Annual Report: 2002-2003

CHAPTER II:
ADDRESSING THE CRISIS IN INFORMATION MANAGEMENT

The Information and Privacy Commissioners, the Auditor General, Parliamentary Committees and others have repeatedly called attention to poor information management and its impacts. Most recently, poor recordkeeping was cited as a key factor of concern in the management of the gun registry program, in concerns over GST fraud, in the improper tendering of government contracts, in the inability to locate costly commissioned reports, and in the lack of security for sensitive information placed on government websites. The Auditor General has said that some programs were so poorly documented that an audit could not even be completed.ⁱ The records were simply unavailable, incomplete or unreliable.

In his own area of responsibility, the Information Commissioner has found that many complaints about the lack of access to requested records involve poor records management. Record searches are often lengthy and incomplete because records are inappropriately filed.

Relevant records are often duplicated in many locations and in multiple versions of uncertain authoritativeness. Records that should be present in the files often have not been created (for example, when the minutes of important meetings are not taken and filed). Records have sometimes been destroyed prematurely and without authorization. In some cases, the records have been altered or their location obscured to avoid discovery. The result is that often neither government staff nor the public has ready and reasonable access to important information it needs and has a right to see.

As well, many of the records that document publicly funded activities are not accessible or adequately protected. The programs are delivered by non-government bodies not subject to government audit, access and privacy legislation or government records management standards.

Other problems stem from the huge volumes of records found in government departments in electronic, paper and other formats; the use of complicated and quickly changing technologies; and the lack of basic skills among government staff for creating and managing their own records and shared files. In particular, the volume of e-mail and web-based documents are overwhelming government workers who have difficulty understanding what to keep and what to discard.

The federal government has been creating the complex technology infrastructure needed to support Government On-Line. Less attention has been given to the quality and timeliness of information that Canadians want and need. A report by the Public Policy Forum called attention to the danger of an "emperor's clothes syndrome" where "the outer clothes of Internet portals and websites are removed to reveal a fragile and inadequate information infrastructure. . ."ⁱⁱ

The bottom line is that the Government of Canada does not have adequate management control over a fundamental resource of governance.

The impact of poor records management goes far beyond the government's access and privacy regime. Within government, the lack of accurate and authoritative information results in poor decisions, failed programs and lost opportunities. Time wasted finding information and the storage of records no longer needed increase government operating costs. The failure to maintain and protect records with high legal and intellectual property value results increased liability and financial loss. The premature destruction of records with long-term archival value contributes to our collective historical amnesia and the loss of valuable knowledge.

The impact on the public ranges from inconvenience (when requested information is not conveniently available) to a decline in the quality of governance (when citizens lose faith in government). As the Information Commissioner has commented, at issue is:

"whether the public has confidence that government will be responsive to its needs, will act openly and transparently, will recognize its duty to document its actions and be accountable for them, and whether it will respect the rights of individuals and organizations to access information that shows how well government has met these responsibilities and expectations."

In other words, at stake is whether society is able and willing to maintain its trust and confidence in government. Without these qualities, democracy itself is in serious jeopardy.

The security of Canadians is also at stake. In a post-September 11 world, that security depends directly on what information is created and collected, its quality and reliability, how the information is protected and whether and to whom it is disseminated. The government must ensure that it has effective policies and a strong information management infrastructure to protect vital information assets, address serious security concerns and safeguard fundamental public access and other rights.