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2010-11
Report on Plans and Priorities
Canadian Forces Grievance Board
The original version was signed by
The Honourable Peter G. MacKay
Minister of National Defence
Table of Contents
- Raison d'être and Responsibilities
- Strategic Outcome and Program Activity Architecture (PAA)
- Planning Summary
- Contribution of Priorities to Strategic Outcome
- Risk Analysis
- Expenditure Profile
- Voted and Statutory
Section II – Analysis of Program Activities by Strategic Outcome
Section III – Supplementary Information
Chairperson's Message
As the Chairperson of the Canadian Forces Grievance Board (CFGB), I am pleased to submit the CFGB's Report on Plans and Priorities for the period 2010-11 to 2012-13.
As we prepare to celebrate the Board's 10th anniversary in 2010, we reflect on the CFGB's challenges and achievements over the past ten years. Since 2000, the Board has worked relentlessly to put in place robust and timely processes and, while doing so, has gained a unique expertise in the review of military grievances that is now well established and duly recognized.
Building on this strong foundation of experience and maturity, we have already set the stage for the future. We have proactively engaged our stakeholders in exploring new ways to make complaint resolution in the Canadian Forces (CF) more efficient and effective. To this end, we will continue our discussions with the CF to implement a new model for the referral of cases to the Board. We will also pursue a new initiative aimed at identifying and reporting broader systemic issues that come to light during the review of individual grievances; we intend to monitor the implementation of our recommendations in respect of these matters when accepted by the Chief of the Defence Staff.
Also, the Board will continue to reach out to stakeholders to share with them its expertise and to obtain their feedback, with one overarching goal in mind: to contribute to the morale and esprit de corps of our troops by aiding the senior leadership and key decision-makers in the administration of the affairs of the CF.
In the coming years, the Board will maintain its unique position as an administrative tribunal, independent from the Department of National Defence and the CF to add to the adjudicative fairness of the grievance process and thereby strengthen confidence in it. I am convinced the CFGB is well equipped to deliver on its mandate with the highest standards of professionalism, quality and efficiency.
Chairperson
Section I – Overview
Raison d'être and Responsibilities
Raison d'être
The raison d'être of the Canadian Forces Grievance Board (CFGB or the Board) is to provide an independent and external review of military grievances. In doing so, the Board strengthens confidence in, and adds to the fairness of, the Canadian Forces (CF) grievance process.
Section 29 of the National Defence Act (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 of the administration of the affairs of the CF. The importance of this broad right cannot be overstated since it is the only formal complaint process available to CF members.
Responsabilities
The Board is an independent administrative tribunal reporting to Parliament through the Minister of National Defence.
The Board reviews military grievances referred to it and provides findings and recommendations (F&Rs) to the Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) and the officer or non-commissioned member who submitted the grievance.
The Board also has the obligation to deal with all matters before it as informally and expeditiously as the circumstances and the considerations of fairness permit.
Strategic Outcome and Program Activity Architecture (PAA)
In order to effectively deliver on its mandate, the Board aims to become the centre of expertise in military grievances and a model administrative tribunal, through its fair and efficient processes, professionalism and good governance. The implementation or acceptance of the Board's F&Rs lead to improvements in the conditions of service for members of the CF.
Program Activity Architecture
Figure 1
Planning Summary
| Financial Resources | 2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-13 |
|---|---|---|---|
| ($ thousands) | 6,641 | 6,651 | 6,651 |
| Human Resources | 2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-13 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Human Resources (FTEs) | 46 | 46 | 46 |
*Includes Board Members appointed by Governor in Council.
