Commission for Public Complaints Against the Royal Canadian Mounted Police     2004-2005 Estimates A Report on Plans and Priorities   Approved    The Honourable Anne McLellan, P.C., M.P. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness   Table of Contents Section I: Messages          Chair's Message          Management Representation Statement Section II: Raison d'être          Vision, Mission and Mandate Section III: Planning Overview          Strategic Outcome          Planning Overview Section IV: Plans and Priorities by Strategic Outcome          Plans and Priorities by Strategic Outcome Section V: Organization          Role and Responsibilities          Commission Organization          Rationale for Organization Structure          Commission Planned Spending Section VI: Annexes          Organizational Structure - Roles and Responsibilities          Net Cost of Program for 2004-2005          For Further Information Section I: Messages Chair's Message The Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP provides civilian oversight of RCMP members' conduct and ensures that our national police service treats all individuals equally and according to the rule of law. Our reach is extensive, as our work promotes the values that contribute to safe communities from coast, to coast, to coast. In last year's annual report, I charted an ambitious course to improve the quality of service we provide to Canadians. We have made great progress this year by increasing the number of reports we are able to complete and thereby reducing the amount of time Canadians must wait to have their complaints resolved. To achieve this goal, we have started implementing risk management principles at the corporate level, as well as within some of our operations. Utilizing this approach, we plan to double the Commission's productivity in producing review reports and reduce our inventory of files by at least 25 percent this year. This is citizen-focused; this is value for money. This year's Report on Plans and Priorities is not only forward-looking, but, in my view, also innovative. It is based on the newly released Management Accountability Framework (MAF) from Treasury Board. The MAF outlines Treasury Board's expectations of what constitutes good management. We are customizing these expectations to fit the activities of this Commission so that they adequately serve Canadians, properly shape our management practices and reflect our environment. This report outlines our approach to the four pillars of modern management: accountability, innovation, transparency and risk management. We believe that by outlining an ambitious and realistic plan, we will improve our services and demonstrate results through our management practices. This is the direction we have chosen and we are determined to create a results-based culture focused on value for Canadians.   Shirley Heafey Chair Management Representation Statement MANAGEMENT REPRESENTATION STATEMENT Report on Plans and Priorities 2004-2005 I submit, for tabling in Parliament, the 2004-2005 Report on Plans and Priorities (RPP) for the Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP. This document has been prepared based on the reporting principles and disclosure requirements contained in the Guide to the preparation of the 2004-2005 Report on Plans and Priorities: It accurately portrays the organization's plans and priorities. The planned spending information in this document is consistent with the directions provided in the Minister of Finance's Budget and by TBS. It is comprehensive and accurate. It is based on sound underlying Commission information and management systems. The reporting structure on which this document is based has been approved by Treasury Board Ministers and is the basis for accountability for the results achieved with the resources and authorities provided. Name: Title:     A/Executive Director Date:     February 23, 2004 Section II: Raison d'être Vision, Mission and Mandate The Commission is an independent agency. It is not part of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). The Commission deals with complaints made by any member of the public concerning the conduct of members of the RCMP in the performance of their policing duties. Complaints can also be made about the conduct of any other person appointed or employed under the RCMP Act. Individuals can lodge a complaint even if they are not directly involved in the incident. The Commission has the authority to make findings and recommendations, but cannot impose discipline or make monetary awards to complainants. The Commission's Vision and Mission Statements clearly set out why it exists, what it does and how it achieves its objectives. Vision Excellence in policing through accountability. Mission To provide civilian oversight of RCMP members' conduct in performing their policing duties, so as to hold the RCMP accountable to the public. Mandate The mandate of the Commission is set out in Part VII of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Act and can be summarized as follows: To receive complaints from the public about the conduct of RCMP members; To conduct reviews when complainants are not satisfied with the RCMP's disposition of their complaints; To hold hearings and investigations; and To report findings and recommendations.     