Sustainable Bases, Information Technology Systems and Infrastructure

Description

Develop and manage modern, operational and sustainable bases and infrastructure. Contribute to the achievement of federal environmental targets.

Planning highlights

The Department of National Defence’s (DND) and Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) real property is essential to supporting defence capabilities and core institutional functions. The Real Property Team of the Canadian Forces Real Property Operations Group provides the property, works, and facilities necessary to help generate and maintain military capabilities and skills. The Defence Team’s real property provides essential support to personnel’s training needs and houses operational and support units. Support services vary across bases, but may include operational, emergency, logistical and technical support, information technology, safety, and environmental support, as well as administration and personnel services, such as food and accommodation services. In fiscal year (FY) 2023-24, the Real Property Operations Program will see an emphasis on minor new construction in support of operational requirements, the CAF Transition Group, reserve infrastructure, and airfield rehabilitation. Additionally, funding will also support Government of Canada greening initiatives, which include electrical vehicle charging stations and building automation/smart buildings.

The Defence Team will continue to build and maintain a modern, sustainable, secure, affordable and resilient infrastructure that supports military requirements and improves efficiency while reducing the department’s environmental footprint.  The recently published Defence Real Property Portfolio Strategy provides a vision and guiding principles for upcoming key initiatives that supports the Government of Canada’s commitment to environmental protection and sustainability.

DND/CAF will maintain discipline, operate safe and secure defence establishments and respond to incidents that harm the institutional reputation and undermine public confidence in the CAF. In FY 2023-24, the Military Police will:

• Improve crime analytical capability. In addition to continuing to provide Statistics Canada with high-level crime data for analysis, the Defence Team through its military police will improve its data quality to enhance its informational offerings;
• Implement recommendations from military justice reviews in specific reference to the report of the Third Independent Review Authority of the National Defence Act as applicable to the Military Police. This includes but is not limited to recommendation 13, which aims to reinforce the independence of the Military Police with a view to strengthening transparency and accountability within DND/CAF;
• Initiate the Domestic Police Establishment Project which is a multi-year project to rebalance domestic military policing resources across Canada; and
• Primary Reserve Growth. Over each of the next five years, the military police are planning incremental growth of the Primary Reserve cadre to reach established strength.

For more information, refer to Canadian Forces Provost Marshal Annual Reports.

The Defence Team’s information technology systems are essential in delivering timely, trusted and secure information to decision-makers. Through its Cyber Security Engineering Program, DND will provide secure and resilient enterprise-level system solutions to respond to the evolving cyber threat environment. Through its Command, Control, Communications, Computer and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Engineering and Integration Program, DND will provide enterprise-level information technology system solutions to advance allied communication capabilities, support the integration of joint targeting systems, improve the resilience of the DND/CAF command and control infrastructure and help propel DND/CAF forward with modern technologies. 

DND/CAF will continue to develop capabilities, capacity and expertise to conduct offensive cyber operations in response to threats and attacks while ensuring adequate protection of its networks and systems from threats and attacks.

The department will continue to work with Shared Services Canada (SSC) to review and improve their service delivery model and strengthen the partnership. This includes maturing the SSC Enterprise Service Model and advancement of the Departmental Plan for service and digital. These initiatives should provide more clarity on departmental service demand, consumption and costing and allow DND to be more proactive in obtaining SSC services while enabling of Government of Canada transformation projects.

DND/CAF will work with its clients and enable business transformation goals, which will include attention to cyber security with a view to protecting DND/CAF information and ensuring that it is available when needed. 

To support trusted and secure interoperability with allies while supporting transformation towards digital and cloud-enabled technologies, the Defence Team through the Cyber Security Program will enhance its data-centric and cloud security capabilities, while improving security foundations in support of mobility and hybrid work, such as wireless security, identity and authentication services, and mobile classified solutions. 

DND will continue to work with SSC to identify priority upgrades to modernize the local IT infrastructure to support cloud services across DND/CAF.

Gender-based analysis plus 

The Defence Team will ensure that physical spaces are accessible, safe and inclusive, by continuing to apply Gender-based analysis plus (GBA Plus) in infrastructure through universal accessibility and inclusive design, included in all of the Defence Teams’ workplace modernization efforts. These efforts will directly support broader Government of Canada objectives and ensure a more modern and effective workplace for everyone.

