2017-2018 Departmental Plan

ISSN: 2371-669X

Table of contents

• Message from the Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer
• Plans at a glance
• Raison d’être, mandate and role: who we are and what we do
  • Raison d’être
  • Mandate and role
• Operating context: conditions affecting our work
• Key risks: things that could affect our ability to achieve our plans and results
• Planned results: what we want to achieve this year and beyond
  • Program
  • Internal Services
• Spending and human resources
  • Planned spending
  • Planned human resources
  • Estimates by vote
  • Future-Oriented Condensed Statement of Operations
• Supplementary information
  • Corporate information
  • Supplementary information tables
  • Federal tax expenditures
  • Organizational contact information
• Appendix: definitions
• Endnotes

Message from the Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer

Our 2017-2018 Departmental Plan provides parliamentarians and Canadians with information on what we do and the results we are trying to achieve during the upcoming year. To improve reporting to Canadians, we are introducing a new, simplified report to replace the Report on Plans and Priorities.

The title of the report has been changed to reflect its purpose: to communicate our annual performance goals and the financial and human resources forecast to deliver those results. The report has also been restructured to tell a clearer, more straightforward and balanced story of the actual results we are trying to achieve, while continuing to provide transparency on how tax payers’ dollars will be spent. We describe our programs and services for Canadians, our priorities for 2017-2018, and how our work will fulfill our departmental mandate commitments and the government priorities.

In the coming year, the Committee faces a number of changes to its operating environment. In particular, a new Chairperson, two Vice-Chairpersons (full- and part-time) and a number of members will be appointed in 2017-2018. Since the Committee members are responsible for reviewing grievances and issuing findings and recommendations, this new complement of members will result in a significant period of transition for the Committee.

Nonetheless, through training plans and knowledge transfer and by monitoring and adjusting to referral tendencies (i.e., the number and nature of grievances referred to the Committee by the Canadian Armed Forces), the Committee will ensure that it remains agile and has the capacity to address cases in a fair and expeditious manner, without compromising the quality of its findings and recommendations.

In addition, the Committee is in the midst of the transformation of its internal services. This will continue through 2017-2018, as the Committee prepares for the implementation of a new financial system and a reduction in its physical workplace. The Committee will remain engaged in government-wide initiatives aimed at increasing effectiveness and reducing internal services costs.

With each year come challenges and opportunities, and the year ahead surely holds much of the same. I am confident, however, that the Committee and its employees will successfully capitalize on opportunities and face challenges with well thought out plans and approaches.

Caroline Maynard
Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer (Interim)

Plans at a glance

In 2017-2018, the Committee will focus on ensuring a smooth arrival of a new Chairperson and CEO, as well as the onboarding of new Committee members, to ensure that they have the requisite training, development, and support so that they can fulfill their duties. These changes will represent a significant period of transition for the Committee.

In addition, the Committee will concentrate on ensuring Internal Services delivery is not affected by internal and external transformation initiatives.

For more information on the Military Grievances External Review Committee’s plans, priorities and planned results, see the “Planned results” section of this report.

Raison d’être, mandate and role: who we are and what we do

Raison d’être

The raison d’être of the Military Grievances External Review Committee (Committee) is to provide an independent and external review of military grievances. Section 29 of the National Defence Act^{Endnote i} (NDA) provides a statutory right for an officer or a non-commissioned member who has been aggrieved, to grieve a decision, an act or an omission in the administration of the affairs of the Canadian Armed Forces. The importance of this broad right cannot be overstated since it is, with certain narrow exceptions, the only formal complaint process available to Canadian Armed Forces members.

Mandate and role

The Military Grievances External Review Committee is an independent administrative tribunal reporting to Parliament through the Minister of National Defence.

The Committee reviews military grievances referred to it pursuant to s. 29 of the National Defence Act and provides findings and recommendations to the Chief of the Defence Staff^{Endnote ii} and the Canadian Armed Forces member who submitted the grievance.

