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Response to Parliamentary Committees and External Audits
| 19th Report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, 40th Parliament, 3rd Session, "Chapter 5, Acquiring Military Vehicles for Use in Afghanistan of the Fall 2009 Report of the Auditor General" (Adopted by the Committee on October 7, 2010; Presented to the House on October 25, 2010). Original Report Government Response |
| Recommendation | Government Response/Commitment | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 2. That National Defence provide a status report to the Public Accounts Committee by 31 January 2011 on its progress in addressing the recommendations made by the Office of the Auditor General in Chapter 5 of the Fall 2009 Report; and that National Defence continue to provide annual status reports until all of the OAG's recommendations have been addressed. | The Government accepts this recommendation and will provide annual status reports to the Auditor General until all of the OAG's recommendations have been addressed. Additionally, DND will report on progress to meet the OAG's recommendations in its Departmental Performance Report, until all of the OAG's recommendations have been addressed. | Please see the section titled “Response to the Auditor General”. |
| 4. That National Defence ensure that key decisions for urgent operational requirements are adequately documented, as was noted by the Office of the Auditor General in recommendation 5.83. | The Government accepts this recommendation and has begun to work towards implementing it. National Defence issued interim guidance for Unforecasted Operational Requirements, which outlines the minimum essential documentation required for urgent acquisitions. Additionally, National Defence is reviewing its project approval process to ensure that relevant information is not excluded when project approvals are being fast-tracked for urgent projects. To that end, National Defence is revising its Project Approval Guidance and will engage the Treasury Board Secretariat in consultations once a substantive draft has been finalized. The revised Project Approval Guidance is expected to receive final approval by September 2011. | A complete new draft of the DND Project Approval Guide (PAG) has been completed and is undergoing review. Comments from TB Secretariat are scheduled to arrive by 22 August 2011. The new PAG is scheduled for review and endorsement by the DND Programme Management Board (PMB) on 15 September 2011, which will enable it to be fully implemented on the departmental (internal) website by November 2011. |
| 2nd Report of the Standing Committee on National Defence, 40th Parliament, 2nd Session, "Health Services Provided to Canadian Forces Personnel with an Emphasis on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder" (Adopted by the Committee on June 8, 2009; Presented to the House on June 17, 2009) Original Report Government Response |
| Recommendation | Government Response/Commitment | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 9. The Canadian Forces to ensure that members and their families are provided with information about the risk of domestic violence that is associated with OSI and PTSD, and to provide services to family members who are at risk of or suffering from domestic violence as a result of OSI or PTSD. | The Government has already taken actions to address this issue. A CF directive has been issued outlining the steps to be followed when an incident of family violence occurs. It explains the CF policy on family violence, establishes a framework for management/implementation of the policy at both national and unit levels and assigns responsibility/authority for the various elements of the policy. The CF has also adopted an interdisciplinary team including health care providers, chaplains, Military Police and Military Family Resource Centre staff who assist in educating the CF on the prevention of family violence as well as responding to incidents. Moreover, the newly formed Mental Health & OSI Joint Speakers Bureau is currently developing new mental health educational curriculum, which will include information about the risk of domestic violence associated with OSI and PTSD, and coordinating its delivery. While the new curriculum is being developed, the focus within the CF is on how to motivate CF members to encourage their families to attend information sessions where the link between domestic violence and OSI is discussed. |
The Canadian Forces now has 24 Integrated Personnel Support Centres located across Canada who support ill and injured personnel and their families, as well as families of the deceased. They provide high quality, consistent personal and administrative support based on individual needs during all phases of recovery, rehabilitation and reintegration. It continues to enhance its
peer-based support programs, assisting those who are affected by Operational Stress Injuries, a serious physical impairment, or the loss of a loved one.