Section III: Planning Overview Strategic Outcome The Commission contributes to excellence in policing through promotion of the Canadian values of respect for multiculturalism and diversity; human and civil rights; equality and fairness; and respect for the rule of law. Results for Canadians Canadians are given a legitimate avenue to lodge complaints regarding the conduct of members of the RCMP in the performance of their duties and to have the RCMP's disposition of those complaints reviewed by an external body in an independent and impartial manner. The Commission submits findings and recommendations to the Commissioner of the RCMP for consideration, which may result in significant changes to the way policing is conducted in Canada. Description The Commission is an impartial and independent government institution. It receives complaints from the public and refers them to the RCMP for investigation as required by the RCMP Act. It can also review the RCMP's handling of a complaint if the complainant is not satisfied. The Commission may conduct investigations, hold public hearings, initiate complaints and make findings and recommendations to the Commissioner of the RCMP and the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness. These legislative activities will be detailed in the Commission's Program Activity Architecture document. The Chair also submits an Annual Report to Parliament that summarizes the Commission's activities during the year. This report is tabled in each House of Parliament. Planning Overview The Commission receives its funding from Treasury Board through an appropriation from Parliament. Funding is drawn from the Consolidated Revenue Fund, and its expenditures are reported in the Public Accounts. As it is indicated in the chart below, resources are attributed to the core activities that the Commission is mandated to perform. The Commission has one line of business, which is to receive and review public complaints. There are four core activities that the Commission is involved in when giving service to the public: alternate dispute resolution, formal complaints, reviews and investigations. An in-depth look at how the Commission uses its resources for these activities will be detailed in the Commission's Program Activity Architecture, which is still being developed. In previous Reports on Plans and Priorities, the Commission focused on making improvements to its core activities to improve the level of service provided to Canadians. There has been much progress in the areas previously identified as priorities. For instance, the Commission has improved internal processes and has increased productivity substantially over the last year. In fact, the Commission is on target this year to double the number of review reports produced over last year. The Commission remains focused on Aboriginal outreach; policing of persons with a mental illness; cell deaths; and police pursuits. These issues require constant monitoring to ensure excellence in policing policies. The Commission continues to place priority on the alternate dispute resolution process and has begun to analyse the benefits to Canadians in terms of time savings and a higher level of satisfaction with the process. A preliminary study indicates that alternate dispute resolution cases are resolved within one month, whereas a complaint using the formal process may take anywhere from six months to more than a year to go through all the possible steps to achieve resolution. Expedient delivery of quality services ultimately means achieving results in an efficient manner The Commission has also achieved a great deal on the communications front, including improved reporting of activities; published letters to newspaper editors; news stories about the Commission; and a greater understanding within government of Commission activities, processes and priorities. Effective communications remain a priority going into the next three years. The Commission has come a long way, but has a long way to go. In its Annual Report 2003-2004, the Commission will outline how its caseload is being managed and the results being achieved for Canadians. Over the last year, the Commission underwent a voluntary and difficult "reality check." The Commission identified the risks it faced and as a result substantial changes were made, the most important one being a renewed focus on producing review reports in a timely fashion. In previous years, Commission emphasis was placed on processes. Now, it focuses on outcomes and the results speak for themselves: increased productivity, reduction of the inventory of outstanding files and fewer resources invested per review output. The Commission is better, and it's getting faster. Strategic Outcome Priorities Type of priority Associated resources (thousands of dollars)       2004 2005 2006 Receipt and review of public complaints 1. Use of informal resolution to answer and address the public concerns about RCMP members' conduct Ongoing 87.0 116.0 145.0   2. Receive and process formal complaints Ongoing 463.0 434.0 405.0   3. Conduct investigations and hearings in the public interest Ongoing 113.4 116.1 119.7   4. Receive, process and write quasi-judicial decisions in response to complainants  requests for review Ongoing 1,343.0 1,332.0 1,322.4 Section IV: Plans and Priorities by                     Strategic Outcome The Management Accountability Framework (MAF) is an outline given to all heads of agencies to assist with the development of well-managed organizations. The MAF highlights government expectations of how departments and agencies should be managed