Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Deputy Minister of International Development, Deputy Minister of International Trade, and Associate Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs before the Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade (AEFA)

2022-06-09

Appearance before the senate committee on foreign affairs and international trade

Study on the canadian foreign service and elements of the foreign policy machinery within global affairs Canada, and on other related matters

A. Background Information

Meeting scenario

• The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Deputy Minister of International Trade, the Deputy Minister of International Development and the Associate Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs are appearing virtually before the Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade (AEFA) on June 9, 2022, from 11:30am to 1:00pm.
• The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs will be delivering the opening remarks on behalf of the department.
• The following departmental officials will accompany Deputy Ministers virtually during the appearance and may be called upon to respond to questions:
  • Alexandre Lévêque, Assistant Deputy Minister for Strategic Policy
  • Stéphane Cousineau, Assistant Deputy Minister of International Platform Branch
  • Annie Boyer, Director General, Financial Planning and Management, and Deputy Chief Financial Officer
  • Francis Trudel, Assistant Deputy Minister for Human Resources

Other relevant appearance request

The committee invited all three GAC Ministers to appear at the committee’s subsequent meetings in June. Those dates did not work for Ministers. This may be revisited in the fall.

Committee context

• After your introduction by the committee Chair, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs will be given 5 minutes to deliver opening remarks.
• The balance of the time remaining will be apportioned to committee members to ask questions. No other witnesses will be called.
• Questions will be asked on a first come, first served basis. Senators will try to catch the eye of the Clerk by raising their hand indicating they wish to be added to the list of questions.
• For further information on committee membership, please see the committee bios included in this briefing binder.
• Any Senator can show up to a Senate committee meeting and pose questions, even if they are not a member of that committee.

Committee membership & intrests

• So far, during this 44th Parliament, the committee has studied the conflict in Ukraine and its implications for peace and security, the Frozen Assets Repurposing Act, and the Canadian Foreign Service and elements of the foreign policy machinery within Global Affairs Canada. The latter study was, however, paused in May to allow for review of certain elements of the Budget Implementation Act.
• Committee members’ questions during the two sessions in April dedicated to the study on the Foreign Service and elements of the foreign policy machinery within Global Affairs Canada focused on the following issues:
  • Human Resources: staffing and talent management; mobility, rotationally and pool management; under-staffing, recruitment and the need to develop surge capacity; disproportionate balance of staff at HQ vs. missions; HOM appointments; role of non- FS staff at mission; recruitment, retention and treatment of LES; and amalgamation.
  • Skills Development and Maintenance: maintaining development expertise; developing and maintaining diplomatic skills, and geographic and specific functional expertise; bilingualism; foreign language competencies; and mentorship.
  • Decision-making: strategic policy planning and coherence; innovation; hierarchy, risk- aversion in senior management and duty of care; and GAC’s status and relationship with central agencies.
  • Diversity and Inclusion: importance of diversity; under representation of black and indigenous Canadians in the Foreign Service; and engagement with Canadians.
  • Thematic/Geographic: Ukraine response; Havana syndrome; need for geographic representation proportional to strategic priorities; and digital and security policy.

Modernizing Canada’s Diplomacy - Concept Note

1. Context

In his Mandate Letter from 16 December 2021, Prime Minister Trudeau directed Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mélanie Joly, “to advance Canada’s interests and values in a world facing increasingly complex threats and issues, (…) by, amongst other things, strengthening Canada’s diplomatic capacity”.

On February 24, 2022, Senator Boehm put forward a motion, adopted by the Senate, authorizing the Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade (AEFA), that he chairs, to examine and report “on the Canadian foreign service and elements of the foreign policy machinery within Global Affairs Canada, and on other related matters; and that the committee submit its final report no later than March 30, 2023, and that it retain all powers necessary to publicize its findings for 180 days after the tabling of the final report.”

Under the leadership of the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Global Affairs Canada (GAC) is undertaking an internal review of targeted aspects of its organization and policy framework to modernize and strengthen Canada’s capacity to engage globally so that the department remains well equipped to fulfill its mandate in the long term, in a rapidly changing world. This concept note outlines the scope, path, and ambition of this review process.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs will be regularly briefed on progress, and is expected to communicate early in the process her engagement, expectations and commitment.

2. Initial Diagnostic

A complex and destabilizing global landscape has repercussions for Canada’s international agenda. The international forces, dynamics and agreed set of rules, laws, norms and institutions that have shaped the world for the last 75 years are at genuine inflection points. Canada finds itself navigating turbulent and contested geopolitical waters, as the global order and the power distribution within it are in the midst of a recalibration, the outcome of which remains ambiguous and uncertain. A snapshot of this moment in time reveals that we confront sequential, compounding, overlapping and acute crises, placing our domestic and international governance systems in a state of perpetual stress testing.

Canada’s capacity to engage globally currently faces a number of opportunities and challenges that call for its modernization, including:

• Canada's operating environment has become more challenging and volatile in recent years due to a changing and less predictable international environment, a particular challenge for a “middle power”, and increased great power competition;
• Disruptions are accelerating across all aspects of societies, driving rapid, complex changes in vital sectors such as the economy, environment, governance, transportation, energy, food and so on;
• The cumulative stress of emergencies and geopolitical crises is putting enormous, ongoing pressure on the provision of services to Canadians, and our ability to safeguard interests and assets abroad; budget and capacity constraints affect Canada’s global engagement and footprint, including our mission network abroad where several of our missions are minimally staffed thus affecting the depth of our engagement in the host country or with multilateral organizations;
• Means that enable international engagement have grown considerably thanks to technological changes and innovation, allowing Canadian interests and values to be projected and multiplied through virtual events, negotiations and discussions; and
• The Canadian public is increasingly exposed to and aware of international issues and events, but displays limited knowledge of Canada’s breadth of diplomatic engagement, and ever more vulnerable to mis- and/or disinformation.

The department is increasingly asked to respond to situations and events that are without precedent, using tools, structures and processes born from, and designed for, a different time.

Protecting and advancing our national interests and values in today’s world, including in the areas of security, political, consular, trade and development, hinges upon our ability to engage with and influence the decisions and conduct of foreign governments, regional and international organizations, as well as a growing number of non-state actors in a variety of contexts. Canada needs to retain and build its capacity to exert influence on the international scene.

3. Scope & Objectives:

This exercise is not a comprehensive review of the department. It will focus on four different pillars:

1. a) Our people: Ensuring we are able to recruit, retain and develop a diverse workforce with the right leadership qualities and skill sets to meet the global challenges of today and tomorrow. Putting in place effective mechanisms and systems to build expertise and knowledge, as well as deploy and reallocate strategically our human resources, especially in times of crises.
2. b) Our policy capacity: Ensuring we have the capacity to anticipate and identify opportunities and challenges to advance and protect Canadian interests, as well as to address emerging policy challenges. Ensuring our workforce and diplomats have the tools and programs to support their work, and effectively engage with stakeholders in policy development.
3. c) Our technological and digital capacity: Ensuring we have the digital tools, infrastructure and sustainable funding we need to project our interests and values in an increasingly virtual world, have access to data and analytics to maximize data-driven decision-making and insights on global issues, and can safeguard information and networks from cyber threats.
4. d) Our global presence: Ensuring we have the capacity and an effective process in place to assess and adjust our global presence on an ongoing basis to meet emerging challenges and opportunities and to ensure alignment with our strategic interests.