Families have access to social support through trained Family Peer support coordinators within the Operational Stress Injury Social Support (OSISS) program. The Mental Health & OSI Joint Speakers Bureau has developed new mental health educational curriculum that is specific to families and deployment which includes information about potential negative behaviours associated with OSI and PTSD. The Joint Personnel Support Unit (JPSU) is now fully operational and has established Integrated Personnel Support Centres in 24 locations across Canada. The JPSU has been very successful in providing focused support to ill and injured CF personnel and their families. The collaboration with multiple service partners has greatly simplified the provision of high quality, standardized administrative and personal support to those who require it. JPSU staff have acquired significant expertise and experience that enable them to provide and facilitate comprehensive support based on individual needs. Families of the deceased now also have access to a consistent point of contact with the CF, and can also benefit from the services offered through the JPSU. This curriculum provides consistent information to both CF personnel and their families, including stress reduction strategies, experiences that are common in the deployment cycle, and a mental health continuum that allows recognition of behaviours that help identify when assistance should be sought. Delivery of the family curriculum is being made available both through personal sessions and web-based delivery to enable access by as many families as possible. CF personnel are also encouraged to discuss the Mental Health training they receive prior to deployment with their families, and the training provided during the decompression phase is oriented to assist returning personnel with the successful reintegration into family life. In addition to the work that has already been described, the CF Family Violence Advisory Committee (CF FVAC) was re-instituted. |
| 10. The Canadian Forces to develop a formal outreach program to educate contracted health care professionals about the unique nature of military experiences encountered on international missions, particularly those involving any degree of combat. | The Government is currently working in this direction. Local level initiatives, such as the collective clinical training offered at CFB Gagetown and Valcartier for all health care professionals, are already well underway to develop such an understanding among both Public Service and contracted health care professionals, but there would be benefit in a more formal approach. To this end, the CF Health Services Group recently began developing a civilian personnel orientation package geared initially to Public Servants and civilian contractors. The package is expected to include information on the military culture, organization, terminology and domestic and international operations, including those involving combat, as well as occupational health aspects of the military. It could be completed as early as November 2009. | As part of the Quality Improvement Working Group, this point was identified. The intent is to develop an orientation package in order to educate contracted health care professionals about the unique nature of military experiences encountered on international missions, particularly those involving any degree of combat. CF health Services will develop an orientation program ("CF-101" Course) in line with the Departmental Orientation Program. The CF-101 course would be offered to all contracted health care professionals during the annual orientation session at their unit. Estimated start date for the course is August 2012. |
| 15. The Canadian Forces to recognize there still exists a certain culture, perhaps even a prejudice, regarding how mental illness is perceived among its rank and file. |
The CF recognizes the stigma attached to mental health and is very pro-active in addressing this issue. The newly formed Joint Speakers Bureau, which includes mental health clinicians and OSI veterans, has been actively educating CF members and the chain of command at all stages of a member's career on mental health and the importance of creating a supportive environment so members
can come forward early for mental health care. More recently, the CDS campaign raised the importance of mental health as a leadership issue. There is evidence that these efforts to decrease stigma have been successful in that members are seeking help much earlier when mental issues arise, indicating a significant reduction in stigma as a barrier to care. Moreover, the Global Business
and Economic Roundtable on Addiction and Mental Health recently "praised the military for its success in taking some of the stigma out of mental illness." Mr. Bill Wilkerson, the Chairman of the Roundtable, stated that "the military and paramilitary have crossed the Rubicon in recognizing that mental illness is a real expression of ill health and not weak character."
Information on mental health and OSI is already included in all Basic Military Qualification Training for commissioned and non-commissioned members, as well as Primary Leadership Qualification and Advanced Leadership Qualification. However, the CF is currently reviewing the detailed descriptions of the knowledge, skills, and other attributes required for all members of the CF for both officers and non commissioned personnel. This review is expected to result in the addition of OSI information to a greater number of courses. As of 1 October 2009, there will also be a standardized mental health and OSI pre-deployment education for all CF members, including leaders at all levels. This pre-deployment education will include recognition of behaviours often associated with mental health conditions, possible interventions, as well as information about available resources. |
The mental health education and programs that are now in place are effectively addressing this issue. This education is promoting understanding and acceptance of mental illness which in turn is resulting in positive cultural change. In this regard our most significant ally is the strong support from senior leadership which has consistently taken an active and genuine interest in the
health and well being of subordinates. Senior leadership has created a climate that de-stigmatizes mental health problems and mental health care.
