Governance

The amendments made to the Act respecting the Institut de la statistique du Québec in the spring of 2021 have imposed new requirements on the Institut de la statistique du Québec (ISQ). It is now required to set rules for the governance of designated information that can be communicated to researchers. These rules govern the protection, retention, and destruction of this information and define the roles and responsibilities of ISQ staff members throughout the life cycle of this information.

On August 7, 2023, the Commission d’accès à l’information approved the ISQ’s Règles de gouvernance concernant les renseignements désignés par le gouvernement et communiqués à des fins de recherche aux chercheurs liés à un organisme public (Governance rules for government-designated information communicated for research purposes to researchers attached to a public body). These rules will be updated and re-approved by the Commission every three years.

In accordance with its act of incorporation, the ISQ is making these governance rules available here (in French only).

Règles de gouvernance (PDF, 2,54 Mo)

The ISQ has expertise in data access and the protection of personal information. It makes sure that any identifying information is removed from the data provided to researchers.

It provides access to research files within a highly secure environment, either on the premises of the Institut de la statistique du Québec’s research data access centres (CADRISQ) or via secure remote access. Access is only provided to authorized persons who have signed a confidentiality agreement. Files that are accessible remotely are different from those available at CADRISQ centres, as some information may be modified for remote access to meet the ISQ's personal information protection obligations.

The ISQ reviews all findings produced based on research data before they are published in order to prevent the disclosure of confidential information.

Act respecting the ISQ 

The Act respecting the Institut de la statistique du Québec (AISQ) was amended after the Act respecting mainly the implementation of certain provisions of the Budget Speech of 10 March 2020 (SQ 2021, chapter 15) was assented to on June 2, 2021. The amendments broaden the Institut’s mission regarding access to data for research purposes and set out the terms for the request, communication, use, and destruction of designated information from public bodies (chapters I, I.1, I.2, III.1 and III.2).

Act respecting Access to documents held by public bodies and the Protection of personal information

The Institut is also required to abide by the Act respecting Access to documents held by public bodies and the Protection of personal information (Act respecting Access). The Act respecting Access was recently amended by the Act to modernize legislative provisions as regards the protection of personal information, which requires ministries and agencies to ensure the confidentiality of personally identifiable information.

Act respecting health and social services information and amending various legislative provisions

On April 4, 2023, the Government of Québec assented to Bill 3: An Act respecting health and social services information and amending various legislative provisions (PDF).  The date the Act will come into force depends on section 282, which stipulates that the provisions of the Act will come into force on the date or dates to be set by the Government (by order(s) in council). This Act will regulate access to data held by the health and social services network by researchers in that network. Researchers who wish to use designated information held by other sectors (education, income, etc.) will continue to submit their request to the ISQ. This new act therefore complements the access mechanism put in place by the ISQ.

Researchers not in the health and social services network or not affiliated with that network will continue to submit their requests to the ISQ, including requests for access to MSSS/RAMQ data.

Processing times for access requests

Situation report - March 31, 2024

Since June 2019, 484 requests have been submitted through the Research Zone of the ISQ’s Research Data Access Services. These requests include preliminary analysis requests, requests for access to research files, change requests, extension requests, and requests for secondary use of data.

By March 2024, research teams working on 190 projects had obtained access to research files in CADRISQ centres or remotely.

On average, research teams obtain access to the desired research data in 212 days (less than 7 months). For simple projects, access is obtained in an average of 135 days (more than 4 months), while for complex projects, access is obtained in an average of 747 days (less than 25 months). These timeframes include the time required for the ISQ to process requests, as well as the time required for researchers, data-holding organizations, and organizations responsible for authorizations to respond and transmit the necessary documents.

Note
External time means the time attributable to researchers (to respond to analysts’ requests for clarifications, to send mandatory documents, etc.) or to government bodies (data-holding ministries and agencies, Commission d’accès à l’information, etc.).

Project classification criteria

The complexity of a research project falls into one of four categories. Projects are classified essentially based on the nature of the research files to be produced and the quality of the databases required.