Across all four pillars, the exercise will ensure strong communication and build coherence across the trade, development, foreign policy and consular portfolios of the department. Departmental efforts underway including, but not limited to, those related to equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI), mission of the future, digital and data strategies, financial sustainability, and the future of work, will inform, shape and provide input to this exercise.

4. Governance:

The Associate Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, supported by the Assistant Deputy Minister for Strategic Policy, will lead the review effort, under the direction of the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs.

An Advisory Council will be convened by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs to provide input into, and feedback on, the review on a quarterly basis.

An ADM Steering Group will regularly review progress and provide guidance on the exercise, its key findings and recommendations. This ADM-level Steering Committee will include: Strategic Policy (PFM) as Chair, Human Resources (HCM), Corporate Planning, Finance and Information Technology (SCM), International Platform (ACM), International Business Development, Investment and Innovation (Chief Trade Commissioner) (BFM), Sub-Saharan Africa Branch (WGM), and Americas (NGM) – as the home of Mission Support Bureau (NMD).

A small, dedicated and multidisciplinary team housed within the Strategic Policy Branch, under the Foreign Policy Bureau (POD), is being assembled to support this project. The team will be working in close partnership with their working level colleagues across the five above-mentioned branches, as well as all other branches across the department, in consultation with missions abroad, when needed.

Please refer to Annex A for further elaboration on governance aspects of the project.

5. Communication and Consultations:

An Executive Committee (ExCo) retreat on April 29 was the first step in terms of departmental communication, to be followed by early communication with staff through a broadcast message. The latter will provide information about the project and explain its parameters. Dialogues with employees, missions and departmental champions, including the Anti-Racism Secretariat and equity, diversity and inclusion networks, will take place throughout the project.

Consultations with partner departments will also be essential, given their growing engagement abroad and the global nature of an increasing number of domestic issues, such as health, environment, agriculture, migration and security.

The department will also actively participate in the Senate AEFA study.

Dialogues with Canadian stakeholders will also inform the modernization review, including think tanks, experts, scholars, former Canadian senior officials and Head of Missions, business and NGOs.

Finally, consultations will also be undertaken with other foreign ministries that are undergoing or have recently undergone similar reviews, and/or offer comparative models for service delivery.

6. Timelines/ Critical Path:

The project commenced in April 2022 and is slated to be completed within one year. The first presentation of the project to the GAC ExCo took place April 29.

Internal and external dialogues and consultations are expected to start in late May 2022. Following the official launch of the project with employees by Deputy Ministers.

[REDACTED].

Progress reports, which may include interim findings, will be provided to ExCo, GAC Deputy Ministers, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, on a regular basis.

The aim is to develop a draft report for GAC Deputy Ministers’ consideration [REDACTED].

[REDACTED].

Please refer to Annex B for a detailed critical path

7. Resources:

This review will be undertaken within existing departmental resources. Efforts will be made to identify opportunities for reallocation to address resource requirements that may be identified as part of this exercise. Some of the recommendations emanating from the review will likely require additional resources if they are to be implemented.

ANNEX A – Governance and Partners

Text version

Core Team: DMA, PFM POD Team, ADM Steering Group, departmental strategies underway

Executive Leadership and Legislative: PMO, MINA, Senate and Parliamentary processes

Canadian Stakeholders: Canadian think tanks, experts, scholars, former Canadian HOMs, former GAC senior officials, business, NGOs, etc.

GoC: OGDs, GAC networks, employee associations/unions

Foreign Partners: Consultations with foreign partners undertaking similar reviews and/or modernization efforts

Executive Bodies: ExCo, DM4, DMCC, P&PC

Advisory Council

[REDACTED]

Consultations will include:

• Employees
• Departmental champions (e.g., Anti-Racism Secretariat) and networks
• Key partner departments
• Canadian stakeholders (think tank experts, scholars, former Canadian senior officials, former HoMs, business, NGOs)
• Other foreign ministries undergoing or recently have undergone similar reviews

AEFA Members’ Biographies

Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade (AEFA)
44th Parliament – First Session
December 2021 to Present

CHAIR

Peter Boehm
(ISG – Ontario)

Deputy Chair

Peter Harder
(PSG – Ontario)

2^nd Deputy Chair

Michael L. MacDonald
(CPC – Cape Breton, NS)

Members

Stephen Greene
(CSG – Nova Scotia)

Gwen Boniface
(ISG – Ontario)

Victor Oh
(C – Ontario)

David Richards
(CSG – New Brunswick)

Marty Deacon
(ISG – Ontario – Waterloo Region)

Mary Coyle
(ISG – Nova Scotia)

Amina Gerba
(PSG – Quebec)

Mohamed-Iqbal Ravalia
(ISG- Newfoundland- Labrador)

Yuen Pau Woo
(ISG – British Colombia)

Order for Questioning:

Unlike the House of Commons, there is no specific order of questions. While the opening remarks are being given, members catch the eye of the Clerk, indicating they wish to be added to the list to ask questions. Any Senator, even if they are not a member of the committee, has the right to attend the meeting, sit at the table and ask questions. These non-committee members may not vote, however, votes at Senate committees are very rare.

Witnesses typically have 10 minutes each for their opening remarks, but the Chair will often request witnesses to keep opening remarks to 5 minutes if appearing alongside other witnesses providing opening remarks.

Mandate:

The Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade studies and reports on legislation referred to it by the House of Commons. The committee usually initiates at least one major study at a time that can last more than a year. In addition to motions that allow for a specific topic of study, the committee will always have a broad motion that allows short studies of one or two meetings as “global issues develop”.

The general subject area of the committee includes the following:

• Free Trade Agreements and Canada’s international trade policy
• Bilateral Relations

The federal departments and crown corporations under the committee’s direct scrutiny are:

• Global Affairs Canada
• Export Development Canada
• Canadian Commercial Corporation

Peter Boehm
(ISG – Ontario)
Date of nomination: 2018-10-03
Date of retirement: 2029-04-26

Key Interests

• Bilateral Relations
• Public Opinion of the FS
• GAC Recruitment

Notable Committee Memberships

Member of the Canada-Europe Parliamentary Association

Notable Committee Memberships

• Member, Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade (AEFA), November 2018 – present
• Member, Senate Standing Committee on National Finance (NFFN), November 2018 – present

Background

Born in Kitchener, Ontario, Senator Boehm holds a PhD in history from the University of Edinburgh, a Master of Arts in international affairs from the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs at Carleton University and a Bachelor of Arts in English and History from Wilfrid Laurier University.

He was Deputy Minister for the G-7 Summit and Personal Representative of the Prime Minister (Sherpa) from July 2017, until his retirement from the Public Service in September 2018. Peter Boehm had previously been Deputy Minister of International Development, Associate, and, subsequently, Senior Associate Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. From 2013 to 2017, he concurrently served as Sherpa for the G-8 and subsequent G-7 Summits, as well as the Nuclear Security Summit.

A former career Foreign Service officer, he served as Ambassador to Germany from 2008 to 2012 and previously as Assistant Deputy Minister for the Americas, North America and Consular Affairs. Abroad, he was Minister (political and public affairs) at the Embassy of Canada to the United States in Washington and Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the Organization of American States. He has held a variety of diplomatic positions including assignments in Cuba and Costa Rica.

Senator Boehm is not in support of Motion No. 36 to Motion to Call Upon the Government to Condemn the Joint Azerbaijani-Turkish Aggression Against the Republic of Artsakh.

