Program directory · Offices of the Information and Privacy Commissioners of Canada
Promotion Program
- Program code
- BRG01 (IPC)
- Core responsibility
- Protection and Promotion of Privacy Rights
- In Departmental Plans
- 2018-19 – 2026-27 · Missing from some plans
What it does
The Promotion Program contributes to the protection of privacy rights through proactive efforts to increase Canadians’ awareness and understanding of their rights and organizations’ obligations to promote compliance with federal privacy legislation. To that end, the Program provides information, guidance and advice to Canadians to support them in exercising their privacy rights, as well as to organizations to support them in meeting their federal privacy responsibilities. Under this program, advice is also provided to Parliament on the potential privacy implications of proposed legislation and government programs.
Source: the department's Program Inventory, via GC InfoBase.
History and lineage
First appears in GC InfoBase's actual spending by program in 2018-19. The data does not record when a program was created; it may be older than its first appearance here, which is limited by the sources (program spending starts in 2010-11, Departmental Plans in 2018-19).
| Program | Relation | Years with data | Actual spending over those years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Promotion Program | This program | 2018-19 – 2028-29 | $78.4M |
No earlier or later program in the same department has a similar name.
Significant changes in scope and budget
Detected from the data: renames between plans, programs it appears to replace, merge with or split into (matched by name), year-over-year changes in spending of at least 25% and $5M, or in employees of at least 20% and 25 FTEs, linked budget measures, and results indicators added or dropped.
| Year | What changed | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | Indicators added: Percentage of bills and studies that raised privacy implications for which the OPC provided its advice/recommendations; Percentage of PIA reviews that result in privacy enhancements, following OPC recommendations; Reach of targeted outreach and communication activities for Canadians | Departmental Results Framework (GC InfoBase) |
| 2026-27 | Indicators dropped: Percentage of PIA reviews/consultations that lead to the implementation of a privacy protection measure; Percentage of privacy-relevant bills and studies that proceed through the legislative process having received OPC’s views; Take-up of information to Canadians | Departmental Results Framework (GC InfoBase) |
Success criteria
The program's indicators from its department's Departmental Results Framework: the target set in each year's plan, and the result reported the following year. Source: GC InfoBase.
Historical: targets against results
Percentage of private-sector organizations that have privacy compliance measures in place
Expected result: Public and private sector organizations are enabled to adopt practices and develop programs, policies and initiatives that respect privacy rights
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-20 | — | 2020 | 65 Approximately two-thirds of business representatives (65%) say their company has a privacy policy. Half or more of Canadian businesses surveyed have implemented the following privacy compliance practices: having a designated privacy officer (62%); having procedures in place for responding to customer requests for access to their personal information (60%); having procedures in place for dealing w… | No result reported |
| 2020-21 | — | 2022 | — 2020-21 was not a survey year. | No result reported |
| 2021-22 | ≥ 65 | 2022 | 59 Approximately six in 10 Canadian businesses surveyed said their company has a privacy policy. This represents a small decline over time, with 65% of companies reporting having such a policy in 2019 to 59% in 2022. The pandemic may have affected the survey findings, and specifically, those on compliance with privacy practices. When businesses are preoccupied with pandemic-related impacts on operat… | Not met |
| 2022-23 | ≥ 65 | 2024 | 2022-23 was not a survey of businesses’ year. 2022-23 was not a survey of businesses’ year. | No result reported |
| 2023-24 | ≥ 65 | 2024 | 55 Just over half (55%) of the business representatives surveyed said their company has a privacy policy. Over time, the proportion of companies with a privacy policy has declined, from a high of 65% in 2019, to 59% in 2022, to 55% this year. In 2022, the decrease in the proportion of companies reporting a privacy policy was considered within the context of the COVID-19 global pandemic. Specifically… | Not met |
Percentage of PIA reviews/consultations that lead to the implementation of a privacy protection measure
Expected result: Preventative actions are taken by public and private sector organizations
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | ≥ 90% | 2019 | 86% During the year, the OPC received thirty-seven (37) written responses to advice given by our Office following Privacy Impact Assessment reviews and consultations with institutions on potentially privacy invasive initiatives. Thirty-two (32) of these responses indicated that one or more of our recommendations for improvements to privacy practices had been or would be implemented. | Not met |