We now have the most comprehensive, multi-faceted approach to address barriers to accessing mental health care of any employer in Canada. Our mental health training programs are effectively changing the targeted attitudes and beliefs. CF members are significantly less likely to report barriers to care than are personnel in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, or New Zealand. This is now a continuing process that is well established and successfully implemented. |
| 19. The Department of National Defence to ensure that adequate resources are allocated to the establishment of a sufficient number of the Joint Personnel Support Units and Integrated Personnel Support Centres to provide this level of support and service nation-wide. | DND continually strives to improve the resources, both financial and human, to support establishments throughout the country. Up to now, there is one Joint Personnel Support Unit with 19 Integrated Personnel Support Centres in its chain of command across Canada. Work is ongoing with the CF to assess the need for additional centres. | The Canadian Forces now has 24 Integrated Personnel Support Centres located across Canada who support ill and injured personnel and their families, as well as families of the deceased. They provide high quality, consistent personal and administrative support based on individual needs during all phases of recovery, rehabilitation and reintegration. It continues to enhance its peer-based support programs, assisting those who are affected by Operational Stress Injuries, a serious physical impairment, or the loss of a loved one. |
| 20. Reserve unit chains of command to be intimately and proactively involved in ensuring their returning personnel complete the post-deployment process on time, including all necessary administration, interviews and medical appointments. Where individual Reservists are undergoing continuing care and treatment after full-time service, Reserve unit chains of command to remain in regular contact with CFHS case managers and to take an active interest in the soldier's treatment programme. |
The Government agrees that the military chain of command must be fully engaged in the health of their returning personnel. To ensure that returning Reservists complete all the necessary administration, interviews and medical appointments, DND has implemented a program known as the Reserve Medical Link Team whereby all returning Reservists are contacted and tracked to ensure that
post-deployment screening is completed. To date, 90% of Primary Reserve members who participated in ROTO 5 of the CF mission in Afghanistan have been contacted, with final contact taking place 12 months after their return to Canada. Approximately 80% of Primary Reservists participating in ROTO 6 have now had initial contact. The Reserve Medical Link Team also liaises regularly with CF
Case Managers and the situations of all Primary Reserve members requiring care are discussed in case conferences that review individual health care needs and management plans.
|
The Health Services Group (H Svcs Gp) was directed to cease the Reserve Medical Link Team (RMLT) activity effective 31 Mar 2011 because it was not an approved or funded initiative. Recognizing the importance of the functions, the H Svcs Gp has reprioritized existing funding and the functions formally carried out by the RMLT will transition to the Field Ambulance Medical Link Team (FAMLT). New team members will be tasked and funded within existing Class A Health Services Reserve allocation. |
| 34. The federal government to move immediately to provide the necessary resources to reach full operational capability of the Canadian Forces Health Information Systems project, with the assistance of a database. | The CFHIS will improve the management of health information that is created within CF facilities. However, CF members also receive care from the public health care system. Accordingly, full operational capability of the CFHIS will not be realized until the CFHIS is rolled out to each CF Clinic and then connected to the emerging pan-Canadian Electronic Health Record. This will then allow care providers in both the CF and the public health care system to have complete health information. As recommended, the CF, as a member of the FHP, is collaborating with other federal organizations with similar needs in a whole of government effort towards identifying the requirements for federal participation in the pan-Canadian Electronic Health Record. | The Canadian Forces Health Information System (CFHIS) Project continues to be on time and on budget and during the reporting period, 27 of the 42 clinics have implemented the final phase. Stakeholders have responded very positively to the final phase otherwise known as PCPN (Primary Care Progress Notes). CFHIS continues to be identified by the TB Secretariat - Chief Information Officer (CIO) as a solid model for other federal departments with health care delivery responsibilities. An interoperability feasibility study was completed 31 March 2011 indicating a way forward for connectivity to other provincial jurisdictions which also provides recommendations on connecting with other federal departments. |
| 1st Report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, 40th Parliament, 2nd Session, "Chapter 4, Military Health Care – National Defence of the October 2007 Report of the Auditor General of Canada" (Adopted by the Committee on February 12, 2009; Presented to the House on February 25, 2009) Original Report Government Response |
| Recommendation | Government Response/Commitment | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 1. National Defence to provide the Public Accounts Committee with a detailed progress report by 31 October 2008 on the implementation of its plan to address deficiencies identified by the Office of the Auditor General in its audit on Military Health Care. | The Government accepts this recommendation, with the necessary revision to the timeline. The Government has developed an action plan intended to address the recommendations contained in the Auditor General's report on military health care. This action plan was presented to the Public Accounts Committee on 31 January 2008. An updated action plan was provided to the Auditor General in spring 2009. DND intends to provide the Committee with a copy of this updated action plan, which includes details on progress to date, by the end of June 2009. Progress towards achievement of these recommendations will be provided to the Auditor General on a regular basis. Copies of these reports will be provided to the Committee as they become available. | A detailed progress report was provided to the Committee on 7 July 2010. |
| 2. National Defence to provide information in its annual Departmental Performance Report on the aggregate costs of the military health care system, as well as the number of physicians, nurses, pharmacists, medical technicians, and physician's assistants employed in that system. | The Government accepts this recommendation. DND will report this information in the Fiscal Year 2009/10 Departmental Performance Report. In future years, DND will also look for other ways to make this information available to the public. |
The current budget for the CF H Svcs Gp is $451.3 million. This represents the majority of the expected expenditures for the CF health care system, noting that it excludes pay for regular force military members and costs for current operations.