Peter Harder
(PSG—Ontario)
Date of nomination: 2016-03-23
Date of retirement: 2027-08-25

Key Interests

• Trade Agreements
• Parliamentary Democracy
• China
• GAC Pool & Recruitment
• GAC as a Central Agency

Parliamentary Roles

Senator Harder entered the Senate in March 2016 where he served as the Government Representative from April 2016 until January 2020.

Notable Committee Memberships

• Member, Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade (AEFA), November 2020 – present

Background

Senator Harder arrived in the Senate with nearly 30 years of experience in the Federal Public Service, including in the departments of immigration, public safety, industry, the treasury board and foreign affairs.

Senator Harder was born in Winnipeg but grew up in Vineland, Ont., in the Niagara Region. His parents, refugees from the former USSR, owned a local grocery store where he worked as a teen. He studied political science at the University of Waterloo before moving to Ottawa to work as a parliamentary intern. After completing graduate studies at Queen’s University, he joined the Foreign Service in 1977, and soon after served as an assistant to then-Minister Flora MacDonald. He then served as Chief of Staff to the Rt. Hon. Joe Clark, then Leader of the Opposition and, subsequently, the Deputy Prime Minister in the first government of Prime Minister Brian Mulroney.

Senator Harder served as the founding Executive Director of the Immigration and Refugee Board. He was first appointed as Deputy Minister in 1991 – a role he eventually would play under five different prime ministers and 12 ministers, including in the departments of immigration, public safety, industry, treasury board and foreign affairs.

Victor Oh
(CPC—Mississauga, Ontario)
Date of nomination: 2013-01-25
Date of retirement: 2024-06-10

Key Interests

• Trade Agreements
• China
• Asia-Pacific
• GAC Recruitment

Parliamentary Roles

He is a member of the Canada-China Legislative Association.

Notable Committee Memberships

• Member, Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade (AEFA), September 2013 – present
• Member, Senate Standing Committee on Agriculture and Forestry (AGFO), December 2021 – present

Background

Victor Oh is a proud Canadian of Chinese heritage. He immigrated to Canada from Singapore in 1978 Since then, he has been an active community leader and a resident of Mississauga, Ontario. As a prominent member of the Chinese-Canadian community, Mr. Oh has devoted himself to promoting multiculturalism in addition to helping newcomers establish themselves in Canada and start their own businesses.

Mr. Oh is the founding Chairman of the Canada-China Business Communication Council and President of Wyford Holdings. He also serves as a member of the Board of Governors of Sheridan College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning. He is the former President of Mississauga Chinese Business Association and former Co-chair of the Confederation of Greater Toronto Chinese Business Association.

Over the years, Mr. Oh has been recognized for his contributions to Ontario and Canada. He was awarded the Robert Boyne Memorial Award by the Peel Regional Police Services Board in 2007 and the prestigious Citation for Citizenship (now known as Canada’s Citizenship Awards) by the Government of Canada in 2008, in recognition of his outstanding role in promoting the value of citizenship and helping newcomers integrate into Canadian society. In 2010, Mr. Oh became the first Chinese in 26 years to receive a Tribute Dinner by the Community Living Foundation of Mississauga. In 2011, the Canadian Immigrant magazine named him one of the top 25 Canadian immigrants.

Michael L. Macdonald
(CPC —Cape Breton, Ns)
Date of nomination: 2009-01-02
Date of retirement: 2030-05-04

Key Interests

• Trade Agreements
• Risk Averseness at GAC

Parliamentary Roles

He is the Co-chair of the Canada-US Inter-Parliamentary Group and Treasurer of the Canada-Korea Inter- Parliamentary Friendship Group.

Notable Committee Memberships

• Member, Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade (AEFA), December 2021 – present
• Deputy Chair, Senate Standing Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources (ENEV), December 2015 – September 2019
• Member, Senate Standing Committee on Transportation and Communication (TRCM), June 2011 – September 2019

Background

The Honourable Michael L. MacDonald is a Nova Scotia businessman and long-time Conservative activist He is the youngest of 10 children in a family with ancestral roots to some of Cape Breton’s earliest settlers.

Senator MacDonald attended King’s College at Dalhousie University in Halifax, graduating in 1977 with an honours degree in political science. He first came to Ottawa in 1978, working as a researcher in the Progressive Conservative Research Office until 1980. Returning to Nova Scotia, he worked in the office of the Hon. Gerald Sheehy (1980-82), and later served as Executive Assistant to Premier John Buchanan (1982-84). Thereafter, returning to parliament hill, he served as Executive Assistant to the Hon. Tom McMillan (1984-85), and later to the Hon. Stewart McInnes (1985-87).

Since 1988, he has been the President and owner of the Fortress Inn Louisbourg, a motel and restaurant complex near his family home in Cape Breton.

He ran twice for federal office, first in 1988, in the riding of Cape Breton-East Richmond, and again in 2004, running in Dartmouth-Cole Harbour. He also ran twice provincially for the Nova Scotia Progressive Conservative Party in 1993 and 1998.

Until his appointment to the Upper House, Senator MacDonald served as Vice-President of the Conservative Party of Canada, and the Party’s National Councillor for Nova Scotia.

He has also maintained an active role in the Nova Scotia community – coaching minor hockey and baseball, raising funds for cystic fibrosis research, as well as supporting various organizations to promote and preserve Nova Scotia heritage and the Gaelic language.

Mary Coyle
(ISG—Nova Scotia)
Date of nomination: 2017-12-04
Date of retirement: 2029-11-05

Key Interests

• Gender Equality
• Human Rights
• Development
• GAC Recruitment
• Diplomats vs. Experts

Parliamentary Roles

Member of the Canada-Europe Parliamentary Association

Notable Committee Memberships

• Member, Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade (AEFA), February 2019 – present
• Member, Senate Standing Committee on Aboriginal Peoples (APPA), February 2018 – September 2019

Background

Senator Coyle holds a diploma in French language from the Université de Besançon in France and a Bachelor of Arts in languages and literature with a major in French and a minor in Spanish from the University of Guelph. After working for the Ministry of Commerce and Industry as a Cuso International Cooperant in Botswana, she earned a Master of Arts in rural planning and development at the University of Guelph. She subsequently worked as a Rural Development Advisor in Indonesia and later to support two State Islamic Universities develop their community engagement strategies.

In 1997, she joined St. Francis Xavier University, serving as Vice President and Director of the school’s Coady International Institute and in 2014, she became the Executive Director of the Frank McKenna Centre for Leadership.

Senator Coyle is the sponsor of Bill S-2, An Act to amend the Chemical Weapons Convention Implementation Act. Bill S-2 seeks to amend Canada’s Chemical Weapons Implementation Act to align with the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons, otherwise known as the Chemical Weapons Convention, or CWC.

Marty Deacon
(ISG – Ontario, Waterloo Region)
Date of nomination: 2018-02-15
Date of retirement: 2033-04-23

Key Interests

• Sports
• GAC Recruitment
• Mentorship

Parliamentary Roles

Member of the Canada-Europe Parliamentary Association

Notable Committee Memberships

• Member, Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade (AEFA), November 2020 – present
• Member, Senate Committee on National Security and Defence (SECD) September 2020 – present

Background

Prior to serving in the Senate, Senator Deacon completed a 35-year career in education. As an Educator with a Master in Education (Western University), she taught (physics, science, physical & health education) in secondary schools (Waterloo Region District School Board), at two universities (University of Toronto, Western University), was a consultant, and an administrator at the elementary and secondary school levels. Deacon finished her career in education as Superintendent. Senator Deacon presently serves as Director on the Canadian Olympic Committee, Commonwealth Games Canada, Ontario Excellence Leadership Centre and the Grand River Jazz Society.