and how priorities should be planned. The Commission has chosen to use the MAF to develop this year's plans and priorities that are reported in this document. This means that the information may be presented in a slightly different format than the recommended approach, but the Commission feels that this is the most comprehensive way to present its new management approach. This year's Report on Plans and Priorities is a work in progress. It exemplifies the Commission's transition by meeting some of the old reporting obligations using the new framework and policies that are shaping the government's new management practices. By using the MAF, the Commission is confirming its commitment to modern comptrollership and it is making use of risk management principles. The Commission strongly believes in the value of transparency. That is why this year's Report on Plans and Priorities outlines the changes that will occur within the Commission so that it better serves Canadians. Changes are occurring in areas such as: the governance structure to ensure accountability; the way the Commission sets strategic goals and how it makes decisions; the way the Commission is managed; stakeholders' expectations and striving to meet these; working relationships; the way the Commission incorporates risk management; the way the Commission measures its successes and shortcomings; and the way the Commission reports on its activities. The MAF divides Commission priorities into 10 categories. There are strategic objectives for each category and activities and measures of success are indicated for each objective. This forms the basis of our three-year plan. The framework is focused on management and more specifically, what managers and senior executives are expected to accomplish. The financial amounts contained in the plans and priorities by strategic outcome chart represent a percentage of salary dollars allocated to each activity. Accordingly, the allocation of resources is based on the proportion of time each manager and senior executive intends to spend on carrying out these initiatives. Future Reports on Plans and Priorities will include a breakout of projected operations and maintenance amounts. As for the legislative activities as well as the Commission's informal service delivery, the Program Activity Architecture offers a more in-depth look into these activities. Plans and Priorities by Strategic Outcome Click here to view Plans and Priorities by Strategic Outcome.   Section V: Organization Role and Responsibilities The fundamental role of the Commission is to provide civilian oversight of RCMP members' conduct in the performance of their policing duties. The Commission holds the RCMP accountable to the public by providing, at the request of complainants, an independent review of the RCMP's disposition of complaints and by making recommendations to the Commissioner of the RCMP. Members of the public may make complaints about the conduct of RCMP members to the RCMP, the Commission or the provincial authority responsible for policing. Complaints are normally sent to the RCMP first. The Commissioner of the RCMP is required to report the results of investigations to complainants. If complainants are not satisfied with the RCMP's handling of the complaint, they may ask the Commission for a review of their case. The Chair of the Commission may also initiate a complaint if she considers there are reasonable grounds. When reviewing a complaint, the Commission does not act as an advocate either for the complainant or for RCMP members. Rather, its role is to conduct an independent inquiry and reach objective conclusions based on the information available. In conducting its review, the Commission considers all relevant information provided by the complainants and the RCMP. If not satisfied that such information is complete, it asks the RCMP for additional information or, where appropriate, conducts its own independent investigation. The Chair also has the authority to hold a public interest hearing to inquire into a complaint. If the Chair or Vice-Chair is not satisfied with the RCMP's handling of a complaint, the Commission produces an interim report of its findings and recommendations; after the RCMP Commissioner replies to the interim report, a final report is forwarded to the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, to the Commissioner of the RCMP and to the parties. Alternatively, if the Chair or Vice-Chair concludes that the RCMP responded adequately to the complainant's concerns, a final report is delivered stating that the RCMP's handling of the complaint was satisfactory. The Commission reports to Parliament. The Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness tables the Commission's reports; otherwise, the Minister is not involved in the operations of the Commission.   