RPP 2005-2006
Military Police Complaints Commission

Chairperson's Message
Summary Information
Priorities, Plans and Performance Monitoring

SECTION II: ANALYSIS OF PROGRAM ACTIVITIES BY STRATEGIC OUTCOME

Strategic Outcome 1: Ensure Cases are Reviewed Fairly And Expeditiously
Strategic Outcome 2: Create and Maintain Effective Communications - Externally With Stakeholders and Internally With Employees
Strategic Outcome 3: Management Practices are Enhanced

SECTION III: SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

Management Representation Statement
Organizational Chart August 2003
Organizational Chart June 2004
Table 1: Departmental Planned Spending and FTEs
Table 4: Net Cost os Department

SECTION I: OVERVIEW

Chairperson's Message

The upcoming 2005-2006 fiscal year will be the sixth full year of operation for the Military Police Complaints Commission of Canada (the Complaints Commission). Last fiscal year was a year of significant change. Management restructured the organization and realigned the delivery systems, achieving remarkable results. We eliminated 10 full-time equivalents (FTEs), reducing our staff by 47 per cent, increased operational efficiencies, introduced economies for a total overall cost savings of $800K, which represents over 20% of our total program resource allocation.

The challenge now is to continue to deliver the Complaints Commission's mandate in an effective manner while at the same time to work toward establishing a more knowledgeable, cohesive and harmonious workforce.

To further support the delivery of its mandate, the Complaints Commission has refined two of its strategic outcomes that deal with the fair and expeditious review of cases, and creating and maintaining more effective internal as well as external communication. Greater emphasis will be placed on performance measurement in order for results to be tracked and adjustments to be made as required.

As part of ongoing efforts to improve performance, we have also developed a new strategic outcome. We have decided to stress the enhancement of our management practices. This will primarily involve incorporating risk management more extensively into our corporate culture. An internal audit policy and plan will address the adequacy of our management framework and the stewardship exercised over our resources.

The Complaints Commission continually strives to improve its internal and external communication with employees and stakeholders. We want to ensure that clear, relevant information is readily available and easily accessible. To that end, a communication review is underway to help identify opportunities for improvement regarding communication processes and practices. Through this review and the subsequent communication management plan that will be developed, the Complaints Commission will be able to continue to strengthen its relationships with stakeholders, further reinforcing the unique and important role it plays within the national defence community.

In terms of human resources, the Complaints Commission must continue to build a workplace of choice for its current and future employees. We will create a learning environment where our employees will be challenged by the work that they do and will be encouraged to both improve current skill sets and acquire new skills.

While the structure of the Complaints Commission and the level of resources available have changed significantly over the last year, the commitment to provide effective civilian oversight of the Military Police still remains our primary objective. To that end, the Complaints Commission looks forward to continuing to support the professionalism of the military police and the quality of Canada's military justice system.

The Complaints Commission delivers its program as a result of being largely funded through operating expenditures. The Complaints Commission is a quasi-judicial tribunal, and it reports to Parliament on its activities through the Minister of National Defence.

The Complaints Commission formulates recommendations based on the findings of its reviews and investigations of complaints. Although not binding, if the authority responsible for dealing with these recommendations does not act on them, the reasons for not acting must be provided to the Chairperson and the Minister of National Defence.

While the Chairperson's recommendations may result in the censuring of the conduct of those who are the subject of a complaint, they are directed first and foremost at correcting any systemic problems that may have played a part in allowing the situation that gave rise to a complaint in the first instance.

The Complaints Commission does not act as an advocate for either side in the complaint process. Its role is to inquire into complaints independently and impartially and to arrive at objective findings and recommendations based on the information provided by complainants, the subjects of complaints, witnesses and others who may assist in uncovering the truth concerning the events being investigated.

Financial Resources

Human Resources

Departmental Priorities and Plans

Operating Environment

The planning process presents a number of challenges to the Complaints Commission, primarily with regard to the number, complexity and nature of the complaints received. The following is intended to provide some context regarding planning for and fulfilling the Complaints Commission's operational requirements.

Number and Complexity of Complaints and Investigations

It is impossible to predict how many complaints will be made over the planning period, how many complainants will ask the Complaints Commission to review the investigation of their complaint or how many complaints will be deemed to be in the public interest, thereby leading to a more costly public interest investigation or hearing by the Complaints Commission.

Moreover, planning expenditures for the Complaints Commission must also take into consideration unusual expenses that may be associated with its investigations. While one case may involve interviewing two or three people in a single location, another could involve interviewing more than a dozen individuals who are deployed at several sites across the country.

