Message from the Deputy Minister and the Chief of the Defence Staff and Canadian Armed Forces Chief Warrant Officer: Update on culture change efforts

June 27, 2024 - Defence Stories

Defence Team,

In 2021, we launched a renewed effort, unprecedented in scope, to build a healthier and more inclusive workplace where all members can contribute to our mandate. This work is about valuing and caring for our people, which is foundational to making our entire Defence Team stronger and our military forces more operationally effective and combat ready.

Today, Minister Blair provided updates on the implementation of two key recommendations from the Final Report of former Supreme Court Justice Louise Arbour’s Independent External Comprehensive Review (IECR):

• Changes to policies and definitions – The CAF is updating key terminology for misconduct, by removing the definition of “sexual misconduct” from all applicable CAF policies and introducing three new terms. “Sexual assault” will also be included as a stand-alone definition in all relevant CAF policies. A CANFORGEN will serve as interim policy while we work towards a comprehensive update of relevant Defence Administrative Orders and Directives (DAOD), including DAOD 9005-1.
• Repeal of the Duty to Report regulations – The repeal of the Duty to Report regulations will come into effect on June 30, 2024. Repealing the Duty to Report will allow CAF members to take a more trauma-informed approach that prioritizes the needs and security of victims, affected persons, and those who are reporting. The repeal of the Duty to Report regulations will not limit members’ ability to report incidents of misconduct. Over the coming months, we will work to make the necessary updates so that CAF members have the necessary information and tools to make supportive and trauma-informed reporting decisions, while still upholding the highest standards of conduct, integrity, and ethics.

These changes will provide more precision in the terminology we use and will help to make our response to incidents more appropriate and trauma informed.

A roadmap for culture change

Culture change requires a deliberate and sustained approach. There is no end state — it’s about continuous improvement. Today, we also published a key document to guide our culture evolution effort.

The Comprehensive Implementation Plan provides a detailed five-year roadmap for implementing recommendations received from four key external reviews, and some other conduct and culture change initiatives that will have a direct impact on the lives of CAF members and their families.

The document integrates feedback we have heard from Defence Team members about our culture and what we can do to strengthen it. This will help us maximize the potential for positive outcomes, and drive and align culture change across the entire organization.

For more information about the updates announce today, please consult the news release.

Step by step, we are making positive progress in our culture change efforts, and the momentum is building. We look forward to continuing to work with you to build an institution where all members feel protected, respected, and empowered to serve.