About Government On-Line (GOL)
An initiative of the Government of Canada, the goal of GOL is to use information and communication technology to provide Canadians with increased access to citizen-centred, integrated services - anytime, anywhere - in the language of their choice. This initiative allows Canadians and organizations to access general information about Government of Canada programs and services, to apply for services on-line, and, in some cases, allows individuals to access personal information about themselves collected and used by various government institutions.
The VA Benefits and Health Services On-Line Project (B&HSOL) :
- permits clients with an ePass digital certificate to apply on-line for disability pension benefits;
- allows clients with an ePass digital certificate to make an on-line request for a review of existing pension entitlements;
- provides for the electronic transmission of health information required to support the disability pension application; and
- provides clients with an on-line process to track their pension transactions.
This Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) describes the On-Line Disability Pension Submissions system component of the B&HSOL Project and demonstrates the considerations and steps taken to protect the client's personal information when it is being transferred electronically. The On-Line Disability Pension Submissions system allows VA clients to submit disability pension applications on-line for new entitlements or to request a review of existing benefits. Both electronic requests provide clients with on-line receipt acknowledgements and appropriate linkages to the Client Service Delivery Network (CSDN), an integrated system that supports the delivery of benefits and services associated with the Disability Pension, Economic Support and Health Care programs of the Department.
VA is committed to protecting the personal information of its clients and has taken measures to ensure that this system conforms to the principles of the Privacy Act and Regulations and the Treasury Board policy on Privacy and Data Protection that govern the collection, use, disclosure, correction, protection, retention and disposal of personal information.
The Outstanding Issues portion of this PIA identifies three privacy-related issues to be resolved. These issues relate mostly to documented processes within VA and are considered to be low risk.
- Electronic Document Management: VA does not currently have an electronic document management system, however, the Information Technology Division's Information Management component is examining the possibility of implementing electronic document management in the future. Until implementation of an electronic document management system, disability pension applications submitted on-line will reside on the electronic system.
- Documented Procedures: Documented procedures for protecting personal information and reporting security and privacy breaches will be reviewed to ensure that they are complete and up to date.
- Personal Information Bank entries in Info Source publication: A review of existing VA Personal Information Banks will be completed to ensure that relevant entries reflect changes resulting from the availability of the On-Line Disability Pension Submissions system.