Appendix 1 – PIA Summary

StatsCAN app Privacy Impact Assessment Summary

Introduction

Under the authority of the Statistics Act^{Footnote 1}, Statistics Canada publishes statistical information to inform Canadians about the general activities and condition of the people. To support these dissemination activities, the StatsCAN app was made available in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store on January 31, 2022. This free app lets Canadians tap into expert analysis, fun facts, visuals, short stories and insights that bring together data, tools and publications to provide them with the latest information on Canada's economy, society and environment.

The app provides timely and convenient access to trusted, unbiased facts right from Statistics Canada and provides a personalized browsing journey allowing users to follow subjects of interest to know when the latest publications become available, save publications for reading later, or opt-in to in-app notifications that provide a comprehensive overview of the country's latest statistical news.

The StatsCAN app supports the five pillars of Statistics Canada's modernization agenda^{Footnote 2}, which align with the agency's mission, vision, and values. These pillars respond to the ever-changing data landscape and to users' and stakeholders' requirements for more data, provided faster, and made available in multiple formats and from multiple access points.

The initial StatsCAN app was not intended or built to collect, use, or disclose any user personal information aside from standard aggregate app metrics and Key Performance Indicators (KPI) provided by the respective app stores hosting the app to measure app performance, such as number of downloads, uninstalls, number of active users, etc., and only in-app notifications were available to users. As such, the initial implementation did not require a Privacy Impact Assessment.

However, in Statistics Canada’s efforts to enhance the app and deliver additional features to improve the user experience, some new functionalities (a feedback form, in-app metrics, and push notifications), are being implemented that utilize some user data. As such, this Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) was created to describe these uses in more detail and analyze potential privacy implications. These new features may be implemented simultaneously or sequentially.

Objective

A privacy impact assessment for StatsCAN app was conducted to determine if there were any privacy, confidentiality or security issues with the new functionalities being introduced to the app and, if so, to make recommendations for their resolution or mitigation.

Description

Feedback form

Purpose

The purpose of the feedback form is to receive feedback from StatsCAN app users regarding their thoughts and opinions about the app, any improvements they would like to see, or as a mechanism to report issues or bugs. This information will assist the StatsCAN app team in decision-making about the app. The advantage of this feedback form mechanism over the current one is that it will allow users to communicate more easily and directly with Statistics Canada’s app team (users may not wish to publicly post on their app store, and may similarly not wish to leave the app to submit feedback). Unlike the generic Contact Us form that exists on the StatCan website, the new feedback form will be specific to the StatsCAN app, making it easier for users to identify any technical bugs, and provide device information to assist the team in resolving the bugs reported. The StatsCAN app feedback form is not intended to replace the Contact Us form where users wish to contact Statistics Canada regarding the agency’s products and services, or to inquire about concepts, methods or data quality of releases.

The form is hosted on the Statistics Canada website but is not linked to the homepage, or any other public-facing pages on the StatCan website. The form has been developed to be ‘hidden’ and will only be accessible from a desktop if the user has a direct link. Although the form will be hosted on the website, it will be directly integrated within the StatsCAN app and accessible through the Settings screen.

Submission of identifiable personal information (email address) is not mandatory. If the user chooses to leave their email address when reporting an issue or sending a comment or suggestion, the app team may follow up with the user (if more details are required). However, if the user does not want to leave contact information, feedback can be submitted anonymously, without direct identifiers.

In-app metrics

Purpose

New in-app metrics (detailed below) will be analyzed by the StatsCAN app team to better understand their users. These metrics will inform what type of content users are interested in and what types of features are being used most often. In-app metrics will enable the app team to continue building a product that meets users’ needs and delivers an ideal user experience.

Google Analytics for Firebase ("Firebase”) will be the technology used to collect and analyze detailed in-app metrics for both Android OS and iOS users. Firebase was selected due to project parameters and budgetary considerations, as the estimated time and effort for implementation by the StatsCAN app IT^{Footnote 3} team was much lower compared to other analytics services for mobile. Firebase was also identified as an industry standard for collecting and analyzing in-app metrics. In-app metrics are collected using an Application Program Interface (API) that is plugged into the back-end of the StatsCAN app allowing it to process certain information in accordance with the relevant Firebase Terms of Service^{Footnote 4}. This functionality will be appropriately assessed to ensure compliance with applicable Canadian legislation and TBS direction before going into live production (operationalization). Any risks or vulnerabilities found within the assessment will be mitigated and approved by the relevant partners.

For more information on how the StatsCAN app’s third-party analytics service provider uses and safeguards user data, please consult:

• Firebase services: Privacy and Security in Firebase
• Google Analytics: Safeguarding your data
• Google: How Google uses information from sites or apps that use our services

Users can learn more and manage their information used by Google services at Privacy Policy – Privacy & Terms – Google.

If users do not want their information to be used by the third-party analytics service provider, they may alternatively access the same published content on Statistics Canada’s website, which adheres to Statistics Canada’s general privacy notice.

Push notifications

Purpose

The purpose of push notifications is to improve the user experience by better notifying users of the availability of StatCan products and releases that interest them. Users will no longer need to access the app directly to be notified of new releases, should they choose to enable push notifications. Notifying users of new content that has been published in the app will also increase the visibility and use of new data, as well as its timeliness. This will, in turn, increase the agency’s relevance and reach to the Canadian public.

Risk Area Identification and Categorization

The PIA identifies the level of potential risk (level 1 is the lowest level of potential risk and level 4 is the highest) associated with the following risk areas:

a) Type of program or activity Risk scale
Program or activity that does not involve a decision about an identifiable individual.	1
b) Type of personal information involved and context
Personal information, with no contextual sensitivities after the time of collection, provided by the individual with consent to also use personal information held by another source.	2
c) Program or activity partners and private sector involvement
Within the institution (among one or more programs within the same institution)	1
d) Duration of the program or activity
Long-term program or activity.	3
e) Program population
* The program’s use of personal information is not for administrative purposes. Information is collected for client information and public communications purposes and will not be used to make a decision about any identifiable individual.	N/A
f) Personal information transmission
The personal information is transmitted using wireless technologies.	4
g) Technology and privacy
To implement in-app metrics, Firebase, a mobile application development platform developed & operated by Google will be collecting and handling personal information. Firebase will collect user behaviour metrics within the StatsCAN mobile application.
h) Potential risk that in the event of a privacy breach, there will be an impact on the individual or employee.
There is a very low risk of a breach of some of the personal information being disclosed without proper authorization. The impact on the individual would be minor.
i) Potential risk that in the event of a privacy breach, there will be an impact on the institution.
There is a very low risk of a breach of some of the personal information being disclosed without proper authorization. The impact on the institution would be minor.

Conclusion

This assessment of the StatsCAN app did not identify any privacy risks that cannot be managed using existing safeguards.