Commission Organization Organizational Structure Rationale for Organization Structure The top executive structure composed of the Chair, the Vice-Chair, Members, the Executive Director and the Senior General Counsel has been in existence since the Commission was established and it has proven to be a sound and effective arrangement. The senior management structure on the other hand has changed and grown gradually over the last 10 years and will likely be modified slightly over the next two to three years to ensure proper accountability. The following are some of the changes that have already occurred and others that are planned in the future. The Manager, Investigations, is a new position, which was created to fulfil some of the responsibilities that were part of the position of Director, Special Projects, and to respond to the increasing need for a resident full-time investigator. The position of Director General, Reviews and Policy, is being reviewed at present with the intention of transferring the policy responsibilities to the Legal Services Unit as it follows developments in the law that affect the civilian oversight environment. This position will then revert back to Director, Reviews, with a lower classification. In this Director's unit, other changes are being considered. New position descriptions will be prepared and classified at the PM-04 and PM-05 levels to allow the Commission to staff entry and mid-level Reviewer Analysts. The learning curve in these positions is approximately one year and a lower classification for entry-level analysts would be appropriate. The possibility of moving upward in the levels of classification will hopefully motivate employees to remain in place and be able to look forward to promotions. The goal of this approach is to assist the Commission in retaining employees longer and avoid changeovers in staff, which can become a serious problem for a small agency. The position of Director, Special Projects, has been vacant for two years as the employee is on long-term disability. Some of the responsibilities of the position have been distributed among other managers such as the investigation portion. Some are simply not being carried out to the detriment of the Commission's mandate. Depending on funding, the Commission needs to tackle such projects as research on relations between police and Aboriginal communities, police use of force, treatment of mentally ill persons by police, cell deaths and police pursuits. The position of Director, Corporate Services, will be reviewed carefully during the next two years as the present long-term occupant is preparing for retirement. While considering succession planning for the staffing of this position, it is still not clear whether it should remain in its present group and level or should be upgraded. The responsibilities would generally remain the same; however, a close look at similar positions in other agencies and departments indicates that an EX level may be more appropriate in relation to the demands of the job. A determination will be made in the year 2005-2006 after advice is received from human resources experts. The Ottawa-based position of Director, Enquiries and Complaints, has been vacant for two years as the incumbent accepted an appointment to Executive Director. In an effort to determine the need for a full-time person in this position, the Executive Director continued to fulfil the tasks of this position by making regular trips to the Western Region office in Surrey. Preliminary analysis indicates that the responsibilities may not require a full-time position. In the past, a Regional Director carried out the management of the Western Region office in Surrey, as well as that office's administration. This position has been vacant for some time. The office administration has since been included in the newly classified position of Manager, Administrative Services. However, more substantive policy direction is required for the important and time-consuming services that the analysts provide daily, such as alternate dispute resolution. Consequently, the position of Regional Director based in the Western Region office in Surrey is being considered for reinstatement due to repeated requests from the mid-western provinces for a Commission presence to deal more directly with clients who have complaints against the RCMP. The Government of Saskatchewan Attorney General's Department and the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (FSIN) have been particularly interested in having a Commission presence in Saskatchewan because of the large Aboriginal population that is being policed by the RCMP. Both organizations are asking the Commission to share office space with them in Saskatchewan in an effort to improve the complaint intake process for the Aboriginal community in that part of the country. The Regional Director would oversee both the Surrey and Saskatchewan offices. The position of Senior Communications Officer was created and staffed following a recommendation by the Auditor General's report after an audit. The Commission needed to improve its internal and external communications, and develop and implement a strategy. During the year 2004-2005, the Commission plans to create a new position, reporting to the Executive Director, tentatively called Senior Officer Strategic Planning and Financial Management. This position would be responsible for Treasury Board initiatives such as Modern Comptrollership, Integrated Risk Management, Risk-based Audit Plans, Risk-based Evaluation Plans and some financial planning - all under the direction of the Executive Director. Once this position is staffed, consideration will be given to abolishing the position of Executive Advisor to the Chair, if the remaining duties now being carried out by this incumbent can be distributed among other staff members.   