Senator Deacon is most passionate about the physical and mental well-being of all Canadians. She is an advocate for the future of women and young girls and children, worldwide. She has mentored and supported leaders in developing countries with a belief that sport, arts and education can build better communities, one community at a time. Senator Deacon is dedicated to ensuring organizations can thrive and function at optimal levels. She has assisted with developing governance and policies that allows this to happen in a meaningful, purposeful and respectful way.

Stephen Greene
(CSG—The Citadel, Halifax, Ns)
Date of nomination: 2005-01-02
Date of retirement: 2024-12-08

Key Interests

• Trade Agreements
• Seafood Exports
• GAC Recruitment

Parliamentary Roles

Greene was a candidate for the Reform Party in the 1993 and 1997 federal elections. He also served as Chief of Staff to Preston Manning of the Reform Party of Canada from 1993 to 1996. In 2006, he became Principal Secretary and Deputy Chief of Staff to Nova Scotia Premier Rodney MacDonald.

Notable Committee Memberships

• Member, Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade (AEFA), January 2015 – present
• Member, Senate Standing Committee on Rules, Procedures, and the Rights of Parliament (RPRD) December 5, 2019 – present

Background

Senator Greene was born in Montreal and went to high school in Lorne Park, Mississauga, Ontario. He has an honours BA from McMaster University and an MA from Dalhousie University. He lives in Halifax. Senator Greene worked at the Canadian embassy in Washington D.C. where he was asked to report on how the United States made its fisheries policies in the aftermath of the 200 mile limit. Subsequently, he managed the government relations of H.B. Nickerson & Sons Limited.

While in the fishing industry, he was asked to return to the Foreign Service. He was sent to the Canadian Consulate in Boston where he managed the new boundary in the Gulf of Maine. He subsequently joined Clearwater Fine Foods, Inc. Under his guidance, the Canadian fishery adopted a system of transferable property rights, which enabled investment to thrive.

Senator Greene served as Chief of Staff to Preston Manning of the Reform Party of Canada from 1993 to 1996. He subsequently worked in the insurance industry and became engaged in national and international insurance issues.

Amina Gerba
(PSG— Riguad,Quebec)
Date of nomination: 2021-07-29
Date of retirement: 2036-03-13

Key Interests

• Canada – Africa trade
• Human Rights
• GAC Diversity & Recruitment
• GAC Presence in Africa

Parliamentary Roles

Senator Gerba is a member of the Canada-Africa Parliamentary Association and the Canada-France Inter-Parliamentary Association.

Notable Committee Memberships

• Member, Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade (AEFA), December 2021 – present
• Member, Senate Standing Committee on National Finance (NFFN), December 2021 – present
• Member, Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights (RIDR), December 2021 – present

Background

Hailing from Cameroon, Senator Gerba worked for a number of Canadian companies from 1993 to 1995, with a focus on the development of African markets. In 1995, she started her own consulting firm, Afrique Expansion Inc., in order to build bridges between Canada and Africa, and encourage business opportunities. Since then, she has created and managed other businesses, including Flash Beauté Inc. and Kariliss Laboratories Inc., as well as the non-profit organization Forum Afrique Expansion.

From February 2018 until her appointment as an independent Senator in the Parliament of Canada in July 2021, Senator Gerba was Chair of the Board of Directors of Entreprendre ici, an organization set up as part of Quebec’s 2017-2022 Plan d’action gouvernemental en entrepreneuriat to support entrepreneurs from cultural communities. A very socially engaged woman, Senator Gerba has served on several public and private boards, including the Université du Québec à Montréal and its Executive Committee. She is a member and former President of the Rotary Club of Old Montreal, and a mentor for the Réseau des entrepreneurs et professionnels africains.

Senator Gerba holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a Master of Business Administration from the Université du Québec à Montréal. She is the mother of four children: Ali, Aïcha, Habi, and Kiari, and a grandmother of three.

Gwen Boniface
(ISG— Ontario)
Date of nomination: 2016-11-10
Date of retirement: 2030-08-05

Key Interests

• Defence & Security
• Human Trafficking
• GAC Surge Capacity
• GAC Hierarchy
• GAC Recruitment

Parliamentary Roles

She is a member of the Canada-Europe Parliamentary Association and the Canadian Delegation to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly.

Notable Committee Memberships

• Member, Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade (AEFA), December 2021 – present
• Member, Senate Standing Committee on Rules, Procedure and Rights of Parliament (RPRD), November 2016 – present
• Chair, Senate Standing Committee on National Security and Defence (SECD), 2017 – 2021

Background

Senator Boniface initiated a truth and reconciliation project in her home community of Orillia in 2019 with Indigenous and non-Indigenous members. The initiative has grown and continues to evolve through regular meetings with local Elders and community stakeholders. She has dedicated her efforts in the Senate to address human trafficking, ending domestic violence and curbing the opioid crisis. In November of 2021, she introduced a Senate public bill entitled Bill S-232: An Act respecting the development of a national strategy for the decriminalization of illegal substances, to amend the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts.

Prior to Senator Boniface’s appointment to the Upper Chamber, she served internationally for 10 years, including as Deputy Chief Inspector of Ireland’s Garda Síochána Inspectorate tasked with reforming Ireland’s national Police Service, as a Transnational Organized Crime Expert with the United Nations Police Division and as Deputy Executive Director of the International Association of Chiefs of Police. Senator Boniface was the first female Commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police and is a past President of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police. Ms. Boniface served with Law Commission of Canada for 5 years as a Commissioner.

David Richards
(CSG—New Brunswick)
Date of nomination: 2017-08-30
Date of retirement: 2025-10-17

Key Interests

• Trade Agreements
• Literature
• Havana Syndrome
• Malware attack

Parliamentary Roles

Member of the Canada-Europe Parliamentary Association

Notable Committee Memberships

• Member, Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade (AEFA), December 2021 – present
• Member, Senate Standing Committee on National Finance (NFFN), December 2019 – present
• Member, Senate Standing Committee on National Security and Defence (SECD), December 2019 – present

Background

David Adams Richards is an acclaimed Canadian novelist, essayist, screenwriter and poet, whose commitment to the Miramichi River valley, his province, and the country is reflected in his body of work. His writings, through which he gives voices to the marginalized and helps to deepen the reader’s understanding of the human experience, have been translated into 12 languages, and are part of the curriculum of Canadian and U.S. universities.

Mr. Richards has been a writer-in-residence at several universities and colleges across Canada and has received honorary doctorates from three New Brunswick universities and the Atlantic School of Theology. He is one of only three writers to have won in both the fiction and non-fiction categories of the Governor General’s Literary Award. He was a co-winner of the 2000 Giller Prize for his novel Mercy Among the Children and has received numerous other prestigious awards, including the Canada-Australia Literary Prize, two Gemini Awards for scriptwriting, the Alden Nowlan Award for Excellence in the Arts, the Canadian Authors Association Award and the 2011 Matt Cohen Award for a distinguished lifetime of contribution to Canadian literature.

