MINDS Policy Challenges 2023-24

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The Challenge

Informed by societal and institutional reckonings, efforts are underway to implement required changes to cultures in the Department of National Defence and Canadian Armed Forces (DND/CAF). We must continue to make systemic, sustained and long-term improvements to ensure a respectful workplace, free from harassment, sexual and hateful conduct, and discrimination of any kind, and address legacy biases. Creating and maintaining a safe and inclusive workplace is a fundamental mission and one of the top priorities for DND/CAF.

Possible Research Themes

• Understanding DND/CAF internal cultures and subcultures and developing approaches to move from current to desired cultures.
• Identifying institutional and legacy elements that should be examined and potentially changed, as well as determining which elements should be preserved.
• Enhancing understanding of and developing measures to promote a culture free from racism, ableism, discrimination, sex and gender-based violence, and hateful attitudes.
• Developing competencies and approaches at all levels to enable effective implementation of culture change initiatives.
• Recognizing personal biases and their impact on organizational culture.
• Identifying and overcoming sources of resistance, and opposition to culture change as well as promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion.
• Understanding and addressing the role of social media, and mis/disinformation in systemic and sociocultural issues.
• Learning from other culture change initiatives in other organizations, sectors and countries.
• Enhancing the CAF’s and DND’s understanding of character, how it supports the desired cultures, and where/how it can be implemented in the Defence Team.

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The Challenge

The Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces (DND/CAF) remain committed to ensuring a respectful workplace, free from harassment and discrimination. Sexual misconduct is a serious and persistent problem that harms military and civilian personnel, and previous initiatives in DND/CAF have not achieved their desired effects. Addressing this challenge requires a significant and sustained long-term effort with a deliberate plan for systemic change across the institution.

Possible Research Themes

• Enhancing understanding and addressing sexual misconduct, military sexual trauma and moral injury and related institutional, systemic, situational, interpersonal, and individual factors.
• Identifying and addressing daily practices, professional values, social norms, or other factors that increase the risk of incidents and perpetuate sexual misconduct.
• Understanding how leadership could be more influential in preventing sexual misconduct.
• Developing strategies to prevent sexual misconduct and understanding how particular behaviours, group dynamics, and professional development requirements should be considered.
• Encouraging those affected, across all sexual or gendered identities, to seek assistance when needed and to report their experiences.
• Understanding how the organization and leaders (re)establish trust, morale, and connection/identity following sexual misconduct, moral injury and/or institutional betrayal.
• Identifying principles and practices that can be implemented to improve outcomes for those affected by sexual misconduct, in all aspects of their experience.
• Enhancing understanding of how response and survivor support systems (complaints, reporting, investigation, justice, health) can be made more effective.

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Ensuring the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) is able to attract, recruit, develop and retain top talent is one of the top priorities at the Department. This requires addressing key challenges, such as the impacts of the pandemic and increased competition with the private sector. These factors have impacted recruitment and retention, and created pressures related to force readiness and strength. As part of mitigation efforts, the CAF released a Reconstitution Plan, a framework to rebuild strength, maintain readiness, and continue to modernize now and for the future. Such initiatives must continue and be effectively implemented to ensure that the organization remains fit to succeed and is able to adapt to a new and fluid strategic environment