Commission Planned Spending (thousands of dollars) Forecast Spending 2003-2004 Planned Spending 2004-2005 Planned Spending 2005-2006 Planned Spending 2006-2007 Receipt and Review of Public Complaints Budgetary Main Estimates (gross) 4,677 4,735 4,735 4,735 Total Main Estimates 4,677 4,735 4,735 4,735 Adjustments Resolution of funding pressures 430 Operating budget carry-     forward 7 Frozen - 2003 Budget     Implication, $1 Billion     Reallocation Target -20 Collective Bargaining 16 Modern Comptrollership 80 Total Adjustments 513 Net Planned Spending 5,190 4,735 4,735 4,735 Plus: Cost of services received         without charge 569 575 575 575 Net Cost of Program 5,759 5,310 5,310 5,310           Full-Time Equivalents 42 42 42 42 The Commission received $80,000 from the TB Vote 10 for the Modern Comptrollership Project. The Commission received through Supplementary Estimates a carry-forward in the amount of $6,682. As a result of collective bargaining the Commission received $16,000. Funding in the amount of $630,636 was received from Treasury Board through a TB submission to enable the Commission to fulfil its mandate to the end of fiscal year 2003-2004. These funds were to cover the salary and operating shortfall. The distribution of these funds were as follows: salaries, $347,925; employee benefits, $69,585; O&M, $101,821; PWGSC, $45,230; parental leave, $37,282; and severance pay, $28,793. The Commission had a reduction of $20,000, which was frozen as part of the $1 Billion Reallocation Target. Section VI : Annexes Organizational Structure - Roles and Responsibilities Chair The Chair is the Chief Executive Officer and full-time member of the Commission appointed by order of the Governor in Council for a term not exceeding five years. The Chair has supervision over and direction of the work and staff of the Commission. A full-time Vice-Chair reports directly to the Chair and the Chair may delegate to the Vice-Chair any of his/her powers, duties or functions, except the power to delegate and the duty to submit an annual report for tabling in Parliament. The Chair may have a complement of 27 full or part-time members who may be assigned to conduct hearings. Reporting directly to the Chair are the Executive Director and the Senior General Counsel. The following positions also report to the Chair: Executive Advisor - This is a permanent position in the PM category reporting to the Chair. It provides support and the provision of objective and independent opinions to the Chair, including and maintaining relationships with all key stakeholders. Administrative Assistant - This is a permanent position in the AS category that reports to the Chair. The Administrative Assistant provides administrative support services to the Chair of the Commission. The Chair is responsible for the entire Commission budget: $4,177,000. Vice-Chair The Vice-Chair of the Commission assists and supports the Chair. The Vice-Chair may be called upon to initiate alternate dispute resolution of complaints when appropriate. The Vice-Chair takes responsibility on behalf of the Chair, when delegated, for preparation and delivery of all interim and final reports following reviews, investigations and hearings, including the findings and recommendations contained therein. He/she plays a key role in directing the work of the Director General, Reviews and Policy, and of the Review Unit staff. Members Members of the Commission are appointed on a part-time basis by order of the Governor in Council for each province and territory that contract for Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) services, after consultation with the Minister or other elected representatives responsible for police affairs in that province or territory. The Commission does not currently have any part-time members as their appointments have expired. Executive Director The Executive Director is a permanent position in the EX category reporting to the Chair and responsible for providing support to the Chair; leadership, strategic direction and oversight over the resources, operations, management and administrative infrastructure of the Commission; the continuing review, evaluation, streamlining and evolution of policies and processes; the management framework, and service delivery strategy; the development and implementation of a communications strategy; constructive relations with the RCMP and the provinces/territories; and the provision of advice on administrative matters to the Chair. As Chief Financial Officer, the Executive Director is required to develop and defend before Treasury Board, justification for additional funding and to explore cooperative funding arrangements. ATIP Coordinator - This is a permanent position in the PM category reporting to the Executive Director responsible for the application of the Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) legislation and advisory services on the ATIP program to the Chair and the Executive Director, all levels of management, staff, stakeholders and requesters. The following positions also report directly to the Executive Director:       Manager, Investigations       Director General, Reviews and Policy       Director, Special Projects       Director, Corporate Services       Director, Enquiries and Complaints       Senior Communications Officer Budget: $690,000 Senior General Counsel The Senior General Counsel is a permanent position in the LA category reporting to the Chair and responsible for the management of the Legal Services Unit; the provision of legal advice, opinions and expertise to the Commission; and representation of the Commission at different levels of appeal, up to and including the Supreme Court of Canada. This includes