It is vital that government institutions have a clear understanding of the nature and scope of requests in order to process them efficiently. The Acts specify that a person seeking access to a general record or to his or her own personal information shall provide sufficient detail to enable an experienced government employee to identify the record. In most cases, it would be more expeditious and productive to have the employee who is most knowledgeable about the requested records communicate directly with the requester. While a letter may be appropriate in some instances, speaking with a requester offers an invaluable opportunity to provide explanations, answer questions and resolve issues on the spot. It is important that institutions understand the difference between a clarified request and a narrowed request.
Clarification is needed.
More Information Institutions with questions concerning clarification of a request may contact a Policy Adviser at the Freedom of Information Branch, Management Board Secretariat. We appreciate hearing your comments and suggestions about this site.