Currently, in the military health care system the CF employs: 128 Dentists; 121 Health Care Administrators; 57 Health Services Operation Officers; 234 Physicians (including specialists); 197 Nurses; 35 Pharmacists; 30 Physiotherapists; 26 Social Workers; 16 Bio-engineering Technicians; 202 Dental Technicians; 20 Laboratory Technicians; 27 Radiological Technicians; 1162 Medical Technicians; and 163 Physician Assistants. |
| 3. National Defence to conduct a comprehensive survey by 30 June 2009 of the state of mental health of CF members and the quality of mental health care services they and their families receive, with a special emphasis on those returning from overseas operations. | The Government accepts the intent of this recommendation and has already been working towards its implementation. Two surveys are currently underway as a part of a regular program to determine areas of personnel support in need of updating. The first survey, Canadian Forces Health and Lifestyle Information Survey (2008), will help determine the state of mental health in the CF, as well as develop a picture of the overall health and fitness of CF personnel. The survey contains significant emphasis on mental health issues including questions on depression, mental distress, post traumatic stress disorder and suicide. In addition there is a large section on the utilization of mental health services and patient satisfaction. The survey is sent to a random selection of CF members and will be compared to previous surveys. The survey was sent out in three cycles to take into account seasonal variations in factors such as physical activity. The first cycle was sent out in the fall of 2008. While the results of all three phases will not be ready to analyze until fall 2009, preliminary mental health results could be available by July 2009. The second survey (entitled Your Say) measures the attitudes of CF personnel and their families towards the CF and its quality of life programs. The next version of the survey will be sent to CF members in June 2009 and will contain questions to measure the availability of mental health resources for CF members and their families. Capturing the views of those returning from overseas operations is particularly important to ensuring the CF health system meets the needs of members. In addition to the two surveys, on completion of lengthy deployments, CF members receive briefings on mental health issues and have an opportunity to discuss, in private, any personal concerns with a mental health provider, including concerns related to the availability of services. Ninety to 180 days after returning to Canada, members are required to complete a detailed health questionnaire and an in-depth interview with a mental health professional to discuss any outstanding issues. | The 2008/09 Canadian Forces Health and Lifestyle Information Survey: Regular Force Report (HLIS) and Your Say: Spring 2008 Results were provided to the Committee on 10 December 2010. |
| 4. National Defence to report in its annual Departmental Performance Report on the status and implementation of the Canadian Forces Health Information System, including whether the system is on budget and on time. | The Government accepts this recommendation. DND will report this information in the Fiscal Year 2009/10 Departmental Performance Report. In future years, DND will also look for other ways to make this information available to the public. | The CFHIS Project continues to be on time and on budget and during the reporting period, 27 of the 42 clinics have implemented the final phase. |
| 5. National Defence to confirm in its annual performance report that all physicians, nurses, dentists and pharmacists are licensed to practice and that all medical technicians and physician assistants are certified. National Defence also to confirm the number of practitioners who take advantage of the Maintenance of Clinical Skills program. | The Government accepts this recommendation. DND will report this information in the Fiscal Year 2009/10 Departmental Performance Report. In future years, DND will also look for other ways to make this information available to the public. |