advice on policy and procedures formulation, and respecting rules and procedures for the conduct of all Commission hearings. The Senior General Counsel manages the Legal Services Unit, including regular staff and part-time counsel; delegates legal work based on expertise and specialization of staff; provides prior advice on legal, interpretative and conflicting legislative instruments issues; identifies the need for outside counsel; and exercises quality assurance over all Commission legal work. The following positions report to the Senior General Counsel: Legal Counsel - Procedural and substantive legal expertise, analysis, research and opinions through written or verbal briefings to the Chair, Senior General Counsel, and members and staff of the Commission, particularly in the fields of public complaints under the RCMP Act, administrative, criminal and constitutional law. Paralegal Specialist - Provides legal services and support for the Senior General Counsel and legal staff of the Commission. Legal Assistant - Legal services and support for the legal staff of the Commission. Budget: $420,000 Managers Reporting to the Executive Director Manager, Investigations The Manager, Investigations, is a permanent position in the PM category reporting to the Executive Director. He/she manages the investigative functions of the Commission, including some aspects of hearings. He/she is responsible for staffing and managing investigators; developing strategies and carrying out investigations; interviewing witnesses and complainants; writing related in-depth reports; reviewing all material from applicable RCMP investigations; and developing and delivering training to other investigators. He/she provides expert advice to the Chair, Executive Director and senior management on: investigation policies; processes and procedures relative to conducting investigations; and results of investigations. He/she also provides recommendations and detailed reports on the progress or outcome of investigations. The Manager, Investigations, forecasts requirements for the annual investigations budget for the Executive Director. The position utilizes 20 percent of the services of the Information Liaison Officer. Budget: $129,000 Director General, Reviews and Policy The Director General, Reviews and Policy, is a permanent position in the EX category, reporting to the Executive Director, accountable for overseeing the review and investigation of those complaints where the complainant is dissatisfied with the RCMP's handling of the complaint; developing and implementing a strategy to reduce the caseload of outstanding cases; developing a simplified process to increase output; reviewing, assessing and negotiating changes to RCMP plans to address recommendations; and developing recommendations for the provision of ministerial direction. He/she is accountable for developing a strategic planning framework and policy capability for the Commission; directing analytical studies of high-profile policing policy issues that require attention beyond individual cases; developing and implementing accountability reporting instruments; and reviewing and critiquing the annual report of the RCMP. The following positions report to the Director General, Reviews and Policy: Senior Reviewer Analysts - Accountable for independent review, analysis, investigation and handling of public complaints against the members of the RCMP where the complainant is dissatisfied with the RCMP's handling of the case; initiating and managing investigations or research contracts; and providing analysis and advice on policing policy and operational issues. Review and Policy Assistants - Accountable for assisting the Director General in the day-to-day management of the Review and Policy Unit, including coordinating the preparation of review reports for approval. Senior Policy Analysts - Accountable for developing and implementing strategic policy and planning for the Commission; coordinating the Commission's accountability reporting processes; and processing access to information and privacy requests. Budget: $946,000 Director, Special Projects The Director, Special Projects, is a permanent position in the EX category reporting to the Executive Director. This incumbent has been on long-term disability for two years. It is not certain when this employee is expected to return. Under the general direction of the Chair, the Director, Special Projects, is accountable for developing processes and policies for special interest cases such as relations between police and Aboriginal communities, police use of force, treatment of mentally ill persons by police, cell deaths and police pursuits. The Director, Special Projects, oversees completion of production of special reports on these issues. Director, Corporate Services The Director, Corporate Services, is a permanent position in the AS category reporting to the Executive Director. He/she is responsible for the provision of advice and expertise to the Chair and Members on identification of needs, planning and management of the delivery of the full range of corporate services for the Commission; directs business planning, funding, resource allocation, organizational and service delivery; and provides expertise, advice and services in security, accommodation, information management and material management. Corporate services include financial planning and services, business planning, information management, human resources, translation