# 2019-201 Careers, Joint Command and Staff Program

Case summary

F&R Date: 2020-12-08

The grievor argued that the decision to de-link the Joint Command Staff Programme (JCSP) serial 45 distance learning (45 DL) from the Master of Defence Studies (MDS) was unreasonable. As redress, the grievor requested that his already completed work, including that of the JCSP 45 DL, be assessed as to whether it met the requirements for a MDS or a portion of the degree equivalencies as those granted in the previous JCSP 44 DL serial

The Commander, Military Personnel Command, acting as the Initial Authority, could not determine the grievance within the established time limit. The grievor requested that his grievance be submitted to the Final Authority (FA) for determination.

The Committee found that the FA does not have the power to determine whether the grievor completed the necessary requirements towards an MDS degree.

The Committee also found that the decision of the Commander, Canada Defence Academy, to no longer provide funding to ensure that JCSP DL credits were accredited at the graduate level and could be applied towards the MDS was reasonable.

The Committee recommended that the FA not afford the grievor redress.

FA decision summary

The Final Authority (FA), the Director Canadian Forces Grievance Authority, agreed with the Committee's recommendation that the grievor not be granted redress. The FA agreed that the decision to de-link the Joint Command and Staff College distance learning programme from the MDS was within the authority of the Commander Canadian Defence Academy and that the Canadian Armed Forces do not have the authority to determine whether the grievor completed the requirements to be granted a MDS degree.