Backgrounder No. 4

Human Resources

Revised February 2004

History

The Mackenzie Commission of 1969 and the McDonald Commission of 1977 recommended that, in order to balance the need for accurate and effective security intelligence with the need to respect democratic rights and freedoms, Canada’s security intelligence functions should be separated from the RCMP and that a civilian service should be formed.

In August 1981, the federal government announced that the Canadian Security Intelligence Service would be created.

The establishment of CSIS by an Act of Parliament in 1984 recognized the differences between security intelligence activities and law enforcement work, bringing an end to the 120-year-old interlocking of Canada’s security intelligence service with the RCMP.

The CSIS Act was given Royal Assent in June 1984, and CSIS began its formal existence on July 16, 1984.

At that time, the new Service had a staff of 1,968. CSIS staff occupied eight separate buildings throughout Ottawa, working in operational units for counter-intelligence, counter-terrorism, counter-subversion and security screening during the early months of the new organization’s existence. The distribution of resources for counter-intelligence was four times greater than for counter-terrorism in those early days.

In 1987, the Solicitor General tabled in the House of Commons the third Annual Report of the Security Intelligence Review Committee (SIRC). In its report, SIRC raised a number of concerns about CSIS, prompting the Solicitor General to announce the formation of an independent advisory team headed by Gordon Osbaldeston, former Clerk of the Privy Council, to study several specific issues raised by SIRC and present a plan of action to the Solicitor General.

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One of the issues studied by the advisory team was whether CSIS policies on recruitment, training & development and personnel management had provided the Service with the proper mix of skills, education and experience to meet the intelligence requirements of the government.

Regarding the adequacy of CSIS resources, the Osbaldeston Report concluded that, with the proclamation of the CSIS Act: “ ... a number of new requirements were also created, many of which had to be provided from scratch. Among them were a complete management structure, an administrative system to provide the support previously drawn from the RCMP, accommodation separate from the RCMP, new communications and computer systems and a methodology for dealing with a complicated system of external review. All of this was to be provided, as a former member of CSIS management put it, ?on a shoestring’. The turmoil generated in simply getting CSIS established is a factor often overlooked by the critics,” the Report said.

Among many other things, the Report recommended a complete review of all CSIS capital and operating resource requirements to determine a basis “ ... from which to set reasonable and adequate resource levels for the Service.” The government responded by providing additional funding over four years for personnel and operating requirements. The report also called for an “immediate” solution to the problem created by having a staff that was by 1987 at a level of 2,153 operating in separate buildings throughout Ottawa. The government responded with a commitment to construct the new headquarters building at a total cost of $151 million. The new building houses all CSIS headquarters personnel under one roof. Construction of the facility was completed in 1995 within the approved budget.

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Looking back on implementation of the government’s decision to establish CSIS, the Osbaldeston Report noted the Security Intelligence Review Committee’s concern that the counter-subversion program “... casts its net too widely”. Osbaldeston recommended that the counter-subversion branch be eliminated, and that its duties and functions be reassigned. The Service responded by eliminating the counter-subversion program as a separate organizational entity.

With the number of terrorist incidents accelerating dramatically in the eighties, worldwide patterns and the scope of terrorist incidents became more and more apparent. One of the consequences was that terrorism became increasingly defined as an intelligence problem as well as a police matter. In Canada, counter-terrorist activity increased following the 1982 assassination of a Turkish military attaché en route to work in Ottawa, and the 1985 takeover of the Turkish Embassy, in which a security guard was killed. Air India Flight 182 was downed off the coast of Ireland in 1985, resulting in the deaths of all 329 people on board, most of whom were Canadians.

Partly as a direct response to these developments, counter-terrorism resources, including personnel, were increased during 1986 and 1987. As a consequence of the dramatic changes to the security environment in the past twenty years, there has been a continuing adjustment of operational resources to match the changes in the security environment. Particularly the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the ensuing global response to terrorism prompted further adjustments to Service resources. In 2002, a counter-proliferation responsibility centre was created within CSIS to answer the growing threat to international peace and security from weapons of mass destruction.

