Canadian Armed Forces Military Personnel Instruction 02/23 – Certification (Personnel)
Table of Contents
1. Identification
Date of Issue: 2023-07-20
Date of Modification: 2024-12-01
Application: This Canadian Armed Forces Military Personnel Instruction (CAFMPI) applies to officers and non-commissioned members (NCMs) of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF).
Approval Authority: Chief of Military Personnel (CMP)
Enquiries: Administrative Response Centre (ARC)
2. Definitions
Certification (Personnel) (Certification (personnel))
A process that certifies a CAF member’s employment and ability to fulfill work requirements in a system of record by a designated regulating body.
Certified (Certifié)
The member has proven task proficiency in accordance with approved workplace standards and successfully completed all certification requirements.
Proficiency (Niveau de compétence)
The degree, or level, of skill that allows an individual to complete a task confidently, accurately and in a timely manner.
3. Policy Direction
Context
3.1 In accordance with DAOD 5070-1, Military Employment Structure Framework the Military Employment Structure (MES) is a personnel management framework consisting of military occupations and sub-occupations. By means of specifications, the MES identifies occupational jobs, as well as a listing of work requirements consisting of job tasks, skills and knowledge. The MES is derived from capabilities-based functional employment areas and is centrally controlled by the CMP.
3.2 The MES also provides a comprehensive description of work requirements designed to meet the needs of the CAF. It identifies and classifies all work requirements into a number of key components including jobs and their associated positions, occupation structures to manage those jobs, and the professional development required to enable the performance of those jobs.
3.3 Occupational professional development is planned, managed and coordinated to support the delivery of a CAF capability. DAOD 5031-8, Canadian Forces Professional Development, articulates the following four pillars of CAF professional development:
- Education
- Training
- Employment experience and
- Self-development
3.4 Within the occupational context, each pillar serves to reinforce the others to develop an individual’s job knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics (KSAOs).
3.5 In certain circumstances, especially at the entry-level, Occupational Authorities (OAs) may need to closely manage and certify successful employment experiences, including the transfer of newly acquired KSAOs to the actual workplace. OAs may view this process as an extension of individual training and education (IT&E); however, employment experience is not comprised of instructional activities and is therefore not IT&E.
Purpose
3.6 This instruction is to provide direction to the CAF for the management of the transfer of newly acquired KSAOs to the workplace during periods of employment experience.
Policy Statement
3.7 The CAF is committed to the establishment and maintenance of an inclusive, flexible and responsive certification framework that enhances KSAO transfer from the training environment to the workplace.
3.8 The development of occupational expertise is subject to the application of the Canadian Forces Professional Development Standards (CFPDS) as a learning continuum. Combined, IT&E and experience enable CAF members to efficiently develop occupational KSAOs required to successfully perform their duties and tasks by means of a rationalized progression of jobs throughout their careers.
Authority Structure
3.9 In accordance with DAOD 1000-0, Foundation Framework for Defence Administrative Orders and Directives, functional authorities have been assigned to level one advisor (L1 advisors) and other senior officials in specific functional areas. Department of National Defence (DND) employees and CAF members must comply with manuals, standard operating procedures and other similar instruments authorized by a designated functional authority during the certification process. CMP is the functional authority for Personnel Management.
3.10 In accordance with DAOD 5031-2, Individual Training and Education System Framework, Training Authorities (TAs) and Designated Training Authorities (DTAs) are responsible for the management of IT&E. The CAF IT&E system is a supporting component of the CFPDS. IT&E comprises instructional activities for individual CAF members to develop the KSAOs required for job task performance. In doing so, TAs and DTAs are accountable for the provision of IT&E within their military occupation or branch. In support of certification, the IT&E needs to simulate, as closely as possible (within safety and security parameters), actual employment and operational conditions during IT&E and ensure that learners have an excellent grasp of the underlying KSAOs. In turn, the instructional activities within IT&E should readily enable the transfer newly acquired KSAOs to actual on-job situations during the provision of employment experience.
3.11 In accordance with DAOD 5070-1, Military Employment Structure Framework, the CMP has designated OAs to managed assigned occupations. In support of operational effectiveness and optimal personnel generation, occupation members must exploit their IT&E qualifications and further develop their occupational KSAOs by means of employment experiences on-the-job. Accordingly, supporting the development and enhancement occupational capabilities, OAs are accountable for the requirements that affect the MES. This includes critical occupational professional development requirements which provides the foundation for the development and maintenance of an integrated, comprehensive and sequential construct that provides a continuous learning environment. In certain circumstances, certification can be a key enabler of an occupation’s professional development construct and could form part of the overall MES.
4. Management
Implementation
4.1 Within the CAF context, initial proficiency is developed by means of IT&E; it is then maintained and further developed on-the-job, by means of application/practice combined with supervision (coaching and feedback). Certification can be employed as a means by which occupations closely manage professional development and ensure members reach the level of on-job proficiency required of continued employment within an occupation.
