Defence Team

Description

Recruit, develop and support an agile and diverse Defence Team, within a healthy workplace free from harmful behaviour; support military families; and meet the needs of all retiring military personnel, including the ill and injured. Strengthen Canadian communities by investing in youth.

Results

People are at the core of everything the Defence Team has done to ensure Canada is strong, secure, and engaged in the world. All of our success has come as a result of having healthy, resilient, well-trained, and motivated personnel supported by talented and dedicated defence civilians working within the Department of National Defence (DND). This integrated civilian-military Defence Team has been and continues to be the heart of our institution.

We have taken significant strides in ensuring that the entire Defence Team has the care, services, and support it requires and have continued to work towards eliminating harassment and discrimination in the workplace. We have improved attraction efforts in order to recruit talented, motivated Canadians who reflect the broad range of cultural, linguistic, gender, age, and other unique attributes which will contribute directly to our efforts to develop a deeper understanding of our increasingly complex world. We have made good on our most important commitment: investing in our people.

The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) has maintained our commitment not only to our members, but to their families as well. As our people continue to serve in complex and challenging environments at home and abroad, we have consistently delivered essential programs and services to give our troops comfort, knowing that their families are being looked after.

People are at the core of everything the Defence Team does

Departmental Result 3.1 – Canadian Armed Forces is growing towards its end state of 101,500 personnel

• A streamlined online application process was launched in January 2019, and additional file managers have been employed in order to increase the number of applications being processed and reduce the overall time taken to process a file. Changes have been made to the reliability screening process for applicants under 23 years old, resulting in decreased recruiting timelines for these applicants.  We continued to work on initiatives to decrease medical screening times and the work is ongoing. Work continues on the implementation of a process to attract and enrol skilled recruits, including developing incentives and allowances as well as an expedited process for recognizing credentials.
• The department engaged in a comprehensive campaign of traditional television and print advertisements targeting priority occupations as well as hosting occupation-specific recruiting events and participating in job fairs and career events across Canada. A new and immersive website was launched along with a suite of digital attraction tools, including mobile apps and virtual 360 degree videos, to showcase the career opportunities offered by the CAF. Leveraging analytics capabilities and sound scientific evidence regarding audience analysis, the right message is being delivered to talented, motivated, and qualified Canadians, including those within employment equity groups, in order to improve awareness of priority occupations. This has resulted in approximately 60,000 online applications for full and part-time employment.
• Entry-level training has been re-structured in order to reduce training time and increase the capacity of the Canadian Armed Forces Leadership and Recruit School. Work continues towards restoring the Royal Military College Saint-Jean as a full degree-granting institution to help prepare the next generation of leaders in the CAF.
• The department undertook broad stakeholder consultations, research, and analysis on retention challenges to identify strategic priorities for the CAF Retention Strategy. Strategy design, action plans, and approvals are on track for an expected release of the strategy in the fall of 2019.
• Army recruiting has reached full operating capacity and is achieving success in growing the Army Reserve. Both the total and effective strengths of the Army’s Primary Reserve grew by more than 10% in FY 2018-19. As the Army Reserve continues to grow, resources will be adjusted to support individual training and sustainment of a larger force.

Results achieved

Departmental Result 3.2 – The health and well-being of the Defence team is well supported

