How is the Treasury Board Secretariat Involved in the PIA Process?

The Treasury Board will undertake a comprehensive review of the provisions and operation of the PIA Policy within five years of its coming into effect.

The Treasury Board (TBS) developed the PIA Policy and the associated Guidelines document. TBS is also responsible for:

• Maintaining and revising the PIA guidelines.
• Monitoring compliance through a variety of mechanisms such as:
  • Project approval and funding—Institutions seeking Preliminary Project Approval from TBS pursuant to the Project Approval Policy, must include the results of a PIA in their submissions or the project brief. Institutions seeking Effective Project Approval from TBS must provide a status report in their submissions or the project, briefly summarizing the actions taken or to be taken to mitigate privacy risks.
  • Institution's Annual Reports to Parliament required by the Privacy Act (Section 72) indicates that copies of Annual Reports are forwarded to TBS.
  • Departmental audits and review reports.

As well, TBS analysts are assigned to each institution and they may request that a PIA be completed. These analysts may also become part of the PIA Team and assist in the completion of a PIA.

The OPC's role

Departments & Agencies