In 2007, he was awarded the regional Commonwealth Writers’ Prize award. He is a member of the Order of New Brunswick and the Order of Canada. The Writers’ Union of New Brunswick and St. Thomas University have established annual awards in Mr. Richards’ name.

Yuen Pau Woo
(ISG—British Columbia)
Date of nomination: 2016-11-10
Date of retirement: 2038-03-02

Key Interests

• Trade
• Canada-China Relations
• Asia-Pacific
• GAC Pool Management
• Diplomats vs Experts

Parliamentary Roles

Senator Woo served as the ISG Facilitator 2017-2021.

Notable Committee Memberships

• Member, Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade (AEFA), December 2021 – present
• Member, Senate Standing Committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce (BANC), December 2015 – present
• Member, Senate Standing Committee on Scrutiny of Regulations (REGS), December 2019 – present

Background

Senator Woo has worked on public policy issues related to Canada’s relations with Asian countries for more than 30 years. From 2005-2014, he was President and CEO of the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, where he continues to serve as Distinguished East Asia Fellow. He is also a Senior Fellow at Simon Fraser University’s Graduate School of Business, and at the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs at the University of British Columbia. He is a member of the Trilateral Commission and on the board of the Vancouver Academy of Music. He also serves on the Advisory Boards of the Mosaic Institute, the Canadian Ditchley Foundation, and the York Centre for Asian Research.

Mohamed-iqbal Ravalia
(ISG—Newfoundland And Labrador)
Date of nomination: 2018-06-01
Date of retirement: 2032-08-15

Key Interests

• Giving Artists Royalties
• Aging and Dementia
• GAC Recruitment
• GAC Health Supports

Parliamentary Roles

Member of the Canada-Europe Parliamentary Association

Notable Committee Memberships

• Member, Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade (AEFA), November 2020 – present
• Member, Senate Standing Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology (SOCI), June 2018 – June 2019

Background

Senator Ravalia is a respected physician, medical educator and has strong community ties to Twillingate, NL.

Senator Ravalia was born and raised in the southern African country of Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). He immigrated to Canada in 1984 and practiced family medicine in Twillingate, NL until his appointment to the Senate in June 2018.

Senator Ravalia attended the Godfrey Huggins School of Medicine in Rhodesia where he earned his medical degree (MB.ChB.) in 1980. He completed his Certification in Family Medicine (CCFP) in 1992. He is currently a Fellow of the College of Family Physicians of Canada (FCFP). His community engagement has included involvement with the local minor hockey executive, community outreach initiatives, and fundraising for the Lions Club and support of the Anglican Church Sunday school program.

B. Our People

Hybrid Work & the Future of Work

• Future of Work planning is an opportunity to build an innovative and effective hybrid organization, promoting excellence and agility while delivering our mandate in Canada and abroad and prioritizing employee well-being and inclusion.
• A hybrid workforce allows flexibility; GAC’s diverse mandate requires a certain degree of in-person engagement to nurture and harness the talent and competencies required to advance Canada’s interests globally.
• Strategic planning for the future of work at GAC is led by a dedicated taskforce that coordinates the work of key internal stakeholders, to ensure a smooth transition to a new work model.

Supplementary messages

• GAC is currently piloting various flexible work models to experiment with different approaches to hybrid. The department is also holding employee outreach sessions to better understand organizational culture and how it can be fostered in the future to support talent recruitment and retention.

Supporting facts and figures

• Recruiting and retaining talent is top of mind across GAC, which is reflected in the department’s annual risk exercise. A wide diversity of skillsets is involved in carrying out GAC’s mandate, with the foreign service making up only 12% of HQ positions and the AS classification (by far the largest group) making up 25% of HQ positions, followed by EC (17%).
• Outreach to like-minded foreign ministries reveals that our closest partners are mostly adopting flexible models at HQ, with generally less or no flexibility at missions abroad.

Background

The future of work at GAC will be characterized by innovation and the embracing of digital tools; new attitudes that prioritize organizational culture and job satisfaction; and greater efforts to advance inclusivity, diversity, and equity. Employees will increasingly look for the flexibility offered by hybrid models, which will need to be balanced against departmental needs and talent management considerations.

Harnessing ideas and feedback generated from comprehensive employee outreach, as well as through outreach to other foreign ministries, GAC is examining a host of crosscutting issues, including employee well-being and morale; talent and performance management; evolving learning and training needs; diversity, equity and inclusion; and achieving a coherent approach across GAC’s many different business lines.

Looking ahead, GAC’s transformation agenda envisions a re-examination of:

• Workforce – Promoting employee well-being and ensuring the workforce has the tools and competencies to succeed in a hybrid environment.
• Workplace – Transitioning to the GC workplace vision and the digital transformation agenda to ensure the workplace is optimized to meet the needs of an agile and hybrid workforce.
• Presence Abroad – Ensuring that systems and processes facilitate and support activities at missions abroad across all business lines.
• Tools and Systems – Developing tools and systems to inform decision-making and enable the future of work and workplace transformation.

Talent Management

• Global Affairs Canada has revised its Talent Management Strategy based on the results of employee and management consultations.
• Performance and talent management are essential components of sound human resources practices that drive excellence and improve organizational results.
• All Canada-based employees at headquarters and in missions can be eligible for a Talent Management Plan that aligns with their performance, potential, career aspirations and with the organizational needs.
• Talent management is one of the tools used for succession planning. It includes knowledge and skills development, as well as assignments and other opportunities to gain experience that will meet the future needs of the department.
• In order to implement Talent Management at a broader scale in the department, GAC needs to strengthen its performance management culture, which is the pillar of a transparent and fair Talent Management Program.
• Executive Talent is assessed and reviewed annually to assess talent and guide strategic staffing decisions to ensure that executives are well equipped to deliver on GAC’s mandate.
• While individual appointments are made over time as required, we keep a close eye on overall trends, including employment equity and other considerations. We also retain space within the pools to continue with acting assignments, both for developmental purposes and as shorter term organizational need requires.

Supporting facts and figures

• As of April 26, 2022, GAC had 494 Talent Management Plans in progress, i.e. 8.5% of its workforce (slightly above the 6% of Talent Management Plans in the Core Public Administration).
• 98.9% of Foreign Service Executives had completed Talent Management assessments for the 2020-2021 cycle.
• Completed EX talent management since 2019:
  • 49 EX-02 rotational promotions
  • 30 EX-03 rotational promotions.

Background

• Launched by the Treasury Board Secretariat in 2014 with the Directive on Performance Management, the Performance and Talent Management Program applies to all indeterminate government employees and terms of more than 6 months.
• With policy changes on April 1, 2020 a talent management plan (TMP) can be offered to any employees regardless of their performance rating. Talent Management Plans are left at managers’ discretion.
• The performance management program was in its sixth year in 2020, and the department recognized the need to look at talent more broadly and integrate talent management with human resources strategic planning, succession planning, competency-based management and the Public Service Employee Survey and Management Accountability Framework outcomes.
• Human Resources engaged broadly with employees and consultations were held in early 2021. HR worked with the results to renew its non executive talent management strategy, which includes:
  • Increase awareness around performance and talent management among employees and managers
  • Strengthen the Performance Management program to ensure consistency and transparency in the TM process
  • Ensure continuity of multi-year talent management plans despite change of management or position

HR has since been developing tools and improved communication products to support employees and managers with performance and talent management.

