Defence Engagement Program Annual Report 2012-2013
Alternate Formats
INTRODUCTION
The Defence Engagement Program (DEP) was launched by the Department of National Defence in 2012-2013 as a five-year programme to engage Canadian and international experts in academia, non-governmental organizations, think tanks, the private sector and other external organizations on security and defence issues.
Through grants, academic awards and contracts, the DEP allows National Defence to obtain timely and thought-provoking insight into the security challenges facing Canada.
The DEP consists of three major initiatives:
- The Targeted Engagement Grant Program provides funding for cross-cutting, multidisciplinary conferences, workshops and other similar projects that align with the Defence Engagement Priorities;
- The Fellowship and Scholarship Awards Program provides scholarships at the masters and PhD levels, as well as a postdoctoral fellowship and an Aboriginal scholarship, for academics studying defence issues; and,
- The Expert Briefing Series brings thinkers to National Defence to hold talks with personnel about relevant, trending defence issues.
In its first year of operation in 2012-2013, the DEP awarded 10 grants to academic institutions and think tanks to organize projects pertaining to Canada’s defence priorities; provided four academic awards to Canadian scholars examining defence-related issues; and, brought 11 experts to National Defence to speak about key defence and security issues.
This report outlines the DEP’s activities during its first year of operation.
GOVERNANCE
The DEP has an annual budget of $500,000. A Defence Team Steering Committee (DTSC) – consisting of representatives from organizations within National Defence that have a direct interest in defence research and policy development – sets the Defence Team Engagement Priorities. The DEP Secretariat within the Directorate of Public Policy is responsible for the day-to-day management of the program.
Defence Team Engagement Priorities
The Defence Team Engagement Priorities guide the DEP in its engagement of external experts, ensuring that the department obtains timely and thought-provoking advice on topics of direct policy relevance. For 2012-2013, the overarching theme of the Defence Team Engagement Priorities was Defence Renewal/Defence Transformation: Opportunities and Challenges for Canada and its Partners. This theme consisted of three priority areas:
1. The New Context for Defence
The New Context for Defence
The current global context is transforming the business of defence. This priority seeks a better understanding of economics as a shaper of future defence decision making, including how Canada can learn from and implement lessons from those countries that are adapting their defence structures and future capabilities to the new strategic context; comparative analyses of allied military readiness, capability development, equipment procurement, integrated headquarters arrangements and institutional governance models; and, potential areas where bi-national and multi-national collaboration would make sense from a security and fiscal perspective.
2. Global Security Environment
Global Security Environment and Trends; Advanced Technology and New Domains
Technological change makes the threats that all countries face more diffuse and complex. It is also changing the business of defence, as traditional approaches to security no longer apply and innovative approaches towards safeguarding Canada’s interests will be required. This priority seeks to understand how Canadian interests and defence planning will be affected by domains such as cyber and space; advanced technologies such as nanotechnologies and remote warfare; as well as the global security environment, including Canadian economic interests, the rise of China and the Asia-Pacific region, free access to the global commons, global environment and energy trends, the role of defence in building stability abroad, as well as unconventional threats, such as non-state actors, proliferation and transnational criminal organizations.
3. Canada’s defence relations
Canada’s defence relations with the United States
The Canada-U.S. defence partnership remains Canada’s most strategically significant relationship. This priority seeks to understand how this relationship will evolve in light of the current political and economic context and other geo-political considerations and dynamics.
2012-2013 Applications
In 2012-2013, the DEP received 29 grant applications and 15 academic award applications from eight Canadian provinces and abroad.
Evaluation Process
The DEP Secretariat confirms the receipt of grant and academic award applications to each applicant. The applications are evaluated by the Secretariat, the DEP External Advisory Panel, and subject matter experts within National Defence who represent the member organizations of the DTSC.
Requests for grant funding are assessed on the proposed project's ability to inform, confirm, or challenge current and future defence policy thinking by demonstrating their relevance to the Defence Team Engagement Priorities. Several other factors may be taken into consideration, including the proposed project budget. Requests for academic award funding are assessed on the relevance of their application to the Defence Team Engagement Priorities.
External Advisory Panel
The DEP External Advisory Panel is appointed by the Deputy Minister of National Defence to assist the department in evaluating applications for grants and academic awards. The Panel provides recommendations to the department regarding the feasibility and credibility of grant and academic award applications. Their contribution helps the department remain on the leading edge of defence policy thinking, and helps to shape and improve the delivery of the DEP.
