Some notes from my review of the final Report of the Access to Information Review Task Force, June 2002:
… in recent years, the relations between the Office of the Information Commissioner (OIC) and the government have become increasingly strained and there are now a number of proceedings before the courts dealing with the scope of the Commissioner’s powers and with questions of procedural fairness. This suggests that there are serious issues to be addressed. (p. 89)
The Task Force is of the view that the government should develop the ability to process requests electronically, and do so as soon as possible. The United States has legislated a move toward electronic access, and the government could borrow from, and build on, its experience. (p. 119)
Access to information is here to stay, and the government needs to think about budgeting for it in the same way as it does for regular program delivery to Canadians. In other words, it must explicitly identify and plan for resource requirements (skills, technology, money, etc.), monitor trends, measure performance, and identify efficiencies. Government institutions should also consider the implications for access to information when planning a new program, or making revisions to existing ones. Several departments have significantly improved their performance by considering access as a program like any other.
Now playing: Ma, Kremer, Phillips, Kashkashian – Franz Schubert: Adagio & Fugue in C minor, K.546: I. Adagio