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Module 5 Review Questions

The following questions test your knowledge of the information you have studied in this module. You can use them both to test your knowledge and to link back to this module's topics, to review any information about which you are uncertain.

Accountability

	When a government institution relocates an office and a third party firm is contracted to move files: Select the correct statement.
	The contractor may throw files in a dumpster when excess files are ordered destroyed.
	The government institution is accountable for personal information in their control even when they hire third parties to manage it.
	The company under contract is ultimately responsible for the information.

Sharing Information

	It may occasionally be advantageous for an employee in one government department to share information with an employee in another department. Select the correct statement.
	Information may be shared, based on privacy laws, departmental privacy policy, and on the information itself.
	It is OK to share personal information for any purpose, as long as it is with another government institution.
	Privacy laws make it impossible to share information for programs and activities that are good for individuals.
	If the sharing is for a good cause, an employee should simply give the other department the information.

Informing Individuals About Purpose

	When completing an application for a discretionary benefit from a government department, a client was asked to provide two pieces of verifiable identification to confirm her identity. The ID was used to perform a credit check. Select the incorrect statement.
	There may be uses or disclosures not intended at the time of collection but become necessary later. The department may still be able to use the information later even though the individual was not informed.
	The government department did not have to explain this purpose as this was a common sense and logical purpose that anyone would accept.
	If the department knew it would perform the credit check at the time of collection, then that should have been explained as the customer might not have proceeded had she known a credit check would occur.

Collecting Information

	To provide a service, a department needed to collect name, address, age, income and family composition from applicants. It was thought that it would also be useful to collect information about the applicants' personal shopping habits and opinions on key issues of the day. This additional information was not necessary for the program, but might be used later on by the department for research purposes or to develop other programs. It was decided that to collect the additional information about shopping habits and opinions of the applicants, the program should do so only after informing the applicants of the purpose for this additional collection and then only with the consent of the individual. Select the correct statement.
	Getting consent for collection should allow the government department to collect any additional information it wants.
	Including a statement on an application form describing the purposes for collection is a valid way to inform the applicant about how we will use and disclose personal information.
	Getting consent for collection should allow the government department to collect any additional information it wants even if it is not for a program or activity of the government.

Use and Disclosure

	A government employee's son is having a birthday party and wants to invite a friend recently moved to Newfoundland and Labrador, and not listed in the phone book. The government employee has access to a database containing client information, including phone and address information. Select the correct statement.
	Giving the information to a member of his immediate family would not constitute a real disclosure.
	It would be not be OK for the father to look up the information in a case like this.
	As the son could have obtained the information through other means, no real harm was done.

Consent

	A government department maintains a database of individuals who are participating in a program designed to allow easier access to a range of government services in a particular geographic area of the province. A local business is conducting a survey of 40 to 50 year old people who seek government services in that area, seeking to expand their services. The business operator knows the government maintains this particular database and asks a friend of his in the government department for a list 40 to 50 year olds including their names and phone numbers. Under what conditions could the department release the information?
	If the families of government employees will benefit
	If the individuals consent to allow the department to disclose the list to the business
	If the services will bring economic benefit to the area
	If the individuals whose names are given out benefit

Access to Records

	Is a formal request always necessary in order to provide an individual with their personal information?
	Yes
	No

Openness and Compliance

	An individual is concerned about a government department's handling of certain records containing personal health information. The individual has heard that the records have been made available to other government departments for a variety of reasons and she is concerned that this is not appropriate. The individual wants someone to look into this matter and then tell her what is going on. Select the incorrect statement.
	The individual has the right to ask the Information and Privacy Commissioner to comment on the situation.
	If she asks an employee of the department for help, that employee should immediately refer her to the Information and Privacy Commissioner.
	If front line staff cannot answer the woman's questions, she should be told about the department's ATIPP Coordinator and how she can help.