Annual Report: 2003-2004

CHAPTER III:
INVESTIGATIONS AND REVIEWS

As promised last year, the Information Commissioner instituted timelines for investigative activities designed to bring investigations to completion by fixed target dates or "standards". These service standards make demands of both investigators and departmental ATIP staff. The standards are described in detail in the commissioner’s 2002-03 Annual Report at pages 54 to 58.

It is difficult to assess the effectiveness of these standards in an environment of inadequate resources and after only one year of operation under a mixed caseload, where a significant number of investigations were commenced before the introduction of the standards. However, the preliminary results are encouraging and show a real decline in the time taken by investigators to complete their investigative work across all types of complaint investigations..

The commissioner is grateful to both his investigators and departmental ATIP officials for making a good faith effort to meet service standards even in the context of heavy caseloads.