• The executive annual talent management exercise provides the department, and public service, with up-to-date data on an Executive’s skills, competencies and career plans as well as management’s assessment of the Executive’s potential and readiness to take on new/different challenges.
• The information is used for succession planning purposes, leadership development opportunities, staffing decisions (acting and promotional) and assignment processes.
• GAC’s Executive Review Committee consists of the four Deputy Ministers and 17 Assistant Deputy Ministers.
• Although talent management and performance management are well entrenched in the EX culture, for non-executives, the performance management is implemented with partial success. This is an essential pillar that requires progress before we can implement talent management for this community.

Foreign Service Skills Development

• Committed to building and strengthening international competencies, skills and knowledge among diplomats through learning and development programs that align with Canada’s foreign priorities and evolving global challenges.
• Foreign Service Onboarding Program is a 2-year mandatory program for new foreign service officers to develop core competencies, skills and knowledge through core and stream specific training, a Cross-Canada engagement project and mentorship. These officers are recruited from across Canada and, when required, are provided with official language training before being formally on-boarded.
• Comprehensive Pre-posting training prepares outgoing diplomats for their roles and responsibilities in specific geographic and cultural contexts; including strategic public diplomacy, trade services, development and emergency management.

Supplementary messages

• Foreign Service Officers are trained in one of four specializations: Foreign Policy and Diplomacy, International Trade, International Assistance, or Management of Consular Affairs, Mission Operations and Emergency Management.
• Throughout their career, from onboarding to working abroad or developing specialised expertise, Foreign Service Officers can follow a solid learning roadmap supported by both the Canadian Foreign Service Institute and the Canada School of Public Service.
• Technology now allows officers posted abroad to participate in more training activities, along with their peers located in Canada.

Supporting facts and figures

• The Canadian Foreign Service Institute invested $10.9M to deliver 86,000 hours of professional training in 2021-22. (This is in addition to foreign language training.)
• The Institute delivered courses to more than 9,000 learners, representing 3,700 individual employees in 2021-22. This is complemented by what the Canada School of Public Service offers to all public servants.
• In 2021-22, two cohorts of new Foreign Service Officers have been on-boarded formally through the program. The program includes mandatory core and stream- specific training, a cross-Canada engagement exercise and mentoring.
• Pre-posting training takes place every spring and is mandatory for employees who have been confirmed on an assignment for summer/fall rotation.

Background

The Canadian Foreign Service Institute (CFSI) provides learning programs and services in the areas of international affairs, intercultural effectiveness, international assistance, global leadership, international and domestic operations, and foreign languages. The focus of the training is on developing staff competency to promote individual and organizational excellence. Priority is afforded to the alignment of learning activities with key departmental objectives and core responsibilities and to promote the development of international competencies: intercultural proficiency; influence and alliance building; judgement within a global context; resilience and adaptability, and communication in a foreign language.

GAC’s Foreign Service Onboarding Program (FSOP) provides new rotational employees with the opportunity to acquire and strengthen the core competencies, skills and knowledge necessary to be effective Foreign Service Officers. The two-year program, launched in the fall of 2021 to coincide with the recruitment of new foreign service officers, is designed to equip them with an understanding of how the Foreign Service, and the unique streams within, contribute to Canada’s place on the global stage. New Foreign Service Officers recruited from across Canada can obtain fluency in Canada’s official languages through up to one year of full time language training on Ab Initio status. Once they attain these levels, they are placed in a working level assignment and begin a program of core training, a cross Canada engagement project, and a structured mentorship program. Thereafter, participants receive specialized training within one of the four foreign service streams as well as foreign language training in support of an overseas posting, when required.

In advance of the annual posting cycle, the Institute also offers comprehensive pre- posting training, designed to prepare diplomats for the roles and responsibilities they will assume when abroad. This training is tailored to the specific needs of the officer, considering the position and location of their posting.

Additional information on mentorship

• There is no department-wide program. However, there are some specific ones that have been developed such as #BeHerAmbassador the Corporate Committees observer program, the Executive Committee Mentorship Program
• Foreign Service Onboarding Program is a 2-year mandatory program for new foreign service officers to develop core competencies, skills and knowledge through core and stream specific training, a Cross-Canada engagement project and mentorship.
• The Antiracism Secretariat has a sponsorship program.
• GAC is participating in the Government of Canada MOSAIC program.
• Some branches have also launched mentorship programs in context of D&I as branches can have their own program and it should really be part of their talent management discussions. CFSI developed a framework to help them: Developing a Mentoring Program.

Foreign Language Training

• Foreign language proficiency allows diplomats to communicate in an influential way with host country nationals, and to foster and engage in open communication and understanding.
• It is an important competency of diplomats.
• Extensive foreign language training programs are available to employees assigned to countries where English or French are not commonly spoken.

Supplementary messages

• Foreign language proficiency is well spread among diplomats and is being developed on a continuous basis.
• Intensive training is provided based on an assessment process that identifies the positions abroad requiring proficiency.
• On average, 140 employees are on full-time foreign language training of various durations in any given year (from a few months e.g. Spanish to a few years e.g. Mandarin).
• It’s also imbedded as a competency being sought in our recruitment processes.

Supporting facts and figures

• A third of positions abroad (433 of 1297) are currently designated as requiring an intermediate or advanced level of proficiency.
• More than half (1097 of 2059) of rotational staff have had test results in the past that demonstrate intermediate or advanced working proficiency in one or more foreign languages.
• Training is available in 31 languages and dialects. In 2021-22 alone, more than 100,000 hours of foreign language training were provided.
• Over the last 10 years, GAC has invested an annual average of $13.7M in foreign language training and ancillary (includes O&M expenditures and salaries of full-time students).

Background

The Centre for Foreign Languages, part of the Canadian Foreign Service Institute, supports the development and maintenance of employees’ foreign language competency to allow them to fully demonstrate their international competencies abroad, including judgement in a global context, resilience and adaptability, influencing and alliance building, and intercultural proficiency.

Overall, an average of 575 employees benefit annually from all the programs of the Centre, including full-time acquisition, part-time acquisition and maintenance. The Centre also administers proficiency testing based on an internationally recognized scale and system, as well as Modern Language Aptitude Test (MLAT) testing, designed to predict the likelihood of success in learning a foreign language.

An average of 140 employees are assigned to full-time foreign language training of various durations in a given year, from a few months (e.g. Spanish) to a few years (e.g. Chinese). Training can be made available in all official languages of foreign countries.

Diversity & inclusion and gender equality

• Global Affairs Canada has seen recent improvements in employment equity representation. GAC aims beyond just having a representative workforce, and compares very well with other departments.
• The Department is a committed to an inclusive and diverse workforce, and strives to create a workplace where employees can bring their best selves to work in all aspects of our mandate through the different action plans [Employment Equity (EE), Diversity and Inclusion (D&I), Anti-Racism and Reconciliation as examples].
• Global Affairs Canada has EE and D&I Champions and Networks, a D&I Council and an Anti-Racism (AR) Advisory Committee as part of its official governance, contributing to the overall conversation on ED&I and AR in the organization and contributing to GAC’s active participation in many departmental and interdepartmental initiatives and partnerships.