4.2 The validity of a certification is founded on the preservation of operational effectiveness. Accordingly, the need to employ a certification process is normally related to the following situations:
- the pressing need to mentor and coach novice members on the job as they consolidate newly acquired KSAOs in the workplace;
- the formal assessment and confirmation of proficiency in previously acquired KSAOs under workplace/operational conditions;
- the managed maintenance of proficiency and prevention of proficiency decay through structured and planned employment experiences; and/or
- the confirmation of an increase in proficiency beyond the level achieved by means of IT&E.
4.3 A commanding officer (in accordance with DAOD 5031-8) is responsible for employing CAF members, if feasible, in work that makes use of their training and education and develops their professional abilities through varied and progressive experiences. Therefore, OAs must collaborate with affected force generators/employers during the development and implementation of certifications.
4.4 Each employment and operational situation will dictate certification requirements. Certifications can be either permanent or renewable based on a chronological timeline, such as annually, or based on a requirement to return to an operational role after a prolonged absence. All certification criteria must be approved by the OA and be achievable, observable and measurable. In situations where previous work experience is documented, authorities may grant equivalencies.
4.5 Certification does not replace the CAF personnel appraisal system and, therefore, this process should be applied within the context of DAOD 5059-0, Performance Appraisal of Canadian Forces Members as well as DAOD 5019-0, Conduct and Performance Deficiencies, and DAOD 5019-4, Remedial Measures.
4.6 CAF members can be certified or recertified under a predetermined level of supervision on-the-job. Certifications, including levels of proficiency, must be based on workplace standards approved by the technical authority and authorized by an OA.
Risk Assessment
4.7 With a focus on operational effectiveness, the need for a certification will be founded on a risk assessment that, at a minimum, considers the following factors:
| Certification Risk Factor | Description |
|---|---|
| IT&E training fidelity | Training conditions that does not adequately align to the job environment creates a risk of poor KSAO transfer during employment experience. Transfer improves with greater alignment between training conditions and job performance conditions. Therefore, lesser alignment of conditions implies a greater need for a certification program. |
| Consequences of inadequate performance on-the-job | Inadequate performance on certain tasks on-the-job can have dire consequences, such as injury, loss of life, security breaches, and damage to equipment and/or operational failure. The following elements shall be assessed:
|
| Difficulty | The relative amount of time, effort, and assistance required to acquire, apply, maintain and further develop proficiency. Job tasks that are more difficult to perform imply a greater need for certification. |
Civilian Certifications
4.8 In conjunction with the risk assessment, the OA and/or the functional authority may mandate the maintenance of civilian certifications and similar credentials, which may also involve civilian licensing by regulatory bodies, as well as professional associations. In most circumstances, the CAF is obligated to support this activity, including the reimbursement of individual professional dues or similar like fees, when this is required by law, statute, departmental policy or specific direction to possess credentials in order to fulfill the duties of a position, job or occupation. These details are addressed through CBI 210.95, Reimbursement of Individual Professional Fees.
Record Management
4.9 All information associated with a member’s certification must be appropriately protected from unauthorized access. In accordance with National Defence Security Orders and Directives (NDSODs) Chapter 6: Security of Information, supervisors and managers at all levels must ensure that access to information aligns with the sensitivity level of that information, an individual’s authorization, and a demonstrated need to know (meaning that an individual’s duties require such access).
4.10 While not an IT&E qualification, the achievement of a certification must still be recorded in Guardian Military Command Software – Monitor Military Administrative Support System (MCS – Monitor MASS) and it will be leveraged to facilitate tracking of progress and the recording of results. Monitor MASS is an application that is used for human resource management in real time and, as such, provides a means of tracking progress towards certification by means of a digital on on-job performance record.
5. Responsibilities
Responsibilities Table
5.1 The following table identifies the responsibilities associated with the instruction:
| The... | has or have the responsibility to… |
|---|---|
| DPGR |
|
| OAs |
|
| Occupational Advisors |
|
| Director Human Resources Business Management (DHRBM) |
|
| TAs and the DTAs |
|
| Commanding Officers |
|
6. References
Acts, Regulations, Central Agency Policies and Associated DAOD
- DAOD 5002-0, Military Personnel Requirements and Production
- DAOD 5019-0, Conduct and Performance Deficiencies
- DAOD 5031-0, Learning and Professional Development
- DAOD 5059-0, Performance Appraisal of Canadian Forces Members
- CDS/DM Directive: Operation Generation
- CDS Planning Directive for Canadian Armed Forces Reconstitution
Other References
- CBI 210.95, Reimbursement of Individual Professional Fees
- DAOD 1000-0, Foundation Framework for Defence Administrative Orders and Directives
- DAOD 5019-4, Remedial Measures
- DAOD 5031-2, Individual Training and Education System Strategic Framework
- DAOD 5031-8, Canadian Forces Professional Development
- DAOD 5070-1, Military Employment Structure Framework
- National Defence Security Orders and Directives, Chapter 6 Security of Information
- A-PD-055-001/AG-001, Canadian Forces Military Employment Structure, Volume 1, General (available in paper copy only)