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Resource Profile

Since its inception, the Service has experienced significant shifts in its human resource levels. The government’s restraint program and Program Review exercises resulted in a decreased workforce between 1992 and 1998, where its complement was reduced by 28 percent or 760 positions. The impact of Program Reviews and other reductions brought the Service’s human resource level down to 2000 FTEs in 1997/1998.

The Service was able to adjust to staff reductions through normal attrition and by focusing on reducing administrative overhead to the extent possible and relying upon technological innovations to realize efficiencies.

In 1998, the Service assumed responsibility for the security screening of employees of the Department of National Defence (DND), which augmented the Service’s base budget through a transfer of resources from DND. Since then, there have been ongoing increases to the FTE level due to increased immigration security screening requirements. Resource levels also increased in fiscal year 1999/2000, due to Year 2000 requirements.

Finally, following the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, the government approved additional funding in an effort to bolster its counter-terrorism capabilities, resulting in the Service’s human resource level reaching 2380 FTEs by fiscal year 2006/2007.

The Service is dealing with staff increases through a targeted recruitment strategy. Special emphasis will continue to be placed on maintaining the operational integrity of the Service, and essential positions must continue to be staffed by people with the qualifications and specialized skills related to security intelligence. Therefore, the Service will continue to recruit high-calibre university graduates to become intelligence officers.

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A Representative Workforce

Because CSIS is a national organization, it maintains a presence throughout the country. Nearly half of its workforce is based in six regions extending from the Maritimes to British Columbia. Most regions have a head office and district offices. The remaining CSIS employees are located at Headquarters, in Ottawa. The Service tries to ensure that the various ethnic groups that constitute the Canadian mosaic are equitably represented in its workforce.

As a federal institution, CSIS ensures that the objectives of the Official Languages Act are met within the Service. CSIS is committed to ensuring: that communications with the public take place in both official languages as required by the Act; that work environments promote the use of either official language by the employees in the regions described in the Act; and that its workforce reflect the presence of the two official language communities in Canada, while endeavouring to provide equal opportunities for employment and advancement within the Service to both English- and French-speaking Canadians.

CSIS also ensures that programs and strategies are developed to assist managers in the recruitment, development and retention of persons who are members of the four employment equity designated groups: women, visible minorities, persons with disabilities and aboriginal peoples.

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Training and Development

CSIS is committed to fostering a work environment in which its employees are constantly learning and developing professionally. To this end, employees can participate in both internal or external courses and seminars that allow them to develop new skills, acquire knowledge, or gain new perspectives in areas that will help them perform their duties.

The Service’s internal training and development program is comprehensive, covering a full range of training and seminars related to management, professional development, informatics, as well as operational matters. External courses are used to enhance employees’ skills on non-CSIS specific topics.

Recruitment

The range of CSIS activities means that its employees must possess a variety of academic backgrounds and abilities. To operate effectively, the Service needs not only intelligence officers, but also scientists, engineers, technologists, translators/interpreters, technicians, information specialists (librarians, library technicians), financial and information technology specialists.

The intelligence officer category is the core professional group. They are responsible for the collection, analysis and production of intelligence. In order to be considered for employment in this category, the following qualifications are required:

• Canadian citizenship (applicable to all employees);

• an undergraduate university degree;

• the ability to physically relocate;

• a valid driver’s licence.

Meeting these requirements is only the starting point in applying to work at CSIS. The application process is rigorous, competitive and lengthy. Because of the sensitive nature of CSIS’s work, all applicants must undergo security background investigations.

Canadian citizens interested in a career with CSIS are encouraged to apply on-line to the Canadian Security Intelligence Service’s career Web site. When you submit your résumé to CSIS, your personal information will be protected under the federal Privacy Act.

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Important note: Once you begin the process of filling in the on-line application form, you should not stop because the process could time-out. Therefore, applicants should make sure that the following information is readily available:

• Previous employment information, including the names of previous employers and supervisors; dates, salaries, addresses and telephone numbers.

• Information relating to education and training (degrees, diplomas, the name(s) of the institution(s) and dates attended).

• A list of all foreign countries you have travelled to or lived in and when, excluding the USA, and whether the travel was for holiday, business, study or other reason.

Should you time-out before you have completed the application form, you will be required to re-register under a new username and password and start the process all over.

We thank all those who apply and advise that only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.

Date modified: 2006-06-21

Important Notices