The Access to Information Act gives Canadian citizens the right to access information in federal government records. The Privacy Act provides citizens with the right to access personal information held by the government and protection of that information against unauthorized use and disclosure.

All Government of Canada Departments, Agencies, Foundations, Crown Corporations and any wholly owned subsidiaries are susceptible to the Access to Information Act (ATIA) and the Privacy Act. These entities face particular challenges in their efforts to deliver optimal service to the public under the Acts.

Impact of Access to Information, Privacy and Federal Accountability Legislation

• Steady increase in the number of requests received
• Lack of expertise in the ATIP field
• High volume of pages
• Cold case files
• Complex files
• Limited resources
• Culture of "on-demand" information
• Cost savings initiatives - do more with less

New tools are required to meet the demand and deliver quantitative results from the request to the final disposition of the information.