The Committee also has the obligation to deal with all matters before it as informally and expeditiously as the circumstances and the considerations of fairness permit.

For more general information about the department, see the “Supplementary information” section of this report. For more information on the department’s organizational mandate letter commitments, see the Minister’s mandate letter on the Prime Minister of Canada’s website.^{Endnote iii}

Operating context: conditions affecting our work

The Committee is a micro organization of fewer than 50 employees tasked with a very specific mandate – the independent review of military grievances. Since its establishment in 2000, the Committee has built a strong foundation and solid group of knowledgeable and experienced employees. As a result, the Committee is able to produce Findings and Recommendations (F&R) that take into consideration the facts of each case and apply the applicable policies and regulations. Over the years, the Canadian Armed Forces members and the different officers who acted as Final Authority of the grievance process, have noted their appreciation of the quality of F&R.

Over the past five years, the Committee’s workload has increased significantly, as a result of a greater number of cases being referred by the Canadian Forces Grievance Authority, to the Committee for an external review. This increase has offered the Committee the opportunity to revise its processes to ensure that it is able to produce a higher number of high-quality F&R, within the same timeframe. The Committee does not control the type or number of cases referred for its review in any given year. As the Committee is made up of members appointed by the Governor in Council (GIC), there is also little internal control over who is appointed and when. This poses a challenge for the Committee in terms of its ability to issue F&R in a timely fashion, given that new members may require time to familiarize themselves with the military issues being grieved or the process. At the time of writing, the Committee does not have an adequate complement of members to satisfy the requirements under the National Defence Act – to have a full-time Chairperson, two Vice-Chairpersons (one full-time, one part-time), and additional members as required. Not having an adequate number of members in place impacts operations in that it is preventing the Committee from carrying out its mandate.

Overall, the Committee is prepared to manage challenges as they arise, and to mitigate risks. The Committee is a resilient organization and has demonstrated its ability to adapt and overcome.

Key risks: things that could affect our ability to achieve our plans and results

There is a risk that the Committee will not have an adequate complement of members with the appropriate skillset to carry out its mandate

As noted above, under the NDA, the GIC appoints a Chairperson, at least two Vice-Chairpersons (one full-time and one part-time), and any other members required to carry out its mandate. There is a risk that the GIC appointment process will not yield an appropriate complement of members to effectively deliver on its mandate. The unique mandate of the Committee combined with limited knowledge transfer and no overlap could make it difficult for the Committee to carry out its functions, and ultimately impact the quality and timeliness of its F&R.

To mitigate this risk, the Committee will identify required training for newly-appointed Committee members and will develop detailed briefings and a formalized suite of training. The Committee will closely monitor the internal review process and timelines, and will adapt its grievance review process as required to support the new members.

There is a risk that the transformation of internal services, including reduction in costs, will impact service delivery

In 2017-2018, the Committee will continue to implement shared service delivery models and back-office transformation initiatives. It will also continue to modernize its business processes to support the government in transforming its internal services. Currently, 75-80% of internal service resources are dedicated to routine activities, leaving only 20-25% for project-based activities. There is a risk that the transition associated with government-wide initiatives could interrupt the day-to-day business and ultimately prevent the Committee from effectively delivering on its mandate.

To mitigate this risk, the Committee will develop a change management action plan to guide employees through the evolving processes. The Committee will also continue to review and streamline business processes to improve the speed and efficiency of business transactions and to ensure that processes are lean.

The Committee will explore opportunities to establish agreements with other small organizations to provide/share/receive internal services. These strategies will ensure that changes to internal services costs, and human resource implications will not impact the quality and timeliness of the review of military grievances.

There is a risk that there will be a significant reduction in volume of grievances received

The Committee is a demand-driven organization and has no control over the volume of cases referred to it by the CAF. This could drastically reduce should the CAF change the referral scheme or should the CAF decide not to use its discretion to send additional files as permitted by the NDA, under the so-called “principled approach” currently used to send almost all files at the final authority level to the Committee.

