Standard personal information banks

Class of Individuals: Job applicants, all current and former employees (students, agency and casual employees, persons on loan, assignment or secondment, exempt staff of ministers, ministers of state and parliamentary secretaries, locally engaged staff), volunteers, contractors, foreign and domestic visitors, immediate relatives, current and former spouse/common law partner, associates, cohabitants, individuals who give character references (including neighbours), current/former employers, parents or guardians of job applicants and employees under the age of 18.

Purpose: Personal information described in this bank is used to support decisions for granting, denying, revoking, or reviewing for cause the reliability status, security clearance, site access status or site access clearance of individuals working or applying to work through appointment, assignment or contract or other individuals with whom government may share or provide access to sensitive or information or assets, or access to facilities. For most institutions, personal information is collected pursuant to section 7 of the Financial Administration Act and as required under the Standard on Security Screening. That authority carries with it the authority to perform security screenings so as to ensure that individuals being appointed to the public service – and who have access to government information and assets – are reliable and loyal. Institutions may have additional legislative authorities under which security screening is to be performed. For those institutions not subject to the Financial Administration Act or the Standard , consult the institution’s Access to Information Coordinator to determine collection authority.

Consistent Uses: Where required, personal information may be shared in accordance with the institution’s enabling legislation and within the parameters of the Privacy Act, with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (Canadian Criminal Real Time Identification Services – RCMP OPS 1214 and Personnel Security Records – RCMP ADM 445) and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (Security Assessments/Advice Records – CSIS PPU 005) to conduct security screening verifications, inquiries and/or assessments in accordance with the Policy on Government Security. Information may be shared with the Canadian Human Rights Commission (Human Rights Litigation Records – CHRC DRP 020, Human Rights Complaints Dispute Resolution Records – CHRC DRP 010), the Public Service Labour Relations and Employment Board (Complaint/Grievance Mediation Records – PSLRB ROP 579), Justice Canada (Litigation Services Records – JUS 3.0.5) or the Security Intelligence Review Committee (Complaints Records – SIR COM 001) when an individual challenges a decision to deny, suspend or revoke a the required security status or security clearance. Information may be disclosed to the Privy Council Office (Security and Intelligence Information Files – Personal Information Bank– PCO PPU 005) should the individual pose a potential risk to national security or is part of a national security-related investigation. The security screening status of an individual may be shared internally within institutions with human resource officials to update the individual’s personnel file (Employee Personnel Record – PSE 901, Governor in Council Appointments – PSU 918, Members of Boards Committees and Councils – PSU 919). Information may be shared within or between government institutions for staffing purposes (Staffing – PSE 902). Information may be shared within institutions with departmental security officials for issuance of access cards and badges (Identification Cards and Access Badges – PSE 917). Information may be shared within institutions with departmental security officials in cases of adverse information for investigation (Security – PRN 931 or Security Incidents and Privacy Breaches – PSU 939). Biographical information, including name, date of birth, employment and/or educational history, may be shared with individuals or entities outside the government institution to confirm identity and conduct required inquiries or verifications including: authorized credit reporting agencies, personal and/or professional referees, and educational institutions and/or professional organizations. Information, including the results of security screening checks, may be disclosed to an individual’s manager, labour relations advisors, and/or an institutional security screening advisory board, on a need to know basis, when a decision to deny, revoke or suspend pending an investigation is being considered. Information, including completed security screening forms, the results of security screening checks and decisions made by a department may be shared between institutional security officials to enable transferability of security screening and to help ensure that individuals are not engaged by another government institution without regard to the circumstances leading to any previous denial or revocation which may have taken place in another institution. Select anonymized information may be used or disclosed for program evaluation.