News release

Improved Compliance Rate Highlights FOIPOP Annual Report

Service Nova Scotia and Internal Services (July 2019 - May 2023)

An improved compliance rate highlights the 2019-20 Information Access and Privacy Services annual report that government released today, Oct. 2 during Right to Know Week.

Almost 2,000 applications were submitted under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIPOP) and 87 per cent were processed within the time limits authorized under the FOIPOP Act, including approved extensions.

“Transparency and accountability contribute to good government and good public policy,” said Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Chuck Porter on behalf of Service Nova Scotia and Internal Services Minister Patricia Arab. “Despite the challenges that COVID-19 presented, we are continuing to look for better ways to protect the access and privacy rights of Nova Scotians because we all benefit from open and accountable government.”

Quick Facts:

Government’s actions to promote transparency include:

  • the open data portal, launched in 2016, has released hundreds of data sets to the public online and has more than a million page views and more than 105,000 downloads
  • 1,997 FOIPOP applications were received in 2019-20
  • 1,981 applications were completed which includes carry over from the previous fiscal year
  • 1,452 applications were completed within the first 30 days (73 per cent)
  • average page count per application was 221 pages, with the largest being more than 10, 660 pages
  • 7,884 provincial government employees have completed online information access and privacy training

Additional Resources:

IAP Services annual report: https://beta.novascotia.ca/government/internal-services/corporate-reports

FOIPOP disclosure website: https://informationaccess.novascotia.ca/

Service Nova Scotia and Internal Services Twitter: https://twitter.com/ns_servicens

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