In 2012-2013, the Panel consisted of four experts on defence issues from Canada and abroad.
Dr. David J. Bercuson
Director, Centre for Military and Strategic Studies
University of Calgary
Peter Jennings
Executive Director
Australian Strategic Policy Institute
Dr. Roland Paris
Research Chair, International Security and Governance
University of Ottawa
Dr. Janice Stein
Director, Munk School of Global Affairs
University of Toronto
RESULTS
Targeted Engagement Grant Program
In 2012-2013, the DEP provided ten Targeted Engagement Grants to academic institutions and think tanks in five Canadian provinces, as well as one in Washington, D.C. The topics of these events included defence reform, the future of trans-Atlantic security organizations, lessons learned from Canadian Armed Forces combat operations, non-state actors, women in international security, and the security situations in the Arctic, Latin America, and the Middle East and North Africa. Please refer to Annex A for financial information.
| January 30-31, 2013 – Fredericton, NB |
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| This two-day conference examined ten years of Canadian and NATO best practices, new technologies, organizational issues and problems that emerged from operations in Afghanistan, particularly Kandahar; and, considered whether, where and how the Afghanistan experience could be employed to prepare Canadian soldiers for the future. |
| March 21, 2013 – Montréal, PQ |
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| This event facilitated discussion on the emerging role of defence and armed forces in conflict prevention and the building of post-conflict stability. The key themes were: rethinking security in the 21st century; oligarchic abuses of the international system; the new strategic environment; new armed conflicts; new approaches in conflict resolution; fragile states and liberal peace; the future of ‘blue helmets’ in peace missions; and, the future of humanitarian interventions. |
| April 26, 2013 – Montréal, PQ |
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| This conference examined three key issues: the potential types of initiatives likely to be proposed to the Arctic Council whose implementation could have an impact on Canadian Armed Forces activities in the region; evaluating the merits of an Arctic Council co-chairmanship by Canada and the United States; and, the impact and influence of non-Arctic states in the region. |
| April 26-27, 2013 – Vancouver, BC |
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| This annual event facilitated dialogue regarding security in the Middle East, with a focus on Syria. The conference addressed issues that included the security situation in Syria and its impact on the region; diplomacy in the Middle East, particularly as related to security; and, relations between Israel, Palestine and Iran, and whether the security issues between these entities could be addressed through diplomacy. |
| May 2-3, 2013 – Calgary, AB |
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| This two-day conference brought together academics, practitioners, representatives of international organizations and members of the business community from Canada, the United States and Latin America to explore how the security environment in the region is evolving; what the implications are for its citizens and governments, as well as for Canadian public and private interests; and, to examine what measures are being undertaken or contemplated to advance human rights and the rule of law in Latin America. |
| May 12-18, 2013 - Québec, PQ |
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| This week-long summer school for academics, students and practitioners examined challenges to state security from non-state actors such as terrorist and criminal groups; discussed the judicial tools and strategies available for combating international crime and terrorism; and, analyzed, through specific examples and multidisciplinary analysis, how the terrorist threat has evolved. |
| May 31, 2013 – Montréal, PQ |
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| This workshop examined the challenges facing Canada at a time when the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) are embarking on a process of deep reflection and change. The event assessed the roles that NATO and the OSCE may play in the coming two decades, and what this may mean for Canada. |
| May 30-June 1, 2013 – Toronto, ON |
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| This annual workshop explored four themes: women as victims of violence (sexual violence in conflict, long-term effects of violence against women on post-conflict reconstruction); women as agents of violence (women legal combatants and their role in war-making and peace building; women in terrorist and organized crime networks); women as scholars of, and journalists covering violence; and, women as policy shapers (government, non-government, and business sectors). |
| June 21, 2013 – Ottawa, ON |
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| This workshop assessed how the defence establishments of the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia have undertaken new approaches to promote higher levels of performance and efficiency by applying innovative perspectives and practices to administrative and support functions. |
| July 7-8, 2013 – Waterloo, ON |
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| This two-day event analyzed the security situation in Sudan and South Sudan, with a focus on Canadian interests. The conference addressed the respective conflicts in Sudan and South Sudan, the conflict between the two entities, and the potential contributions of the Canadian Armed Forces going forward. |
Fellowship and Scholarship Awards Program
The DEP awards one Postdoctoral Fellowship, two PhD Scholarships, two Masters Scholarships, and one Aboriginal Scholarship to Canadian defence scholars undertaking defence-related research at Canadian or accredited international academic institutions. The DEP may vary the number of scholarships awarded under each category depending on the quality of the applications received every year.
