.ca

Donald Lemieux

Acting Senior Director
Information, Privacy and Security Policy Division
Chief Information Officer Branch

cc: Heads of Communications

Attachments

Appendix A - Information to be Included in Info Source: Sources of Federal Government Information

Appendix B - Information To Be Included In Info Source: Sources Of Federal Employee Information

Appendix C - Format Instructions
Appendix D - Detailed Timetable
Appendix E - Glossary of Terms 

Appendix A

INFORMATION TO BE INCLUDED IN INFO SOURCE: SOURCES OF FEDERAL GOVERNMENT INFORMATION 

INSTITUTION-SPECIFIC CHAPTERS

The following information should be included in all institutional chapters. 

GENERAL INFORMATION 

Background 

Provide a concise description of the institution’s history, including reference to its legislative foundation. 

Responsibilities 

Briefly describe the institution’s major policy and program responsibilities.  

Legislation 

List, in point form and in alphabetical order, all the acts and regulations that the institution administers, or for which the institution has primary responsibility. 

Organization 

Summarize the functions of all major organizational units corresponding to the "program" and "activity" levels. It is generally not recommended that units lower than activity level be described. Although institutions listed addresses in this section in the past, such information should be included in the section called "Additional Information". 

INFORMATION HOLDINGS 

Program Records 

Records are distinct pieces of recorded information, regardless of physical form or medium, that are collected, created or received through the initiation, conduct or completion of an institutional activity or individual activity on behalf of the institution. Records support the business activities of the institution in meeting its legislated mandate, provide evidence of, and show how transactions were undertaken. Records are also required to fulfil administrative, legal, fiscal and other accountability purposes. 

Program Records include both administrative and operational records. Administrative records are those records that are created in support of administrative functions within an institution. Administrative functions are primarily concerned with the process that permits operational functions to be carried out, e.g. preparation of Main Estimates, authorization & control of expenditures, staffing of positions, etc. Administrative records are created as a result of these processes and document the interaction that occurs between operational and administrative areas for a particular process. 

Operational Records are those records that are created or collected to support institutional activities that are performed as part of an institution’s program mandate which is derived from the institution’s enabling legislation. Operational records are often unique to that institution; and an actual program element or service that is provided to achieve the policy objectives of the institution. Operational records reflect these functions and are primarily concerned with the overall purpose for which the functions are carried out, e.g. increased foreign trade, cultural preservation, law enforcement, providing benefits, etc. 

Program Records were previously called "classes of records". To make them more descriptive of how they relate to the institution, and because they constitute the information output, in any form, resulting from an institution's program activities, their name was 
changed to "Program Records". 

Note: For the purposes of Info Source, it is not necessary to relate Program Records to any organizational unit lower than a program or an activity. 

The following are the fields for Program Records: 

Description:

• An explanatory statement of the information created, captured and maintained within the records of the institution.

• This statement must provide sufficient detail for the average reader to understand the program/activity to which the records relate. 

Topics: 

• Specific keywords or subject matter contained within the records 

Note: 

• This is an optional field 

• Describes relevant information not captured by other fields. 

• Should not contain “contact” information within the institution  

Access: 

• This is an optional field

• Describes how files arranged to facilitate access, ie. by case number, location, name of individual, etc. 

Format: 

• This is an optional field

• Specifies the record storage format

• should be used for non-standard record mediums, i.e. specific type of database software,, Audio tapes, Video tapes, 

Program Record Number: 

• Unique number created by institution using:
  • institution’s FIP acronym; and 
  • the unique file/identification number used to identify the records within the official record keeping system. 

Standard Program Records 

Many departments and agencies use Standard Program Records to list information about administrative subject areas, which are common to many institutions, such as Accounts and Accounting, Budgets, Buildings, etc. Only the title of the Standard Program Records is shown in the institution’s information for Info Source. 

Note: Institutions may or may not have any Standard Program Records to declare. 

Personal Information Banks

A PIB describes a collection or grouping of individual’s personal information held by federal departments and agencies, subject to the Privacy Act. PIBs describe personal information that is:

• under the control of a government institution;

• captured in the institution’s record keeping system; and

• collected or maintained in support of an institutional program or activity. 

