Modernize your PIA process to stay compliant with Bill 22 in BC, Bill 194 in Ontario, Alberta’s POPA, and Quebec’s Law 25—while keeping risks visible and accountable.
Privacy Impact Assessments (PIAs) matter. They protect programs, people, and organizations from risk. But too often, they’re treated as “one-and-done” documents—completed once, filed away, and forgotten. That approach no longer works. With privacy laws like Bill 22 in British Columbia, Bill 194 in Ontario, POPA in Alberta, and Law 25 in Quebec, PIAs must be modern, accountable, and continuous.
The following three best practices move PIAs from dusty reports to living governance tools.
Use a modern questionnaire template that accounts for emerging technologies
A static template is outdated. With AI, machine learning, and other emerging technologies becoming core to programs, you need questions that dig deeper. Does the project involve automated decision-making? Are there new consent or transparency challenges? What data sources are used, and who has control? These considerations are now critical to meeting the requirements of Bill 22, Bill 194, POPA, and Law 25. A modern, adaptive questionnaire helps identify risks early and keeps assessments relevant as technology evolves.
Involve program areas and hold them accountable
A PIA can’t be the responsibility of privacy or legal teams alone. Program areas such as IT, operations, communications, HR, and others must contribute their expertise and take ownership of their parts of the process. Assign responsibilities clearly, set deadlines, and track deliverables. Program areas should also return to the PIA when risks change, technology shifts, or amendments are required. This shared accountability ensures the assessment reflects reality, not just policy, and supports compliance across multiple jurisdictions.
Track risks, set reminders, and treat PIAs as ongoing programs
A PIA isn’t a one-time deliverable; it’s a risk-management program. Every risk identified should be logged, assigned, and tracked through to resolution. Automated reminders should notify stakeholders when mitigation milestones are due. Regular reviews, quarterly, biannually, or triggered by system changes ensure the assessment remains current. Without this follow-through, PIAs quickly become outdated and ineffective. Tracking and reminders are what keep PIAs alive and enforceable under Bill 22, Bill 194, POPA, and Law 25.
Why these practices matter
Done right, PIAs evolve with your programs, reflect input from every relevant area, and stay aligned with shifting legislation. Done wrong, they collect dust, expose organizations to risk, and fail regulators’ expectations. The difference is whether you choose to treat them as living tools or static paperwork.
How Vayle helps
This level of governance doesn’t have to be manual. Vayle PIA is designed to embed these best practices into a single platform. Modern questionnaires address AI and automated decision-making so organizations stay compliant with Bill 22, Bill 194, POPA, and Law 25. Collaborative workflows make it easy to assign accountability across program areas. Risk tracking ensures every mitigation step is logged, monitored, and acted upon, with automated reminders keeping deadlines visible. And audit-ready reporting provides the transparency regulators in BC, Ontario, Alberta, and Quebec now expect.
Bottom line
PIAs are too important to be forgotten. Use modern templates, involve program areas, and track risks continuously. That’s how organizations meet the requirements of Bill 22, Bill 194, POPA, and Law 25—and how Vayle PIA helps transform assessments into living, enforceable programs.