Based on the advice of the External Advisory Panel and its own evaluations, in 2012-2013, National Defence awarded one DEP Postdoctoral Fellowship and three DEP PhD Scholarships to defence scholars in three Canadian provinces. The research being undertaken by these scholars will shed light on issues that are directly relevant to the Defence Engagement Priorities, including multi-national defence cooperation, the evolution of Canadian defence decision making, and the global security environment and trends. Please refer to Annex B for financial information.
| DEP Postdoctoral Fellowship |
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| Comparison between Canadian and US participation in two international military networks: the Multinational Interoperability Council, the sole J3 military network concerned with interoperability issues; and, the Technical Cooperation Program, a wide-ranging scientific and technical partnership, to define the characteristics of networks that best serve the interests of their members. |
| DEP PhD Scholarship |
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| Examining the transformation of the Canadian defence organization from the three separate service environments to the full integration of military and civilian staffs at NDHQ, to provide a better understanding of the evolving decision-making process and how/why certain management techniques and organizational concepts came to be embodied in the policy process. |
| DEP PhD Scholarship |
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| Analyzing the impact of Security Sector Reform (SSR) on the production of social order and violence in transitional states – which include developing democracies and post conflict-countries – to explain variations in terms of violence over time and between sub-national spaces in countries where internationally-led SSR programs were implemented. |
| DEP PhD Scholarship |
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| Study of the national security strategies of Canada and Australia in the Post-Cold War Era (1989-2010), to determine the impact of non-conventional security threats – fragile and failing states, global terrorism, and other transnational challenges – on their defence policies, military doctrine, force structure and operations. |
Expert Briefing Series
The DEP Expert Briefing Series engages experts from around the world to speak to the Defence Team about key security and defence issues linked to the Engagement Priorities.
In 2012-2013, the DEP brought 11 experts to National Defence. The experts included academics, current and former practitioners in defence-related fields, leading experts from think tanks, and journalists. The series explored a variety of topics with direct policy relevance to the department. Please refer to Annex C for financial information.
Security in the Middle East and North Africa
Dr. Steven A. Cook – The Rise of Turkey
Dr. Matteo Legrenzi – Security in the Persian Gulf and Implications for Canada and NATO
Dr. Anouar Boukhars – Security in the Sahel
Andrew Tabler – Syria
Dr. Ariel Levite – Iran and Israel in 2013
As members of the Canadian Armed Forces are deployed in the Middle East and North Africa, the security situation in this region is an ongoing area of interest.
In its first year, the DEP engaged five leading thinkers with expertise on the region. The topics discussed included: the rise of Turkey and its role in the Middle East; the views of the Persian Gulf countries on regional governance and security; the variables impacting the security situation in the Sahel, including the role of Algeria; and, the ongoing developments in Syria, and what they may mean for Canada, its allies and international security. The role of Iran – as well as its relations with Canada, the United States, Turkey, the Persian Gulf states and Israel – was a central theme in the briefings dealing with the region.
The Asia-Pacific Region
Dr. Stephen P. Cohen – The Pakistani Military
Dr. Russell Trood – Engagement Opportunities and Challenges for Canada in Asia
M.J. Akbar – Strategic Relations in South Asia
The political, economic and security importance of the Asia-Pacific continues to increase. The DEP Expert Briefing Series explored Australia’s security strategy in the Asia-Pacific, and what Canada could learn from the Australian approach. The series also examined the military culture of Pakistan, its security role in South Asia, as well as the impact of socioeconomic and cultural dynamics on security in India and Pakistan.
Defence Governance and Reform
Colonel Stephen Mariano – Strategic Planning in the US Army
Steven Grundman and James Hasik – US Defence Reforms and Implications for Canada
The examination of institutional governance models and lessons learned from other countries on defence reform – particularly close allies such as the United States – are a central component of understanding the new context for defence. To this end, the DEP also hosted expert briefings that shed light on strategic planning within the US Army, as well as what Canada may be able to learn from the US defence reform efforts of the 1990s.