In addition to helping modernize and consolidate the Defence Team accommodation portfolio, adopting space standards (e.g. GC Workplace) will help create office environments that support a hybrid workforce that will better support diverse work styles, meet accessibility requirements, support flexible work strategies and incorporate modern technology. Modernizing accommodation will create various touch points across the physical workplace to best accommodate the workforce throughout a given day’s different type of work activities and support the workforce in working from different physical locations at Defence establishments or remotely, such as working from home, where it would be feasible to do so. 

Personnel will continue to apply GBA Plus analyses to ensure relevant factors are considered during the planning and execution of program activities. This includes, but is not limited to, applying GBA Plus when planning facilities, including toilet rooms, change rooms, and showers, to ensure they are designed and built as non-binary (gender neutral or gender inclusive), and ensuring persons of all gender expressions are comfortable in their work environment. Residential housing portfolio plans will include projects to improve the safety and security of residential housing sites, including walkways and exterior lighting. 

As part of this larger work, DND/CAF will continue to work with stakeholders to identify program considerations and project requirements derived from GBA Plus considerations. In FY 2023-24, they will collaborate with partners and teams across the department to foster regional coherence and improve situational awareness to better understand and deal with emerging gaps. In addition to increased efforts to synchronize and optimize on a consistent basis, particular attention will be paid on advancing the collection of measurable data to highlight their successes and to incorporate a methodology to be applied in future projects.

More information on GBA Plus can be found in the “GBA Plus Supplementary Information Table” in the Supplementary Information Tables section of this report.

Indigenous Affairs

The Defence Team will continue to work toward meeting its reconciliaton obligations towards Indigenous Peoples. Moving forward in FY 2023-24, focus will be on implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act and DND/CAF’s participation in the associated implementation action plan. This includes providing leadership across the Defence Team in support of advancing the Government of Canada’s Indigenous reconciliation agenda in a way that enables Strong, Secure, Engaged: Canada's Defence Policy, and other key priorities.

The Defence Team will continue to strengthen relationships with Northern Indigenous governments through the Arctic and Northern Policy Framework committees that support North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) modernization investments. National Defence will also continue to build an effective relationship with Inuit through participation in the Inuit Crown Partnership Committee, including implementation of the co-developed work plan for the Sovereignty, Defence and Security priority area. 

The DND/CAF Climate Resilience and Environmental Sustainability S&T Strategy will be published in FY 2023-24. The Strategy will outline a path for S&T contributions toward the department’s transition to sustainable, net-zero carbon emissions and climate-resilient operations.

United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The new Federal Sustainable Development Strategy has expanded to address all 17 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs). In 2023-24, DND/CAF will renew its Defence Energy and Environment Strategy (DEES) to consider how it can better contribute to the UNSDGs. In particular, DND/CAF will continue to implement Greening Government priorities through its DEES including:

• Reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from facilities and fleet by 40 percent below 2005 levels by 2025 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 (United Nations SDG 7, 9, 11, 12, 13);
• Ensuring 100 percent of DND commercial light-duty vehicle fleet purchases will be zero-emission vehicles or hybrid when available, with a zero-emission vehicles procurement target of 50 percent by 2023 (United Nations SDG 7, 11, 12, 13); and

Reducing DND’s contaminated sites liability by an average of 10 percent per year by 2023 (United Nations SDG 7, 11, 12, 13).

Key Risks

There are many risks associated with the Sustainable Bases, Information Technology Systems and Infrastructure Core Responsibility. Four of the Key Risks are articulated below:

Materiel Procurement – There is a risk that DND/CAF may have difficulty procuring materiel capabilities at the right level to support operations.

Information Technology Procurement – There is a risk that DND/CAF may have difficulty procuring information technology capabilities at the right level to support operations.

Infrastructure Management – There is a risk that DND/CAF may have difficulty managing its infrastructure at the right level to support operations.

Infrastructure Procurement – There is a risk that DND/CAF may have difficulty procuring/building infrastructure at the right level to support operations.

The risks above can affect the department’s ability to achieve the Departmental Results of the Sustainable Bases, Information Technology Systems and Infrastructure Core Responsibility.

As the Defence Departmental Results Framework reflects a chain of delivery from conceiving of the required armed forces, to developing them and then executing operations, the activities to mitigate the risks of the Sustainable Bases, Information Technology Systems and Infrastructure Core Responsibility can also be found in other Core Responsibilities which deliver building blocks that enable the results of Sustainable Bases, Information Technology Systems and Infrastructure Core Responsibility.