The National Credentialing Cell monitors compliance with CF H Svcs policy on credentialing and licensure for Healthcare Professionals. Processes and reporting mechanisms are in place to effectively manage credentialing within the health system. Regarding maintenance of Clinical Skills (MCSP), the majority of CF generalist and specialist medical officers, new graduate nurses, physiotherapists, pharmacists, social workers, dentists, dental technicians, and operating room, laboratory and radiology technicians are employed in clinical positions where they obtain clinical practice daily. For clinicians who are employed in staff/administrative positions, the MCSP Tracking Tool is being utilized to report when members engage in MCSP that is outside of their normal daily work routine, which we had 278 Reg F participants of combined occupations reporting MCSP in FY 2010-2011. Reservist clinicians normally work in their clinical environment in their civilian jobs, and therefore usually only require some clinical time in a CF clinical-related environment each year to maintain military competencies, for which we had 26 participants of combined occupations reporting MCSP in FY 2010-11. |
| 20th Report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, 40th Parliament, 2nd Session, "Chapter 5, Financial Management and Control – National Defence of the Spring 2009 Report of the Auditor General of Canada" (Adopted by the Committee on November 18, 2009; Presented to the House on December 3, 2009) Original Report Government Response |
| Recommendation | Government Response/Commitment | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 1. National Defence to provide the Public Accounts Committee with a report by 31 December 2010 on the progress in implementing the recommendations made in Chapter 5 of the Auditor General's Spring 2009 Report. | The Government accepts this recommendation. Following the release of the Auditor General's 2009 Report, DND developed an action plan to chart its progress on implementing the recommendations made by the Auditor General. This action plan was presented to the Public Accounts Committee on September 28th, 2009. Some of the progress already underway includes the development of a new corporate strategy that will help establish clearer links between day-to-day activities of the Department and overall Government Direction, as outlined in the Canada First Defence Strategy; the development of a Program Activity Architecture that demonstrates how Defence programs achieve strategic outcomes; and the implementation of a new financial management governance structure with the appointment of DND's first Chief Financial Officer and the establishment of the Defence Finance Committee and the Defence Strategic Executive Committee. DND will continue to follow through on the action plan and will provide a progress report to the Committee by December 31st, 2010. | An update on the actions that the Department of National Defence has taken in response to Chapter 5 - Financial Management and Control of the Spring 2009 Report of the Auditor General was provided to the Committee on 9 February 2011. For additional details, please see the section titled "Response to the Auditor General". |
| 11th Report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, 39th Parliament, 1st Session, "Chapter 2 of the May 2006 Report of the Auditor General of Canada on National Defence – Military Recruiting and Retention" (Adopted by the Committee on November 30, 2006; Presented to the House on December 7, 2006) Original Report Government Response |
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| 3. That the Department of National Defence establish a formal commitment to process applications for membership in the Canadian Forces within thirty days, ensure that all applicants are made aware of that commitment and report its progress in meeting those goals in its annual Departmental Performance Report. | The Government will continue to explore additional opportunities to streamline applicant processing and is progressing with the development of a robust performance measurement system based on the Treasury Board framework for service standards. Progress in meeting the goals identified above will be included in the annual Departmental Performance Report for the Department of National Defence, beginning with the report for the period ending 31 March 2007. |
DND will not attain the objective of making enrolment offers to 30% of applicants within five days of application and to an additional 40% within 30 days of application due to a lack of resources and systemic delays in medical evaluation and security screening.