Similarly, while some relatively straightforward cases can be dealt with in a matter of weeks, other investigations can involve reviewing hundreds of pages of documentary evidence and extensive interview notes and may take several months to complete. In fact, the cost of an extensive, public interest investigation can exceed $200,000.

Reports of public interest investigations, as well as summaries of complaints that have been reviewed and/or monitored by the Complaints Commission, are available on its Web site at http://www.mpcc-cppm.gc.ca/300/300_e.html.

Implementation of Modern Management Practices

The Complaints Commission continues to move forward with the implementation of its action plan that was developed in 2004-2005. To that end, as stated under Strategic Outcome 3 on the previous page, it will be focusing on developing and implementing modern management practices in conjunction with the government's Management Accountability Framework initiative. In turn, the strategic plan will be updated in the early part of the 2005-2006 fiscal year.

One important measure of performance is the Complaints Commission's ability to deal with cases in a timely manner. In this area, it is important to note that the Chairperson cannot issue a final report in a given case until the appropriate authority within the military or defence hierarchy has provided a response to the Chairperson's interim report. Thus, to a considerable extent, the Complaints Commission's ability to ensure that cases are resolved in a timely manner is dependent upon the co-operation and collaboration of others.

For this and other reasons, although it is independent of the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Forces, the Complaints Commission places a premium on maintaining a good working relationship and regular consultations with the Chief of the Defence Staff, the Canadian Forces Provost Marshal and other stakeholders in a mutual effort to avoid unnecessary delays. Although the Complaints Commission must maintain its independence, it need not be isolated, and the Complaints Commission is committed to operating in as collegial and co-operative a manner as is consistent with its legislated mandate.

Human Resources

In terms of being an employer of choice, the Complaints Commission is enhancing the quality of its work environment to further build knowledgeable and efficient staff that is better able to meet its mandate throughout the year. To that end, individual learning plans have been formalized together with a monitoring system to ensure employees are advancing toward their stated goals. As well, the Complaints Commission will be developing a learning policy and a related framework to guide the professional development of its staff.

A key risk for all organizations is the potential departure of employees. Therefore, it is essential for the Complaints Commission to ensure that corporate memory is captured and that it continues to both assess its staffing contingencies and review succession planning measures to better ensure effective and efficient service delivery.

Strategic Outcome 1: Ensure cases are reviewed fairly and expeditiously

Priorities

• Review the effectiveness of the case management process, including the environment in which it operates.
• Improve the efficiency of the case management process.
• Develop performance measurements for the case management process.

Plans

• Complete a detailed review of the case management process by identifying, prioritizing and resolving the challenges that need to be overcome to improve the quality and timeliness of services.
• Implement quality assurance practices.
• Introduce an informal resolution framework.
• Implement best practices based on internal and external consultations.
• Improve the knowledge, capabilities, commitment and satisfaction of the workforce.
• Design and implement best practices for the informal resolution process.
• Implement a performance measurement framework.

Performance Monitoring

• Ensure that an effective contingency plan is in place in order for the Complaints Commission to be in a position to deal with a significant increase in the number of complaints.
• Monitor and evaluate feedback from clients and stakeholders on the reports of investigations and reviews prepared and submitted by the Chairperson.
• Monitor and evaluate feedback from complainants and the subjects of complaints as well as issues related to complaints.
• Follow-up on the Public Service Commission Employee Survey benchmark results by conducting a follow-up employee survey to measure improvements.
• Evaluate the handling of all cases against the timelines and outputs required under the performance management framework

Strategic Outcome 2: Create and maintain effective communications - externally with stakeholders and internally with employees

Priorities

• Evaluate the overall effectiveness of the external communication program.
• Continue to enhance and expand the delivery of information to stakeholders.
• Cultivate collaborative and harmonious working relationships within the organization.

Plans

• Complete an independent external review of the communication program.
• Based on the results of the communication review, develop a new strategic communications plan and make the necessary adjustments to communication processes and products.
• Pursue visits and presentations to Military Police, other members of the Canadian Forces and other stakeholders such as the Family Resources Centres.
• Continue to enhance the Web site to provide access to more comprehensive information on the Complaints Commission and the complaints process.
• Continue to work with employees and their representatives to enhance the quality of internal communications.
• Develop an Employee Guide.
• Develop and implement a learning policy as well as a rewards and recognition program.