Whole-of-Government Approach
The DEP expert briefings were attended by officials from other government departments and agencies, including the Privy Council Office, Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT), Canadian Security Intelligence Service, Canadian International Development Agency, and Industry Canada. Where possible and appropriate, the speakers engaged by the DEP were shared with other departments and agencies. At the same time, the DEP benefited from speakers initially engaged through the external outreach programs of our Whole-of-Government partners.
The DEP also cooperated with the DFAIT International Security Research and Outreach Programme to fund the engagement of guest speakers for a conference on intelligence titled “Leveraging a 21st Century Information Space,” held in Ottawa in January 2013. In addition to participants from National Defence and DFAIT, personnel from Public Safety Canada and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service also attended.
CONCLUSION
Building on the success of the program’s first year, the DEP will continue to work with its partners to enhance outreach by broadening efforts to identify interested grant and award recipients.
Moving forward, the Defence Team’s Engagement Priorities will be supported by focused questions reflecting the breadth and scope of challenges facing the Defence Team in order to help guide potential partners in the development of their research proposals.
We also recognize that issues can evolve quickly and that planning appropriate events takes time. The DEP will therefore offer a second application period for Targeted Engagement Grants in the next Fiscal Year.
Further Information
Website http://www.forces.gc.ca/en/training-paid-education/engagement-program.page
Email address DEP-PCD@forces.gc.ca
Facsimile 1-613-996-0143
Postal address Defence Engagement Program Manager
Assistant Deputy Minister (Policy)
National Defence Headquarters
101 Colonel By Drive, 18 NT
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0K2
Canada
| January 30-31, 2013 – Fredericton, NB |
$4,000 |
|---|---|
| March 21, 2013 – Montréal, PQ |
$10,000 |
| April 26, 2013 – Montréal, PQ |
$7,500 |
| April 26-27, 2013 – Vancouver, BC |
$3,500 |
| May 2-3, 2013 – Calgary, AB |
$18,363 |
| May 12-18, 2013 - Québec, PQ |
$10,000 |
| May 31, 2013 – Montréal, PQ |
$16,280 |
| May 30-June 1, 2013 – Toronto, ON |
$3,800 |
| June 21, 2013 – Ottawa, ON |
$25,000 |
| July 7-8, 2013 – Waterloo, ON |
$12,500 |
| TOTAL EXPENDITURES – FISCAL YEAR 2012-2013 | $110,943 |
| Postdoctoral Fellowship |
$40,000 |
|---|---|
| PhD Scholarship |
$25,000 |
| PhD Scholarship |
$25,000 |
| PhD Scholarship |
$25,000 |
| TOTAL EXPENDITURES – FISCAL YEAR 2012-2013 | $115,000 |
ANNEX C – EXPERT BRIEFING SERIES 2012-2013
August 17, 2012
Dr. Stephen Cook
Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern Studies, Council on Foreign Relations
The Rise of Turkey
November 14, 2012
Stephen J. Mariano
Colonel, US Army
Strategic Planning in the US Army
November 22, 2012
Dr. Matteo Legrenzi
Chair in International Relations and Gulf Studies, Ca' Foscari University of Venice
Security in the Persian Gulf and Implications for Canada and NATO
December 4, 2012
Dr. Stephen Cohen
Senior Fellow in Foreign Policy Studies, Brookings Institution
The Regional and Domestic Roles of the Pakistani Military
December 5, 2012
Dr. Anouar Boukhars
Assistant Professor of Political Science and International Relations, McDaniel College
Security in the Sahel
December 6, 2012
Andrew Tabler
Senior Fellow in the Program for Arab Politics, Washington Institute for Near East Policy
Security Situation in Syria
January 28, 2013
Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (International Security and Outreach Program)
Leveraging a 21st Century Information Space
February 8, 2013
Dr. Ariel Levite
Non-Resident Senior Associate, Nuclear Program, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Iran and Israel in 2013
February 27, 2013
Steven Grundman
George Lund Fellow for Emerging Defense Challenges, Atlantic Council (USA)
James Hasik
Post-Doctoral Fellow, University of Texas
US Defence Reforms and Implications for Canada
March 4-5, 2013
Dr. Russell Trood
Professor, Griffith University, Australia
Engagement Opportunities and Challenges for Canada in Asia
March 21-22, 2013
M.J. Akbar
Visiting Fellow, University of British Columbia
Strategic Relations in South Asia (India and Pakistan)
| TOTAL EXPENDITURES – FISCAL YEAR 2012-2013 | $19,778.08 |
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