To mitigate this risk, the Committee will communicate regularly with the CAF to establish and maintain relationships with key stakeholders in the grievance process. The Committee will continue to monitor the quality of F&R produced, and explore opportunities to streamline its internal grievance process, as well as manage workload through careful planning and monitoring.

There is a risk that the Committee will not have an adequate complement of staff with the appropriate skillset to carry out its mandate

Given the nature of the work and its micro size, the Committee has a limited ability to offer opportunities for advancement and career development, making it difficult to attract and retain employees. As such, there is a risk that the Committee will not have the appropriate staff to carry out its mandate. The Committee's effectiveness is due in large part to its knowledgeable and stable workforce. Other risk drivers include the fluctuation in workload, retirements and turnover, strikes, and government-wide initiatives.

To mitigate this risk, the Committee will continue to emphasize succession planning for key positions, establish formal knowledge transfer initiatives, and offer hiring managers the flexibility to use a variety of staffing mechanisms, strategies that have been successful in the past. The Committee will also continue its successful approach of encouraging and supporting training and development opportunities for employees, as well as streamlining and managing workload through planning and staffing activities.

Planned results: what we want to achieve this year and beyond

Program

Program title

Independent review of military grievances

Description

The Military Grievances External Review Committee, an independent tribunal, reviews military grievances referred to it pursuant to section 29 of the National Defence Act which provides a statutory right for an officer or a non-commissioned member who has been aggrieved, to grieve a decision, an act or an omission in the administration of the affairs of the Canadian Armed Forces; this is, with certain narrow exceptions, the only formal complaint process available to members of the Canadian Armed Forces.

The Committee provides findings and recommendations to the Chief of the Defence Staff and the member who submitted the grievance. The findings and recommendations may also identify issues with policies or other matters of broad concern. The Committee conducts its review as informally and expeditiously as the circumstances and the considerations of fairness permit.

The Committee reports the results of its activities through its annual report and various publications.

Planning highlights

• Managing transition of Chairperson and CEO – ensure smooth transition between the incumbent and the newly-appointed Chairperson and CEO
  • Provide training to Chairperson and CEO:
    • Identify required training
    • Develop and deliver internal training and support (Including the Introduction to the CAF)
  • Develop an outreach program for the Chairperson and CEO to meet with stakeholders (grievance-related stakeholders and CEO-related stakeholders)
• Training, development and support of Committee members – ensure Committee members have the requisite training, development, and support so that they can fulfill their duties
  • Provide training to new Committee members:
    • Identify required training
    • Develop and deliver internal training and support (Including the Introduction to the CAF)
• To complement its custom of reviewing its processes to innovatively establish where greater efficiencies may be gained, the Committee will focus in 2017-2018 on rendering its operational processes more paperless to boost efficiency and facilitate the processing of cases

Internal Services

Description

Internal Services are those groups of related activities and resources that the federal government considers to be services in support of programs and/or required to meet corporate obligations of an organization. Internal Services refers to the activities and resources of the 10 distinct service categories that support Program delivery in the organization, regardless of the Internal Services delivery model in a department. The 10 service categories are: Management and Oversight Services; Communications Services; Legal Services; Human Resources Management Services; Financial Management Services; Information Management Services; Information Technology Services; Real Property Services; Materiel Services; and Acquisition Services.

Planning highlights

• Managing the transformation of Internal Services – ensure Internal Services delivery is not affected by internal and external transformation initiatives
  • Develop a change management action plan
  • Manage Corporate Services priorities
  • Participate in Internal Services initiatives for small departments and agencies
  • Explore and evaluate the possibility of creating clusters
  • Search for alternative service delivery solutions to reduce costs

Spending and human resources

Planned spending

The Military Grievances External Review Committee is estimating budgetary expenditures of $6,722,826. The Committee’s expenditures remain approximately the same as the previous years.

Planned human resources

Estimates by vote

For information on the Military Grievances External Review Committee’s organizational appropriations, consult the 2017-2018 Main Estimates^{Endnote iv}.

