1. From Principle to Practice: Enhancing Access in the Public Service
Ross Hodgins
Special advisor to the Assistant Commissioner
Office of the Information Commissioner
of Canada
Carleton University
September 30, 2010 1

2. Processing Access Requests: Roles and Responsibilities
Access to information
analysts
Senior officials
Program officers
Lawyers
Communication officers

3. Countdown of Ten Common Myths
10. Institutions must create new records to respond to access requests.

4. Countdown of Ten Common Myths
10. Institutions must create new records to respond to access requests.
Classifying documents as “confidential” or “secret” will protect all of the information contained in them.

5. Countdown of Ten Common Myths
10. Institutions must create new records to respond to access requests.
Classifying documents as “confidential” or “secret” will protect all of the information contained in them.
8. Marginal notes or “sticky notes” on documents are not part of the record.

6. Countdown of Ten Common Myths
10. Institutions must create new records to respond to access requests.
Classifying documents as “confidential” or “secret” will protect all of the information contained in them.
8. Marginal notes or “sticky notes” on documents are not part of the record.
7. Advice and recommendations by external consultants can automatically be protected.

7. Countdown of Ten Common Myths
10. Institutions must create new records to respond to access requests.
Classifying documents as “confidential” or “secret” will protect all of the information contained in them.
8. Marginal notes or “sticky notes” on documents are not part of the record.
7. Advice and recommendations by external consultants can automatically be protected.
6. When a document contains any advice or recommendations to the Minister, the entire record qualifies for exemption.

8. Countdown of Ten Common Myths
Ministers’ notes and those of Ministerial staff to Departmental officials are excluded from the purview of the Act.

9. Countdown of Ten Common Myths
Ministers’ notes and those of Ministerial staff to Departmental officials are excluded from the purview of the Act.
Program experts make the decisions regarding the disclosure of information.

10. Countdown of Ten Common Myths
Ministers’ notes and those of Ministerial staff to Departmental officials are excluded from the purview of the Act.
Program experts make the decisions regarding the disclosure of information.
3. An exemption can be used to “blanket” or withhold the entire record.

11. Countdown of Ten Common Myths
Ministers’ notes and those of Ministerial staff to Departmental officials are excluded from the purview of the Act.
Program experts make the decisions regarding the disclosure of information.
3. An exemption can be used to “blanket” or withhold the entire record.
There is an exemption for information that the requester clearly will not understand or could misinterpret.

12. Countdown of Ten Common Myths
Ministers’ notes and those of Ministerial staff to Departmental officials are excluded from the purview of the Act.
Program experts make the decisions regarding the disclosure of information.
3. An exemption can be used to “blanket” or withhold the entire record.
There is an exemption for information that the requester clearly will not understand or could misinterpret.
1. There is an exemption for information that could potentially embarrass politicians and/or bureaucrats.