Internal Services Sub-Program Performance Analysis and Lessons Learned - DPR - 2012-13

This page has been archived.

Internal Services Sub-Program Performance Analysis and Lessons Learned

Sub-program 5.1.1: Governance and Management Support

Source: Assistant Deputy Minister (Finance and Corporate Services)

Source: Assistant Deputy Minister (Human Resources – Civilian) and Chief Military Personnel Group

Performance Analysis and Lessons Learned

Management and Oversight

• With the reduction in operational tempo, following Defence’s draw down from the combat mission in Afghanistan, the Department re-focused its resource allocations to ensure the CAF stood ready to respond to Government of Canada assigned missions and tasks. The CF Force Posture and Readiness Directive 2012 issued by the CDS provides the overarching framework to ensure that the CAF are fully equipped and prepared to meet all of the assigned Canada First Defence Strategy (CFDS) missions. In FY 2012-13, all three services of the CAF stood operationally ready the meet their assigned CFDS tasks and missions and declared such;
• During FY 2012-13, the DND/CAF Internal Audit (IA) division continued to focus on the delivery of enhanced assurance services, a key requirement of the Treasury Board Audit Policy. Audit work concentrated in areas assessed as high audit priority such as security management, people management (military and civilian), major capital acquisition, procurement and contracting, and financial management;
• During FY 2012-13, Defence successfully completed implementation of the 2009 Treasury Board Policy on Evaluation, which was required to be fully implemented across Government by 31 March 2013. Specific actions focused on augmenting capacity and increase the amount of evaluation coverage across the Program Alignment Architecture;
• To achieve an approved concept for a more efficient CAF strategic management structure, Defence continued to advance the following:
  • Transition to leaner business processes through Defence Renewal that will provide an opportunity to move to a leaner National Defence Headquarters model, freeing up management resources for reinvestment in core capabilities and readiness;
  • For a Force Development (FD) structure that provides an empowered authority and more coherent processes for integrated FD:
    • Defence employs a rigorous, cyclic strategic planning process which over successive 3-year periods sequentially analyses, assesses and integrates future requirements in the context of the future security environment and Government direction. Further support is now provided by a strategic analytical capability that integrates departmental data to provide comprehensive and objective support to the process and ultimately decision makers. The process outputs articulate the emergent capabilities and requisite personnel resources over the next 20 years. The resultant plans also identify areas for potential divestments. The assessment phase of the current planning cycle has been completed and the assessment phase commenced; and
    • The process outputs and integrated plans support an updated and more coherent process for integrated FD via the strategic oversight of the Defence Capability Board and Programme Management Board. These two boards ensure strategic intent, capability and personnel requirements, and financial resources are harmonized to effectively contribute to the Defence mission and with a view to greater external transparency and better submissions to Government.
• For details regarding the execution of Defence disposal plans, see Program 1.3: Equipment Acquisition and Disposal;
• Defence continues to comply with the Treasury Board Framework for Risk Management and has progressed a review of its Integrated Risk Management (IRM) Policy and Guidelines to be completed by the fall 2013;
• Risk information is now a normal inclusion in briefings to senior management committees where appropriate. More work is required regarding performance information, although it naturally comes up as part of the discussions; and
• An improved implementation of the Strategic Cost Model and a proposal about long term Integrated Management tools were delivered. Defence is adjusting its research program to focus on broader research into improved methods for integration of risk management, strategic planning, business intelligence, business analytics, and financial analysis for improved strategic decision-making.

