What's New

Please visit this page regularly for future announcements regarding new content added to this site and other news about Alberta's Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

June 26, 2008

The dates for the 2008-2009 FOIP training sessions have been set. The first one-day sessions for Fall 2008 are September 23, 24 and 25 in Edmonton and October 28, 29, and 30 in Calgary. The half-day General Awareness sessions are scheduled for September 22 and May 4 in Edmonton and October 27 in Calgary. For details about the courses and how to register, visit the Instructor-Led Training page or download the FOIP Training Calendar.

May 12, 2008

The 2006/2007 Annual Report on the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act was tabled in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta on May 7, 2008. Additional statistical information is provided as a supplement to the report.

April 28, 2008

Contracting for services has become an increasingly important aspect of delivering programs throughout the public sector. Whether a public body is entering into a small fee-for-service contract to provide a service to a single client or a "public-private partnership" (P3) to build a highway, managing the contract effectively will contribute to the success of the project.

Managing Contracts under the FOIP Act: A Guide for Government of Alberta Contract Managers and FOIP Coordinators (pdf) has been designed to address the access to information and privacy issues that arise at the various stages of the contracting process by explaining how the FOIP Act applies and suggesting some best practices. The Guide, which was completely revised in 2005, has been updated to reflect changes in the law as well as new and emerging issues. The model contract clauses have also been revised, with the advice and assistance of Alberta Justice and Attorney General.

Although the Guide has been designed for provincial government, the contracting issues covered are likely similar in other sectors. A Word version is available so that public bodies can use or customize the model contract clauses and contract manager's checklist contained in the Guide.

April 15, 2008

FOIP Bulletin No. 19, Ministerial Expense Claims, is a new bulletin that provides guidance on applying the exceptions to the right of access when releasing travel expense claim records in response to a FOIP request.

April 3, 2008

FOIP News Issue No. 23 is now available! FOIP News is an electronic newsletter that highlights news relating to Alberta's Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. This issue includes information about a new online FOIP course, a data collection tool to assist public bodies in producing a Directory of Personal Information Banks, a summary of recent OIPC Orders and Investigation Reports, and much more.

March 26, 2008

Access, Privacy and Security has developed a new database collection tool to assist public bodies with producing their Personal Information Bank (PIB) Directories as required by the FOIP Act. To download the tool, see the Guide to Identifying Personal Information Banks.

March 13, 2008

The Access and Privacy 2008 conference will be held June 18-20, 2008 at the Edmonton Marriott River Cree Resort. The conference theme, Performing at the Speed of Change, aims to provide opportunities and insights to enable access and privacy professionals working in the public and private sector to anticipate and effectively deal with challenges and issues that can arise during their careers. The conference program will feature interactive workshops, insightful keynote and plenary speakers, and breakout sessions on a number of different topics. For more information, visit the conference web site. Early bird pricing will be available until April 30, 2008.

February 25, 2008

Access, Privacy and Security is pleased to introduce a new FOIP training offering for all employees of public bodies. FOIP: Focus on Privacy is an interactive online course that covers FOIP issues most relevant to the day-to-day activities of public body employees – in particular, those involving the collection, use, disclosure and protection of personal information. This self-paced course requires about 1-2 hours to complete and contains short quizzes to test a participant’s knowledge and practical examples to help illustrate key concepts. To take the course or to learn more about it, visit the Online Training page.

February 13, 2008

Four new entities have been designated as public bodies subject to the FOIP Act: Alberta Utilities Commission; Energy Resources Conservation Board; Alberta Investment Management Corporation; and Nominating Committee established under the Alberta Investment Management Corporation Regulation (AR 225/2007). A new office consolidation of the FOIP Act and Regulation reflecting these changes is now available from the Alberta Queen's Printer. 

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