Performance Monitoring

• Use the monitoring and data-gathering mechanisms developed within the strategic communications plan to monitor awareness of the Complaints Commission and its activities within the Department of National Defence, the Canadian Forces and Canadian Forces Military Police, and the Canadian public.
• Monitor and evaluate feedback from presentations, exchanges with clients and stakeholders, and reports.
• Monitor traffic and usage patterns on the Complaints Commission's Web site.
• Meet regularly with Union representatives to discuss issues and progress made regarding working relationships within the organization.
• Follow-up on the Public Service Commission Employee Survey benchmark results by conducting a follow-up employee survey to measure improvements.

Strategic Outcome 3: Management practices are enhanced

* Enhanced management practices is equally shared across the organization. As a result, the resources were allocated between the first two strategic outcomes.

Priorities

• Implement a risk management strategy.
• Improve resource stewardship.

Plans

• Develop and implement an integrated risk management framework that incorporates risk and tolerance into strategic and operational planning.
• Implement the recently developed internal audit policy and plan and conduct risk-based audits accordingly.
• Continue to develop and implement modern management practices in conjunction with the government's Management Accountability Framework initiative.
• Explore further opportunities for partnering and outsourcing to increase cost effectiveness.

Performance Monitoring

• Review annually the extent to which risk management has been incorporated into strategic and operational planning.
• Review annually internal audit activities and the extent to which they address the areas of greatest risk to the Complaints Commission.
• Review annually the progress made toward the development and implementation of modern management practices.
• Review partnering arrangements to measure cost effectiveness and to identify opportunities for further savings.

The Complaints Commission has two program activities - operations and legal. The Operations section is responsible to monitor and review complaints on the conduct of military police members and to investigate complaints of interference with military police investigations. The Legal section is responsible for providing legal opinions on any matters of interest to the Complaints Commission, legal analysis of reports and for advising and representing the Complaints Commission on public interest investigations and hearings as well as on 5-year legislative review issues.

Realization of the strategic outcome depends on the combined success of both activities. Early in 2005-2006, the Complaints Commission intends to merge these two activities into one activity. The resource allocation set out above reflects the combined resources of both activities.

The Complaints Commission has identified the following three priorities to enable it to handle complaints and issue reports in a fair and expeditious manner.

• Review the effectiveness of the case management process, including the environment in which it operates.
• Improve the efficiency of the case management process.
• Develop performance measurement for the case management process.

Priority 1: Review the effectiveness of the case management process, including the environment in which it operates.

Priority 2: Improve the efficiency of the case management process.

Priority 3: Develop performance measurements for the case management process.

Regarding increasing the effectiveness of its external and internal communications, the Complaints Commission has identified three priorities.

• Evaluate the overall effectiveness of the external communication program.
• Continue to enhance and expand the delivery of information to stakeholders.
• Cultivate collaborative and harmonious working relationships within the organization.

Priority 1: Evaluate the overall effectiveness of the external communication program.

Priority 2: Continue to enhance and expand the delivery of information to stakeholders.

Priority 3: Cultivate collaborative and harmonious working relationships within the organization.

Aside from continuing to enhance overall performance measurement and management, the Complaints Commission has established the following two priorities regarding sound management practices.

• Implement a risk management strategy.
• Improve resource stewardship.

Priority 1: Implement a risk management strategy.

Priority 2: Improve resource stewardship.

I submit the 2005-06 Report on Plans and Priorities (RPP) for the Military Police Complaints Commission of Canada for tabling in Parliament.

This document has been prepared based on the reporting principles and disclosure requirements contained in the Guide to the Preparation of the 2005-2006 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 Treasury Board Secretariat.
• It is comprehensive and accurate.
• It is based on sound underlying departmental 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.

_____________________________
Johanne Gauthier
General Counsel and Secretary

Date: ___________________________

The following organizational charts represent the Complaints Commission before and after the significant reorganization and realignment.

ORGANIZATIONAL CHART AUGUST 2003

Operations' and Corporate Services' Organizational Chart 2003

Chairperson's Organizational Chart 2003

Legal Services' Organizational Chart 2003

ORGANIZATIONAL CHART JUNE 2004

TABLE 1: DEPARTMENTAL PLANNED SPENDING AND FTEs

The following table outlines the planned spending for the Complaints Commission over the next three fiscal years. The spending will be divided between two of the Complaints Commission's program activities. Operations will operate with a budget of $2,447, while Legal Services' budget will be $1,729 over the next three fiscal years.

TABLE 4: NET COST OF DEPARTMENT

Date Modified: 2005-03-24