Communications

Maintaining Defence Affordability

• During FY 2012-13, Defence Public Affairs (PA) coordinated and implemented communications activities to highlight defence priorities during a period of considerable public attention on defence management. Defence PA conducted technical briefings and ministerial events across Canada to demonstrate the steps taken as part of the Defence commitment to equipment and infrastructure renewal. As key examples, communications efforts focused on the National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy, for which the Government of Canada signed a definition contract for Arctic/Offshore Patrol Ships, as well as a preliminary contract for Joint Support Ships. Further communications highlighted the start of engagement with industry on the Canadian Surface Combatant, delivery of the first upgraded Light Armoured Vehicle III and delivery of the 17th and final CC-130J Hercules aircraft on budget and ahead of schedule; and
• Defence PA played a key role during the implementation of the government-wide spending reviews by ensuring internal and external communications were coordinated, timely and effective. A comprehensive internal communications strategy was developed to communicate the impacts of the government-wide spending reviews (formerly known as Strategic Review and the Deficit Reduction Action Plan) with the primary objective being to minimize uncertainty and keep employees informed about the impacts before, during and after the announcement. Related issues and programs, including Work Force Adjustment, the Consolidation of Pay Services, the Employee Assistance Program and the Public Service Employee Survey, were communicated under the same change umbrella, in order to provide a comprehensive understanding of all change-related activities within the organization. This integrated communications concept continues today with regard to the renewal phase of the change file.

Strengthening the Defence Team

• In support of the Defence Priority, Strengthening the Defence Team, Defence PA continued to assist in educating CAF personnel, veterans and military families on the respective programs, policies and initiatives in support of health and well-being through a variety of communications tools such as on-line and printed publications, and dedicated websites. Further, proactive communications supported the September 2012 announcement by the Minister to invest a further $11.4M to enhance the CAF’s extensive mental healthcare system; as well as the October 2012 Forum on Mental Health and the Canadian Forces.

Ensuring Sustainable Operational Excellence both at Home and Abroad

• Defence PA used a proactive approach to demonstrate and showcase DND/CAF operational success in domestic as well as international engagements, with a view to further explain how operations at home and abroad fit into the broader context of the CAF’s roles and missions. With the creation of the Canadian Joint Operations Command in October 2012, Defence Public Affairs developed and dedicated a new website which provided one-stop-shopping for information on both our domestic and international operations;
• Defence PA made concerted efforts to further communicate Canada’s significant contribution to disrupting narcotics smuggling by showcasing the CAF’s continued participation in maritime security and counter-terrorism operations in the Arabian Sea through Op ARTEMIS; and
• Defence PA also continued to communicate with Canadians about the new focus for DND/CAF in Afghanistan, in part through speaking engagements with consistently updated facts and information on the Afghanistan mission, in addition to the frequently updated web material made available. In a 2012 DND Tracking Study, 74% of Canadians were found to be aware that Canada’s role in Afghanistan had shifted away from combat to one of training Afghan troops. In this same Tracking Study, nearly four in five (78%) Canadians were found to be supportive of Canada’s new training mission in Afghanistan.

Support to Whole-of-Government priorities

• Defence PA continued its efforts to engage new technologies and social media. Building on the expansion of open government, Defence Public Affairs implemented Defence Guidelines for the external use of Web 2.0 platforms or services. The CAF-wide Twitter account established by Defence PA, which was launched in March 2012, experienced great success in its first year. Twitter hits were tracked at just under 2000 per month in April 2012 to about 8000 per month by March 2013;
• Working with other government departments and partners, as well as the commands and environments within National Defence, including DND historians, Defence PA supported the key government theme of celebrating the past as part of the crescendo of events and activities leading to Canada’s 150th anniversary in 2017. Public affairs directly supported the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations which allotted 11,000 CAF medals and 383 civilian medals to members of the Defence Team. Defence PA also actively communicated on the War of 1812 commemoration activities, including:
  • presentation of the commemorative banner approved by Queen Elizabeth II to CAF units whose heritage embraces service in the War of 1812;
  • Royal Canadian Navy Great Lakes Deployment visits to Canadian and American ports of call; and
  • the announcement by the Prime Minister on Battle Honours for regiments with ties to units who won decisive battles in the war.