Resources

• Calgary-based Canadian Natural Resources Limited announced it had entered into an agreement to acquire from Chevron Canada Limited its 20% interest in the Athabasca Oil Sands Project and Chevron's 70% operated working interest of light crude oil and liquids rich assets in the Duvernay play in Alberta for an aggregate consideration of USD $6.5 billion. The company said the effective date for these acquisitions is September 1, 2024 and are targeted to close in the fourth quarter of 2024, subject to regulatory approvals.
• Calgary-based Enbridge Inc. announced it will build, own, and operate crude oil and natural gas pipelines in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico for the recently sanctioned Kaskida development, operated by BP Exploration & Production Company. Enbridge said that the Canyon Oil Pipeline System will have a capacity of 200,000 barrels per day and the Canyon Gathering System will have a capacity of 125 million cubic feet per day. Enbridge also said that the pipelines are expected to be operational by 2029 and that the cost of the pipelines will be approximately USD $700 million.
• Vancouver-based Western Forest Products Inc. announced that it plans to reduce lumber production in its British Columbia sawmills by approximately 30 million board feet during the period from October to December, 2024 due to a combination of market challenges including weaker lumber demand and higher U.S. softwood lumber duty rates, and factors relating to the B.C. operating environment creating a lack of available economic log supply at certain saw mills. The company said that for the full year of 2024, total lumber production will be reduced by approximately 90 million board feet.
• Illinois-based Coeur Mining, Inc. and SilverCrest Metals Inc. of Vancouver announced they had entered into a definitive agreement whereby, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Coeur will acquire all of the issued and outstanding shares of SilverCrest for a total implied equity value of approximately USD $1.7 billion. The companies said the transaction is expected to close late in the first quarter of 2025, subject to shareholder, court, and regulatory approvals.

Minimum wage

• Prince Edward Island's minimum wage increased from $15.40 to $16.00 per hour on October 1st.
• Ontario's minimum wage increased from $16.55 to $17.20 per hour on October 1st.
• Manitoba's minimum wage increased from $15.30 to $15.80 per hour on October 1st.
• Saskatchewan's minimum wage increased from $14.00 to $15.00 per hour on October 1st.

Economic and fiscal updates

• The Government of Ontario released its 2024 Ontario Economic Outlook and Fiscal Review on October 30th, which included providing a $200 taxpayer rebate early next year, proposing to further extend the temporary gas tax and fuel tax rate cuts until June 30, 2025, and expanding access for families who are seeking fertility treatment. The Government is projecting a $6.6 billion deficit in 2024-25 and real gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 0.9% in 2024 and 1.7% in 2025.
• The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador delivered its mid-year fiscal and economic update on October 30th. The Government forecasts a $218 million deficit in 2024-2025 and real GDP growth of 3.3% in 2024.

Other news

• The Bank of Canada reduced its target for the overnight rate by 50 basis points to 3.75%. The last change in the target for the overnight rate was a 25 basis points cut in September 2024. The Bank also said it is continuing its policy of balance sheet normalization.
• The Government of Canada announced reforms to one of the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) Program streams, and that effective November 8th, the starting hourly wage for workers coming into Canada through the high-wage stream will be increased to 20% higher than its current level. The Government said that as a result, a greater number of jobs are expected to be subject to the stricter rules of the low-wage stream.
• The Government of Canada announced the 2025-2027 Immigration Levels Plan, which includes controlled targets for temporary residents, specifically international students and foreign workers, as well as for permanent residents. The Government said the 2025–2027 Immigration Levels Plan is expected to result in a population decline of 0.2% in both 2025 and 2026, before returning to a population growth of 0.8% in 2027.
• The Government of Ontario announced it was introducing legislation, the Affordable energy Act, that would, if passed, enable the implementation of an integrated energy plan that would prioritize zero-emissions nuclear energy as the province's grid expands, support the government's expansion of energy efficiency programs, help get more electric vehicle (EV) chargers built and reduce "last-mile" connection costs for electricity infrastructure.
• TD Canada Trust, RBC Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), BMO Bank of Montreal, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC), Scotiabank, and Laurentian Bank of Canada announced they were decreasing their Canadian dollar prime lending rates by 50 basis points from 6.45% to 5.95%, effective October 24th.
• The Port of Montreal announced on October 10th that a partial strike of indefinite duration in which longshoremen would not be working overtime as part of their duties had been initiated. The Port said this could result in processing delays and a backlog of containers waiting to be handled. On October 27th, the Port of Montreal announced a 24-hour strike will take place at the Port of Montreal on Sunday, October 27, in accordance with the notice filed by the Longshoremen's Union CUPE, Local 375 and that this would affect all Port of Montreal container and dry bulk terminals. On October 31st, the Port of Montreal announced that a new strike had been filed by the longshore workers' union providing for an unlimited strike affecting two container terminals and that these two terminals would be closed until further notice.

United States and other international news

• On October 2nd, United States President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. declared that major disasters exist in the State of Georgia and the Commonwealth of Virginia and ordered Federal aid to supplement Commonwealth and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by Hurricane Helene beginning on September 24, 2024, and continuing.
• On October 7th, U.S. President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. declared that an emergency exists in the State of Florida and ordered Federal assistance to supplement State, tribal, and local response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from Hurricane Milton beginning on October 5, 2024, and continuing.
• The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) lowered the Official Cash Rate (OCR), its main policy rate, by 50 basis points to 4.75%. The last change in the OCR was a 25 basis points cut in August 2024.
• The European Central Bank (ECB) lowered its three key interest rates by 25 basis points to 3.25% (deposit facility), 3.40% (main refinancing operations), and 3.65% (marginal lending facility). The last change in the deposit facility was a 25 basis points reduction in September 2024. The ECB said it intends to discontinue reinvestments under the pandemic emergency purchase programme (PEPP) at the end of 2024.
• The Bank of Japan announced it will encourage the uncollateralized overnight call rate to remain at around 0.25%.
• The European Commission announced it had completed its anti-subsidy investigation by imposing definitive countervailing duties on imports of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) from China for a period of five years. The Commission said that sampled Chinese exporting producers will be subject to the following countervailing duties: BYD: 17.0%, Geely: 18.8%, and SAIC: 35.3%. The Commission also said that other cooperating companies would be subject to a duty of 20.7% while all other non-cooperating companies would have a duty of 35.3%.
• On October 1st, the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) announced that members had launched a strike at all major United States ports on the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts. On October 3rd, the ILA and the United States Maritime Alliance, Ltd. announced they had reached a tentative agreement on wages and had agreed to extend the Master Contract until January 15, 2025 to return to the bargaining table to negotiate all other outstanding issues. The ILA said that effective immediately, all current job actions would cease, and all work covered by the Master Contract would resume.
• Virginia-based Boeing Company announced plans to reduce the size of its total workforce by roughly 10% over the coming months. Boeing said the reductions would include executives, managers and employees.
• Kansas-based Spirit AeroSystems announced employee furloughs in response to the ongoing strike by Boeing employees that began on September 13th. The company said that effective October 28th, it will implement a 21-day furlough for approximately 700 employees working on the 767 and 777 programs and that if the strike continues beyond November, financial pressures may require it to implement additional cost savings measures including layoffs and additional furloughs.
• United Kingdom-based Rio Tinto and Arcadium Lithium plc of Ireland, a lithium chemicals producer, announced a definitive agreement under which Rio Tinto will acquire Arcadium in an all-cash transaction that values Arcadium's diluted share capital at approximately USD $6.7 billion. The companies said the transaction is expected to close in mid-2025, subject to receipt of shareholder and customary regulatory approvals and other closing conditions.
• France-based Airbus SE announced it plans to adapt its Airbus Defence and Space Division's organization and workforce at that this is expected to result in a reduction of up to 2,500 positions within Airbus Defence and Space until mid 2026.
• Germany-based Siemens AG announced an agreement to acquire Altair Engineering Inc. of Michigan, a provider of software in the industrial simulation and analysis market, for an enterprise value of USD $10 billion. Siemens said the transaction is expected to close within the second half of 2025, subject to customary closing conditions.

Financial market news

• West Texas Intermediate crude oil closed at USD $69.26 per barrel on October 31st, up from a closing value of USD $68.17 at the end of September. Western Canadian Select crude oil traded in the USD $55 to $66 per barrel range throughout October. The Canadian dollar closed at 71.86 cents U.S. on October 31st, down from 74.08 cents U.S. at the end of September. The S&P/TSX composite index closed at 24,156.87 on October 31st, up from 24,000.37 at the end of September.

Centre for Production, Distribution and Investment Statistics, Economic Statistics Field

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Key definitions
   1. Price base date (PBD)
   2. Volume state date (VSD)
   3. Residential property (RES)
   4. Non-residential property (NONRES)
   5. Properties subject to municipal, provincial, territorial and federal payment-in-lieu (PIL)
3. Input data
   1. Data sources
   2. Unit reported
4. Auxiliary Data
   1. Multiple Listing Service (MLS) data
   2. Building permits and investment in building construction data
   3. Census of Population
   4. Municipal boundary changes
5. Classification
   1. Geography
   2. Type of Property (TOP)
6. Imputation for missing data
   1. Imputation of residential values
   2. Imputation of non-residential values
7. Price adjustments
   1. Choice of Source Data Vintage
   2. Jurisdictions that are not price adjusted
   3. Residential Price adjustment
      1. Modelling of assessment values
      2. Modelling of MLS monthly resale values
      3. Modelling of donor values (for Nunavut)
   4. Non-residential price adjustment
      1. Modelling of non-residential assessment data
      2. Discount Factor applied to MLS Polynomial Trend series
      3. Discount factor applied to Nunavut price index
   5. Calculating the price adjusted value
8. Volume adjustments
   1. Residential volume adjustments
   2. Non-residential volume adjustments
9. Removals and adjustments in accordance with typical property assessment and taxation practices
   1. Removal of CSDs on account of First Nations and other Aboriginal Groups
   2. Exclusion of exempt residential property
   3. Exclusions of schools, churches and hospitals
   4. Removal of properties subject to provincial-territorial and municipal payments-in-lieu of taxes
   5. Adjustments in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut
   6. Removal of machinery and equipment (M&E) values in Alberta, Northwest Territories and Nunavut
   7. Removal of personal property values in Manitoba
   8. Mixed-use properties
10. Quality control
    Annex 1. List of CSD types representing First Nations and other Aboriginal Groups
    Annex 2. List of provinces and territories with microdata in tax year 2023

1. Introduction

The Property Values Program produces annual estimates of assessment values of properties across Canada. These estimates are produced using a common price date, which corresponds to July 1st of the year preceding the tax year under evaluation. Finance Canada uses these estimates to determine fiscal capacity with respect to property taxes for the Equalization program and the Territorial Formula Financing (TFF) program. ^{Footnote 1} To ensure comparability of the data, a number of adjustments are made. They include: the coding of property categories to a common classification; the adjusting of values to a common price base date and to a common volume state (or stock) date; and the imputation of missing property values. Additionally, other removals and adjustments are carried out to produce estimates of assessment values at a common price date that meet the requirements to determine fiscal capacity.

This document presents these adjustments in more detail.

2. Key definitions

a. Price base date ^{Footnote 2}

The price base date (PBD) is also called the valuation date and corresponds to a fixed point in time when a property is valued by assessment agencies.

The Target Price Base Date (TPBD) serves as the benchmark for price adjustments within the Property Values Program. It is set as July 1st of the year preceding the tax year under assessment. For instance, the TPBD for the tax year 2023 (TY2023) corresponds to July 1st, 2022.

b. Volume state date

The volume state date (VSD) is the fixed point in time when the physical condition of properties is considered for the purpose of assessment.

The Target Volume State Date (TVSD) serves as the benchmark for volume adjustments within the Property Values Program. It is set as January 1st of the tax year under assessment. For instance, the TVSD for the tax year 2023 (TY2023) corresponds to January 1, 2023.

c. Residential property

Defined as all types of property categorized as residential for assessment purposes in the majority of provinces and territories. It includes single and multi-unit properties, farm residences, cottages and vacation homes, mobile homes, and vacant lands which are designated for residential purposes.

d. Non-residential property

Defined as all types of property categorized as non-residential for assessment purposes in the majority of provinces and territories. It includes industrial, commercial and institutional properties, engineering construction and mining properties, and vacant lands which are designated for non-residential purposes.

Agricultural properties ^{Footnote 3} (excluding residential dwellings on farm property, which are considered residential property for the Property Values Program) as well as the value of machinery and equipment improvements on properties are excluded from final estimates.

e. Properties subject to municipal, provincial, territorial and federal payment-in-lieu

Defined as municipal, provincial, territorial and federal government-owned property for which owners remit payment-in-lieu of tax to municipal governments or local taxation authorities.

3. Input data

a. Data sources

Assessment data are collected from provincial, territorial and municipal assessment entities and are based on municipal assessment rolls. Data providers agree to provide the data on a regular basis either through formal agreements or responding per data request.

Starting in January 2018, assessment roll microdata is gradually being received from every jurisdiction, to replace the use of assessment roll aggregate data. In 2024, we received assessment roll microdata for the tax year 2023 from 12 provinces and territories, up from six provinces and territories in 2017 providing microdata for the tax year 2016. See Annex 2.

b. Unit reported

Data are reported either at the municipal, property or sub-property level.

4. Auxiliary Data

a. Multiple Listing Service data

Multiple Listing Service (MLS) data are produced by the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA). The data are obtained via Haver Analytics, a company that is the sole distributer of CREA MLS data. MLS data are aggregate monthly residential sales data reported as dollar volume sales and the number of units sold by real estate board. Data are available at sub-provincial level for all provinces and territories with the exception of only provincial-level data for Québec, and no data available for Nunavut. MLS data files are used for price adjustment.

b. Building Permits and Investment in Building Construction data

Data on the number of residential and non-residential building permits issued, investment in construction completion, by type of work (e.g., new unit, conversion, etc.), is obtained from Statistics Canada's Building Permits (BDP) and Investment in Building Construction (IBC) programs. The data are produced monthly, by jurisdiction. IBC data files are used for volume adjustment.

c. Census of Population

Data from Census of Population are available every five years. Between census years, yearly property values, referred to as "intercensal" values, are derived using linear interpolation. ^{Footnote 4} These values are used for the imputation of missing property values.

d. Municipal boundary changes

Municipal boundary changes are mapped to the 2021 census geography using the “Interim List of Changes to Municipal Boundaries, Status, and Names.”

This report provides a summary of changes to municipal boundaries, status and names. The list is usually produced on an annual basis for changes that occurred during the previous year. A five-year list is produced on Census of population years. Property Values program uses the report for the mapping of new municipalities to the Census 2021 geography during the intercensal period. Upon the publication of the 2026 census, Property Values program will reconcile the intercensal municipal changes to the new census geography.

5. Classification

a. Geography

The municipalities covered by the collected data are assigned to Census Subdivisions (CSDs) updated annually by Statistics Canada's Data Integration Infrastructure Division, using the Standard Geographical Classification system. The assignment of CSDs is revised yearly to reflect changes (municipal amalgamations, legal status changes, etc.) that occur during the year. During the period between censuses, these municipal changes are mapped to their prior census subdivisions, census year 2021. Accumulated intercensal changes are revised to their new CSDs in the year following the publication of the census.

CSDs containing First Nations or other autonomous or self-governing areas are out of scope for Fiscal Arrangements purposes (see Annex 1). As a result, these CSDs are not included in the provincial estimates.

b. Type of property

The type of property classification is reviewed to improve comparability of the data amongst provinces and territories. The classification of properties is more precise when more details are available in the data.

6. Imputation for missing data

There exist municipalities or regions that are not assessed by provincial or territorial assessment agencies, and therefore no property taxes are levied. As a result, assessment values are missing for some jurisdictions, mostly in unorganized areas. ^{Footnote 5} Additionally, on occasion, some municipalities submit their assessment values to assessment agencies later than when the data are required. Missing property assessment values for these municipalities are imputed.

For taxation year 2023, there were 146 jurisdictions with missing data that were imputed, 136 of which were in Newfoundland-and-Labrador, 8 were in Northwest Territories and 2 were in Saskatchewan.

a. Imputation of residential values

The imputation strategy relies on three key assumptions: (1) the reported owner-occupied dwelling values from CSDs in the same province and population group are expected to be similar; (2) the composition of the residential housing mix is consistent between the donor and imputed population group; and (3) property tax assessors would have valued properties similarly in both the donor group and imputed population group.

During the intercensal period, an owner-occupied dwelling value (Intercensal OODV) is found from the forward extrapolation in time to the relevant Tax Year, for the CSD, the line that connects the owner-occupied dwelling counts from two prior census values. For Tax Year 2023 those would be the 2016 Census of Population and the 2021 Census of Population.

The concept of owner-occupied dwelling is different from the concept of residential property value. Residential property value in a geography is the sum of all of owner and non-owner-occupied dwellings, vacant dwellings properties and vacant residential land. Let RV be the ratio of owner-occupied dwelling value (Intercensal OODV) to residential property value (RPV). Based on the key assumptions stated above, we assume that RV of the donor CSD is equal to the RV of the imputed CSD:

$\mathrm{<em>RV</em>}=\frac{\mathrm{<em>Intercensal\; OODV\; of\; Donor</em>}}{\mathrm{<em>RPV\; of\; Donor</em>}}=\frac{\mathrm{<em>Intercensal\; OODV\; of\; Imputed</em>}}{\mathrm{<em>IRPV</em>}}$

Therefore, the “imputed residential property value (IRPV)” could be calculated as

$\mathrm{<em>IRPV</em>}=\frac{\mathrm{<em>Intercensal\; OODV\; of\; Imputed</em>}}{\mathrm{<em>RV</em>}}$

In order to produce an imputed value that best reflects the price base date and volume state date:

• the number of private dwellings value is taken from the yearly intercensal file of the same year as the volume state date of the raw file; and
• the average value of owner-occupied dwellings is taken from the yearly intercensal file or derived from assessed values of the same year as the price base date of the raw file.

The resulting imputed values are then processed and adjusted ^{Footnote 6} using the same methodology as for raw values.

b. Imputation of non-residential values

Unlike the imputation for residential property values where dwelling values from intercensal files can be used to estimate the value of residential properties, no similar direct indicator is available for non-residential properties. Therefore, non-residential values are imputed using data of CSDs with similar Census population counts within the same province or territory.

Ratios of the total non-residential values over the total population are calculated using data from CSDs for each population class (see table 1 below) for each province and territory. These ratios ^{Footnote 7} are then applied to the population count of the missing CSD to derive the imputed non-residential value. Most of the missing CSDs are from rural areas.

Table 1 – Population class used for imputation on non-residential values ^{Footnote 8}

Population Class	Description
1	Rural
2	Small Sized Municipalities
3	Medium Sized Municipalities
4	Large Sized Municipalities

7. Price adjustments

Due to differences in assessment practices and frequency of revaluation practices, data received do not always align with the target price base date (TPBD) of July 1 of the year preceding the taxation year.

a. Choice of source data vintage

To minimize price adjustments, the data from the file whose price base date (PBD) most closely aligns with the target price base date (TPBD) is used to produce the estimates of a given taxation year. If two input files have the same time interval between their price base date and the target price base date, the file with the closest volume state date is selected.

b. Jurisdictions that are not price adjusted

The following provinces do not undergo price adjustments since their price base date corresponds to the desired target price base date:

• Quebec
• Alberta
• British Columbia

c. Residential price adjustment

Sale and resale values are used in the reassessment of properties by assessment agencies. Multiple Listing Service (MLS) resale data is a suitable candidate as a proxy for this information. However, sales data are not the only information that are used by assessment agencies in determining assessment values. Other information such as demolition/construction permits, renovation permits, construction costs, physical inspection and other indicators are used in their complex modelling methodology. Also, MLS resale values are a subset of all residential property values as they exclude private sales as well as properties that have not sold in many years. By consequence, although they are a good indicator, MLS resale values do not always closely follow assessment values price movements.

Statistics Canada does not attempt to replicate the complex modelling of assessment agencies. Instead, it favours the use of price indices to adjust assessment values to the target price base date.

i. Modelling of assessment values

For certain provinces, reassessments occur yearly or on a frequent basis and the target price base date is close to the price base date of the data received. To make better use of the assessment data collected since the onset of this program and to improve the quality of estimates, a price index is generated by calculating the polynomial trend^{Footnote 9} of average values by property classes. Using average values excludes the effect due to yearly changes in volume (new construction and demolition) and help isolate price movements. Such an index is called Assessment Roll Trend (AR Trend). This modelling is performed at the provincial level.

This method is used in the following provinces:

• Newfoundland
• Prince Edward Island
• Nova Scotia
• New Brunswick

ii. Modelling of MLS monthly resale values

For remaining provinces and territories (except Nunavut), in order to represent yearly price movements, a price index is generated by calculating the polynomial trend of seasonally adjusted MLS monthly average resale values. These polynomial trend series are calculated by MLS jurisdiction and applied by CSD.

This method is used in the following provinces and territories:

• Ontario
• Manitoba
• Saskatchewan
• Yukon
• Northwest Territories

iii. Residential price index for Nunavut

As resale data do not exist for Nunavut, Statistics Canada uses data for the region of northern Quebec ^{Footnote 10} as a proxy for this territory. ^{Footnote 11} The property assessment data are provided by the provincial government of Quebec.

The Nunavut residential index is calculated using an unweighted average of residential and non-residential property values reported. ^{Footnote 12}

An annual series is generated and converted into a monthly series by adding one twelfth of the dollar difference between two observations to each successive month between observed values (linear interpolation), creating a monthly index. Residential price-adjustments are then applied to Nunavut property values using the same algorithm (for ratios) designed for resale data.

d. Non-residential price adjustment

Unlike residential properties, non-residential properties (more specifically industrial, commercial, and industrial) are not often for sale. It is therefore comparatively more difficult to find appropriate market indicators to use for non-residential price adjustment. To overcome this, the correlation between residential and non-residential price changes was analysed.

A regression analysis was performed, and a model was constructed using assessment data from four provinces: Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Quebec, and British Columbia. The reasons for using these specific four provinces are twofold: (1) these provinces evaluate their non-residential property stock on an annual basis ^{Footnote 13} and (2) they report data for both assessment values and numbers of non-residential properties. This level of detail allowed the derivation of the annual non-residential price movements. The conclusion was to use the model coefficient of 0.73 as a discount factor to the residential series.

The discount factor methodology was satisfactory for several years, while MLS resale values observed a consistent behaviour compared to non-residential values. However, over the last 3 years, the correlation between residential and non-residential values became weaker. This combined with the fact that assessment data was collected since 2006, it became realistic to favour the development of the polynomial trend of assessment data (AR Trend) methodology to replace the discount factor methodology, when possible.

i. Modelling of non-residential assessment data

Like the modelling of residential assessment data, non-residential assessment data is modelled using polynomial trend of average values by broad property types.

This method is used in:

• Newfoundland (provincial level)
• Prince Edward Island (provincial level)
• Nova Scotia (provincial level)
• New Brunswick (provincial level)
• Ontario (separate modelling for Toronto and rest of province)
• Manitoba (separate modelling for Winnipeg and rest of province)

ii. Discount factor applied to MLS polynomial trend series

For remaining provinces and territories (except Nunavut), it is not possible to model the assessment data as the reassessments cycle is long and there is not yet enough source data for modelling. In these cases, the discount factor is used to adjust the non-residential property values by applying it to the MLS polynomial trend series of residential properties. In future, it may become possible to update this methodology, as more assessment data is received.

This method is used in:

• Saskatchewan
• Yukon
• Northwest Territories

iii. Discount factor applied to Nunavut price index

Similarly, the discount factor is applied to the Nunavut residential price index.

e. Calculating the price adjusted value

It involves price index preparation, price adjustment ratio and adjusted value calculation.

Price index is generated using polynomial regression model on either data of MLS prices or of assessment averages.

The price adjustment ratio is calculated by taking the value of the index value representing the month of the target price base date (TPBD) over the index value for the month of the price base date (PBD) of the source data. This price adjustment ratio is then applied to the assessment value to yield the adjusted value on the month of the target price base date.

$Rati{o}_{\mathit{P}\mathit{A}\mathit{D}\mathit{J}}\mathit{=}IndexValu{e}_{\mathit{T}\mathit{P}\mathit{B}\mathit{D}}\mathit{ }\mathit{/}\mathit{ }IndexValu{e}_{\mathit{P}\mathit{B}\mathit{D}}\mathit{ }$

$AssessmentValu{e}_{\mathit{T}\mathit{P}\mathit{B}\mathit{D}}\mathit{ }\mathit{=}\mathit{ }Rati{o}_{\mathit{P}\mathit{A}\mathit{D}\mathit{J}}\mathit{ }\mathit{\times }\mathit{ }AssessmentValu{e}_{\mathit{P}\mathit{B}\mathit{D}}$

8. Volume adjustments

Volume adjustments ensure that properties reflect a common volume state date as of January 1st of the taxation year. For assessment data that reflects a volume state date earlier or later than the target volume state date, the value of all completed construction that occurred in the period between the two dates is estimated using Statistics Canada's monthly Building Permits Program or from the Investment in Building Construction Program and then added or subtracted, as the case may be, from the total property values. This methodology is used for both residential and non-residential property values.

a. Residential volume adjustments

For residential properties, the volume adjustment is calculated by estimating the construction that was completed in between the volume state date and the target volume state date using the investment in construction completion values.

Construction completion values represent the total investment in construction available upon completion of construction. Monthly values that fall between the volume state date and the target volume state date are summed for an estimated total volume adjustment for the period. Residential volume adjustments typically account for less than 2% of estimated total values.

b. Non-residential volume adjustments

Same as for residential volume adjustments, non-residential investment in construction completion values are used in the calculations of volume adjustments. Non-residential volume adjustments could slightly exceed 2% of estimated total values.

9. Removals and adjustments in accordance with typical property assessment and taxation practices

a. Removal of CSDs on account of First Nations and other Aboriginal Groups

Census subdivisions containing First Nations reserves, and autonomous or self-governing areas are removed as they are deemed out of scope. Such CSDs are identified based on their CSD type.^{Footnote 14}

b. Exclusion of exempt residential property

In some provinces, certain properties are identified as exempt from property taxes as presented in the input files received from the assessment agencies. Any value associated with these properties are excluded from estimates for the purposes of fiscal arrangements.

c. Exclusions of schools, churches and hospitals

The most important non-residential properties which are generally exempt from property taxes are schools, churches and hospitals (S/C/H).

Some provinces and territories provide detailed breakdowns of S/C/H in their assessment data. For these provinces and territories, the exact proportion of S/C/H is removed from the final estimates.

For provinces and territories where the S/C/H breakdowns are not available, the proportion of the S/C/H assessment values relative to total assessment values for non-residential properties is estimated by calculating and applying the proportion of S/C/H property values from a similar reporting province or territory. It should be noted that values for engineering and mining properties are excluded from the total assessment value for non-residential properties used in the calculation of the S/C/H proportions.

The list of provinces and territories used in the calculation of estimated S/C/H proportion depends on data availability and can change from one year to the next as microdata is received.

d. Removal of properties subject to provincial-territorial and municipal payments-in-lieu of taxes

Instead of regular property taxes, federal and provincial governments usually remit a payment in lieu of taxes (PILT) for their exempt properties. However, only federal PILT property represents fiscal capacity for the consolidated provincial-territorial-municipal-local sector; provincial and territorial PILT properties and municipal institutional properties are excluded.

e. Adjustments in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut

Unlike in provinces and the Yukon, property assessments in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut do not consistently follow market value standards.

Land values within the municipal taxation areas (Iqaluit in Nunavut; Yellowknife, Fort Simpson, Fort Smith, Hay River, Norman Wells and Inuvik in NWT) reflect full market value, while land values in the remainder of the two territories (i.e. in the General Taxation Areas) are, according to the data provider, based on average regional development costs.

Improvements (i.e. buildings) in both territories are assessed based on depreciated Edmonton construction costs, using Alberta's depreciation schedule. The value so determined for Yellowknife is then multiplied by a factor of 1.35, which is set out in regulations. According to the assessment data provider, this was done to reflect Yellowknife's actual construction costs relative to Edmonton's. Yellowknife's assessed building values therefore approximately reflect market value. ^{Footnote 15}

Outside of Yellowknife, in the two territories, a discount factor of 0.666 has been applied to building values initially assessed at depreciated Edmonton construction costs. This factor is also set out in regulations and, according to the assessment data provider, was introduced to encourage development. Upon data entry, this embedded 0.666 scaling factor is removed from the building values in the Northwest Territories outside of Yellowknife and Nunavut.

f. Machinery and equipment values

Property values for machinery and equipment (M&E) components in the non-residential category are deemed to be out of scope.

g. Removal of personal property values in Manitoba

The assessment roll in Manitoba includes personal property, oil and gas at time of extraction is taxed, which are not considered real property. Such property values are excluded from the estimate.

h. Mixed-use properties

Some properties are used for both residential and non-residential purposes. In cases where no further breakdowns are available, the values of mixed-use properties are redistributed between residential and non-residential property types according to the existing distribution of total residential and non-residential property values by CSD. In cases where further breakdowns are available, mostly in jurisdictions where microdata was received, the values are assigned according to the exact breakdown. Mixed-use residential and non-residential properties that are redistributed represent 0.015% of the total valuation of properties in Canada.

One of the most common cases of mixed-use type properties are of a building consisting of ground level commercial with one or more floors of residential units above.

10. Quality control

Statistics Canada's quality assurance framework requires an assessment of data relevance, accuracy, timeliness, accessibility, interpretability and coherence. The quality of the raw input data collected from provincial, territorial and municipal assessment departments and agencies cannot be evaluated in this framework. However, confrontational analysis is performed to compare the source data to existing statistical programs and public information such as annual reports obtained from provincial websites and assessment agencies. Any irregularities identified are carefully reviewed and analyzed before the official release of the data.

Total adjusted residential estimates, for both taxable and exempt properties, are compared to Statistics Canada's Census of Population. The coherence of the values is examined by census coverage analysis, which compares the source data to private dwelling counts and values found in Statistics Canada's Census of Population.

Annex 1. List of CSD types representing First Nations and other Aboriginal Groups ^{Footnote 16}

The following are the list of CSD types representing First Nations and other Aboriginal groups presented by province and territory.

Annex 1. List of CSD types representing First Nations and other Aboriginal Groups

Province / Territory	CSD Type	CSD Type description	Legal Code	Legal Code description	Number of CSDs
Nova Scotia	IRI	Indian reserve	FL	Federally legislated	2
New Brunswick	IRI	Indian reserve	FL	Federally legislated	3
Ontario	IRI	Indian reserve	FL	Federally legislated	1
Manitoba	IRI	Indian reserve	FL	Federally legislated	9
Manitoba	S-É	Indian settlement	U	Not legal municipality - aboriginal geography	1
Saskatchewan	IRI	Indian reserve	FL	Federally legislated	3
Saskatchewan	S-É	Indian settlement	U	Not legal municipality - aboriginal geography	1
Alberta	IRI	Indian reserve	FL	Federally legislated	1
British Columbia	IGD	Indian government district	PL	Provincially legislated - legal municipality	2
British Columbia	IRI	Indian reserve	FL	Federally legislated	3
British Columbia	NL	Nisga'a land	FL	Federally legislated	1

Annex 2. List of provinces and territories with microdata in tax year 2023

Annex 2. List of provinces and territories with microdata in tax year 2023

Province / Territory	Tax year 2016	Tax year 2023
Newfoundland and Labrador	Yes	Yes
Prince Edward Island	No	Yes
Nova Scotia	Yes	Yes
New Brunswick	No	Yes
Quebec	No	No
Ontario	Yes	Yes
Manitoba	No	Yes
Saskatchewan (except Prince Albert)	No	Yes
Alberta	No	Yes
British Columbia	No	Yes
Yukon	Yes	Yes
Northwest Territories	Yes	Yes
Nunavut	No	Yes
Total number of provinces and territories with microdata	5	12

Canadian Centre for Education Statistics

Postsecondary Student Information System (PSIS)
Record Layout, Files and Data Element Descriptions

For use when reporting data for 2023/2024 and previous academic years

December 2024

Postsecondary Student Information System (PSIS)
Record Layout, Files and Data Element Descriptions
Data Submission Information at a Glance

This information is collected under the authority of the Statistics Act, Revised Statutes of Canada, 1985, Chapter S-19.

Completion of this questionnaire is a legal requirement under this act.

Survey Purpose

The Postsecondary Student Information System (PSIS) is a national survey that enables Statistics Canada to provide detailed information on enrolments and graduates of Canadian public postsecondary institutions in order to meet policy and planning needs in the field of postsecondary education. The information may also be used by Statistics Canada for other statistical and research purposes.

Confidentiality

Statistics Canada is prohibited by law from releasing any information it collects which could identify any person, business, or organization, unless consent has been given by the respondent or as permitted by the Statistics Act. Statistics Canada will use the information from this survey for statistical purposes and research purposes.

Please note that in the following record layout, words designating the masculine gender include the feminine gender.

PSIS Database Structure

The PSIS database holds data at two (2) levels: (1) institution, program and course data; and (2) student data. The institution, program and course data includes a list of all public postsecondary institutions in Canada, and an inventory of all programs and courses offered through these institutions. The student data contains demographic, program, and course information for students registered at these institutions.

The information required to feed the PSIS database is stored in the six (6) PSIS data files, which are transmitted to Statistics Canada. The six (6) files describe either the student, or the institution and its available programs. The files and their interrelationships can be described as follow: The Institution Description file is linked to the Institution Program and Institution Course files whereas the Student Description file is linked to the Student Program and Student Course files. In addition, the Student Program file is linked to the Institution Program file and the Institution Course file is linked to the Student Course file.

Note to user: Data elements not in bold are those required to identify a unique record (each column corresponds to a file). Data elements required to link the files between them are identified by row. For example, the data elements required to link the ID and the SC files are: 1005/1000, 1025, 1035 and 1036.

Six (6) PSIS Input Files and File Description

Listed below are six (6) PSIS input files which you will need to submit in your annual report cycle (due by February 1, 2022). A brief description of each file is also outlined below.

1. Institution Description (ID) file
2. Institution Program (IP) file
3. Institution Course (IC) file
4. Student Description (SD) file
5. Student Program (SP) file
6. Student Course (SC) file

Institution Metadata

1. Institution Description (ID) file

(Postsecondary institution metadata; number of elements = 5; length = 132 bytes)
The Institution Description (ID) file lists and describes the different periods of academic activity by which programs and courses are organized. Specifically, the records contained on the ID file describe how a postsecondary institution divides its year into periods (sessions, terms, or other components) during which courses are commonly offered. Postsecondary institutions provide one (1) ID record for each period that begins or ends during the twelve (12) month report cycle. (For more detailed information, please refer to the Institution Description (ID) file section of this document.)

Please note that the information contained on the ID file is used to validate the Institution Code (element ID1025) provided to all of the six (6) PSIS files. It is also used to validate the period in which student courses are offered (element ID1035). Each period in which courses are reported on the Student Course (SC) file must also be present on the ID file. 

2. Institution Program (IP) file

(Postsecondary institution metadata; number of elements = 11; length = 314 bytes)
The Institution Program (IP) file contains program code and program name (IP2000, IP2020), program duration (IP2070 and IP2071), credential type (IP2010) and other characteristics of each program offered by the postsecondary institution. The IP file is an inventory of the programs offered by the postsecondary institution. It contains one (1) IP record for each program offered during the twelve (12) month cycle.
Please note that there is a logical link between this file and the Student Program (SP) file. The SP file contains one (1) record for each combination of student and program. Each program code reported on the SP file must be present on the IP file. (For more detailed information, please refer to the Institution Program (IP) file section of this document.)

3. Institution Course (IC) file

(Postsecondary institution metadata; number of elements = 7; length = 260 bytes)
The Institution Course (IC) file contains course code and course name (IC3000, IC3020), course credits normally awarded and course credit units (IC3090, IC3091) and other characteristics of each course offered by the postsecondary institution. The IC file is an inventory of the courses offered by the postsecondary institution. One (1) IC record for each of the courses offered during the twelve (12) month cycle should be reported.
Please note that there is a logical link between this file and the Student Course (SC) file. The SC file contains one (1) record for each combination of student and course. Each course code reported on the SC file must be present on the IC file. (For more detailed information, please refer to the Institution Course (IC) file section of this document.)

Student Metadata

4. Student Description (SD) file

(Student metadata; number of elements = 37; length = 1018 bytes)
The Student Description (SD) file contains demographic and other descriptive information about the students attending the various postsecondary institutions. Among others, it contains student name (SD4040 to SD4050), birth date (SD4230), gender (SD4240), Social Insurance Number (SIN) (SD4020), contact information (SD4060 to SD4180), and characteristics such as whether or not the student has self-identified as an Aboriginal person (SD4210).This file contains one (1) record per student per postsecondary institution.

Please note that there is a logical link between this file and the Student Program (SP) file. The SD file contains one (1) record per student enrolled in a program or who has graduated from a program. (For more detailed information, please refer to the Student Description (SD) file section of this document.)

5. Student Program (SP) file

(Student metadata; number of elements = 17; length = 402 bytes)
The Student Program (SP) file contains one (1) record for each program in which the student was enrolled during the reporting cycle.  The student program record includes the original dates in which the student started/ended a program (SP5010, SP5090), student status in program at end of report cycle (SP5100), specialization or major field of study (SP5015 and SP5016), total transfer credits (SP5220), cumulative credits for program (SP5230) and other characteristics of the student’s program as recorded by the postsecondary institution.

Please note that there is a logical link between this file and the Institution Program (IP) file. Each program code reported on the SP file must be present on the IP file. In addition, there is a logical link between this file and the Student Description (SD) file. Each student record reported on the SD file must be associated with at least one (1) program record on the SP file. (For more detailed information, please refer to the Student Program (SP) file section of this document.)

6. Student Course (SC) file

(Student metadata; number of elements = 10; length = 258 bytes)
The Student Course (SC) file contains one (1) record for each course in which the student was enrolled during the reporting cycle. Also, include one (1) course record for students that are registered either in a CO-OP work term, writing a thesis, or performing any other academic activities related to their program but not structured as a course. The student course record includes the dates which the student started/ended the course (SC6020, SC6021) and status in course at end of report cycle (SC6030).

Please note that there is a logical link between this file and the Institution Course (IC) file. Each course code reported on the SC file must be present on the IC file. In addition, there is a logical link between this file and the Student Program (SP) file. Each program in which the student was enrolled (SP file) must be associated with at least one (1) course record on the SC file. The SP record for a student who graduates during the report cycle and for which the student did not have any course registrations during the report cycle (e.g., the student applies for and is granted a credential during the current report cycle for work completed in an earlier cycle) should not have an associated SC record. (For more detailed information, please refer to the Student Course (SC) file section of this document.)

Postsecondary Student Information System (PSIS)
Institution Description (ID) File

The following data elements are required to identify unique records: Start date of report cycle (ID1005), Institution Code (ID1025), Period Code (ID1035), and Sub-period Code (ID1036)

Record Layout, Files and Data Element Descriptions

First, select your start date of report cycle and store it in element ID1005. Please see the description of ID1005 for guidance on how to select your report cycle.

The Institution Description (ID) file lists and describes the different periods of academic activity by which programs and courses are organized. Specifically, the records contained on the ID file describe how a postsecondary institution divides its year into periods (sessions, terms, or other components) during which courses are commonly offered. Postsecondary institutions provide one (1) ID record for each period that begins or ends during the twelve (12) month report cycle. Periods can be of any length (although not many courses span twelve (12) consecutive months or more). Periods include the time allocated for exams. Your periods can begin before your report start date and can extend beyond the end of your report cycle. See data element ID1035, (Period Code) for suggestions on how to report periods.

Institution Code (element 1025 on all six (6) PSIS files)

You will find your code(s) on the list of postsecondary institution codes supplied by Statistics Canada.

Each eight (8)-digit code comprises a two (2)-digit province, a three (3)-digit postsecondary institution and a three (3)-digit campus. The list contains one (1) code for the parent postsecondary institution and one (1) for each campus. The parent institution code has 000 in the last three (3) digits, while the campuses are numbered sequentially beginning with 001. Postsecondary institutions without campuses have only a parent institution code. Examples: Postsecondary institution XXX in province P1 has two (2) campuses and postsecondary institution YYY in province P2 has none. Their codes would appear on the code list as follows: Postsecondary institution XXX includes P1XXX000 for Parent Institution; P1XXX001, Campus 1; P1XXX002; Campus 2; and Postsecondary institution YYY includes P2YYY000 for Parent Institution.

If your postsecondary institution has campuses, you can choose to report your PSIS data at the campus level or at the parent (000) level depending on how you store your postsecondary institution metadata and student metadata on your own administrative systems. We recommend reporting at the lowest level available, as more detailed analysis can potentially be done.

The following combinations of reporting level and file type are valid. Choose one (1) reporting level for all three (3) postsecondary institution metadata files and one (1) for all three (3) student metadata files; (i.e., do not combine parent- and campus-level reporting within the three (3) postsecondary institution metadata files or within the three (3) student metadata files).

Postsecondary institution metadata (ID, IP, IC) Parent Institution and Campus is paired with Student metadata (SD, SP, SC) Parent Institution and Campus.

Postsecondary Student Information System (PSIS)
Institution Program (IP) File

The following data elements are required to identity unique records: Year of Start of Report Cycle (IP1000), Institution Code (IP1025), Program Code (IP2000), and Credential Type (IP2010)

Record Layout, Files and Data Element Descriptions

The Institution Program (IP) file contains program code and program name (IP2000, IP2020), program duration (IP2060 to IP2071), credential type (IP2010, IP2011), educational entrance requirements (IP2150 to IP2155) and other characteristics of each program offered by the postsecondary institution. The IP file is an inventory of the programs offered by the postsecondary institution. It contains one (1) IP record for each program offered during the twelve (12) month cycle.

There is a logical link between this file and the Student Program (SP) file. The SP file contains one (1) record for each combination of student and program. Each program code reported on the SP file must be present on the IP file.

If students are taking courses without registration in a program, create as many non-program records on the IP file for each of the non-program categories appropriate to your institution (see element IP2015). This will involve:

1. putting a program name in element IP2020;
2. putting a program code in element IP2000;
3. putting a value of "98 - Not applicable" in element IP2010;
4. assigning the students to this program in the SP file; and
5. following the instructions in the other elements for the assignment of "Not Applicable" code for this non-program record.

Please refer to the "Program type" and "Non-credit" entries of the Reporting Guide for Program Type and Credential Type for additional information on the non-programs.

Universities that store their program data with separate fields for degree and specialization(s) or major field(s) of study may be able to report just the degree code in element IP2000 and the student’s specialization(s) or major field(s) of study in elements SP5015, SP5016 and SP5017 on the SP file. For example, if all BA programs have the same duration, credit requirement, provincial funding code, entrance requirements, on-the-job training (OJT) components, etc., then you could report only one (1)  IP record for all BA’s, with element IP2000 = "BA", and then show the different majors on the SP records of individual students. But if some of the BA programs have different durations or credit requirements, etc., then you must provide separate IP records for them. In these cases, you could combine the degree code and the specialization(s) or major field(s) of study in element IP2000 of the IP and SP records.

For programs that award two (2) credentials, please refer to the "Joint credential program" entry of the Reporting Guide for Program Type and Credential Type.

For programs that may lead to the option of several qualifications in terms of successful outcomes, such as one program (same code) which leads to a certificate or a diploma, please refer to the "programs with multiple exit options" entry of the Reporting Guide for Program Type and Credential Type.

For apprenticeship programs, provide one (1) IP record for each year or level of the program.

For the entire reporting period, describe all the programs offered during the twelve (12) months beginning on your Report Cycle Start Date.

Postsecondary Student Information System (PSIS)
Institution Course (IC) File

The following data elements are required to identify unique records: Year of Start of Report Cycle (IC1000), Institution Code (IC1025), and Course Code (IC3000)

Record Layout, Files and Data Element Descriptions

The Institution Course (IC) file contains course code and course name (IC3000, IC3020), course duration and course duration units (IC3080, IC3081), course credits normally awarded and course credit units (IC3090, IC3091) and other characteristics of each course offered by the postsecondary institution. The IC file is an inventory of the courses offered by the postsecondary institution. One (1) IC record for each of the courses offered during the twelve (12) month cycle should be reported.