Departmental Result 6.1 – Naval, Army and Air Force Bases enable military operations and defence activities

The Canadian Army’s 21 bases and training establishments are centres of military life across Canada. These bases not only support Canadian Army personnel and force generation, but over 50 000 personnel from other segments of the Defence Team who were involved in operations or routine activities. In FY 2023-24, bases will expand their support capabilities to play a significant role in the delivery of individual training as part of Operation PARADIGM. Food, maintenance, supply, and information technology services and staffing levels will be examined in order to improve effectiveness in future years.

The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF)’s 15 wings are key to RCAF operations at home and abroad in addition to being centres of military life across Canada. Whether it be Defence of Canada missions such as Search and Rescue (SAR) or NORAD, or the dispatch of Air Mobility missions to the far flung corners of the globe, these wings are essential to the RCAF mission while supporting RCAF personnel and force generation. In FY 2023-24, wings will continue to see continued re-capitalization and investment in support of existing and new capabilities to include hangars, support facilities and operating surfaces such as runways and taxiways. A key investment in RCAF wings will be tied to the development of a robust IT/IM backbone to support the significantly increased data requirements associated with a modern air and space force.

Aging infrastructure on Naval Bases is having impacts on the availability and quality of accommodations and food services at the galleys. During FY 2023-24, Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt, British Columbia, will continue to support the planning of infrastructure projects,  including the new Junior Ranks accommodations project. This is a critical initiative which includes the demolition of the current 65-plus years old accommodation building, Nelles Block, pending full funding approval from Treasury Board. This project involves the construction of a new purpose-built facility to ensure that a modern standard of training accommodations is provided for the junior non-commissioned members undergoing occupation skills and other training at Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt. The new facility will incorporate technologies to meet both departmental and federal environmental guidelines, such as LEED's Silver certification and net zero carbon emissions. 

Planned results

Departmental Results	Departmental Result Indicators	Target	Date to achieve target	2019–20 Actual results	2020–21 Actual results	2021–22 Actual results
6.1 Naval, Army, and Air Force Bases enable military operations and defence activities	% of single quarters accommodations that can be used	At least 90%	31 March 2024	Results not available. New indicator as of 2020-21.	69%	75%*
	% deviation of average daily meal cost from the standard allowance	At most 15%	31 March 2024	Results not available. New indicator as of 2020-21.	12%	5.5%

Notes:

* In addition to reduced occupancy capacity of single quarters due to COVID-19 restrictions, a percentage of single-quarter accommodations were marked as “not available” as they were reserved for quarantine purposes. This, compounded with regular and planned maintenance, reduced the number of single quarter’s available, impeding CAF/DND’s ability to reach its target of 90 percent. It is to be noted that the results are not indicative of the normal conditions of accommodation services at bases and wings.

Financial, human resources and performance information for the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces’ Program Inventory is available in the GC InfoBase.

Departmental Result 6.2 – Defence infrastructure is well-managed throughout its lifecycle

In adherence with new Treasury Board policy requirements and the Treasury Board Horizontal Fixed Asset Review, the Defence Real Property Portfolio Strategy (DRPPS) provides the supporting structure, context, and directions to effectively manage the Defence real property portfolio. The DRPPS will modernize real property management practices and align long-term affordability with risk. In FY 2023-24, through the development and delivery of a five-plus year implementation plan, the strategy will continue to address and advance the following six strategic goals to guide Defence going forward: 

• Aligning the real property portfolio with the DND and CAF prioritized operational requirements to enable a more effective, agile and responsive future force;
• Ensuring the real property portfolio is safe, secure and compliant with relevant standards and requirements;
• Ensuring the defence infrastructure portfolio is affordable, efficient and financially sustainable with a long-term funding strategy and investment plan;
• Ensuring the portfolio supports environmental sustainability and Government of Canada objectives for greening government;
• Ensuring that the portfolio supports Indigenous reconciliation and Government of Canada commitments and that transactions respect treaties and agreements between the Crown and Indigenous peoples; and
• Ensuring the real property portfolio is led by an innovative, professional, informed, diverse and engaged workforce.

Key infrastructure projects for FY 2023-24 include:

• Canadian Forces Base Borden Accommodations Facility: In FY 2023-24, construction continues on the new 18,000m2 Accommodation Facility at Canadian Forces Base Borden, Ontario, Accommodations Facility;
• Defence Research and Development Canada Valcartier: Construction continues on of a new, modern 31 000 square-metre research complex in Valcartier, Québec with an expectant completion date of 2024. The new complex will feature approximately 80 new multidisciplinary laboratories, as well as office and storage spaces. Once completed, this new research facility will consolidate nearly 500 defence scientists from different locations on-site into one centrally located building with collaborative research spaces; and
• A/B Jetty Recapitalization Project: Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Esquimalt, Victoria, British Columbia. The ongoing construction of the new B Jetty is expected to be completed in FY 2024-25, after which time A Jetty will be demolished and replaced. That work is expected to be completed in FY 2030-31. The project is being implemented in phases due to the operational requirement to keep one of the two jetties functional at all times. This aim of this $1 billion project is to replace the old A and B jetties, which were constructed during WWII, with modern steel-and-concrete pile jetties to berth existing and planned vessels for the Royal Canadian Navy.