Any applicant reporting previous injuries or medical conditions is required to provide a civilian physician's assessment of the scope of those injuries, often requiring documentation from medical specialists. DND experience indicates that the minimal realistically achievable time needed for an applicant to obtain a specialist appointment, return this information to a recruiting centre then have DND medical staff review this information is several weeks and often requires several months. Application of the principle of Universality of Service prevents DND from making enrolment offers until medical fitness has been confirmed. All applicants must undergo a security assessment to determine whether they could be assigned a security clearance which is essential for employment within the Canadian Forces. Although the time required for this determination varies significantly based on each applicant's individual circumstances, Deputy Provost Marshal (DPM) Secur (the organization tasked with this evaluation) has a large backlog of files and typically requires more than one month and as much as several months for this review. In addition to delays with medical and security screening, existing and planned reductions to the Canadian Forces Recruiting Group (CFRG) will further erode DND's ability to enrol applicants on a timely basis. These will reduce CFRG's manning by 18% and may reduce the number of Recruiting Detachments by 25%. These reductions will further delay the processing of applicants and CFRG will not be able to provide equal opportunities to all Canadians to join the Canadian Forces. Those most impacted will be citizens from Northern and rural areas. |
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| 8. The Department of National Defence determine the rate of attrition for female members of the Canadian Forces and, in its exit surveys, seek to establish which factors prompt female members to leave the Forces before full service is completed. The results, along with corrective measures taken to encourage women to complete their full service should be reported in the Department's annual Performance Reports, beginning with the Report for the period ending 31 March 2008. | A comprehensive survey analysis that will be conducted in the fall of 2007 will allow the Government to better understand the reasons female members of the Canadian Forces decide to leave the military. Should trends be identified that indicate a need for change, the Government will initiate appropriate corrective measures. The results of this survey analysis, together with any corrective measures undertaken, will be reported in the Departmental Performance Reports, beginning with the report for the period ending 31 March 2008. |
The CF Retention Strategy approved by the Armed Forces Council (AFC) in March 2009 with its six lines of operations and 43 initiatives continues to be advanced on a number of fronts (the main lines of operations are Career/Employment Management, Career/Family Balance and Basic Training). CF attrition research has been expanded and research focussed on female attrition and retention
has been completed for naval officer occupations as well as for air force officers in the Pilot and Air Combat Systems Operations occupations. A comprehensive 20 year comparison of overall male and female attrition rates are included in the Annual Reports on Regular Force Attrition (fiscal year 2007-08 and fiscal year 2009-10 (draft)). Several studies have been undertaken to
investigate attrition occurring during the first year of service (YOS) as well as attrition patterns for CF members deployed on Task Force Afghanistan (TFA). In support of the CF Retention Strategy, the CF Retention Survey and CF Exit Survey continue to be administered to gather data on turnover intentions of CF personnel.
(Fiscal year 2010-11 rates are preliminary). |
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| 9. The Department of National Defence begin to report the results of the exit surveys it conducts among members of the Canadian Forces in its Departmental Performance Reports beginning with the Report for the period ending 31 March 2007. References to the methodology and scope of the surveys should be included. | The Department of National Defence will ensure that the information identified in this recommendation is included in its annual Departmental Performance Report. However, since the comprehensive analysis of survey results will not commence until the fall of 2007, the reporting of these results can only begin with the report for the period ending 31 March 2008. |
The Exit Survey is given to all Regular Force members who are leaving the CF voluntarily. Survey completion is voluntary. The objective of the analysis of Exit Survey data is to assess departing members' satisfaction with several organizational issues as well as to determine the extent to which these organizational issues and dissatisfiers influence their decision to leave the CF.
Final reports detailing analysis of data collected from 2005 to 2008 have been published. Results show that respondents were most satisfied with pay and benefits; policies and regulations; supervisor aspects; as well as the quality and opportunities of career and occupational training. In contrast, respondents were most dissatisfied with the way the CF deals with poor performers; the
career management system; and family and postings related aspects. They were most influenced in their decision to leave by the career management system; the time available to spend with their family; and the effects postings have had on their ability to maintain family stability, on their partner/spouse' employment, and on the opportunity to settle down in a certain area. The results
suggest that increasing satisfaction with the career management system, postings and work-life balance could potentially promote retention.
