Course Descriptions



Introduction and Privacy - Day 1

This course provides an introduction to the FOIP Act with a focus primarily on the Act's privacy provisions. Participants will understand the requirements for protecting personal information, including the collection, use, disclosure, accuracy, linkage and disposition of personal information. A Certificate of Completion is provided.

Audience:
  • New FOIP Coordinators and public body employees with a role in protection of personal information

Topics covered:

  

  

 

 

 

 

 
  • History, purpose and scope of the Alberta FOIP Act
  • Roles and responsibilities of key players
  • Key definitions of words and phrases
  • Types of requests to access general or personal information a public body may receive
  • Collection of personal information (when and how personal information can be collected)
  • Accuracy of personal information
  • Correction of personal information (handling an individual's request to correct his or her personal information)
  • Retention of personal information (how long does personal information have to be kept)
  • Use and disclosure of personal information (how personal information can be used and when personal information can be disclosed)
  • Protection of personal information (what safeguards need to be or should be implemented to protect an individual's personal information)
  • Role of the Commissioner related to the protection of privacy provisions of the Act (handling privacy complaints and conducting investigations)
Prerequisite:
  • None
Cost:
  • $200 for Edmonton or Calgary, $250 for Red Deer


Access to Information - Day 2

Participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of the right of access, how to apply the principles which underlie access to information and the principles governing the interpretation and application of exceptions to disclosure. Exercises and a case study dealing with requests for access to information will provide additional practice for participants. A Certificate of Completion is provided.

Audience:
  • New FOIP Coordinators and public body employees who are involved in processing FOIP requests or who are responsible for making decisions on routine disclosures of information

Topics covered:

  


 
  • Difference between a FOIP request and other ways to access general and personal information
  • Roles and responsibilities of key players
  • Steps in processing a request to access general or personal information under the Act
  • Mandatory and discretionary exceptions (information that must or may not be disclosed)
  • Steps in applying the mandatory and discretionary exceptions
  • Powers of the Commissioner to conduct a review and investigate a public body's decision relating to a FOIP request
Prerequisite:
Cost:
  • $200 for Edmonton or Calgary, $250 for Red Deer


Managing a FOIP Program - Day 3

This course focuses on the administrative requirements for managing an effective FOIP program or function within a public body, such as managing the FOIP request process, developing a privacy protection plan, understanding the requirements for a Privacy Impact Assessment and preparing for reviews and investigations by the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner. A Certificate of Completion is provided.

Audience:
  • New FOIP Coordinators or managers who are responsible for FOIP within a public body

Topics covered:

 

 


 

 

 

 

 
  • Roles and responsibilities of various public body officials
  • Delegation of FOIP responsibilities
  • Role of the FOIP Coordinator
  • Roles of the Information and Privacy Commissioner, the responsible Minister and Policy and Governance, Service Alberta
  • Practices of routine disclosure and active dissemination of information, including personal information
  • Directories of public bodies and personal information banks
  • Accessing manuals and guidelines
  • How to process a FOIP request for access to information, including personal information
  • How to prepare for and respond to a request for review or a privacy complaint
  • What a review of privacy compliance within a public body could include
  • Planning new and modified personal information systems
  • Privacy impact assessments and when to do them
  • Conducting threat and risk assessments and developing security policies and procedures
  • Privacy considerations for data matching and data sharing arrangements
  • Reporting privacy breaches
Prerequisite:
Cost:
  • $200 for Edmonton or Calgary, $250 for Red Deer


FOIP General Awareness

This half-day session is designed to provide a broad overview of the basic concepts of access to information and protection of privacy as well as the impact of the FOIP Act on public bodies and staff.

Audience:
  • Public body employees who are not responsible for FOIP but require a basic overview of the concepts of protection of privacy and access to information

Topics covered:

 

 

 


 

 

 

 
  • History, purpose and scope of the Alberta FOIP Act
  • Roles and responsibilities of key players
  • Key definitions of words and phrases
  • Difference between a FOIP request and a request outside of the Act to access general or personal information
  • Mandatory and discretionary exceptions (information that must or may not be disclosed)
  • Collecting personal information (when and how personal information can be collected)
  • Use and disclosure of personal information (how personal information can be used and when personal information can be disclosed)
  • Accuracy of personal information
  • Correction of personal information (handling an individual's request to correct his or her personal information)
  • Retention of personal information (how long does personal information have to be kept)
  • Protection of personal information (what safeguards need to be or should be implemented to protect an individual's personal information)
  • Offences and penalties under the Act
Prerequisite:
  • None
Cost:
  • $125 for Edmonton or Calgary, $150 for Red Deer


Managing Contracts Under the FOIP Act

This course, which is based on the Managing Contracts Under the FOIP Act guide, (PDF) provides Government of Alberta contract managers and FOIP staff with the information and tools necessary to ensure compliance with the FOIP Act throughout the contracting process.

Audience:

 
  • Government of Alberta contract managers and FOIP staff involved in preparing, reviewing or managing contracts.
  • Local public body staff may also register, however, participants should be aware that the course content focuses on government procurement and records management polices and processes.

Topics covered:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
  • Definition of terms used in the FOIP Act that are relevant in contracts (e.g. personal information, record, employee, custody and control)
  • Best practices for collecting, creating and managing personal information during the contracting process
  • Role of tools such as Privacy Impact Assessment (PIAs) and the ICT Privacy Planning Tool (PPT) have in planning for protecting personal information when developing contracts
  • Records management considerations such as access to, security, retention and disposal of records
  • Potential impact that other legislation may have on contracts (e.g. Alberta's Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA), Health Information Act (HIA), federal Access to Information Act, Privacy Act or Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), as well as United States legislation)
  • Potential impact that outsourcing, subcontracting, mergers and buy-outs may have on the contracting process
  • Contract maintenance considerations including: monitoring compliance, managing security and privacy breaches, accessing contracting records to respond to FOIP requests and planning for business continuity
  • Appropriate model clauses to use in contacts
Prerequisite:
Cost:
  • $200 for Edmonton or Calgary, $250 for Red Deer