Future-Oriented Condensed Statement of Operations

The Future-Oriented Condensed Statement of Operations provides a general overview of the Military Grievances External Review Committee’s operations. The forecast of financial information on expenses and revenues is prepared on an accrual accounting basis to strengthen accountability and to improve transparency and financial management.

Because the Future-Oriented Condensed Statement of Operations is prepared on an accrual accounting basis, and the forecast and planned spending amounts presented in other sections of the Departmental Plan are prepared on an expenditure basis, amounts may differ.

A more detailed Future-Oriented Statement of Operations and associated notes, including a reconciliation of the net cost of operations to the requested authorities, are available on the Military Grievances External Review Committee’s website^{Endnote v}.

Estimated results in 2016-2017 are lower than those in 2017-2018 due to savings in operating expenditures in 2016-2017. As the Committee was without its full complement of members during this time, salary expenditures were less than anticipated in 2016-2017.

Supplementary information

Corporate information

Organizational profile

Appropriate minister: The Honourable Harjit Singh Sajjan, P.C., M.P.

Institutional head: Caroline Maynard, Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer (Interim)

Ministerial portfolio: National Defence

Enabling instrument: National Defence Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. N-5^{Endnote vi}

Year of incorporation / commencement: 2000

Other: About the Committee^{Endnote vii}

Reporting framework

The Military Grievances External Review Committee Strategic Outcome and Program Alignment Architecture (PAA) of record for 2017-2018 are shown below:

Supplementary information tables

The following supplementary information tables are available on the Military Grievances External Review Committee’s website.

• Upcoming evaluations over the next five fiscal years

Federal tax expenditures

The tax system can be used to achieve public policy objectives through the application of special measures such as low tax rates, exemptions, deductions, deferrals and credits. The Department of Finance Canada publishes cost estimates and projections for these measures each year in the Report on Federal Tax Expenditures.^{Endnote ix} This report also provides detailed background information on tax expenditures, including descriptions, objectives, historical information and references to related federal spending programs. The tax measures presented in this report are the responsibility of the Minister of Finance.

Organizational contact information

Military Grievances External Review Committee
60 Queen Street, 10^th Floor
Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5Y7
Canada
Telephone: (613) 996-8529
Secure Telephone: 877-276-4193
Fax: (613) 996-6491
Secure Fax: (613) 995-8129
TDD: 877-986-1666
Email: mgerc-ceegm@mgerc-ceegm.gc.ca
Web: https://www.canada.ca/en/military-grievances-external-review.html

Appendix: definitions

appropriation (crédit)

Any authority of Parliament to pay money out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund.

budgetary expenditures (dépenses budgétaires)

Operating and capital expenditures; transfer payments to other levels of government, organizations or individuals; and payments to Crown corporations.

Core Responsibility (responsabilité essentielle)

An enduring function or role performed by a department. The intentions of the department with respect to a Core Responsibility are reflected in one or more related Departmental Results that the department seeks to contribute to or influence.

Departmental Plan (Plan ministériel)

Provides information on the plans and expected performance of appropriated departments over a three-year period. Departmental Plans are tabled in Parliament each spring.

Departmental Result (résultat ministériel)

A Departmental Result represents the change or changes that the department seeks to influence. A Departmental Result is often outside departments’ immediate control, but it should be influenced by program-level outcomes.

Departmental Result Indicator (indicateur de résultat ministériel)

A factor or variable that provides a valid and reliable means to measure or describe progress on a Departmental Result.

Departmental Results Framework (cadre ministériel des résultats)

Consists of the department’s Core Responsibilities, Departmental Results and Departmental Result Indicators.