Possible Research Themes

• Being an employer of choice and strengthening and increasing the appeal of a military career.
• Strategies to engage, attract, recruit, retain, and integrate women, Black, Indigenous, People of Colour, people with disabilities, and other underrepresented and diverse communities.
• Identifying and eliminating barriers that stand in the way of reconstitution, recruitment and retention.
• Attracting and retaining talent from the emerging tech sector to fulfil the growing needs of DND/CAF.
• Connecting and effectively communicating with younger generations.
• Addressing modern challenges facing CAF, such as an aging population, inflation, expectations of flexibility, an increasingly individualistic and polarized society, etc.
• Addressing challenges and factors that affect CAF retention, such as wages/compensation, private sector competition, modernization of the recruiting system, enlistment-to-training processing time, career course availability, professional development opportunities, postings/relocations, organizational culture, lack of diversity, etc.
• Understanding how career management, education, and training can be better utilized to achieve the short- and long-term goals of CAF reconstitution.
• Implementing improvements and changes to promotion policies and the organizational talent management system.
• Working with the Provinces, Territories, and other government departments to identify and reduce barriers for military families in the areas of health care, childcare, education and employment as a means of encouraging retention, particularly in the context of postings/relocations. Consider international best practices as possible models to follow.
• Identifying the implications of the reconstitution, recruitment and retention crisis for Canadian government and Canadian society as a whole.
• Understanding how Canada can invest in defence capability development in a timely and effective manner and what defence capabilities should be prioritized.

National Defence is being confronted by a rapidly changing security environment, while contending with increasing domestic pressures to support health and climate-related emergencies. Streamlined and flexible procurement is critical for the timely delivery and evolution of the modern capabilities required to ensure the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) are ready and suitably equipped. In parallel, these procurement processes must be managed in the most efficient way for Canadian taxpayers. We need to deliver capabilities at the “speed of relevance”, to consider more innovative approaches to procurement, and generally to enhance and modernize the defence procurement process. Other considerations include managing procurement to support a strong Canadian defence industry critical for long-term national security, the need for procurement to be mindful of intersectionality considerations so that defence equipment caters to the representative diversity of Canadians, and leveraging green and sustainable solutions in support of Canada’s environmental objectives.

Possible research themes

• What makes procurement more agile? What models of procurement could DND/CAF adopt and what are costs/benefits of these models?
• Establishing effective procurement partnerships between Canada, Five Eyes and NATO allies; implementing lessons learned from our allies and partners.
• Improving the resilience and security of DND/CAF supply chain. What opportunities and limitations exist in building near-shoring and friend-shoring partnerships for Canada’s Defence Supply Chain?
• Reconciling long defence procurement timelines with rapidly evolving technology to prevent or effectively respond to emerging obsolescence.
• Implementing a sustainable procurement strategy for DND/CAF.
• Understanding the relationship between procurement and the Department’s ability to spend its allotted budget and deliver capabilities to CAF effectively.
• Fulfilling more energy requirements of the defence real property portfolio through renewable sources to meet Government of Canada expectations for greening operations.
• Exploring Indigenous procurement opportunities in the context of NORAD modernization.
• Assessing the relationship between intersectionality and defence procurement to best derive the benefits of diversity within the CAF.
• As more advanced technologies are stewarded by and through private industry, how can CAF best leverage public-private partnerships and innovation when it comes to procurement?
• Identifying and addressing obstacles to enable cutting-edge procurement of emerging domains such as AI, Quantum, Autonomous systems.

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Investing in continental defence and modernizing the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) has become more urgent. Canada’s geographic position no longer provides sanctuary, and there is an increasingly complex range of threats in multiple domains below and above the threshold of armed conflict with the potential to affect our national security, economic prosperity and democratic institutions, and Canada’s ability to support our allies and partners. Canada is enhancing its contribution to NORAD with an investment of $38.6 billion over twenty years, building on the Joint Statement on NORAD Modernization issued by the Minister of National Defence and his US counterpart in August 2021. The Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces (DND/CAF) must continue to develop and enhance its approach to defending Canada and North America, nationally and in collaboration with the US.

Possible Research Themes

• Identifying the emerging all-domain threats to Canada and North America and the associated gaps in continental defence.
• Developing policies, capabilities, force adjustments, and infrastructure to meet current and future threats to Canada and North America across all domains.
• Addressing the impact of a changing security environment on Canada-US defence relations, the NORAD partnership, and collaboration with other allies and partners to enhance security in and around North America.
• NORAD modernization in the context of emerging technologies in an era of strategic competition.
• Enhancing cooperation with federal, provincial, and territorial government partners and Indigenous Peoples to address current and future threats to North America.
• What does the US shift towards Integrated Air and Missile Defence (IAMD) mean for NORAD and Canada’s contribution to continental defence?
• Identifying, assessing, and responding to threats to North American defence critical infrastructure.
• How can DND/CAF more effectively invest in multi-use infrastructure that can meet military requirements while also providing benefits for local communities?