Legal

• In the conduct of its mandate, Defence is aware of the need to abide by all applicable Canadian and international laws. The Office of the Judge Advocate General (OJAG) and the Department of Justice, through the Office of the DND/CAF Legal Adviser, delivered legal advice and services to the Minister, DND and the CAF based on a complimentary model relating to the governance, administration and operations of DND and CAF. Where appropriate, the provision of legal advice and services was coordinated with the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada’s Legal Bureau, subject matter experts, and with legal counsel within the Privy Council Office;
• A critical bill related to the enhancement of the military justice system was advanced by Parliament during the reporting period. Bill C-15, Strengthening Military Justice in the Defence of Canada Act, was reported to the House of Commons by the Standing Committee on National Defence on 7 March 2013. In addition, Office of the Judge Advocate General (OJAG) representatives collaborated with the National Defence Regulations Section on proposed amendments to the Queen’s Regulations and Orders for the Canadian Forces (QR&O) that would be required to implement Bill C-15 once it receives Royal Assent;
• During the reporting period, the OJAG military justice (MJ) experts took part in presenting and discussing Military Justice related issues with key stakeholders both inside and outside of Canada. Key stakeholders were also engaged on both an informal and formal level in furthering the Judge Advocate General's statutory role as the superintendent of the administration of military justice;
• OJAG international and operational law experts effected strategic legal engagement by participating in activities that allowed for networking (both forging new links, but also strengthening pre-existing ones), and enabled legal officers to maintain expertise and keep abreast of developments in international and operational law. With training attended came the ability to influence thinking of others through active participation while in cases of roundtables/discussions, the ability to influence was more direct with active participation helping to shape the direction and conclusions of each conference or discussion. Additional opportunities to influence came with attendance as an expert, conference/discussion organizer and/or chair, and input into conference materials. With training provision and the production of papers came the ability to shape issues to be examined and present analytical frameworks as principled options;
• Defence sought legal services to ensure that the implementation of the Defence priorities was carried out in accordance with the law. The Department also continued its engagement in the legal dimension of the Corporate Risk Profile; in particular, through the identification of legal risks, incorporation of mitigation strategies into the business planning process, and developing a departmental legal risk portfolio. Defence also undertook measures to renew the Legal Risk Management process for an overall better management of legal risk;
• Defence has streamlined and enhanced the utilization of Department of Justice tools to monitor risk, improve its business processes and operations for claims and civil litigation, including ex gratia payments and to improve contingent liability reporting; and
• Defence successfully completed a number of submissions updating and modernizing regulations made under statutes for which the Minister of National Defence (MND) is responsible, including amendments to the QR&O that, in one case, implements recent changes made to the Criminal Records Act and, in another case, provides for the reimbursement of expenses incurred by family members to attend certain ceremonies held to commemorate the death of a member of the CAF. In addition, Defence made considerable progress on other major regulatory submissions, including the proposal relative to the Canadian Forces Superannuation Regulations.

Policy

The Department continued to provide timely, effective policy advice on domestic and international defence issues to the senior Defence leadership and to the Government of Canada. In FY 2012-13, Defence policy efforts focused on:

• Contributing to a re-evaluation of defence requirements and re-balancing of defence resources through renewal and transformation;
• Supporting Defence’s efforts as part of the Government of Canada actions to better manage government spending;
• Providing expert, forward-leaning policy advice on key ongoing and emerging defence issues, such as Canada-United States defence relations, Canada-NATO defence issues, space, cyber and Arctic security;
• Ensuring the Minister and Associate Minister of National Defence, Deputy Minister, Chief of the Defence Staff, as well as other departmental and CAF officials were provided with timely and accurate advice on defence issues as they undertook their responsibilities to Parliament and its Committees;
• Ongoing implementation of a defence-wide Global Engagement Strategy that provides strategic guidance for the conduct of Canada’s international defence relations;
• Supporting the Whole-of-Government engagement in national and international CAF operations, including the training mission in Afghanistan and support to French forces in Mali; and
• Strengthening Defence Team capacity.