PIBs are used to describe personal information if it is retrievable by a person's name or by an identifying number, symbol or other particular assigned only to that person or personal information that has been or is being used, or is available for use for an administrative purpose. 

PIBs that are to be included in Info Source: Sources of Federal Government Information describe personal information about:

• any segment of the population outside of the federal public service (federal employees).

• members of the general public and federal employees (current and former)

• Identified with the unique identifier “PPU” or “PSU”.  

Standard Personal Information Banks 

Standard Personal Information Banks describe information contained in common administrative records that many government institutions maintain about their employees, i.e. pay and benefits, training and development, performance, etc. 

• Institutions may require several or all of these banks to describe the personal information contained within their records. 

• These banks must be individually registered by each institution using them, and subsequently declared in Info Source. 

• Within Info Source, only the name of the Standard Bank has to be listed, once it has been registered with TBS 

• Not all government institutions maintain every type of personal information described in the Standard Banks 

• Identified with the unique identifier “PSU” as part of the bank number 

Classes of Personal Information 

Classes of Personal Information contain any personal information, which is not used for administrative purposes or not retrievable by personal identifiers. Examples include, for instance unsolicited opinions, complaints or correspondence. This category was included 
to ensures that government departments and agencies account for all personal information, that which they hold. Classes of Personal information are not subject to a registration process, and therefore do not have a TBS registration number or a PIB number. 

Note: Institutions may or may not have any Classes of Personal Information to declare

Manuals 

For the purposes of Info Source, manuals are listed under a sub-heading in the Information Holdings section. As required by the legislation, institutions must provide a listing in alphabetical order of the titles of all the manuals, which they use in administering or carrying out policies, programs and activities that affect the public. 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 

This section can be used to provide the address and telephone number of the institution's main points of access to obtain information informally. A "general information" number must be listed as opposed to that of the ATIP office. It can also include regional addresses, which 
fulfil the same function. 

Reading Room 

The address/location of a reading room available to the general public must be included. 

Appendix B

INFORMATION TO BE INCLUDED IN INFO SOURCE: SOURCES OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEE INFORMATION 

INSTITUTION-SPECIFIC CHAPTERS 

Each Institution-specific chapter should include all Personal Information Banks that are under the control of that institution. A PIB is a collection or grouping of individual’s personal information held by federal departments and agencies, subject to the Privacy Act. 
PIBs describe personal information that is captured in the institution’s record keeping system; and collected or maintained in support of an institutional program or activity. 

PIBs should provide a summary of the types of personal information about individuals that is held by federal departments and agencies and: 

• That is organized and retrievable by a person's name or by an identifying number, symbol or other particular assigned only to that person. 

• Has been or is being used, or is available for use for an administrative purpose.

Note: Please refer to Implementation Report #95 for detailed instructions related to the registration of Personal Information Banks. 

The following describes the three types of Personal Information Banks that may be contained within each institution-specific chapter. 

Central Personal Information Banks (if applicable)

These PIBs describe information about employees from all or several government 
institutions.

• Records and related banks are maintained by central agencies such as the Public Service Commission, Public Works and Government Services Canada, and the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat.

• Identified with the unique identifier “PCE” as part of the bank number. 

Particular Personal Information Banks

Describe personal information about employees that is specific to the requirements of each department or agency and is held within their record keeping systems 

• Includes current and former employees of the federal public service

• Identified with the unique identifier “PPE” as part of the bank number 

Standard Personal Information Banks

Standard Personal Information Banks describe information contained in common administrative records that many government institutions maintain about their employees, i.e. pay and benefits, training and development, performance, etc.

• Institutions may require several or all of these banks to describe the personal information contained within their records. 

• These banks must be individually registered by each institution using them, and subsequently declared in Info Source.

• Within Info Source, only the name of the Standard Bank has to be listed, once it has been registered with TBS.

• Not all government institutions maintain every type of personal information described in the Standard Banks.

• Identified with the unique identifier “PSE” as part of the bank number.   
  
