Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner. Guide to LA FOIP, CHAPTER 2, Administration of LA FOIP. Updated 2 March 2023. 7 represented council and decisions made by council. The Commissioner found that subsection 93(1)(b) of The Municipalities Act reinforced that the Reeve must meet his duties under LA FOIP. Finally, that the powers and duties are vested in the head under LA FOIP, not council. The powers and duties are the head’s responsibilities until he or she delegates them pursuant to section 50 of LA FOIP. The LA FOIP Coordinator or Privacy Officer Probably the most important person in managing access and privacy issues in any local authority is the designated LA FOIP Coordinator or Privacy Officer. The LA FOIP Coordinator may have different titles such as Access Coordinator. It is also possible the title does not appear to relate to access and privacy, yet the individual also carries these duties. For example, the local authority’s Administrator. The roles of the LA FOIP Coordinator and Privacy Officer might be combined and handled by one individual in the organization, or the roles might be separated and handled by two. The duties and roles of each in an organization are very different but also very interrelated. LA FOIP places responsibility on the “head” of the local authority. The head may delegate some or all of those powers to someone else, in the organization, such as the LA FOIP Coordinator or Privacy Officer, pursuant to section 50 of LA FOIP. The LA FOIP Coordinator or Privacy Officer is responsible for the overall management of access to information and protection of personal information within the organization.6 So, what exactly does an LA FOIP Coordinator or Privacy Officer do? LA FOIP Coordinators and Privacy Officers assist departments to meet their statutory responsibilities, promoting open government and fostering “an organizational culture” that advances four fundamental principles: 1. Information (general records should be available to the public). 2. Individuals should have access to their own personal information. 3. Exemptions to access should be limited and specific. 6 Service Alberta, FOIP Guidelines and Practices: 2009 Edition, Chapter 2, p. 24.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTgwMjYzOA==