Policy on Confidentiality of Assessment Information (1999)

1. CCAC Interpretation of the Term "Confidential":



1. "Confidential" does not imply "secret" since assessment information is discussed freely by institutional and panel members, by the Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC) Assessment Directors and by the members of the CCAC Assessment Committee prior to submission of the assessment report to an institution;



2. "Confidential" can best be equated to "private" and this is consistent with the understanding by the institutions which participate in the CCAC's Assessment Program. In this sense, "confidential" means that assessment information is private and not for general distribution;



3. "Confidential" should not be interpreted to mean that the assessment information and reports cannot be discussed with members of Council or with the responsible officers of an institution, but only that there are restrictions on the public use of the material;



4. "Confidential" may also be equated to "restricted", in that assessment reports and other CCAC documents related to a specific institution may not be quoted in public, transcribed or disseminated in full or in part to individuals, groups or others, except by decision of the institution concerned and, then, not without prior written notification of the CCAC.



2. The CCAC assures institutions participating in its programs that all information divulged to the CCAC, and all CCAC letters and reports concerning the institution, remain in confidence according to the definitions in point 1. The only exceptions to this are:
   
   
   1. the annual animal use data provided by institutions, which are compiled on a national basis and are published without the names of animal users or of institutions; and
   
   
   
   2. the disclosure of the status of an institution placed into Non-compliance to the relevant granting agencies and government ministries and departments.
   
   
   
3. If, for any reason, a nominated panel member cannot comply with the CCAC's policy of confidentiality towards institutions (as detailed in point 2 above), the individual must withdraw from the panel.



4. Institutions are encouraged to foster community awareness regarding animal use in research, teaching and testing at their establishments. However, assessment reports and any other documents resulting from an assessment visit are confidential and are written for the information of the institution, the institution's Animal Care Committee(s), and the members of Council. All questions or comments related to the assessment should be addressed to the CCAC Secretariat, not to individual panel members. Once received by institutions, assessment reports may be released or published, in whole or in part, by the authority of the institution concerned. The CCAC must be advised before the report is released, and, with the exception of CCAC employees, the names of the panel members who conducted the visit must not be released. If information is released by an institution, the CCAC reserves the right to correct any misinformation, or to clarify any information provided by the institution. The following statement will be included on the cover page of the assessment report:
   
   "This assessment report has been compiled by the Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC) in furtherance of its objective to work for the improvement of the care and use of animals in research, teaching and testing on a Canada-wide basis.
   
   The CCAC treats as confidential all matters relating to the assessment and the report. Nonetheless, the assessed institution is free to release this document or part thereof to the public; however, the Canadian Council on Animal Care must be advised in writing prior to any release."

revised March 1999

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