Departmental Results Report 2017-2018

Table of contents

• Message from the Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer
• Results at a glance
• Raison d’être, mandate and role: who we are and what we do
  • Raison d’être
  • Mandate and role
• Operating context and key risks
  • Operating context
  • Key risks
• Results: what we achieved
  • Program
    • Independent review of military grievances
      • Description
      • Results
    • Internal Services
      • Description
      • Results
• Analysis of trends in spending and human resources
  • Actual expenditures
  • Actual human resources
  • Expenditures by vote
  • Government of Canada spending and activities
  • Financial statements and financial statements highlights
    • Financial statements
    • Financial statements highlights
• Supplementary information
  • Corporate information
    • Organizational profile
    • Reporting framework
  • Supplementary information tables
  • Federal tax expenditures
  • Organizational contact information
• Appendix: definitions
• Endnotes

Message from the Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer

I am pleased to present the Military Grievances External Review Committee’s Departmental Results Report for 2017-2018. This is my first report as the new Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and I am excited to lead the organization at a time of transformation and innovation.

Last year was challenging for the Committee. By June 2017, it was left with only the interim Chairperson and CEO to issue findings and recommendations (F&R). At the same time, we were preparing for the arrival of new members, conducting renovations to our offices, and implementing government and internal initiatives. The Committee’s management and employees combined their strengths and successfully navigated this rough transition. Program delivery continued uninterrupted, within our standards of quality and efficiency. As new members began joining the Committee in February 2018, and as various projects wrapped up, a year of challenges turned out to be a year of opportunities.

The Committee’s significant efforts to help new members get up to speed upon their arrival quickly paid off. Their timely integration allowed our teams to process a steady number of grievance referrals and to issue 149 F&R reports. On the internal services side, the Committee worked harder to achieve greater efficiency. Many bureaucratic silos were broken and fluid processes were implemented. In line with the government’s Workplace Renewal Initiative, the renovations reduced our office space and provided the opportunity to acquire innovative information technology infrastructure. The green office initiative also advanced, including the implementation of electronic signatures. 

Support for mental health and workplace well-being was another priority in 2017-2018. The 2017 Public Service Employee Survey indicated that the Committee was on the right path in this area. Indeed, the organization ranked second for best results among both micro-organizations and the public service.

I have been with the Committee since 2015 as Director General, Corporate Services. In this role as well as in my current one, I have had the opportunity to appreciate the value of our dedicated employees. I will continue to draw on their knowledge, as well as the fresh perspective of the new members, as we move the Committee forward.

Christine Guérette
Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer

Results at a glance

• Implemented successful temporary solutions and continued operating – under extenuating circumstances due to vacancies in Committee membership – with minimal impact on quality and credibility
• Swiftly integrated new Committee members by developing training materials and best practices, and transferring knowledge
• Laid the groundwork for a new version of the case management system
• Completed office renovation in line with the government’s Workplace Renewal Initiative
• Invested in innovative information technology infrastructure
• Introduced lean approach, including electronic signatures and simplified administrative processes
• Supported mental health and workplace well-being initiative; the Committee ranked second for best results in the 2017 Public Service Employee Survey

For more information on the Military Grievances External Review Committee’s plans, priorities and results achieved, see the “Results: what we achieved” 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.

Operating context and key risks

Operating context

The Committee is a micro organization of fewer than 50 employees tasked with a very specific mandate – the review of military grievances referred to it by the Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS). It is the external and independent component and intervenes (upon request by the CDS) at the final authority level of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) grievance process. The Committee offers an unbiased analysis of a grievance, identifies issues at stake, and recommends a resolution. The Committee then submits its findings and recommendations (F&R) to the CDS, who makes the final decision about the case.

Internal operating context

The Committee’s internal operating context reflects the strength of its processes and corporate knowledge. At the grievance review program level, the organization managed to build processes that are robust, yet flexible enough to withstand the fluctuations in the volume of referred grievances. A relatively low turnover of employees within the grievance review teams contributed to the Committee’s solid knowledge and expertise in military culture and affairs. Even with looming retirements, this knowledge base is expected to remain within the Committee thanks to the collaborative efforts of the grievance review teams, an important registry of precedents, and the program’s advanced case management system. All this is completed by a solid succession planning throughout the organization.