Supplementary messages

• The Department has data available to inform decisions intended to address the issue of racism, representation and discrimination at GAC. Our concrete activities include providing mandatory training, reviewing policies and practices through a diversity and EE lens, doing an analysis on recruitment processes to identify potential barriers for EE candidates and conducting surveys to get employees’ perspective.
• In response to recent events, senior officials have been making a concerted effort to increase dialogue with staff on issues related to anti-racism, diversity and inclusion.
• The Sponsorship Program has been launched to provide the opportunity to Black, Indigenous, People of Colour and Persons with Disabilities employees to be sponsored by Senior Leadership for their development.

Supporting facts and figures

• Employment Equity Data - As of March 31, 2022:
  • GAC’s overall workforce was composed of 7,723 Canada Based Staff (CBS) (58% Women and 42% Men) and 5,383 Locally-Engaged Staff (LES) (60% Women and 40% Men).
  • Five-year trends as of March 31^st (2018 to 2022) show an increase in representation of three of the EE groups - Women, Persons with Disabilities, and Visible Minorities among GAC employees. The same trend applies to Black employees as well. There is a slight decrease for Indigenous Peoples.
  • There is a wider gap compared to Workforce Availability Estimates for Persons with Disabilities due to the change in the definition in the Census.
  • For the five-year period (March 31^st, 2018-2022) GAC’s representation of Women has been over 50%, showing an improvement in gender equality.
  • We still have a representation abroad lower than overall GAC representation in the four EE groups, and for Black employees.
  • GAC provides promotion and acting opportunity for Employment Equity Groups equal to their rate of representation.
• There is some work to be done in increasing the representation of Women, Indigenous, PWD and Black employees in the Executive group.

DATA – Employment Equity trends
Note for every graphs:
Data source: Human Resources Management Systems (HRMS)
Data as of March 31 of each year

Section 1: Overall Representation of the four EE groups at GAC, and Black Employees and Movement (Recruitment, Promotions, Actings and Departures)

Women

Indigenous people

Persons with Disabilities

Visible Minorities

Black people

Section 2: Representation – EX occupational Group

Women in EX Group

Persons with Disabilities in EX Group

Indigenous People in EX Group

Visible Minorities in EX Group

Black People in EX Group

Official languages

• Global Affairs Canada has an exemplary capacity to serve the public, in Canada and abroad, in both official languages.
• 89% of Global Affairs Canada's positions are bilingual, about twice the rate of the public service as a whole.
• The majority (93%) of executives meet the language profile of their positions, as do 81% of non-executives.
• Official Languages training budget for employees increased by $500k every year for the last 3 years, going from $1.49M$ to $2.5M$ in 2020-2021.

Supplementary messages

• Although 75% of Heads of Mission identify English as their first official language, they have the capacity to serve the public and supervise employees in the language of their choice abroad.
• All Canadian based positions at missions are bilingual.
• Not meeting the language profile of the position does not mean they are not at level – it can be that their second language tests have expired.
• Global Affairs Canada uses an “Ab initio” program for new Foreign Services Offices (FS) which allows Canadians from across the country to be offered, should they be found qualified in a selection process, approximately 1 year of official language training with a guarantee of an indeterminate appointment if they succeed in meeting the language requirement after the training.

Supporting facts and figures

• 73% of executives identify their first official language as English, versus non- executive employees who identify English at 59%.

Distribution of the Canadian workforce by first official language

Linguistic profile of GAC Executive Cadre

Staffing: GAC’s rotational workforce

• Global Affairs Canada relies and will continue to rely on a pool-managed rotational workforce model, where the disposition to be deployed abroad forms part of the condition of employment, to deliver on Canada’s foreign policy mandate and meet foreign policy challenges of today and tomorrow.
• The pool management model has evolved over time such that it now holds six main streams: political relations, trade, international assistance, management and consular information and technology and administrative assistants.
• The Department has put in place aggressive hiring strategies in the last couple of years to ensure regular recruitment processes are in place at all classification levels to ensure Department has the right people at the right time in key leadership positions, which includes 1) resuming Post Secondary Recruitment for major intake of working level workforce, 2) strategic injection of processes at higher levels to ensure a sustainable growth and stability of all rotational communities and 3) filling the foreign service pools while encouraging Equity Diversity and Inclusion.

Supporting facts and figures

Rotational Pools Demographics

Background

• The Canadian Foreign Service represent 16% of Global Affairs Canada’s total workforce, while the Locally Engaged Staff represent 42%.
• Some of the benefits of the pool-funded model includes flexibilities to balance stream, geographic and functional requirements such as surge capacity in time of crisis as well as economies of scale when undertaking collective processes for recruitment, staffing and promotion.

Recruitment and Assignments

Key Messages

• Recruitment and Assignment processes are designed to meet the Department’s organizational needs and priorities, taking into account workforce availability, and alignment of skills based on a competency, performance and talent based approach with clear employment equity considerations.
• Since 2018, the Department has launched 20 processes leading to over 1000 qualified candidates.
• Since 2019, 56 new EX-01 rotational employees were qualified through selection processes.
• The Department’s objective is to ensure the sustainability of the rotational workforce by running selection processes at every level at least once every two years.
• Rotational assignments provide the department the flexibility to assign resources where they are needed, when they are needed, with employees who have the skills and competencies for the job.

Background

• Currently, the foreign service working level pool is staffed at 83% with a gap of 332 positions. The executives pool is staffed at 78% with a gap of 104 positions. (see Annex Placemat for more data).
• Our objective is to close the gaps by 2023-2024.

Head of Mission Appointment Process

Key Messages

• Canada’s network abroad consists of 137 Head of Mission positions.
• Currently, approximately half (47%) of serving Canadian Heads of Mission abroad are female (59). Recent samples have shown Canada is among the world’s leaders in this regard.
• “Heads of Mission” include Ambassadors, High Commissioners, Permanent Representatives and Consuls General.
• Ambassadors, High Commissioners, Permanent Representatives and Consuls General are appointed by means of an Order in Council. The authority of these Governor in Council appointments stems from the Royal Prerogative and are made on the advice of the Prime Minister and the recommendation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Background

• Heads of Mission are appointed to Canada’s Embassies and High Commissions in capital cities abroad, to Consulates General in important non-capital cities and to multilateral fora such as the United Nations.
• 12% of HOMs are visible minorities and less than 5 are people with disabilities and black.
• Heads of Mission serve in these positions for a period of 1-4 years, depending on the hardship level of the location. They are appointed by, and serve at the pleasure of, the government of the day.
• Historically, about of 2-3 Heads of Mission are appointed from outside of the public service each year on average.
• The Head of Mission nomination process entails:
  • Launch of the annual process and the solicitation of applications (fall);
  • Review of departmental nominees by the Minister of Foreign Affairs (winter);
  • Prime Ministerial review of nominees (winter/spring);
  • Seeking concurrence (“agrément”) for nominees’ candidacy from host countries abroad;
  • Order in Council signed by the Governor General; and
  • Announcement of appointment (summer).
• The Governor in Council retains discretion to set compensation of heads of mission appointed from outside the public service. For non-career diplomats, the Governor in Council takes into account the level of the classified position, the government's priorities in relation to the mission and finally, the particular skills and experience of the appointee.