Departmental Results Report (Rapport sur les résultats ministériels)

Provides information on the actual accomplishments against the plans, priorities and expected results set out in the corresponding Departmental Plan.

full-time equivalent (équivalent temps plein)

A measure of the extent to which an employee represents a full person-year charge against a departmental budget. Full-time equivalents are calculated as a ratio of assigned hours of work to scheduled hours of work. Scheduled hours of work are set out in collective agreements.

government-wide priorities (priorités pangouvernementales)

For the purpose of the 2017–18 Departmental Plan, government-wide priorities refers to those high-level themes outlining the government’s agenda in the 2015 Speech from the Throne, namely: Growth for the Middle Class; Open and Transparent Government; A Clean Environment and a Strong Economy; Diversity is Canada's Strength; and Security and Opportunity.

horizontal initiatives (initiative horizontale)

A horizontal initiative is one in which two or more federal organizations, through an approved funding agreement, work toward achieving clearly defined shared outcomes, and which has been designated (e.g. by Cabinet, a central agency, etc.) as a horizontal initiative for managing and reporting purposes.

Management, Resources and Results Structure (Structure de la gestion, des ressources et des résultats)

A comprehensive framework that consists of an organization’s inventory of programs, resources, results, performance indicators and governance information. Programs and results are depicted in their hierarchical relationship to each other and to the Strategic Outcome(s) to which they contribute. The Management, Resources and Results Structure is developed from the Program Alignment Architecture.

non-budgetary expenditures (dépenses non budgétaires)

Net outlays and receipts related to loans, investments and advances, which change the composition of the financial assets of the Government of Canada.

performance (rendement)

What an organization did with its resources to achieve its results, how well those results compare to what the organization intended to achieve, and how well lessons learned have been identified.

Performance indicator (indicateur de rendement)

A qualitative or quantitative means of measuring an output or outcome, with the intention of gauging the performance of an organization, program, policy or initiative respecting expected results.

Performance reporting (production de rapports sur le rendement)

The process of communicating evidence-based performance information. Performance reporting supports decision making, accountability and transparency.

planned spending (dépenses prévues)

For Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports, planned spending refers to those amounts that receive Treasury Board approval by February 1. Therefore, planned spending may include amounts incremental to planned expenditures presented in the Main Estimates.

A department is expected to be aware of the authorities that it has sought and received. The determination of planned spending is a departmental responsibility, and departments must be able to defend the expenditure and accrual numbers presented in their Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports.

plans (plan)

The articulation of strategic choices, which provides information on how an organization intends to achieve its priorities and associated results. Generally a plan will explain the logic behind the strategies chosen and tend to focus on actions that lead up to the expected result.

Priorities (priorité)

Plans or projects that an organization has chosen to focus and report on during the planning period. Priorities represent the things that are most important or what must be done first to support the achievement of the desired Strategic Outcome(s).

program (programme)

A group of related resource inputs and activities that are managed to meet specific needs and to achieve intended results and that are treated as a budgetary unit.

Program Alignment Architecture (architecture d’alignement des programmes)

A structured inventory of an organization’s programs depicting the hierarchical relationship between programs and the Strategic Outcome(s) to which they contribute.

results (résultat)

An external consequence attributed, in part, to an organization, policy, program or initiative. Results are not within the control of a single organization, policy, program or initiative; instead they are within the area of the organization’s influence.

statutory expenditures (dépenses législatives)

Expenditures that Parliament has approved through legislation other than appropriation acts. The legislation sets out the purpose of the expenditures and the terms and conditions under which they may be made.

Strategic Outcome (résultat stratégique)

A long-term and enduring benefit to Canadians that is linked to the organization’s mandate, vision and core functions.

sunset program (programme temporisé)

A time-limited program that does not have an ongoing funding and policy authority. When the program is set to expire, a decision must be made whether to continue the program. In the case of a renewal, the decision specifies the scope, funding level and duration.

target (cible)

A measurable performance or success level that an organization, program or initiative plans to achieve within a specified time period. Targets can be either quantitative or qualitative.

voted expenditures (dépenses votées)

Expenditures that Parliament approves annually through an Appropriation Act. The Vote wording becomes the governing conditions under which these expenditures may be made.