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Table 3-5A: User Fees

A. User Fee

Fee Type

Fee Setting Authority

Date Last Modified

Fees charged for the processing of access requests filed under the Access to Information Act (ATIA)

Other products and services (O)

Access to Information Act

1992

B. Date Last Modified:  N/A

C.Other Information:  National Research Council collects user fees for information requests in accordance to the Access to Information Act.  The total user fees collected in 2007-2008 included application fees only.


 


Table 3-5A: User Fees - Continued

2007-08

Forecast Revenue

Actual Revenue

Full Cost

Performance Standard1

Performance Results1

$270

$270

$177,440
This cost includes the salary of the ATIA Coordinator and two ATIA Officers and a small percentage of other salaries related to legal services and administration.

Response provided within 30 days following receipt of request; the response time may be extended pursuant to Section 9 of the ATIA.  Notice of extension to be sent within 30 days after receipt of request.
The Access to Information Act provides fuller details: http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/A-1/218072.html.

NRC received 57access to information requests and 17 consultations from other government departments.
NRC routinely waives fees in accordance with TBS guidelines.

 

Total

$177,440

 


 


Table 3-5A: User Fees - Continued

Planning Years

Fiscal Year

Forecast Revenue

Estimated Full Cost

2008-09

$500

$250,000

2009-10

$500

$250,000

2010-11

$500

$250,000

Total

$1,500

$750,000


 

1 - Note:  According to prevailing legal opinion, where the corresponding fee introduction or most recent modification occurred prior to March 31, 2004:

  • the performance standard, if provided, may not have received parliamentary review; and
  • the performance standards, if provided, may not respect all establishment requirements under the UFA (e.g., international comparison; independent complaint address).
  • the performance result, if provided, is not legally bound to section 5.1 of the UFA regarding fee reductions for unachieved performance.

Table 3-5B: Policy on Service Standards for External Fees

In November 2004, Treasury Board ministers approved the Policy on Service Standards for External Fees.  The Policy requires departments to report on the establishment of service standards for all external fees charged on a non-contractual basis.  In NRC’s context, this policy applies to the following programs:

  • NRC-CISTI Document Delivery
  • NRC-IRC Publication Sales
  • The Certified Reference Materials Program jointed operated by NRC-INMS and NRC-IMB

A. External Fee

Service Standard

2007-08 Performance Result

Stakeholder Consultation

Fees charged for NRC-CISTI Document Delivery

Direct – ordered electronically and delivered by Ariel or fax

Process ordered within 24 hours*

Delivered 82% of direct orders within 24 hours

NRC-CISTI conducted a LIbQUAL+™ Survey of NRC employees in 2007.  LibQUAL+™ is an Association of Research Libraries (ARL) survey instrument used to evaluate client satisfaction with services.

Responses from 521 researchers indicated high demand for more information literacy training and value-added and filtered information.  The full report is available from NRC-CISTI.

Outsell Inc. was commissioned by CISTI in 2007 to identify the knowledge discovery needs and information workflows of scientific, technical and medical researchers.  This information will be used in the design of new or updated CISTI products and services to meet researchers’ needs.

Direct - ordered and/or delivered non-electronically

Direct - ordered electronically and delivered by Secure Desktop Delivery

Global – copies and loans

Receive article they are seeking

88% of orders filled.

Urgent

Receive a response to orders within 2 hours

99.7% of clients received response within 2 hours.

Client Contacts

Client Satisfaction: less than 3% of orders processed result in client Help Desk contacts

2.8% result in client Help Desk contacts.

NRC-IRC Publication Sales

Order Processing

Orders processed within 2 weeks of receiving all required information.

95%

 

Client Comments/Complaints

Respond within 2 business days

98%

 

Request for Information

Acknowledged with 2 business days

93%

In many cases, the response required coordination of input from other programs.

Certified Reference Materials Program (NRC-IMB)

Orders

Process and ship within 3 business days of receiving all the required information

99%

Response rate:98%
75% very satisfied
19% satisfied
2% somewhat satisfied
2% dissatisfied

Delivery Time

Deliver within the 5 business days

87% - 13% delayed mainly due to Custom regulations

Certified Reference Materials Program (NRC-INMS)

Turnaround time between reception of order and shipping of order

3 business days

717 orders 
92.2% met the standard.  Those delayed due to personnel shortages for short periods during 3 months.  During the remaining 9 months of the year, the combined percentage of orders, which met the standard, was 99.4%.

6.6% of customers responded:
62% very satisfied
34% satisfied
4% somewhat satisfied
0% very dissatisfied
Assuming that 100% of non-respondents were satisfied, the overall percentage of customers who were satisfied or very satisfied is 715 out of 717, or 99.7%.

The Chemical Metrology Group Leader, the Manager of Business Development and the Quality System Coordinator reviewed all comments and complaints with possible action items.