Backgrounder
Special Staff Assistance Visit to Royal Military College of Canada
November 2, 2016 – Ottawa – National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces
On November 2, 2016, the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) convened a Special Staff Assistance Visit (SSAV) to the Royal Military College of Canada(RMCC) that will report findings to the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) by the end of 2016.This SSAV will assess and provide recommendations on the climate, training environment, culture, and program construct at RMCC and the Canadian Defence Academy.
About Staff Assistance Visits and Special Staff Assistance Visits
Staff Assistance Visits are used by the Canadian Armed Forces to to assess the performance of a military unit, either in whole or in part, and provide professional mentorship or guidance to assist them in the discharge of their duties. These sorts of visits are often used by a superior headquarters to help subordinate units improve their day-to-day business. They are more of a coaching session than a formal audit.
A Special Staff Assistance Visit, or SSAV, is different. It is a tool used by the highest echelons of the Canadian Armed Forces in order to obtain a full and accurate picture of the state of a military unit, directly and without prejudice. An SSAV can interview any individual, examine any document or file, and has access to every aspect of the unit under review.
About the Royal Military College of Canada
RMCC is the CAF’s degree-granting universitywith approximately 1,000 Officer and Naval Cadets training under the CAF’s Regular Officer Training Plan. It opened its doors in 1876 and is managed by the Canadian Defence Academythat is collocated in Kingston, Ont.Although RMCC Cadets are its most recognizable student population, RMCC delivers resident and distance learning in undergraduate and graduate studies for CAF members, public servants and civilians.
About the Special Staff Assistance Visit to RMCC
The CAF acknowledges that RMCCand its Cadets have been experiencing significant challenges and is committed to providing the resources, tools and training required to address them.RMCC, as with the CAF, is continuously adapting and proactively improving policies and procedures and evolving as a responsible organisation.
The Vice Chief of Defence Staff (VCDS), in cooperation with the Commander Military Personnel Command (CMPC), has convened the SSAV to RMCC. The CDS directed the VCDS to assess the situation at RMCC to provide an objective assessment of the factors affecting the overall climate of the college. The SSAV to RMCC will specifically examine the following areas:
- Stressors on Cadets. What are the significant stressors affecting RMCC Cadets? Can Cadets identify and seek help to deal with stress?
- Support to Cadets. What support mechanisms are made available to Cadets for mental health support, physical fitness, and counselling? How are Cadets made aware of these?
- Morale. What is the state of morale at RMCC among Cadets, the military wing, and the academic wing? What facts are contributing to the current morale?
- Command of RMCC. Does the current command structure of RMCC allow it to carry out its mission of educating Cadets? What level of confidence do Cadets have in the current leadership of RMCC?
- Staff of RMCC. How are RMCC staff selected and training to discharge the responsibilities of their positions? Is this adequate?
- Training and Learning. Does the training and learning environment of RMCC adequately prepare Cadets for their future responsibilities?
The SSAV to RMCC team will seek to enhance its understanding of the college’s environment to ensure that it remains the premiere institution for developing the CAF’s future leaders. It will investigate applicable policy, process and guidance as well as interview leadership, staff and willing RMCC Cadets and parents.
The SSAV to RMCC team is composed of nine senior CAF members, both current and former. These individuals are independent from the RMCC chain of command:
- Team Leader – Vice-Admiral (retired) Greg L. Maddison;
- Team Deputy-Leader – Major-General (retired) David G. Neasmith;
- Member – Colonel Virginia C. Tattersall (Chief of Staff);
- Member – Chief Warrant Officer Colleen A. Halpin;
- Member – Chief Warrant Officer J. Christian Thibault;
- Medical Advisor – Colonel Annie M.C. Bouchard;
- Legal Advisor – Lieutenant-Colonel Marla J. Dow;
- Chaplain Advisor – TBD; and
- Information Management Advisor – TBD.
The VCDS will review the SSAV to RMCC’s report and ensure the CAF takes further appropriate action.Our first priority upon receiving the results of the SSAV will be to act appropriately to deal with any issues that they identify. Those decisions, and the reason for them, will be communicated to RMCCstaff, Cadets, and to the Canadian public shortly thereafter.
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