Chief Professional Conduct and Culture Command
Magazine Article / August 10, 2021
The new Chief Professional Conduct and Culture officially stood up in April 2021 as a new command responsible for all aspects of addressing systemic misconduct and the promotion of cultural change. This new command, led by Lieutenant-General Jennie Carignan, is only one component of a broader effort. As the new functional authority for all elements related to conduct and culture across both DND and the CAF, the Chief Professional Conduct and Culture will lead a fundamental transformation in the way systemic misconduct is understood and addressed as well as reshaping the internal culture to truly align with our core values. Internal to the RCAF, a number of measures are underway with a view to addressing and eliminating systemic misconduct within the Air Force including the release of AFO 5000-8 Hateful Conduct.
To continue this momentum and better define the way ahead, an RCAF Professional Conduct Action Plan was developed to delineate strategic objectives, provide guidance and establish responsibilities for each identified goal. As a part of this plan, the RCAF has established the new Professional Conduct and Culture Team. This team will be accountable to Commander RCAF for the strategic oversight and implementation of programs and policies directed by the Chief Professional Conduct and Culture. As our systemic misconduct response requires an ongoing and continuous effort, the team will also be working in consort with the other L1 organizations to further develop and refine systemic misconduct policy, response, and prevention measures along with cultural change initiatives.
Areas of responsibility for the Professional Conduct and Culture Team will include:
- Harassment and Workplace Violence
- Employment Equity
- Diversity and Inclusion Strategy
- Sexual Misconduct
- Hateful Conduct
- Defence Ethics
- Positive and Safe Spaces
- Integrated Conflict and Complaint Management (ICCM)
As efforts move forward, more news and information will become available. In the meantime, the RCAF Professional Conduct and Culture Team can be contacted at:
Understanding that our strong and inclusive value set is inherently linked to the strength of the RCAF, we acknowledge that:
- Culture change begins with the recognition that the lived experience of employees and military members does not reflect the professed values of the organization
- Our desired and professed institutional culture is not the lived reality for everyone - we must eliminate, adjust, and strengthen aspects of our culture to fix this
- A holistic and coherent approach will include informed action to eliminate discrimination, biases, harmful stereotypes, and systemic barriers to create a truly inclusive culture
- Culture change targeting attitudes and beliefs cannot be ‘ordered’ - it is complex work that requires dedicated, deliberate, and sustained action to make change while preserving the good work that is being done
- We must listen to our people - present, past, and at all levels - to learn from and guide actions accordingly, finding solutions and making decisions reflective of their experiences and suggestions
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