• The CAF has made significant progress in the provision of efficient and effective care through a variety of initiatives, guided by the modernization efforts of Canadian Forces Health Services. The recent success in the deployment to Mali of modern health services capabilities in forward aeromedical evacuation will be made an enduring capability through our growth plan. Our operational support capabilities have been, and will continue to be, strengthened through growth in medical specialists that provide life-saving care for our ill and injured members.
• On 10 December 2018, the Government announced the new Canadian Armed Forces Transition Group mandated to support all members with professional services as they transition to post-military life. Once fully established, the Canadian Armed Forces Transition Group will provide fully professional, personalized, and standardized transition services to all CAF members, veterans, and their families. The Canadian Armed Forces Transition Group will ensure special care and attention to those who are ill or injured.
• DND/CAF worked with key stakeholders and service delivery partners to begin the implementation of initiatives to better meet the needs of all retiring personnel. These initiatives will in the coming years ensure that all benefits are in place before a member transitions to post-military life.
• DND/CAF worked to improve attraction and retention initiatives for mental health professionals. However, there were significant challenges in the hiring and retention processes due to an overall shortage of mental health professionals within Canada as well as the remoteness of a number of CAF clinics/bases. We continue to work closely with stakeholders and have made numerous improvements, notably: improved internal strategic communication, creation of assessment tools that gauge suicide prevention awareness, and delivery of Mental Fitness and Suicide Awareness training to 1,921 CAF members. Additionally, a contract was awarded for suicide-specific training for clinicians that will be enhanced with newly developed training materials (i.e., CAF Clinician Handbook on Suicide Prevention with an aide memoire).
• Civilian Total Health and Wellness was enhanced through the continued development and support of the Office of Disability Management. After a year of pilot services in the National Capital Region, users of the Office of Disability Management observed a reduction in the duration of sick leave without pay taken by nearly 50%. As a result, the Department was able to almost halve the number of longstanding cases (over two years on leave) and observed a near 50% reduction of productivity loss from users of the Office of Disability Management.
• The department also continued to develop and provide programs and tools in support of a psychologically healthy workplace and employee well-being, including the Employee Assistance Program, mental health training and awareness campaigns, and a flexible work arrangements program.

Results achieved

Departmental Result 3.3 – The Defence team reflects the values and diversity of Canadian society

• DND made modest progress with regard to women’s representation in the CAF. Although the representation of women currently falls 0.3% below the 16% annual threshold specified in the reporting guidelines, a number of key initiatives have been undertaken to address culture change in the Defence Team. In doing so, a concerted effort has been made to move beyond the counting of women and toward considerations of barrier reduction and comprehensive culture change of the CAF.
• A number of initiatives were undertaken with regard to women’s representation and participation in the CAF during FY 2018-19, including:
  • Reviewed the CAF Dress Instructions;
  • Created a Microagression Toolkit to be linked with Harassment Prevention Training;
  • Refreshed Diversity Strategy as well as considerations of culture change through an intersectional lens;
  • Instituted positive space ambassador training, which crosses multiple lines of identity and instills a culture of diversity by generating competency, allies, and leadership for the LGBT community; and
  • Created a professional development training session which focuses on diversity, microagression and harassment, unconscious bias, and social policy.
• During FY 2018-19, we completed the implementation of the following three External Review Authority by former Justice Deschamps recommendations through Operation HONOUR, and work is ongoing to complete the implementation of the remaining seven recommendations:
  • Recommendation 1: Acknowledge the problem and undertake to address it;
  • Recommendation 7: Simplify the harassment process; and
  • Recommendation 8: Allow victims of sexual assault to request transfer of the complaint to civilian authorities.
• The Sexual Misconduct Response Centre’s (SMRC) team of counsellors provide person-centered support services to ensure that CAF members who have experienced sexual misconduct are appropriately informed, respected, protected, and supported throughout the processes they chose to engage in. These services, such as supportive counselling, information, referrals, and facilitated access, are offered 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Anyone who contacts the Centre for support has the option to remain anonymous. In FY 2018-19, the SMRC received 689 contacts, by phone or email, from 484 individuals. In October 2018, the SMRC began developing a new program called Response and Support Coordination (RSC). Specifically, this new program will offer CAF members proactive case coordination, advocacy, accompaniment and in-person support, assistance with workplace accommodations, and other forms of practical assistance in addition to the services already provided. This pilot of service enhancements was launched in January 2019, and the results provided the SMRC with important information regarding the needs of CAF members who had contacted the Centre. This program will expand in FY 2019-20.
• The department opened 16 Conflict and Complaint Management Service offices across the country and reached operating capability in July 2018. Local Conflict and Complaint Management Service agents assist members and the chain of command by providing guidance and information on situations of conflict as well as informal and formal options. We also launched the Integrated Complaint Registration and Tracking System in October 2018, making the registration of all formal harassment complaints by CAF members mandatory. The system allows for tracking and reporting. Further versions will enable full case management capabilities to manage formal harassment complaint files replacing the need for paper files. A full-time cadre of harassment investigators has been created, with an initial capacity in place on 31 March 2019.
• DND made a number of key investments in the continued establishment of diversity and inclusion as core institutional values for the Defence Team. Investments were made through the creation of the Office of Champions for Gender and Diversity for Operations, implementation of an Executive Diversity and Inclusion Plan, and the development of centres of expertise for both GBA+ diversity and inclusion.
• On 26 April 2018, the Chief of the Defence Staff and the Deputy Minister announced the appointment of Departmental Champions in the following areas of diversity and inclusion:
  • Gender and Diversity for Operations;
  • Women, Peace and Security;
  • Gender-based analysis plus (GBA+);
  • Women;
  • Indigenous People;
  • Visible Minorities;
  • Persons with Disabilities; and
  • Official Languages.