As well, an analysis to better understand new members' experiences relative to expectations showed that over half of respondents felt that service life had been worse or much worse than expected. As well, results showed that the worse a member's service life compared to what was expected, the lower the member's feeling of fit with the CF and organizational commitment, and the more these influenced the member's decision to leave. These findings highlight the importance of ensuring recruits have realistic expectations when joining the CF; building organizational commitment; and optimizing the fit between individuals and CF values. Analysis of data collected with the ongoing version of the survey, administered since summer 2008, is in progress. As well, the CF Retention Survey, which is administered to occupations that are "at-risk" with regards to attrition, is used to explore specific work and non-work related items and their impact on whether an individual intends to stay or leave the CF in the next five years. Descriptive results from the 2008 and 2010 administrations of the CF Retention survey have been published. Preparations for administration of the 2012 CF Retention survey have commenced. Results of the 2010 Retention survey will provide performance measures to the CF Retention Strategy. |
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10. That the Department of National Defence establish a target for the maximum acceptable rate of attrition of its trained effective strength and monitor the performance of the package of measures it has instituted to meet that target. The Department should begin to report its progress in its annual Departmental Performance Report beginning with the report ending 31 March 2007.
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The Government will include data regarding attrition rates in the Department of National Defence annual Departmental Performance Report beginning with the report ending 31 March 2007. However, the data will be based on trend analysis as opposed to pre-determined targets. |
Due to the number of factors influencing attrition that are beyond the control of the CF, including the state of the Canadian economy, instead of establishing a target for the maximum acceptable rate of attrition of its trained effective strength, the CF closely monitors all aspects of attrition and uses statistical modelling to forecast attrition for each occupation for each fiscal
year. These forecasts are used in formal, structured processes to determine the number of personnel who need to be recruited for each occupation for each fiscal year, and are published as the Strategic Intake Plan. During the reporting period, actual recruiting and attrition are monitored on a month-by-month basis and the Strategic Intake Plan is adjusted as required.
While voluntary Regular Force attrition between 2006 and 2008 increased from 4% to 6.9%, this rate increase was manageable in that the CF had the capacity to recruit and train sufficient personnel necessary to replace those who left. However, the additional requirement to recruit and train personnel to meet Force Expansion targets strained both the recruiting and training systems. During fiscal year 2009 - 2010 the Strategic Intake Plan was set at a higher than traditional level and sought to enrol 7,454 personnel. Actual recruiting exceeded this target, with 7,522 personnel being brought into the Regular Force. Projected attrition was 6,250; however, with the downturn in the economy and a successful CF Retention Strategy, only 5,293 personnel left the Regular Force this past fiscal year. Consequently, with recruiting up and attrition down, the CF grew by 2,229 personnel during this timeframe. The Force Expansion requirements had been met, and as a result, the Strategic Intake Plan for fiscal year 2010-11 was reduced to 4724. The overall strength of the Regular Force as of end-March 2011 was 68,254 personnel and slightly surpassed the 2011-2012 growth target of 68,000. The Strategic Intake Plan for the next few years has been reduced again to approximately 4,000 new recruits in FY 11/12. Recruitment is expected to be approximately 4,300 for the following few years. This reduction will alleviate the strain on the recruiting system. However, surge recruiting that occurred during the past few years created a backlog of personnel undergoing basic and initial occupational training. Efforts are being made to increase training capacity and to move these personnel from the Basic Training List to the Trained Effective Strength as quickly as possible; however, due to the length of many technical and professional training programs, it will take a few years before the Trained Effective Strength sees a substantial increase.
(Fiscal year 2010-11 rates are preliminary). |
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| 15th Report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, 39th Parliament, 1st Session, "Chapter 5 – Relocating Members of the Canadian Forces, RCMP, and Federal Public Service of the November 2006 Report of the Auditor General of Canada (Adopted by the Committee on May 16, 2007; Presented to the House on May 29, 2007) Original Report Government Response |
| Recommendation | Government Response/Commitment | Status | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 5. That the Department of National Defence, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and Treasury Board Secretariat include, in their annual Departmental Performance Reports, references to the Integrated Relocation-Program as it relates to their employees. Information on the numbers of employees using the Program, the costs, and the extent to which the purposes of the Program are being achieved must be included. This performance information must be included in DPRs beginning with Reports for the period ending 31 March 2008. | The Government accepts this recommendation. |
The purpose of the Integrated Relocation Program (IRP) is to relocate CF personnel and their families in the most efficient fashion and at the most reasonable cost to the public while having a minimum detrimental effect on the employee and family, and on departmental operations.