services, systems, security, accommodations and facilities management, procurement, contracting, and library services. The following positions report to the Director, Corporate Services: Finance Officer - Financial services, advice, interpretation, analyses and reporting services for the Commission. Librarian (part-time) - Library, research and information services to the Commission headquarters staff and Western Region office employees in Surrey. Head, Information Holdings - Full range of information holdings and mail services to the Commission. Two Records and Mail clerks report to this position. Text Revision and Translation Officer - Translation, adaptation, editing, proofreading, quality control services and linguistic advice offered to the Commission for the preparation of all documents in both official languages. An Assistant Translator reports to this position. Security and Administration Officer - Personnel and access security to the Ottawa office of the Commission. Administration services to internal clients of the Commission including liaison services with external clients such as vendors and contractors. Budget: $1,252,000 Director, Enquiries and Complaints This position is vacant and is located in Ottawa. The Director, Enquiries and Complaints, is a permanent position in the EX category reporting to the Executive Director, accountable for: establishing a distinct complaints resolution process to effectively separate the complaints and review functions; developing tools, standards, guidelines, tracking and control mechanisms to expedite the analysis and resolution of complaints and reform its database, performance indicator and reporting mechanisms; developing a strategy for and implementing an alternate dispute resolution mechanism, including the development of criteria for referral to alternate dispute resolution and the development and management of a pool of independent mediators; and marketing the complaints resolution function with the RCMP and promoting an attitudinal change toward it on the part of the RCMP rank and file. The following positions report to the Director, Enquiries and Complaints: Enquiries and Complaints Analysts - Formal complaint resolution, alternate dispute resolution and complaint review. Provide members of the public with information and advice on the role and mandate of the Commission, the complaints investigation process, and other sources of information and help. Manager, Administrative Services - Management of systems operations and financial/administrative/personnel services to the National Complaint Intake Office of the Commission. An Enquiries and Complaints Analyst Assistant and Enquiries and Complaints Assistants report to the Manager, Administrative Services. They provide operational and administrative support to Enquiries and Complaints Analysts and the Manager, Administrative Services, of the Commission Western Region office, Surrey, British Columbia. Budget: $579,000 Senior Communications Officer This is a permanent position in the IS category reporting to the Executive Director, responsible for communication strategies, plans, advice, products, services and support for the Commission. This position is responsible for the content in all Treasury Board reports and the Commission's Annual Report as well as all internal and external communication documents. The following position reports to the Senior Communications Officer: Information Liaison Officer - 80 percent of this position is utilized in communications; the other 20 percent is shared with the Manager, Investigations. This position responds to media enquiries and advises client managers on the management of media relations. Establishes, maintains and distributes electronic news articles of issues/cases of interest to the Commission and assists in all aspects of communications projects. Budget: $161,000 Net Cost of Program for 2004-2005 (thousands of dollars) Total Gross Planned Spending 4,735 Plus: Services Received without Charge   Accommodation provided by Public Works and Government Services Canada 367 Contributions covering employer's share of insurance premiums and costs paid by TBS 208 Employee compensation payments provided by Human Resources Development Canada 0 Subtotal: Services Received without Charge 575 Net Cost of Program 5,310   For Further Information Contacts and Web Site Head Office P.O. Box 3423 Station "D" Ottawa, Ontario K1P 6L4 (613) 952-1471 1-800-267-6637 Western Region 7337 137 Street Suite 102 Surrey, British Columbia V3W 1A4 (604) 501-4080 1-800-665-6878 Web Site http://www.cpc-cpp.gc.ca/ Legislation The Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP shares responsibility with the RCMP for carrying out the provisions of: Part VII, Royal Canadian Mounted Police Act R.S., c. R-10, Part VII       In addition, the Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP reports to Parliament on: Parts VI and VII, Royal Canadian Mounted Police Act R.S., c. R-10, Part VI, Part VII Publications Annual Reports 1988-1989 to 2002-2003 Police Pursuits and Public Safety (A Report by the RCMP Public Complaints Commission) Autumn 1999 Chair's Final Report Concerning the Public Interest Investigation into the Incidents Surrounding the Detention and Death of Mr. Kim Erik Nielsen of Kamloops, British Columbia Chair's Final Report Concerning the Public Interest Investigation into the Incidents Involving Demonstrators in the Communities of Saint-Sauveur and Saint-Simon, New Brunswick