Results achieved

Departmental Result 3.4 – Military families are supported and resilient

• The department developed the framework for the Comprehensive Military Family Plan, consolidating and implementing a pan-CAF analysis of data and research, and establishing a realistic and modernized profile of the challenges and experiences of military families. Based on this foundation, the Comprehensive Military Family Plan has begun developing new ways to enhance the lives of military families, focusing on addressing three risk factors resulting from CAF operational requirements (relocations, absences, and injury/death). The Comprehensive Military Family Plan has been developed to enhance the Military Family Services Program, focusing on mental health, community and provincial engagement, children and youth services, family and couple resilience, financial health, relocation support, and access to health care.
• The department continued to make enhancements to support the implementation of teams at Bases and Wings across Canada to support families and members who have been affected by violence. A feasibility study was conducted to examine the gaps of the Family Crisis Teams and the Family Violence programs and services offered by DND/CAF. A total of $380,000 was invested in 26 military communities for programs and services in support of family workshops focused on healthy relationships, supporting the LGBTQ community, technology safety, and intimate partner violence. Other areas of ongoing work to ensure identified gaps are addressed include updating policy and supporting documents, revamping the Family Violence Prevention Awareness Campaign, and launching a second funding cycle for local communities.
• Mental health support for military families was expanded through enhanced and modernized social support programming and counselling for children, youth, and couples; establishment of new methods of mental health service access including virtually, in-person, and at service points outside of Canada; and the launch of the military families mental health continuum, which serves as a navigation tool that allows individuals and families to identify and access the right mental health services at the right time.
• Tailored work advanced support to medically-released Veterans and their families, dedicated interventions to families of ill and injured CAF personnel, psycho-educational platforms and products, and virtual counselling. Mental health services were expanded at Military Family Resource Centres, through the Family Information Line and at various Military Family Service points domestically and internationally.

Results achieved

Departmental Result 3.5 – Youth in Canada are provided with experience and opportunities that enable a successful transition to adulthood

• Our Youth Program, Cadets and Junior Canadian Rangers, continued to be provided directly to Canadian youths and represents the largest federally sponsored youth program in Canada. In FY 2018-19, the department:
• Formally closed-out the five-year Renewal Initiative and implementation planning of recommendations from key working groups commenced (e.g., CAF Familiarization, Growth and Sustainability, Uniform Modernization, Youth Voice, and Unit Leadership Team Review);

• Initiated the planning phase for the next Departmental Evaluation of the Cadets and Junior Canadian Rangers (Youth Program) that will be a key contributor to continuous improvement;
• Initiated the development of a formal Lessons Learned program based on Defence Administrative Orders and Directives (DAOD) 8010-0 Lessons Learned^{Footnote lxxiv};
• Developed a Public Affairs strategy and initiated the development of an Identity Project for the Cadets and Junior Canadian Rangers (Youth Program) and the National Cadet and Junior Canadian Rangers Support Group; and

• Developed an evidenced-based and bottom-up growth planning approach and support tool Regional Growth Management Toolkit. The Regional Growth Management Toolkit is essential for supporting the defence policy intent to expand reach of the Cadet and Junior Canadian Rangers Programs so more Canadian Youth can experience its tremendous and positive youth development opportunities and continue to strengthen communities across Canada.

Results achieved

Budgetary financial resources (dollars)

Human resources (full-time equivalents)