1.0 Background

The Audit of Information Management was approved by the Deputy Minister as part of the 2021-23 Risk-Based Audit Plan.

In the Government of Canada, information is safeguarded as a public trust and managed as a strategic asset to maximize its value in the service to Canadians. The vision is achieved through the implementation of the Government of Canada Information Management Strategy and associated policy instruments, including the Policy on Service and Digital.

Information management is a discipline that directs and supports effective and efficient management of information in an organization, from planning and systems development to disposal or long-term preservation. The focus of information management is the ability of organizations to capture, manage, preserve, store and deliver the right information to the right people at the right time. The Department produces a vast array of information, including data, documents, graphics, recordings, videos, photographs, and social media posts. With advances in technology, the amount of information, and digital information, in particular, continues to grow exponentially each year. Storage options (e.g., cloud) are scalable, making it easier and cheaper to store large volumes of information.

Veterans Affairs Canada has a centralized Information Management (IM) unit within Head Office, which ensures that the responsibilities are met.

The main activities of the VAC IM team consist of the following^{Footnote 1} :

• Establishing Information Management governance.
• Developing policies, procedures and guidelines in support of Information Management policies and central agency requirements.
• Promoting awareness of information management best practices and procedures to ensure employees understand their roles and responsibilities.
• Providing VAC staff with advice, guidance and training on Information Management.
• Directing and supporting efficient and effective information management during project planning and systems development.
• Supporting VAC in meeting its commitments to openness and transparency.

More specifically, the VAC IM Team provides expert services to support effective and coordinated management of information within the Department. These services include:

• Records Lifecycle Management (paper and electronic)
• Library management and research
• Direction, advice and guidance on:
  • How to file, organize and store paper and electronic information
  • Where, how and for what period of time information should be kept
  • Disposal of information
  • What decisions and actions must be documented, and what information has business and archival value
  • IM requirements in Statements of Work, Contracts and Privacy Impact Assessments
  • Leading IM practices to ensure consistent, effective and efficient use of information
• IM Awareness and training, including GCdocs^{Footnote 2} training
• Implement and monitor policies, standards, principles and practices to ensure Departmental compliance with Treasury Board Secretariat and Library and Archives Canada direction
• Identification and transfer of archival records to Library and Archives Canada for long-term preservation
• Participation in project planning and initiatives to identify information management requirements
• Oversight and operations of GCdocs as the corporate repository of information
• Implementation of Open Government^{Footnote 3}

Ensuring information is appropriately maintained and stored allows for good governance, informed decision making and the efficient and effective sharing of public information.