Duty of Care envelope, 2017-18 to 2022-23 – Evaluation summary

About the evaluation

Evaluation Division at Global Affairs Canada (GAC) conducted an evaluation of the Duty of Care (DoC) envelope focused on the period from 2017-18 to 2022-23. The evaluation aimed to inform: 1) decision-making and course corrections to improve envelope delivery during the second half of its mandate; and 2) the planning of mission safety and security initiatives beyond the envelope’s timeframe.

Key findings

• The DoC envelope provided GAC with unprecedented resources, increased visibility and trust as the lead security agency responsible for safety and security at Canada’s missions abroad.
• Overall, the envelope aligned with GAC’s security mandate and its design and initiatives were well aligned with the department’s safety and security priorities and with the needs of key stakeholders at mission. However, there were unaddressed risks across the mission network and among different stakeholder groups. A wide range of mission stakeholders identified health, safety and well being as an area that was not sufficiently addressed. Naming the envelope “Duty of Care” created confusion and led to unmet expectations in this area.
• The envelope made progress towards improving the safety and security of Canada-based staff and their dependants, locally engaged staff and visitors to Canadian missions. However, results varied among initiatives and across the network and evidence pointed to challenges in the planning and delivery of physical security projects, equipment and systems to missions.
• The envelope’s structures, systems, processes and tools were designed and put in place to facilitate a comprehensive, responsive and risk-based approach to managing security resources. However, internal and external challenges affected DoC delivery, including COVID-19 as well as challenges with the envelope’s internal structures, systems, processes and tools during implementation.
• Despite these difficulties, responsible DoC stakeholders demonstrated a high level of awareness and worked to address these challenges, enabling gradual improvement to envelope delivery.

Recommendations

1. Improve DoC’s risk assessment approach and develop well-scoped, prioritized mitigation measures.
2. Strengthen the DoC governance structure to ensure effective prioritization of resources.
3. Address remaining challenges for major and minor physical security projects, equipment and systems.
4. Develop a strategy to evolve the Mission Readiness Program to ensure alignment with mission needs, capacity and resources.
5. Develop a comprehensive GAC security policy and guidance.
6. Define and communicate the department’s responsibilities to protect people, information and assets at missions and develop resourcing strategies to meet these departmental responsibilities.