The CDS Guidance to Commanding Officers resulted from The Report to the Prime Minister on the Leadership and Management of the Canadian Forces, 25 March 1997, Recommendation 31, which stated: “Formalize pre-command training in all services to ensure that the knowledge of potential candidates is current in such areas as military law, human rights, public affairs, legal responsibilities, resource management, employment equity and ethics.”

The CDS Guidance to COs is a pre-command, self-paced learning package. It is a strategic or national level overview, which enunciates the CDS vision, philosophy, policy and direction to commanding officers on selected subjects. The learning package has been developed, for the most part, to be generic and broadly applicable to all COs and to all units in all elements. The CDS Guidance to COs is applicable to all officers, Regular Force and the Primary Reserve Force, who are formally appointed as a “Commanding Officer” in accordance with existing regulations, orders and policies. It is issued to each new CO in the rank of Colonel/Captain(N) and below by their Chain of Command upon the COs appointment to that position.

The CDS Guidance to COs evolved from the original hard copy product to that contained within a CD-R with a multi-year production base effective from 2003. In June 2005, the CDS approved a web-based version of the CDS Guidance to COs only thus eliminating the requirement of a CD-R version. The approval of a web-based product only will ensure currency of information and supplemental professional development will continue to be readily accessible by hyperlinks :