Sub-program 5.1.2: Resource Management Services

Source: Assistant Deputy Minister (Finance and Corporate Services)

Source: Assistant Deputy Minister (Human Resources – Civilian) and Chief Military Personnel Group

Performance Analysis and Lessons Learned

Human Resources Management

• Defence continues to support leaders and managers in efforts to align and optimize the civilian workforce, maximize civilian potential, and support a modern and enabling workplace that promotes well-being and productivity of employees, all in the context of both the CAF Transformation and the government-wide spending reviews. In this year, Defence has:
  • Implemented a responsible and balanced strategy to meet personnel reductions and re-align the civilian workforce against operational requirements and business renewal initiatives; efforts to continually build the agile civilian workforce needed to support the CAF;
  • Embedded longer-term strategic human resource planning for current and future needs in the Department's management practices so that human resources plans are aligned with evolving priorities and business models;
  • Implemented an Employability Strategy that articulates a departmental approach to effectively manage the people impacts of government-wide spending reviews;
    • To ensure a vehicle for consultation on Work Force Reductions (WFA), developed a structured, strategic approach to labour-management relations to ensure the involvement of employee unions; and
    • To further support employees through times of WFA, a campaign to promote access to the Employee Assistant Program was launched to ensure services were readily accessible, a comprehensive communication strategy was put in place to minimize employee uncertainty and the stand up of a National Recruitment Office capable of finding matches and making targeted referrals based on employee skills match to essential position criteria.
  • In the context of workforce management, a comprehensive learning curriculum was developed and supplemented by online learning resources, classroom training and change management sessions;
  • Continued development on DND Civilian Leadership Development Framework, to provide guidance and tools that support strengthening Key Leadership Competencies at all levels;
  • Employee performance, learning, development and recognition have been improved through business process modelling to support Full Operational Capability of the Defence Learning Network, the development of an integrated DND Learning and Performance Management framework, and the enhancement of learning data quality;
  • Further advanced the Service Delivery 2015 solution for civilian HR business transformation:
    • Stood up a HR Business Transformation project office and developed an implementation plan to integrate people, process, and technology requirements that span all Civilian Human Resources Branch business lines;
    • Modernized workforce management and workplace processes/tools/technology such as organizational design and HR planning/reporting were improved through the integration of job management concepts into business process reviews; a business process review of classification’s job and position management functions resulted in streamlined, standardized classification processes and a revised service delivery model based on centralized services; a similar business process review conducted on low-complexity staffing actions resulted in a revised Fast Track Staffing delivery model; a detailed mapping of departmental compensation processes was conducted to situate the Department for Pay Transformation and Modernization; and
    • To improve the alignment of HR planning, programs and operational service delivery while supporting better management of Defence's civilian workforce, plans are being realized to centralize the responsibility and resources for supporting civilian HR management in the Department within the Civilian Human Resources Branch. This year saw the completion of consultations with some stakeholders to develop a phased approach, customized to their needs.
• While awaiting promulgation of the strategic-level plan that will identify the future workforce requirements, rebalancing activities were conducted that resulted in a reduction in the number of distressed occupations and no over-strength Regular Force occupations by the close of the fiscal year; and
• For details regarding the development of a plan to address Primary Reserve Force personnel generation requirements and training management planning processes, see Program 1.2: Recruiting of Personnel and Initial Training.

Financial Management

• To ensure the stewardship of and reporting out of an Investment Plan (IP) that is both affordable and sustainable, Defence has:
  • Generated a refreshed IP for submission to Treasury Board in late 2013. A focus of this plan is the incorporation of increased flexibility as a mitigation against both cost risk as well as new and emerging requirements;
  • The IP change management process is under review as it forms part of the overall IP governance process. The extant process remained in force, identifying the impacts on the four CFDS resource pillars in response to a valid force capability demand statement; and
  • Through the Project Complexity and Risk Assessment process and the strategic process involved in the generation of corporate risk profile, Defence continued to monitor and assess the impact of cost risk to the viability of the IP. It was this ongoing assessment that formed the basis for the various mitigation strategies that are employed on a regular basis.
• Defence has progressed the implementation of the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) model resulting in:
  • Enhanced control, monitoring and reporting on the Investment Plan;
  • Better information for investment decision-making through improving data integrity of financial planning data; and
  • Improved reporting capability on planned investments.
• For details regarding the successful completion of divestment plans and the institutionalization of the Disposal Framework, see Program 1.3: Equipment Acquisition and Disposal.