| Performance Indicators | Targets |
|---|---|
| The percentage of systemic recommendations that merit further study. | 75% of recommendations that merit further study are accepted. |
| The percentage of the CDS agreement with the Board's recommendations regarding the interpretation and application of regulations, policies and guidelines. | 80% agreement |
| The percentage of survey respondents indicating that the Board has contributed to changes to CF regulations, policies and procedures. | 70% agreement |
| Program Activity | Forecast Spending 2009-10 |
Planned Spending ($ thousands) |
 Alignment to Government of Canada Outcomes |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-11 | 2012-12 | 2012-13 | |||
| Review of CF grievances referred by the CDS | 3,382 | 3,499 | 3,505 | 3,505 | Government Affairs |
| Internal Services | 3,076 | 3,142 | 3,146 | 3,146 | Government Affairs |
| Total Planned Spending | 6,458 | 6,641 | 6,651 | 6,651 | |
Contribution of Priorities to Strategic Outcome
| Operational Priorities | Type | Links to Strategic Outcome | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Operational Performance – Ensure optimum productivity and excellence | Ongoing | F&Rs of the CFGB are implemented and lead to improved conditions of service for members of the CF. | Why is this a priority? Ensure the high quality and timeliness of the Board's F&Rs and ongoing contribution to the fairness and efficiency of the grievance system for CF members. |
Plans for meeting the priority.
|
|||
| 2. Enhance communications and relations with stakeholders | Ongoing | F&Rs of the CFGB are implemented and lead to improved conditions of service for members of the CF. | Why is this a priority? Ensure that stakeholders have a better awareness and understanding of the CF grievance process as well as regulations, policies and guidelines affecting CF members. Collaborate with other stakeholders for the development of tools in order to monitor and communicate on the grievance system as a whole. |
Plans for meeting the priority.
|
| Management Priorities | Type | Links to Strategic Outcome | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3. Operational Performance – Maintain the overall effective management and leadership of the CFGB. | Ongoing | F&Rs of the CFGB are implemented and lead to improved conditions of service for members of the CF. | Why is this a priority? Meet government-wide management and accountability priorities through management excellence and sound internal oversight. |
Plans for meeting the priority.
|
Risk Analysis
The achievement of some of the Board's key outcomes and priorities established for the planning period could be influenced by factors beyond the direct control of the Board.
A significant factor is that the Board has no control over the number of grievances referred to it in any given year. Significant, unanticipated fluctuations in the volume of cases referred would have an impact on the timeliness of issuing F&Rs. Similarly, significant fluctuations would have an impact on the financial and human resources planned by the Board.
To mitigate this risk the Board monitors workload planning assumptions on an ongoing basis. To this end the Board will:
- work in consultation with stakeholders within the CF to base these assumptions on the most up-to-date information possible;
- develop flexible human resources staffing strategies and mechanisms;
- track workload volumes; and
- develop financial forecasts
Expenditure Profile
For 2010-11 fiscal year, the Board plans to spend $ 6.641 million to meet the expected results of its program activities and contribute to its strategic outcome.
Spending Trend
The decrease in actual spending in 2006-07 was due to a surplus resulting from staff turnover.
Voted and Statutory
This table illustrates the items displayed in the Main Estimates
| Vote # or Statutory Item (S) | Truncated Vote or Statutory Wording | 2009-10 Main Estimates ($ thousands) |
2010-11 Main Estimates ($ thousands) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | Program expenditures | 5,897 | 6,053 |
| (S) | Contributions to employee benefit plans | 561 | 588 |
| Total | 6,458 | 6,641 | |
Section II – Analysis of Program Activities by Strategic Outcome
The following analysis outlines how the Board allocates and manages resources to achieve the expected results identified under its two Program Activities and to contribute to its strategic outcome.
Strategic Outcome
Findings and recommendations of the Canadian Forces Grievance Board are implemented and lead to improvements in the conditions of service for members of the Canadian Forces.
Program Activities by Strategic Outcome
| Human Resources (FTEs) and Planned Spending ($ thousands) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-13 | |||
| FTEs | Planned Spending | FTEs | Planned Spending | FTEs | Planned Spending |
| 28 | 3,499 | 28 | 3,505 | 28 | 3,505 |
| Program Activity Expected Results | Performance Indicators | Targets |
|---|---|---|
| Fair, impartial and transparent F&Rs. | % of survey responses from grievors satisfied with the fairness, impartiality and transparency of the Board's F&Rs. | 75% agreement |
| F&Rs delivered expeditiously | % of CFGB's grievance process timeline standards met. | Established standards are being met 75% of the time. |
Program Activity Summary: The Board conducts fair, transparent and timely reviews of grievances referred to it. The Board ensures that its F&Rs in each case are written in such a way that they are clearly understood by both the grievor and the CDS. While reviewing individual grievances, the Board sometimes makes findings with respect to a policy or a regulation may affect more than one member. In these cases, the Board makes the CDS aware that a broader problem or issue may exist through issuing a systemic recommendation. Awareness of trends or broader issues are useful to CF senior leadership, decision-makers and policy administrators in correcting past and current practices, preventing problems and making informed decisions.