  

Appendix C

FORMAT INSTRUCTIONS FOR BOTH INFO SOURCE: SOURCES OF FEDERAL GOVERNMENT INFORMATION AND SOURCES OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEE INFORMATION 

Page Style Format

• Normal style. No headers, footers, footnotes, notes or numbering of paragraphs. 

Font

• Arial 12 pitch.

• No bolding, underlining, highlighting, strike-out or italics (except to designate field names).

• No capitals, except for acronyms.  

Fields

• Ensure all fields have content and that no fields are deleted. Should the fields not have any information, this must be indicated.

• Field names are italicized. 

Plain Language

• The Communications Policy of the Government of Canada requires the use of ‘plain language’, i.e. the elimination of overly bureaucratic terminology, jargon, etc.

• Simple, plain language must be used to ensure that any person is able to understand the content without difficulty.

• Acronyms must not be used unless spelt-out in full earlier in the same 
  paragraph. 

Spelling

• Use the spelling and grammar check features of whichever word processing software is utilized and correct errors (both English and French versions) prior to submitting institutional updates. 

• Submissions that are found to contain spelling or grammatical errors will not be accepted by TBS and will be returned. 

Alphabetical Order

• All Organization sub headings, Program Record titles, PIBs, etc. should appear in alphabetical order after the Main Heading. 

Spacing

• A single space is required after periods, commas and semi-colons.

• Two spaces are required after full colons. 

Bullets 

• The use of bullets should be limited to the listing of legislation and manuals

Addresses

• The names of provinces must be spelled out in full, i.e. Newfoundland and Labrador, British Columbia, etc.. Acronyms will not be accepted. An example is “Ottawa, Ontario” 

Appendix D

DETAILED TIMETABLE FOR INFO SOURCE: SOURCES OF FEDERAL GOVERNMENT INFORMATION AND SOURCES OF 
FEDERAL EMPLOYEE 

 
Appendix E

Glossary of Terms 

Activity:

Activities are the major tasks or components performed by the organization to accomplish each of its programs. Several activities may be associated with an institutional program. 

Administrative Purpose: 

The use of personal information in a decision making process that directly affects that individual. 

Classes of Personal Information:

Other personal information not used administratively or not retrievable by personal identifier, for instance unsolicited opinions, complaints or correspondence.

• This category was included to ensure that government institutions account for all personal information that they hold. 

Data Matching:

An activity that involves comparing personal data obtained from a variety of sources, including personal information banks, for the purpose of making decisions about the individuals to whom the data pertains. 

Information Life Cycle:

This encompasses the stages of the planning, collection, creation, receipt, and capture of information; its organization, retrieval, use, accessibility, dissemination and transmission; its storage, maintenance, and protection; and its disposition and preservation 

Manuals: 

Directives, instructions, guidelines or procedures that are used by the employees of an institution to carry out its operations, activities or programs. 

Personal Information Banks:

A summary of the type of information about individuals that is held by federal institutions.

Include all personal information that:

• is organized and retrievable by a person's name or by an identifying number, symbol or other particular assigned only to that person.

• has been or is being used, or is available for use for an administrative purpose.

There are six types of Personal Information Banks (PIB):

• Standard Employee Banks (PSE)

• Standard Public Banks (PSU)

• Central Banks (PCE and PCU)

• Particular Banks – Employee (PPE)

• Particular Bank – Public (PPU) 

Program:

Programs are the largest unit of business activity in an institution – a unit set up to achieve institutional objectives as authorized by Parliament. 

• A program represents the major responsibilities that are managed by the institution to fulfil its goals 

Program Records:

Distinct pieces of recorded information, regardless of physical form or medium, that are collected, created or received through the initiation, conduct or completion of a departmental activity or individual activity on behalf of the institution. 

• comprised of operational and/or administrative records.

• Provide pointers to program information held by each federal institution within their record keeping system. 

Program Record descriptions identify the subject areas covered by institutional programs. 

Program Record Number or Bank Number:

A unique identifying number located at the end of each Program Record or Personal Information Bank.

• Helps the Access to Information and Privacy office to locate the information requested

• Is assigned by each institution as a finding tool to access the information contained in their records .