The Committee also enjoys a positive workplace environment. Employees have expressed satisfaction for the excellent work-life balance that continues to improve with the help of technology (remote access, telework, etc.).

External operating context

The external operating context is more challenging. The Committee does not control the volume of grievances referred for its review. As well, since Committee members are appointed by the Governor in Council, the Committee has little control over nomination processes that do not always proceed in sync with organizational timeframes and requirements. As previously noted, the Committee operated for much of the year with only the interim Chairperson and CEO left to issue F&R. This unprecedented situation, however, was an opportunity to test the organization’s adaptability strategies. The Committee proved resilient, not only because it has learned to operate with uncertainty related to its workload and its resources, but also due to its agility in implementing temporary solutions. The Committee therefore continued operating through the year under extenuating circumstances with minimal impact on its quality and credibility.

Key risks

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

Throughout most of 2017-2018, the Committee was without its full complement of members, operating with only an interim Chairperson and CEO. This placed significant strain on the team, as well as this one individual who was responsible for issuing F&R within the Committee’s established timeframe. Throughout the year, the Committee looked for ways to adapt the grievance review process to make it as efficient as possible and alleviate the pressure on the interim Chairperson and CEO.

Starting in February 2018, the Committee’s new members started to arrive. Due to the timing, the mitigation strategies developed were not able to be used to their full potential. The Committee was, however, successful in finding ad hoc solutions in the interim to address the risk having materialized. Once Committee members were in place, they benefited during their transition from the detailed materials and training prepared by the Committee, including a briefing book for members, aimed at ensuring that they have the knowledge necessary to produce high-quality F&R. Members expressed their satisfaction with the support received and noted that they felt better able to carry out their mandate.

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

In 2017-2018, the Committee continued to provide high-quality service to its internal clients, delivering both on major projects as well as its routine tasks. This was achieved by drawing on its solid foundation of employee strengths and by simplifying its processes to achieve greater efficiency.

While the Committee’s renovation project took centre stage, a number of initiatives were achieved in parallel, including redefining an inventory of the Committee’s assets and implementing electronic signatures for a number of processes related to procurement and human resources.

The renovation project was completed within the planned timeframe and budget. Disruption of day-to-day tasks was mostly avoided by keeping employees informed of the project’s progress and activities. This enabled managers and employees to adjust and find alternatives to carry out their work.

In addition, the Committee explored partnership opportunities; one information technology agreement was renewed, while a collaboration related to human resources was deemed to not be the right fit.

Ultimately, the transformation of internal services had a minimal impact on service delivery.

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. During the year, the Committee communicated regularly with the CAF to ensure that it remained abreast of any developments regarding referrals, delays, or backlogs. It was noted during discussions with the Canadian Forces Grievance Authority, that while the CAF’s implementation of a new informal conflict resolution/management process may result in fewer grievances being referred to the Committee for review, the complexity of the files referred would likely increase. This offered the Committee an opportunity to explore options to streamline its internal grievance process. Ultimately, the risk did not materialize and the Committee was not required to put in place additional mitigation strategies.

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

In spite of the specific nature of its mandate and the micro size of the organization, the Committee has maintained a solid complement of skilled and knowledgeable employees. The Committee continued to support and encourage employee training and development opportunities. It offered a number of internal and external opportunities to employees to gain career experience and learn new skills. This ultimately benefited the Committee and the government and will continue to do so, as implicated employees, along with their new skill sets, have remained with, and will be able to contribute more to, the government. Overall, this risk also remained low, as the Committee maintained a relatively stable complement of employees throughout the year.

Results: what we achieved

Program

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.