| 2019-20 | ≥ 90% | 2020 | 76% During the year, the OPC provided 149 recommendations for improved privacy practices to public institutions. Based on written responses received, 113 were accepted. Note that the methodology for this indicator has been refined in 2019-20. To date, this indicator measured the number of written responses where some, but not necessarily all of the OPC’s recommendations in the context of a PIA, were… | Not met |
| 2020-21 | ≥ 90% | 2021 | 69% During the fiscal year, the OPC received 34 written responses to recommendations and advice given to federal government institutions for PIAs we reviewed and consultations we undertook. A total of 198 recommendations provided were addressed in these responses (recommendations may have been made in previous fiscal years). Institutions indicated that a total of 137 of our recommendations were accep… | Not met |
| 2021-22 | ≥ 90% | 2022 | 71% In fiscal 2021-22, a total of 191 recommendations were made to federal institutions and 136 of them were accepted. This year result is slightly higher than the previous year which stood at 69% | Not met |
| 2022-23 | ≥ 90% | 2023 | 78% We continued to receive a large number of privacy impact assessments (110) and advisory consultation requests (73) from federal government institutions. This past year we made 91 recommendations following PIA reviews and consultations with institutions. Based on the responses we received, 78% of our recommendations were accepted. This result is consistent with results from previous years. | Not met |
| 2023-24 | ≥ 90% | 2024 | 84% In 2023-24, the OPC received 49 written responses to advice given by our Office following Privacy Impact Assessment reviews and consultations with institutions on potentially privacy invasive initiatives. 84% of these responses indicated that one or more of our recommendations for improvements to privacy practices had been or would be implemented. | Not met |
| 2024-25 | ≥ 90% | 2025 | 89% In 2024–25, the OPC received 28 written responses to advice given by our Office following Privacy Impact Assessment reviews and consultations with institutions on potentially privacy invasive initiatives. 89% of these responses indicated that one or more of our recommendations for improvements to privacy practices had been or would be implemented. | Not met |
Percentage of privacy-relevant bills and studies that proceed through the legislative process having received OPC’s views
Expected result: Parliamentarians are more informed about privacy implications of proposed bills and government initiatives
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-20 | — | 2020 | 80% In 2019-20, the OPC engaged with Parliament ten (10) times on various bills, studies and issues. Parliament sat for a reduced number of days during the past fiscal year as a result of the 43rd General Election, the subsequent establishment of the new Parliament, and then the suspension of Parliament as a result of the pandemic. We are encouraged that our appearances and statements help to deepen… | No result reported |
| 2020-21 | 85% – 85% | 2021 | — 2020-21 was an unusual Parliamentary year in that no Bills were tabled which were not directly related to COVID-19. In this context, we continued to monitor all legislation and analyze its privacy relevance, and continued to support engagement with Parliamentarians on issues concerning privacy in the pandemic, but made no recommendation. The Commissioner has however appeared before the Quebec Leg… | No result reported |
| 2021-22 | ≥ 85% | 2022 | 100% This indicator measures the OPC’s responsiveness to parliamentarians’ need for advice on the privacy implications of bills and studies. The measure therefore only applies to bills and studies that were being actively studied by parliamentary committee during the year. In 2021-22, the OPC provided views and/or appeared on 8 privacy-relevant bills and studies. | Met |
| 2022-23 | ≥ 85% | 2023 | 89% This indicator measures the OPC’s responsiveness to parliamentarians’ need for advice on the privacy implications of bills and studies. The measure therefore only applies to bills and studies that were being actively studied by parliamentary committee during the year. In 2022-23, the OPC provided views and/or appeared on 8 privacy-relevant bills and studies. | Met |
| 2023-24 | ≥ 85% | 2024 | 100% This indicator measures the OPC’s responsiveness to parliamentarians’ need for advice on the privacy implications of bills and studies. The measure therefore only applies to bills and studies that were being actively studied by a parliamentary committee during the year. In 2023-24, the OPC provided views and/or appeared on 9 privacy-relevant bills and studies. | Met |
| 2024-25 | ≥ 85% | 2025 | 79% This indicator measures the OPC’s responsiveness to parliamentarians’ need for advice on the privacy implications of bills and studies.The measure therefore only applies to bills and studies that were being actively studied by a parliamentary committee during the year. In 2024–25, the OPC provided input or appeared before committees on 15 of the 19 privacy-related bills and studies it was monitor… | Not met |
Take-up of information to Canadians
Expected result: Canadians use resources and means to exercise their privacy rights and responsibilities