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The Arctic is increasingly becoming more strategically important as climate change, economic interests, and geopolitical competition drive growing interest and activity in the region. Canada is committed to protecting the safety and security of Northerners; defending against threats to the continent, including through the Arctic; demonstrating Canada’s enduring sovereignty; and, engaging with key domestic and international allies and partners to promote cooperation stability in the region. In this context, the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces (DND/CAF) need to be prepared to conduct and sustain a vast array of operations, from demonstrating Canadian sovereignty, to search and rescue and emergency management in support of civil authorities.

Possible Research Themes

• Identifying what new or modernized force structures, capabilities, infrastructure, and technologies are needed to enhance DND/CAF’s presence, operational effectiveness, and sustainment in the Arctic.
• Identifying opportunities for operational and strategic collaboration with like-minded Arctic allies and partners, both within and outside of existing structures and frameworks.
• Addressing the security and defence implications of non-Arctic states (particularly non-NATO, non-European Union states) seeking to increase their presence and influence in the region and determining Canada’s response.
• Engaging with competitors in the Arctic and balancing considerations for engagement with the need to detect, deter, and defend against threats.
• Assessing the impact of climatic, environmental, and geopolitical changes on future defence requirements across Inuit Nunangat and in the North more generally.
• Exploring DND/CAF’s role in advancing whole-of-government priorities in the North, including with respect to collaboration with other government departments.
• Contributing to Indigenous and territorial priorities in the North, including improvements to infrastructure.
• How can DND/CAF improve engagement with Northern communities/provinces and with Indigenous Peoples, in particular with Inuit treaty partners across Inuit Nunangat, to fulfill Canada’s commitments towards reconciliation and meaningful consultation with Indigenous peoples while also strengthening our domestic defence and security capabilities/operations?
• How can we harmonize efforts to augment both the integrity of Indigenous/Northern communities through dual-purpose investments/engagements with positive effects for our territorial integrity/security.

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The resurgence of strategic competition between major powers has already started a shift in how the global security environment is perceived. It is also bringing back to the fore some concepts that had subsided since the end of the Cold War, such as the clear and present risk of state-on-state conventional war, and the need for deterrence. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine greatly accelerated and even cemented that shift. The Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces (DND/CAF) are making significant contributions in Ukraine with Operation UNIFIER and in Eastern Europe with Operation REASSURANCE, but it is an important policy moment to reflect on optimal support and contributions moving forward.

Possible Research Themes

• What is Canada’s role as a middle power? What should its role look like over the next 5-10 years?
• How can DND/CAF best support Ukraine and European defence, security and stability while considering competing domestic priorities like support to climate change related emergencies?
• How can Canada better engage with non-EU/non-NATO countries in the Balkans, South Caucasus and Central Asia to serve its strategic interests while maintaining CAF readiness and continued ability to deliver on all its concurrent missions?
• Understanding risks and opportunities in defining burden sharing, and reconceptualizing Canada’s and NATO’s approaches to it.
• Understanding Canada’s ability to meet NATO burden sharing requirements and two percent target - what economic, political and security conditions need to be in place in order to do so?
• How can Canada continue to remain a credible Ally and a relevant contributor to NATO?
• What strengths/capabilities can Canada draw on to help bolster Ukraine’s (and Europe’s) long-term security?
• How can DND/CAF contribute meaningfully to Ukraine security, prosperity, recovery, and reconstruction once a Ukrainian victory has been achieved?
• What is Canada’s contribution to a balanced Western and NATO approach towards Russia that is rooted in the rules-based international order?
• What strategies of contestation are likely to deter Russia’s aggression and significantly reduce the threat from Russia?
• Assessing how the evolving character of war will impact the strategic environment across all domains. How should the CAF adapt?
• The Russia-Ukraine conflict highlights the intensification of great-power nuclear competition. What role could Canada play in re-establishing arms control?
• Defence Diplomacy: how we can better generate effect through the various military operations and diplomatic efforts in Europe?