Results

Results achieved

In 2017-2018, the Committee had planned to welcome a full complement of new members, including a new Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer. Ultimately, in light of the timing of the GIC appointment process, the appointments of a Vice-Chairperson (full-time), a full-time member, and a part-time member were announced later in the year, in December 2017, with these appointments becoming effective starting in February 2018. The interim Chairperson who led the organization starting in January 2017 was appointed to another position in the Government of Canada, and the appointment of a new interim Chairperson (who was ultimately named Chairperson in June 2018) was announced in March 2018.

During this transition, the Committee successfully implemented temporary solutions, exploring ways to make its operations more efficient and alleviate the pressure on the interim Chairperson and CEO. Employees contributed their ideas to make the most of available technology. At the same time, the Committee established required training for new members and developed training and support materials, including a video presentation, an electronic manual for members, and Committee best practices. These efforts contributed to the swift integration of the Committee’s new members, including one located remotely, and the transition also provided an opportunity to innovate in the way the Committee carries out its review of military grievances and to use technology to its fullest potential.

In 2017-2018, the Committee issued 149 findings and recommendations reports.

As well, significant efforts related to planning, testing, and training to implement a new version of the Committee’s case management system were carried out in 2017-2018 and implementation will take place in September 2018. This, along with looking at ways to eliminate – to the extent possible – the use of paper in the grievance review process will support one the organizational priorities for 2018-2019: developing lean and green business processes for the independent review of military grievances program.

For more information on these results, please refer to the Budgetary performance summary for Programs and Internal Services table below.

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.

Results

From the beginning of the fiscal year to its end, the renovation of the Committee’s office space, as part of the Government of Canada Workplace Renewal Initiative, took centre stage. It required multilevel and extensive cooperation between internal services divisions. All worked tirelessly to implement the project with no delays and minimal disruption, while balancing budget, timeframes, requirements, and innovation. The Committee’s refreshed office space now offers greater flexibility and facilitates collaboration between colleagues. The renovation project also offered an opportunity to invest in innovative information technology tools to support its transition to a more modern workplace.

Lean and green business processes were introduced, including electronic signatures, a single-window for various services (information technology, finance, and security requests), and simplified procurement practices. These have enabled functional specialists to carry out their tasks and monitor their workload to maximize efficiency.

In 2017-2018, the Committee also reviewed the skills and competencies for positions across the organization. Employees were consulted during the process and, as a result, the Committee now has a full complement of up-to-date human resources documentation and tools.

In 2017-2018, the Committee also maintained its commitment to supporting mental health and a healthy workplace. Various activities and events were conducted. Supporting mental health is now included in the performance agreement of every Committee employee with supervisory responsibilities.

Finally, throughout the year, the Committee looked for possibilities to share internal services with other small departments and agencies to reduce costs. A human resources arrangement with another small organization was explored but did not bear fruit because it would not yield significant cost savings. The Committee did, however, renew its IT agreement with the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police for another year.

For more information on these results, please refer to the Budgetary performance summary for Programs and Internal Services table below.

Analysis of trends in spending and human resources

Actual expenditures

The difference between 2017-2018 total authorities available for use and actual spending is largely attributable to the Committee’s Workplace Renewal Initiative. The Committee had anticipated launching this project in 2016-2017 but, due to circumstances beyond its control, the project was not carried out during that fiscal year. As a result, to ensure that its spending remained within its authorities, the Committee sought to carry over the funding that had been set aside in 2016-2017 for this project to complete it in 2017-2018. Ultimately, this funding was not required, as the Committee was able to cover the costs associated with this project within its existing budget, due to the delays in the Governor in Council appointment of four Committee members.

The variance in 2017-2018 actual versus planned spending is largely attributable to:

• Independent review of military grievances program – decrease in spending due to delays in the appointment of Committee members and resulting delays in staffing a number of program-based positions
• Internal Services – increase in spending due to the Committee’s Workplace Renewal Initiative and investment in the Committee’s technology infrastructure

The increase in planned spending in internal services for future years is largely due to the Committee’s planned improvements and maintenance of its digital infrastructure and efforts to transition to a more modern workplace that is innovative in its use of technology.