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-20 | — | 2020 | 0% While there were 887,820 visits to the OPC’s website for information aimed at helping Canadians exercise their privacy rights in 2018-19, there were 760,505 visits in 2019-20. The decrease can be explained by the fact that a different software was used starting October 1, 2019. Webtrends has been dismantled and we have started using Matomo, a new analytics program. The numbers are quite different… | No result reported |
| 2020-21 | 15% – 15% | 2021 | — 2020-21 is the first year of using a new analytics service provider. According to last year’s data, this year shows a 12% decrease. However, this year statistics are more accurate with fewer bots going through our site. This is therefore a transitional year for this statistic. | No result reported |
| 2021-22 | ≥ 15% | 2022 | 8% While this target has not been met this year, it is trending in the right direction. With an increase of 9% from last year, this year’s results show that privacy continues to be very much of interest to Canadians. | Not met |
| 2022-23 | ≥ 15% | 2023 | 0% Material published on our website, such as guidance documents, interpretation bulletins and case summaries, generated 727,835 visits in 2022–23. This result is unchanged from the previous year. The OPC will continue its efforts to promote the resources available to Canadians on its website and other social media to help them exercise their privacy rights. | Not met |
| 2023-24 | ≥ 15% | 2024 | 0% Material published on our website, such as guidance documents, interpretation bulletins and tips for individuals, generated 666,833 visits in 2023–24. The OPC will continue its efforts to update and promote the resources available to Canadians on its website and other social media to help them exercise their privacy rights. | Not met |
| 2024-25 | ≥ 15% | 2025 | 0% Material published on our website, such as guidance documents, interpretation bulletins and tips for individuals, generated 598,480 visits in 2024–25, representing a decrease in visits compared to the previous year. The OPC will continue its efforts to update and promote the resources available to Canadians on its website and other social media to help them exercise their privacy rights. | Not met |
Current: the 2026-27 plan's targets
Percentage of bills and studies that raised privacy implications for which the OPC provided its advice/recommendations
Expected result: Parliamentarians receive timely information and advice from the OPC
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | ≥ 85% | 2027 | — | Planned |
Percentage of PIA reviews that result in privacy enhancements, following OPC recommendations
Expected result: Public and private sector organizations are enabled to adopt practices and develop programs, policies and initiatives that respect privacy rights
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | ≥ 90% | 2027 | — | Planned |
Reach of targeted outreach and communication activities for Canadians
Expected result: Canadians are informed about their privacy rights and how to protect their privacy
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | ≥ 1,000,000 | 2027 | — | Planned |
Future goals: targets due after 2026-27
Percentage of private-sector organizations that have privacy compliance measures in place
Expected result: Public and private sector organizations are enabled to adopt practices and develop programs, policies and initiatives that respect privacy rights
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | 2026-27 is not a survey year | 2028 | — | Planned |
Spending and employees: planned against actual
Spending
Show the numbers
| Fiscal year | Planned | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | $9.5M | $8.5M |
| 2019-20 | $9.5M | $10.6M |
| 2020-21 | $11.7M | $11.8M |
| 2021-22 | $11.5M | $11.2M |
| 2022-23 | $11.5M | $11M |
| 2023-24 | $11.2M | $12.4M |
| 2024-25 | $12.1M | $13.1M |
| 2026-27 | $15.1M | — |
| 2027-28 | $14M* | — |
| 2028-29 | $13.5M* | — |
Employees (FTEs)
Show the numbers
| Fiscal year | Planned | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | 65 | 66 |
| 2019-20 | 65 | 70 |
| 2020-21 | 81 | 79 |
| 2021-22 | 79 | 81 |
| 2022-23 | 79 | 74 |
| 2023-24 | 79 | 72 |
| 2024-25 | 77 | 80 |
| 2025-26 | 86 | — |
| 2026-27 | 91 | — |
| 2027-28 | 84* | — |
| 2028-29 | 81* | — |
Planned spending, plan by plan
Each row is one year's Departmental Plan and its forecast for the next three fiscal years; read a column down to see how the forecast for one year changed. The last row is what was actually spent. Click an amount for its source. Biggest changes in federal spending plans
| Plan | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2023-24 | 2024-25 | 2025-26 | 2026-27 | 2027-28 | 2028-29 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 plan | $9,488,860 | $9,488,860 | $9,488,860 | ||||||||
| 2019-20 plan | $9,463,000 | $9,463,000 | $9,463,000 | ||||||||
| 2020-21 plan | $11,745,499 | $11,407,636 | $11,206,413 | ||||||||
| 2021-22 plan | $11,464,784 | $11,464,784 | $11,464,784 | ||||||||
| 2022-23 plan | $11,526,330 | $11,526,330 | $11,526,330 | ||||||||
| 2023-24 plan | $11,238,650 | $11,238,650 | $11,238,650 | ||||||||
| 2024-25 plan | $12,115,148 | $12,125,618 | $12,136,097 | ||||||||
| 2026-27 plan | $15,127,208 | $14,009,447 | $13,546,242 | ||||||||
| Actual | $8,457,798 | $10,569,643 | $11,772,627 | $11,234,784 | $10,981,502 | $12,371,952 | $13,050,730 |
Actual spending is from Departmental Results Reports and the Public Accounts, as published in GC InfoBase. FTEs are full-time equivalents.