For more information on Defence infrastructure projects, please visit the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces’ Infrastructure Projects webpage.

Planned results

Departmental Results	Departmental Result Indicators	Target	Date to achieve target	2019–20 Actual results	2020–21 Actual results	2021–22 Actual results
6.2 Defence infrastructure is well-managed throughout its lifecycle	% of infrastructure in suitable condition	At least 80%	31 March 2024	64%	64.49%	64.4% *
	% of maintenance and repair investment in relation to the infrastructure portfolio value	At least 2% **	31 March 2024	1.01%	0.71%	1.55%***
	% of the total real property value that is identified as surplus	At most 2%	31 March 2024	2.59%	1.78%	1.72%

Notes:

* The DND real property portfolio has a large number of buildings and systems that are coming to the end of their life expectancy. This aging infrastructure is increasing the need for maintenance, repairs and recapitalization of buildings in the portfolio.

** This value reflects an industry benchmark for best practices in sustainment of infrastructure portfolios.

*** The baseline allocation provided was insufficient to meet this target during FY 2021-22. Should the Assistant Deputy Minister (Infrastructure and Environment) receive additional funding as requested in future years, the monies will be allotted to maintenance and repair related costs.

Financial, human resources and performance information for the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces’ Program Inventory is available in the GC InfoBase.

Departmental Result 6.3 – Defence activities are carried out in a safe and environmentally responsible manner

DND/CAF will continue to implement the DEES 2020-23, consistent with Strong, Secure, Engaged, highlights for FY 2023-24 include:

• Reducing GHG emissions from real property and the light-duty commercial fleet by 40 percent (from 2005 levels) by 2025 and achieve net zero emissions by 2050;
• Investing in energy performance contracts, that see energy services companies finance energy retrofit projects at bases and get paid back with the savings in DND’s energy costs;
• Continuing to transition the commercial light-duty vehicle fleet to zero-emission vehicles or hybrid when available;
• Ensuring all new construction is designed, built and maintained to meet the Green Building Directive, which includes net zero emissions when feasible;
• Seeking out opportunities to purchase clean power from regional grids and renewable sources as it becomes available; and
• Supporting investments in clean technology and green infrastructure projects to reduce carbon emissions.

In FY 2023-24 the RCAF Environment and Operational Sustainability Program will contribute to the department’s sustainability goals with the following key initiatives:

• Advance efforts related to publications of the RCAF Path to Net Zero Strategy, which includes an initial decarbonization plan and GHG projections;
• Implement a modernized fuel tracking system to improve data analytics;
• Begin implementing recommendations from the phase one White Paper Assessing Climate Change Impacts on RCAF Operations; and
• Support the completion of Strategic Environmental Assessments for new RCAF capabilities.

For more information, refer to the Greening Defence webpage.

Planned results

Departmental Results	Departmental Result Indicators	Target	Date to achieve target	2019–20 Actual results	2020–21 Actual results	2021–22 Actual results
6.3 Defence activities are carried out in a safe and environmentally responsible manner	% of greenhouse gas emissions reduction relative to a 2005 baseline	At least 40%	31 March 2025	31.3%	38%	35.9%*
	% of reduction in contaminated sites liability based on the closing liability of the previous year	At least 10%	31 March 2024	16.5%	10%	12.6%

Notes:

* Greenhouse gas emissions from infrastructure and the light-duty vehicle fleet increased to 35.9 percent in FY 2021-22, compared with 38 percent the previous year. Data is always presented in relation to the 2005 baseline. This increase is linked to a resumption in normal operations as pandemic measures are progressively phased out. COVID-19 pandemic restrictions significantly restricted military operations and consequently the use of the light duty fleet and heating of buildings. Contingent on clean electricity agreements being signed by PSPC, DND is on track to achieve 40 percent greenhouse gas emission reduction by 2030.

Financial, human resources and performance information for the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces’ Program Inventory is available in the GC InfoBase.