End-of-term (July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2016)
On Schedule
Issue mandatory policy requiring federal government departments and agencies to maximize the release of data and information of business value subject to applicable restrictions related to privacy, confidentiality, and security. Eligible data and information will be released in standardized, open formats, free of charge, and without restrictions on reuse.
| Deliverables | Status / Final Results | Lessons Learned | Completion Level |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Issue a new Directive on Open Government to require federal departments and agencies to maximize the release of eligible government data and information. |
The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) issued its new Directive on Open Government on . |
The Directive on Open Government was well received by Canadian stakeholders as a demonstration of Canada's commitment to sharing more data and information. |
Complete |
|
Require federal departments and agencies to publish Open Government Implementation Plans. |
The Directive that was developed requires federal departments to publish an Open Government Implementation Plan (OGIP) that describes the planned activities to meet the requirements of the Directive, including the development of data and information inventories. A total of 56 OGIPs were submitted to TBS and are being reviewed with the aim of publishing them as soon as possible. |
Developing departmental OGIPs was a useful and productive exercise for the Government of Canada. They were a much-needed first step and have helped departments organize and allocate resources and prioritize activities. A key lesson from the OGIP process has been the necessity to limit the burden for departments by focusing on key information required by developing accessible templates to facilitate the release of the Plans. As the Government of Canada has now launched its new Biennial Action Plan (2016-18) which outlines a broader and more ambitious vision, we will be revisiting these plans and accelerating timelines, focus and reporting requirements where required to better reflect this new vision. |
Substantial Rolled-over in 2016-18 Plan |
|
Establish tools and guidance for the publication of departmental data inventories. |
Tools and guidance to support the implementation of Directive requirements by departments and agencies across government are developed on an ongoing basis to support the phased implementation including the departmental data inventories, the year-2 deliverable. |
The Data Inventory Template and accompanying Guidance on Completing the Data Inventory have proved supportive for departments in the completion of their data inventories. Tools and resources were co-created by an interdepartmental task team of volunteers, demonstrating the value in this approach. Finally, ongoing communication through multiple channels including TBS Information Management analyst engagement, the interdepartmental working group on open government, and a targeted workshop have been useful in addressing questions and sharing best practices. |
Complete |
Additional Deliverables Beyond the Action Plan
To support the completion of the above mentioned deliverables, TBS has established an interdepartmental implementation working group. This working group has developed a comprehensive list of tools and resources to be developed that will help departments effectively implement the Directive. This prioritized list includes templates for the OGIP and departmental inventories as well as:
- OG Directive communication package for internal use in departments; and
- Retention and disposition guidance.
Relevance
Supports the principles of transparency and accountability and is targeted at helping address the OGP Grand Challenge of improving public services, and increasing public integrity by establishing government-wide policy direction for the proactive release of data and information that is open by default.
Ambition
The Directive makes "Open by Default" the standard for the Government of Canada through a mandatory policy instrument.