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Canada announced its Indo-Pacific Strategy in 2022 with the aim to deepen Canada’s engagement in the region, including investments in defence to increase our forward naval presence, participation in multilateral regional exercises, and military-to-military capacity building programming, including in Women, Peace and Security. Every issue that matters to Canadians, such as our national security, economic prosperity, and respect for international law, is being shaped by the relationships Canada and its allies and partners have with Indo-Pacific countries. At the same time, strategic competition and below-threshold conflict are increasingly playing out in the Indo-Pacific with escalating tensions in the South and East China Seas and across the Taiwan Strait, alongside ongoing threats to regional stability including North Korean provocations. China’s rise as a global actor, its aggressive and sometimes coercive pursuit of national interests, and overall challenge to the rules-based international order, have significant and far-reaching implications. How Canada as a middle power can best respond to the challenge posed by China, while engaging with it on key global issues like climate change, is one of our era’s most important policy questions.

Possible Research Themes

• Examining optimal engagement, deterrence, and competitive strategies for middle powers that focus on China in the Indo-Pacific.
• Identifying specific ways in which DND/CAF can improve the quality of its defence and security contributions in the Indo-Pacific in a meaningful and sustainable way, including in the context of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
• Exploring how Canada can support its Indo-Pacific allies’ and partners’ response to China’s coercive actions, while recognizing the complex and integrated nature of the respective bilateral relationships with China, particularly the close social, economic, and cultural ties.
• Enhancing Canada’s understanding of the diverse needs and perspectives of regional partners given intensifying strategic competition between the US and China, and China’s increasing use of below threshold tactics.
• Enhancing DND/CAF’s supply chain resilience to the extent that it depends upon a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
• Enhancing Canada’s supply chain resilience, particularly as it relates to critical minerals and considering the reliance of these critical minerals for greening military capabilities.
• Identifying how Canada can deepen cooperation with key Indo-Pacific allies (Japan, the Republic of Korea, the US) to combat nuclear proliferation.
• How can Canada respond, alongside allies and partners, to China’s challenges to the rules-based international order.
• Exploring ways to promote and support the meaningful participation of women in conflict prevention and conflict resolution mechanisms and institutions, and to mainstream gender perspectives in peace and security activities and strategies in the Indo-Pacific.
• Canada’s competition with China – how can Canada alongside allies and partners best leverage our national advantages to better compete with China?
• How can Canada best contribute to the West’s multi-faceted effort to deter China?  What is Canada’s role in integrated deterrence?
• Defence Diplomacy: how can DND/CAF better connect our military operations with our diplomatic efforts in the Indo-Pacific?

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The Challenge

The vast reach and impact of climate change present immediate and long-term security challenges to Canada both at home and abroad. Climate change is a complex and multi-faceted security challenge, as militaries are increasingly called upon to assist with its consequences, including extreme weather events and natural disasters. This often requires complex responses, while still concurrently supporting the full spectrum of more traditional military operations domestically and overseas. DND/CAF must adapt its planning and activities in accordance with the Government of Canada’s greening objectives, while striving to maintain an agile and resilient force that is responsive to the impacts of climate change.

