Human Resources 101

Alberta’s Information and Privacy Commissioner has released a report into Public Sector Outsourcing and security concerns associated with the practice, and has developed recommendations for public bodies to follow. In his report, the Commissioner makes it clear it is the responsibility of the Public Body to ensure due diligence in awarding outsourcing contracts.

The report and survey of outsourcing practices was done in partnership with the Ministry of Government Services.

Frank Work wants to ensure that proper security measures are in place to protect information handled by companies in charge of outsourcing agreements. In recent years outsourcing of information and communications technology (ICT) has become common practice for many public bodies, and includes payroll administration, health care insurance and other information technology based services.

Work says Public Bodies in Alberta are doing a reasonably good job of protecting information, but a networked and security conscious world presents a number of issues and challenges.

Work says the report was prompted by concerns raised in other jurisdictions. “The Patriot Act in the United States raised many concerns about the information held by outsource providers and the protection of that information, and I wanted to make sure that outsourcing agreements in Alberta provide protection to individuals. Issues around the Patriot Act are just one type of risk that needs to be addressed in outsourcing agreements”.

One of the key recommendations in the report includes ensuring that a public body has a template or check list in place to ensure that an outsource provider has proper contractual and administrative mechanisms in place for the protection of information.

The report also recommends that Public Bodies should consider a provider’s physical location as a factor. “We should keep as much information as possible in Alberta. If there is no provider in Alberta the next logical step is to keep the information in Canada. If we keep personal information within our borders, it is easier to ensure it doesn’t fall into the wrong hands”, concluded the Commissioner.

Information and Privacy Commissioner releases report into Security Risks associated with Outsourcing

Click to download the Public Sector Outsourcing and Risks to Privacy Report

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