Information Management / Information Technology (IM/IT)

• On August 1, 2012, Defence completed the Canadian Forces Health Information System (CFHIS) Project, one the largest electronic health record initiatives undertaken in Canada, providing information management capabilities essential to the evolution of Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) health services and enabling the CAF to securely manage and share medical information for all military personnel;
• Defence completed the departmental roll-out of the Engineering and Maintenance component of the Materiel Acquisition and Support Information System (MASIS) Project solution to navy fleets, army bases, and air force wings as per the June 30, 2012 schedule. Furthermore, in keeping with the Government of Canada (GoC) direction to consolidate and harmonize departmental legacy systems, Defence has integrated the MASIS with the Financial Management and Accounting System to create the Defence Resource Management Information System (DRMIS). Defence will continue progress towards legacy system consolidation by integrating the CAF Supply System and the departmental real property legacy systems into DRMIS;
• Defence collaborated with Shared Services Canada (SSC) through the creation of a Canadian Force Shared Services Group (CFSSG) to progress the Information Technology Services Management (ITSM) Framework. This initiative aligns IM and IT services with the operational and business requirements of DND/CAF through the consolidation of Service Management Centres. The Department commenced the roll-out of the Enterprise Information Technology Service Management (EITSM) common tool sets to various bases throughout the country;
• Defence continues to work with SSC to refine and delineate SSC responsibilities as outlined in the Order in Council and ensure corporate responsibilities are identified and transferred appropriately. Clear delineation is required to determine which functions/services need to remain in the Department in support of operational readiness and because they are essential mission capable systems. Defence continues to refocus its remaining IM/IT resources on operational and defence-related corporate requirements and capabilities;
• The departmental IM/IT program employed a portfolio management approach for the implementation, operation and sustainment of all IM/IT capabilities within Defence. Through the Project Delivery Management discipline, a rigorous application of project management techniques and performance management processes combined with long-term planning and integration of projects, resources, and IM Project professionals has been instilled. This ensures the successful structuring and delivery of the Department’s IM portfolio of projects, ultimately improving the performance of the IM and IT program; and
• Defence continued to ensure the successful integration of resources for the Carling Campus Project. Consultations are ongoing with PWGSC and SSC to leverage lessons learned from the successful completion of the Louis St. Laurent Building Construction Project in Gatineau, Quebec in further refining requirements for the Carling Campus relocation.

Sub-program 5.1.3: Asset Management Services

Source: Assistant Deputy Minister (Finance and Corporate Services)

Source: Assistant Deputy Minister (Human Resources – Civilian) and Chief Military Personnel Group

Performance Analysis and Lessons Learned

Real Property

• Defence developed a concept of operation to centralize real property management to enable the rationalization of the real property portfolio, the optimization of facilities maintenance delivery and the improvement of construction project delivery;
• For details regarding progress achieved towards the modernization of Infrastructure and Environment business, see Program 1.4: Real Property Infrastructure Acquisition and Disposal; and
• For details regarding progress achieved towards the articulation of an Aboriginal agenda, see Program 1.4: Real Property Infrastructure Acquisition and Disposal.

Materiel

• Reconstitution was partially completed and will continue with capital assets returned from Afghanistan. Strategies and plans to address the equipment component of readiness gaps have been developed and prioritized to meet readiness demands of the Canadian Armed Forces;
• To achieve a professionalized procurement workforce, Defence has:
  • Defined Materiel Acquisition and Support (MA&S) competency levels for key classifications and roles;
  • Planned and implemented Materiel Acquisition and Support training; and
  • Continued to develop the Materiel Knowledge Network (MAT KNET) as the DND national level repository of information for Materiel Acquisition Support.
• For details regarding progress achieved towards the completion of divestment plans and the institutionalization of the Disposal Framework, see Program 1.3: Equipment Acquisition and Disposal.