Possible Research Themes

• Understanding geopolitical and security implications of climate change.
• Maintaining CAF readiness and mandate in the face of evolving and growing requests for assistance.
• Collaborating with Provinces, Territories, other government departments and international partners on emergency management.
• Evolving DND/CAF planning, education, training, operations, and readiness to better anticipate and respond to climate-related emergencies at home and abroad.
• Building climate resilience into and adapting existing DND/CAF force generation, employment and support activities to respond to increasing pressures onset by climate change, and to mitigate further environmental degradation.
• Analysis of the DND/CAF’s role in humanitarian assistance and disaster response. Considering possible alternative models (such as local authorities or Civil Defence Forces) for disaster response in which there is less reliance on the military to respond to climate-related emergencies.
• Translating climate science into threat assessments and capability requirements for national defence, safety, and security.
• Examining the nature-security nexus and the role of international government security forums.
• Competing interests: the philosophical arguments between having robust military capabilities and their environmental costs.

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The Challenge

In an increasingly complex, opaque, and volatile security environment, adversaries are competing across multiple domains concurrently. Leveraging cyber and space, to gain an advantage in the information environment is crucial to modern military operations. At present, an increasing volume of malicious activities in these domains highlights the need for targeted innovation and development to address these activities, which can be difficult to detect or attribute, and often fall below the threshold of armed conflict and at the intersection of mandates and responsibilities of various departments and agencies. This complexity presents challenges to determining the appropriate national lead and response actions. Therefore, DND/CAF must be resourced to anticipate, adapt, and act to contribute alongside government and other partners to secure Canadian defence, security and broader interests against these pan-domain challenges.

Possible Research Themes

• Integrating cyber and space effects into all-domain activities.
• Improving DND/CAF’s ability to function in an environment where the lines between operational domains are often blurred and increasing effectiveness in non-traditional domains to ensure capability to engage in strategic competition.
• Developing joint enablers – cross-cutting capabilities that can be used across maritime, land, space, cyberspace and air – and competencies, policies and command structures needed to leverage them.
• Ensuring DND/CAF’s interoperability and credibility with its key allies in the space and cyber domains and the information environment.
• Understanding the strategic and defence implications of Canada’s space and information technology industries for DND/CAF, and how it could be leveraged to contribute to alliances and partnerships.
• Adapting domestic and international legal and policy frameworks in order to compete with, contest, confront, and – when necessary – combat our nation’s adversaries within the cyber and space domains, and the information environment.
• Examining DND/CAF’s approach to defensive cyber operations in the traditional warfighting domains (maritime, land and air).
• Raising the Canadian Government’s awareness about the strategic risks to Canada stemming from the cyber and space domains and the information environment and the need for a whole of Government’s strategy to maintain Canada’s relevancy within the Five Eyes in those domains.
• Raising awareness of and communicating with the Canadian public on the critical role of cyber, information, and space operations.

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The Challenge

The rapid evolution of emerging technologies is a key factor of the changing security environment: one that presents opportunities and vulnerabilities. Outside of cyber and space, which have already become key operational domains, other technological advances, such as artificial intelligence and quantum, have the potential to change the nature of military operations and activities. The rapid pace of technological change requires DND/CAF to quickly translate advancements into military capabilities, limit the exploitation by adversaries, partner with academia and industry, and retain a necessary technological edge alongside key allies.

Possible Research Themes

• Understanding the strategic, operational and tactical implications of emerging technologies for DND/CAF.
• How can emerging technologies be used by potential state-based and non-state actors and what are the implications for DND/CAF?
• Increasing use of AI-enabled systems for guidance/analysis in the context of military and political decision-making.
• Assessing DND/CAF current capabilities: what changes are needed to meet an evolving security environment.
• Developing competencies (e.g., knowledge, skills, abilities, and other attributes) required of DND/CAF personnel to leverage emerging technologies.
• Understanding the legal and ethical considerations for developing, adopting, and employing emerging technologies.
• Adapting policy frameworks to be responsive to the rapid development of Artificial Intelligence capabilities.
• Ensuring interoperability with NATO and international partners in a rapidly evolving technological landscape.
• How to promote dual-use technology development and/or engage in bilateral or multinational research and development while safeguarding national security and optimizing national industrial/manufacturing opportunities.
• Ensuring DND-sponsored commercial research and development is directly linked to military capability gaps leading to realistic opportunities for future procurement.