Planning Highlights: In order to achieve the expected results, the Board plans to undertake the following activities:
- New "principled approach".
Under the current model, not every grievor has the opportunity to have an external review of their grievance since regulations stipulate that only certain categories of grievances are referred to the Board.
Discussions are underway with the CF to introduce a model where grievances would be referred to the Board on a "principled approach", in which the Board would review all grievances in those cases where the CF are unable to find a resolution acceptable to all parties. In such cases the Board would provide the benefit of an independent opinion before the CDS renders a decision. The CDS has supported this "principled approach" initiative in his 2008 Annual Report on the Canadian Forces Grievance System.
The CF and the Board have begun a trial of this approach which will be evaluated by 2011-12. Amendments to the NDA and regulations may be required to fully implement this initiative. - Systemic recommendations.
In reviewing individual grievances, the Board sometimes makes findings with respect to a policy or a regulation affecting more than one member. In these cases, the Board makes the CDS aware that a broader problem may exist through a systemic recommendation. The Board intends to track each systemic recommendation until the CDS makes a decision on the recommendation. Where the CDS makes a decision to act on a systemic recommendation, the Board will monitor progress until the decision is fully implemented. - Outreach to stakeholders.
The Board will provide important information which offers a precedential value and aids to the senior leadership and administrators within the CF in decision-making. As well, the Board will continue outreach activities to share valuable information gleaned from the grievance review process through the publication of summaries of the F&Rs in each case and systemic recommendations.
Benefits to Canadians: The Board's unique position as an independent and external organization to the Department of National Defence (DND) and the CF adds adjudicative fairness to the CF grievance system in support of government values of equity, transparency and fairness. The expectation of fair treatment in respect of a complaint contributes to the morale and esprit de corps of CF members.
The Board endeavours to work with the CF to provide a timely and relevant grievance process which contributes to the effectiveness of the administration of the CF.
| Human Resources (FTEs) and Planned Spending ($ thousands) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-13 | |||
| FTEs | Planned Spending | FTEs | Planned Spending | FTEs | Planned Spending |
| 18 | 3,142 | 18 | 3,146 | 18 | 3,146 |
Program Activity Summary: Internal services support a common government-wide approach to planning, designing, budgeting, reporting and communicating. As a small agency, the Board is required to report on 3 sub-activities levels; Governance and Management Support; Resource Management Services; and Asset Management Services.
Planning Highlights: In order to achieve the expected results, the Board plans to undertake the following activities:
- Continue efforts to ensure a diverse, representative, capable workplace and workforce to deliver on the Board's mandate;
- Evaluate the impact of the implementation of new approach to grievance referral on the organisational structure and align the Board's resources accordingly;
- Complete the Board's 5 year program evaluation and respond to recommendations;
- Enhance the development and implementation of learning and information management strategies;
- Continue the implementation of the Board's 5 year Values and Ethics plan; and
- Review the operational readiness capacity of the Board.
Section III – Supplementary Information
Other Items of Interest
Visit the Board's Web site at http://www.cfgb-cgfc.gc.ca/ for more information. We invite you to consult some of the grievance cases for which the Board has issued F&Rs in the Case Summaries section, which is updated on a regular basis. You can also learn more about the Board's role in the Canadian Forces Grievance Process section.
Contacts for Further Information
Anne Sinclair
Executive Director
Canadian Forces Grievance Board
Telephone: (613) 996-7027
E-mail: Anne.Sinclair@cfgb-cgfc.gc.ca
Canadian Forces Grievance Board
Toll free telephone: 1 877 276-4193
Toll free fax: 1 866 716-6601
Fax: (613) 996-6491
(613) 995-8201
(613) 992-6979