In 2010, the following moves were coordinated through the Brookfield Global Relocation Services (GRS), by quarter:
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| Response to the Auditor General (including to the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development) |
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During the reporting period the Auditor General (AG) and the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development tabled one audit report in Parliament focused specifically on National Defence-Chapter 6 of the October 2010 tabling titled "Acquisition of Military Helicopters". In the Chapter on "Acquisition of Military Helicopters" the AG concluded that for the Maritime Helicopter Project (MHP) CH-148 Cyclone and the Medium-to-Heavy-Lift Helicopter (MHLH) CH-147 Chinook), DND did not fully comply with key provisions of the TB Project Management Policy for Major Crown Projects, or with the Department's own guidance as contained in the Project Approval Guide (PAG). With respect to the contracting process for the Cyclone, the AG concluded that Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) and DND generally complied with the provisions of the Government Contracting Regulations and the TB Contracting Policy, but that a 2008 amendment was not consistent with the original strategy of lowest compliant price. For the Chinook, which employed an Advance Contract Award Notice (ACAN) process, the AG reported that the process did not comply with the letter or intent of the applicable contracting regulations and policies. In addition, the AG concluded that both helicopter projects have experienced cost increases and significant schedule delays. This Chapter, including the departmental response to the Auditor General's recommendations, can be accessed on the Auditor General's website: OAG Latest Audit Reports Chapter 2 of the October 2010 report examined three small entities, including the Canadian Forces Housing Agency (CFHA). The AG concluded that all three entities had management controls in place that were consistent with TB requirements and that are applied in managing the use of acquisition cards, contracting, executive travel and hospitality. DND's response to the one recommendation directed at all three entities can also be found at the above link. In response to the annual request by the Auditor General, National Defence provided updates on the status of all OAG audit recommendations tabled in Parliament during the five-year period 2005-06 to 2009-10. This included updates with respect to the 2009 Fall Report on the "Acquisition of Military Vehicles for Use in Afghanistan" During FY 2010/11, the Office of the Procurement Ombudsman (OPO) completed a Procurement Practice Review titled: "Departmental Verification of Suppliers' Records to Validate Contract Payments" that included DND among other departments. This report contained one recommendation directed at all Departments and one directed at PWGSC. The executive summary of this review was included as part of this year's OPO Annual Report, which was tabled in Parliament by the Minister of PWGSC on June 15, 2010. |
| External Audits (Note: These refer to other external audits conducted by the Public Service Commission of Canada or the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages) |
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Audit on CF Individual Training and Education (IT&E) system In June 2010, the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages (OCOL) made public the report of the audit on the CF Individual Training and Education (IT&E) system conducted in 2008. Overall, the report was well received by the department. This report, including recommendations and responses to the CF action plan, is available on the OCOL website at: http://www.ocol-clo.gc.ca/html/audits_verifications_e.php#BFI The recommendations made by the OCOL were supported as they assist the DND/CF in directing its efforts and resources towards the long-term plan of Official Languages Act (OLA) compliance and will offer CF members the possibility of being trained in their official language of choice. Indeed, several steps have already been taken to implement these recommendations. However, efforts and resources are still required to assist the CF in achieving its long-term plan to offer all members the possibility of being trained in their OL of choice and ultimately, comply with the OLA. Follow-up on the audit of the Language of Work at NDHQ In June 2010, the OCOL requested a detailed progress report identifying the corrective measures taken by the DND/CF to implement the 12 recommendations found in the report. The report produced by DND/CF highlighted that, since the audit, progress had been made with regard to senior leadership, awareness and education and second OL training. The report also specified that some weaknesses remain in areas such as maintenance of work environment conducive to the use of both OL, competencies of managers and supervisors in the second OL and provision of central and personal services in both OLs. In a response letter dated March 2011, the OCOL acknowledged that progress has been made, however, the OCOL also noted that a greater effort is required to create a workplace that is conductive to the use of both OLs. The OCOL recognized that the measures presented in the progress report look promising and reiterated that an effective monitoring mechanism should be put in place to assist DND/CF in reaching compliance with the OLA. This letter is available on the OCOL website at: http://www.ocol-clo.gc.ca/html/audits_verifications_e.php#BFI |