Actual human resources

The appointment of Committee members anticipated in early 2017-2018 occurred toward the end of 2017-2018, which resulted in a decrease in actual full-time equivalents compared to what was planned. Now that the Committee has its full complement of members, including the Chairperson and CEO, staffing processes are underway for the outstanding program-based positions.

Expenditures by vote

For information on the Military Grievances External Review Committee’s organizational voted and statutory expenditures, consult the Public Accounts of Canada 2017–2018.^{Endnote iii}

Government of Canada spending and activities

Information on the alignment of the Military Grievances External Review Committee’s spending with the Government of Canada’s spending and activities is available in the GC InfoBase^{Endnote iv}.

Financial statements and financial statements highlights

Financial statements

The Military Grievances External Review Committee’s financial statements (unaudited) for the year ended March 31, 2018, are available on the departmental website^{Endnote v}.

Financial statements highlights

The majority of the Committee’s expenses relate to salaries, office space rental, and professional services. The variance in 2017-2018 actual versus planned results can be largely attributed to the Committee’s Workplace Renewal Initiative, which is not reflected in this Condensed Statement of Operations as it is a capital project.

In 2017-2018, there was a significant increase in the total non-financial assets, which is mainly attributable to expenditures related the Committee’s Workplace Renewal Initiative, as well as investment in information technology equipment in support of the Committee’s technology infrastructure renewal strategy.

Supplementary information

Corporate information

Organizational profile

Appropriate minister: The Hon. Harjit S. Sajjan, PC, OMM, MSM, CD, MP

Institutional head: Christine Guérette, Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer

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’s Strategic Outcome and Program Alignment Architecture 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^{Endnote viii}:

• Internal audits
• Response to parliamentary committees and external audits

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

60 Queen Street, 10^th Floor
Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5Y7
Canada
Telephone: (613) 996-8529
Toll-Free Telephone: 877-276-4193
Fax: (613) 996-6491
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.

Departmental Plan (plan ministériel)

A report on the plans and expected performance of an appropriated department over a three-year period. Departmental Plans are tabled in Parliament each spring.

Departmental Results Report (rapport sur les résultats ministériels)

A report on an appropriated department’s actual accomplishments against the plans, priorities and expected results set out in the corresponding Departmental Plan.

evaluation (évaluation)

In the Government of Canada, the systematic and neutral collection and analysis of evidence to judge merit, worth or value. Evaluation informs decision making, improvements, innovation and accountability. Evaluations typically focus on programs, policies and priorities and examine questions related to relevance, effectiveness and efficiency. Depending on user needs, however, evaluations can also examine other units, themes and issues, including alternatives to existing interventions. Evaluations generally employ social science research methods.

experimentation (expérimentation)

Activities that seek to explore, test and compare the effects and impacts of policies, interventions and approaches, to inform evidence-based decision-making, by learning what works and what does not.

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.

gender-based analysis plus (GBA+) (analyse comparative entre les sexes plus [ACS+])

An analytical approach used to assess how diverse groups of women, men and gender-diverse people may experience policies, programs and initiatives. The “plus” in GBA+ acknowledges that the gender-based analysis goes beyond biological (sex) and socio-cultural (gender) differences. We all have multiple identity factors that intersect to make us who we are; GBA+ considers many other identity factors, such as race, ethnicity, religion, age, and mental or physical disability. Examples of GBA+ processes include using data disaggregated by sex, gender and other intersecting identity factors in performance analysis, and identifying any impacts of the program on diverse groups of people, with a view to adjusting these initiatives to make them more inclusive.

government-wide priorities (priorités pangouvernementales)

For the purpose of the 2017–18 Departmental Results Report, 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 initiative (initiative horizontale)

An initiative where two or more departments are given funding to pursue a shared outcome, often linked to a government priority.

Management, Resources and Results Structure (structure de 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.

plan (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.

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.

priority (priorité)

A plan or project 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) or Departmental Results.

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.

result (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.