Terms of Reference for the Access to Information Review Task Force

The interdepartmental Task Force will conduct a thorough administrative and general legislative review, identify possible adjustments for immediate implementation and report on further recommendations.

The Task Force will examine all components of the Access to Information framework, including the Access to Information Act and Regulations, the Policy and Guidelines on Access to Information, departmental procedures and certain aspects of federal government information management and dissemination, to ensure that the Act and its administration are as effective as possible.

The scope of the review of the administration of the Act would include:

• Review of the Access Regulations to allow for increased efficiency, and the TBS Access to Information policy and guidelines to provide additional guidance and support to the public servants charged with responsibility for administering the Act;
• An examination of the resourcing of ATI offices and consideration of the need for resourcing guidelines;
• An examination of the impact on ATI of electronic information and consequential adjustments;
• An examination of the processes and systems used in departments for responding to requests; and
• The identification and recommendation of initiatives to increase the amount of information available through informal means.

The scope of the review of the Act would cover the review and development of proposals for amendment of the Access to Information Act for consideration in the next mandate, including (but not limited to):

• Scope of the coverage of the Act;
• New or revised definitions;
• Revision of exclusions and exemptions;
• Review of the fee structure;
• Review of the role of the Information Commissioner; and
• Issues identified in the course of the administrative review.

The Task Force Structure

1. The Task Force will be led by a full-time ADM-level official.

2. The Task Force personnel will be drawn from a variety of areas within the federal government, including the ATI policy area of TBS, the Information Law and Privacy section and the Public Law Policy section of Justice, PCO, the ATI areas of at least two departments, and the Information Policy area of the Chief Information Officer Branch of TBS.

3. The Task Force will consult an interdepartmental ADM Steering Committee representing key ATI interests.

4. An Advisory Committee will be established to support the Task Force. The Advisory Committee will be made up of individuals from outside government, such as academics, journalists, historians, and users of the Act. It will provide advice to the Task Force and act as a sounding board for ideas and proposals.

5. The Task Force will report to the Secretary of the Treasury Board and the Deputy Minister of Justice through the Task Force Chair.

Consultations

The Task Force will regularly consult ATI stakeholders internal and external to government throughout the development and implementation of reform proposals. The Task Force Chair will hold a meeting of an Advisory Committee of external stakeholders at least every three months.

Deliverables

During the course of its work, the Task Force will make recommendations to the Secretary of the Treasury Board and the Deputy Minister of Justice for immediate actions to improve the ATI framework.

At the conclusion of the Task Force's work in the fall of 2001, there will be a report covering the administrative and policy issues, and recommendations for implementation of changes, as well as the results of the legislative review, including proposals for legislative amendment.

The report and recommendations on the administrative issues will be formulated to respond to calls for Access reform in the short term. The legislative component will build on what is achieved administratively and will focus on longer-term solutions.

Note: It is now expected that the Task Force will release its report in the early months of 2002.