There is a logical link between this file and the Student Course (SC) file. The SC file contains one (1) record for each combination of student and course. Each course code reported on the SC file must be present on the IC file.

For the entire reporting period, describe all the courses offered during the twelve (12) months beginning on your Report Cycle Start Date.

Postsecondary Student Information System (PSIS)
Student Description (SD) File

The following data elements are required to identity unique records: Year of Start of Report Cycle (SD1000), Institution Code (SD1025), and Institution's Student Identifier (SD4000)

Record Layout, Files, and Data Elements Descriptions

The Student Description (SD) file contains demographic and other descriptive information about the students attending the various postsecondary institutions. Among others, it contains student name (SD4040 to SD4050), birth date (SD4230), gender (SD4240), Social Insurance Number (SIN) (SD4020), contact information (SD4060 to SD4180), and characteristics such as whether or not the student has self-identified as an Aboriginal (SD4210). This file contains one (1) record per student per postsecondary institution.

You are requested to provide one (1) record for each student registered at the postsecondary institution at any time between your Start Date of report cycle (ID1005) and the end of your winter term, or the end of your academic year if your postsecondary institution does not have a winter term. Also, include one (1) SD record for a student who graduates during the report cycle, even if the student did not have any course registrations during the report cycle (e.g., the student applies for, and is granted a credential during the current report cycle for work completed in an earlier cycle).

Also, include any students who were last registered in the previous report year and whose status in the program was "Unknown" at the time the previous year's Report was produced. The "Unknown" status refers to element SP5100 on the SP file: Status was unknown (under review or not yet determined or dependent on the completion or grading of courses that normally would have ended by the end of the report cycle). These students should be included in the Report to ensure that Statistics Canada can update their end status.

If the student was registered in more than one (1) program during the report cycle, provide only one (1) SD record and multiple Student Program (SP) records.

There is a logical link between this file and the Student Program (SP) file. The SD file contains one (1) record per student enrolled in a program or who has graduated from a program in the current reporting year.

Postsecondary Student Information System (PSIS)
Student Program (SP) File

The following data elements are required to identity unique records: Year of Start of Report Cycle (SP1000), Institution Code (SP1025), Institution's Student Identifier (SP4000), Student's Program Code (SP2000), Credential Type (SP2010), and Original Start Date in Program (SP5010)

Record Layout, Files, and Data Elements Descriptions

The Student Program (SP) file contains one (1) record for each program in which the student was enrolled during the reporting cycle. The student program record includes the original dates in which the student started/ended a program (SP5010, SP5090), student status in program at end of report cycle (SP5100), specialization or major field of study (SP5015 to SP5021), total transfer credits (SP5220), fees billed (SP5190 to SP5200), cumulative credits for program (SP5230) and other characteristics of the student’s program as recorded by the postsecondary institution.

Report one (1) SP record for each program in which the student is registered at any time during the report cycle. Also, include one (1) SP record for a student who graduates during the report cycle, even if the student did not have any course registrations during the report cycle (e.g., the student applies for and is granted a credential during the current report cycle for work completed in an earlier cycle).

If the student was registered in more than one (1) program during the report cycle, provide only one (1) SD record and multiple Student Program (SP) records.

There is a logical link between this file and the Institution Program (IP) file. Each program code reported on the SP file must be present on the IP file. In addition, there is a logical link between this file and the Student Description (SD) file. Each student record reported on the SD file must be associated with at least one (1) program record on the SP file.

Universities that store their program data with separate fields for degree and specialization(s) or major field(s) of study should report the student's degree in element SP2000 and the student's specialization(s) or major field(s) of study in elements SP5015, SP5016 and SP5017.

For programs that award two (2) credentials, please consult the "Joint credential program" entry of the Reporting Guide for Program Type and Credential Type.

If the student is taking courses without being registered in a program, do not omit the student from the SP file. Create one (1) SP record with a non-program code in element SP2000 to match the non-program record created on the IP file. Follow the instructions in the other elements of the SP file for the assignment of "Not applicable" codes for this non-program record. Please refer to the "Program type" and "Non-credit" entries of the Reporting Guide for Program Type and Credential Type for additional information on the non-program records.

Postsecondary Student Information System (PSIS)
Student Course (SC) File

The following data elements are required to identity unique records: Year of Start of Report Cycle (SC1000), Institution Code (SC1025), Institution's Student Identifier (SC4000), Student's Course Code (SC3000), Date Student Started Course (SC6020), and Number or Code of Student's Course Section (SC6070)

Record Layout, Files, and Data Elements Descriptions

The Student Course (SC) file contains one (1) record for each course in which the student was enrolled during the reporting cycle. Also, include one (1) course record for students that are registered either in a CO-OP work term, writing a thesis, or performing any other academic activities related to their program but not structured as a course. The student course record includes the dates which the student started/ended the course (SC6020, SC6021), status in course at end of report cycle (SC6030), the credits student would receive for course (SC6060), tuition fees billed for course (SC6040) and other characteristics of the student’s course as recorded by the postsecondary institution.

Report one (1) SC record for each course in which the student is registered at any time during the report cycle after the final day for course additions and deletions (as defined by your postsecondary institution: usually about two (2) weeks after classes begin). Exclude courses for which the student is wait listed. Also, exclude courses for which the student was not registered and did not actually attend, even if the student received credit for the course by means of a challenge or by some other administrative method.

There is a logical link between this file and the Institution Course (IC) file. Each course code reported on the SC file must be present on the IC file. In addition, there is a logical link between this file and the Student Program (SP) file. Each program in which the student was enrolled (SP file) must be associated with at least one (1) course record on the SC file. The SP record for a student who graduates during the report cycle and for which the student did not have any course registrations during the report cycle (e.g., the student applies for and is granted a credential during the current report cycle for work completed in an earlier cycle) should not have an associated SC record.

For the 2023/2024 report cycle, the submission deadline is February 3, 2025.

If you have any questions, please contact us by e-mail at statcan.PSIS-SIEP.statcan@statcan.gc.ca

Introduction

The Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS) and Statistics Canada (StatCan) have partnered to administer the Public Service Employee Survey (PSES). Federal public servants will be invited to complete the survey. The PSES will support the development of strategies to meet the needs of public servants and address any issues identified.

Objective

A privacy impact assessment for Public Service Employee Survey (PSES) was conducted to determine if there were any privacy, confidentiality or security issues with this activity and, if so, to make recommendations for their resolution or mitigation.

Description

This voluntary survey is conducted under the authority of the Statistics Act. It is planned that this partnership will continue; with the PSES to be collected every two years, and other data collection activities happening in alternate years. In the past, Statistics Canada conducted the PSES every three years, with no alternate year activities.

The project also includes the acquisition of PSES 2018, 2019 and 2020 data from the Treasury Board Secretariat of Canada (TBS) under the authority of the Statistics Act to ensure all cycles of the PSES are in one data environment. This is essential to supporting the trend analysis needs of PSES data users, researchers and participating departments and agencies.

Risk Area Identification and Categorization

The Risk Area Identification and Categorization remains unchanged from the original.

Conclusion

This assessment of the Public Service Employee Survey did not identify any privacy risks that cannot be managed using existing safeguards.