Diversity, Inclusion & Gender Equality

Key Messages

• In 2018, the Department introduced a GBA+ Guide that ensures all key human resource management policies and processes maintain a GBA+ lens.
• The Department has also ensured that all staff have been sensitised to unconscious bias along with best practices to address bias.
• Rotational processes take into account employment equity considerations: composition of selection board members consistently represent a balance of equity group members and these receive the required training; specific processes are launched to target gaps in employment equity groups on the basis of regular analysis of data and needs; external processes target a national area of selection; new recruits at working level receive official language training to ensure they meet the rotational position language requirements.
• Our overall goal has been to strengthen our department by ensuring that promotion exercises within the EX rotational pool are aligned with evolving business and operational needs–that our workforce is fit for purpose and that talent is managed across cycles. Discussions and decisions within this process are robust, with DMs and ADMs fully engaged and encouraged to exercise a challenge function.
• The Department acknowledges that the relative paucity of Black HOMs and HOMs with disabilities is an area where we face challenges but we continue to work on increasing diversity in our EX cadre to be able to increase diversity for HOM opportunities.

Locally engaged staff

• The Locally Engaged Staff (LES) are hired to work outside Canada in support of the delivery of the programs and services of the Government of Canada, provinces and partners abroad.
• The 5383 strong workforce performs a wide variety of tasks and are employed by Global Affairs Canada according to local law, local market practice and operational requirements. Their knowledge of local languages, context and business networks contribute to the delivery of GoC’s programs and services abroad.

Supplementary messages

• The LES are not governed by the same human resources legislative and policy framework as Canadian public servants. As such, the review started in late 2019 was necessary to update the various HR policy instruments that govern the management of this workforce following the transfer of this responsibility to GAC.
• Working through the COVID-19 pandemic, all of the priorities identified in 2019 have either been implemented (LES Classification Conversion, LES Employment and Staffing, LES Consultation, Global Review) or initiated (Benefits Modernization).
• GAC continues to support the GoC in its role as the employer of the LES by steadily refining the program’s framework and evolving requirements, as funding permits.

Supporting facts and figures

• The 5383 LES represent nearly three-quarters of our employees in Canada’s mission network.
• In accordance with the TBS Locally Engaged Staff Policy (1996), LES are employed by GAC as the delegated authority; however, only 75% of the workforce works on GAC programs. Of the remaining 25% that are funded by other partners, IRCC has the largest share (77%), followed by DND (3.9%) and CBSA (3%).
• In terms of individual program positions, common services has the largest share (32%), followed by IRCC (20.7), trade (12.4%), FPDS (7.5%), HOM supports (7%), Consular (6.2%), international assistance (3.3%), Common Service Delivery Points (2.9%), and Locally Engaged Information Technology Program (1.7%) and Emergency Readiness (1.6%).

Text version

Years	Consular	Development	HOM Support	Management	OGD Program	OGD Support	Political / Economic	Readiness	Trade	Totals
2011	316	-	467	1855	351	1277	384	-	630	5280
2012	333	-	469	1920	344	1298	414	-	568	5346
2013	311	-	404	1798	302	1054	354	-	584	4807
2014	308	153	396	1789	211	985	353	-	579	4774
2015	324	160	398	1836	216	1048	373	-	607	4962
2016	322	164	378	1863	213	1073	384	-	599	4996
2017	312	167	378	1872	207	1066	383	-	613	4998
2018	325	171	386	1879	203	1075	396	-	621	5056
2019	344	173	388	1916	190	1122	388	-	636	5157
2020	335	174	367	1973	186	1187	397	-	678	5297
2021	342	169	361	1930	174	1176	393	79	690	5314

Background

The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs has been delegated broad authority to manage all aspects of the Government of Canada’s LES program (classification, staffing, labour relations, compensation and benefits, etc.) The LES community represents about 45% of GAC’s total workforce and 75% of its staff in the 178 missions across 112 jurisdictions around the world.

LES are not Canadian public servants but they constitute a vital building block of Canada’s presence abroad and their role has been evolving. The trend of increasing level of responsibilities for the LES working in Canadian missions is reflected in the practice of most foreign ministries. However, the principles set by Treasury Board on the LES program, namely those of local law, local labour market and operational needs, mean that LES conditions of employment around the world is pegged to local labour market analysis.

In recognition of the need to provide good working conditions and an environment which promotes inclusion as well as competencies, GAC undertook on a regular basis a review of key parameters governing the LES program. The 2019 LES HR Management Framework Reform began as an effort to update the 50-year old framework to include alignment with broader Canadian public service principles, as well as to ensure coherence with Canada’s foreign policy priorities.

In spite of challenges introduced by the COVID-19 pandemic and the lack of additional reference level increase, such priorities as those identified in the 2019 first Global LES Symposium (classification, governance and engagement) have been implemented.

The key Employment and Staffing Directive as well as the Work Outside of Mission Premise Guidelines have been introduced in response to evolving workplace reality.

This, combined with a series of recent geopolitical crisis affecting mission operations, will continue to guide GAC’s ongoing efforts to develop the management framework, tools and strategies for the LES program.

Conditions of the foreign service – enabling rotationality

• The recruitment, retention and deployment of the qualified Canadians serving at our missions abroad is enabled by a comprehensive system of benefits and allowances.
• These Treasury Board-bargaining agent negotiated entitlements, named the Foreign Service Directives, support employees in advancing Canada’s interests as they live, work, and educate their families abroad.
• Every year, an average of 950 employees, plus their families, relocate from one duty post to another with full administrative and logistical support of Global Affairs Canada and its contractors.

Supporting facts and figures

• Global Affairs Canada, through the Foreign Service Directives, annually supports:
  • Almost 1800 Canada-based staff posted abroad:
    • From 24 departments and agencies
    • With 2500 accompanying dependants
  • 950 employee relocations, with their accompanying families, from one duty post to another.
• Annual Budget of the Foreign Service Directives:
  • $35 million in relocation
  • $70 million in allowances (incentives, cost-of-living
  • $60 million in benefits (including: medical, education, travel)
• Key elements of the directives:
  • Two predominant guiding principles:
    • Comparability with life in Canada; and
    • Incentive-inducement to serve abroad.
  • Negotiated between the employer and the bargaining agents:
    • Renegotiated every 3-5 years;
    • Next negotiation is expected for 2023.
  • Support for all aspects of the posting cycle, including relocation, education, health, travel, leave and compensation in situations of higher costs of living;
  • Incentivize more difficult postings through supplemental allowances and benefits, including:
    • Respite travel assistance;
    • Support to reduce the costs of maintaining a family back in Canada;
    • Hardship pay.

Background

Foreign Service Directives (FSDs): In combination with salary, enable departments and agencies to recruit, retain and deploy qualified employees in support of government programs outside Canada. They are part of a negotiated agreement between the employer (Treasury Board) and the bargaining agents. They are reviewed, negotiated and updated every 3-5 years to better reflect the needs of a modern Foreign Service, balance the benefits to ensure fairness, and make any necessary administrative changes.

In advance of next year’s negotiated revisions to the Directives, a GBA+ analysis and stakeholder engagement are being conducted to ensure the provisions enable a modern foreign service and provides equitable support to our increasingly diverse workforce.

Benefits: Government of Canada, Canada-based public servants on assignment abroad are paid based on their classification level. In addition to their wages, Canada- based staff also receive a series of allowances which may include, among others, the Post Living Allowance (to compensate for the higher costs of purchasing goods and services at post) and the Post Differential Allowance (for posts where living is considered to be more challenging than in Ottawa-Gatineau). Allowances may vary significantly in the amount received by each individual employee, since they are based on the employee’s family configuration, salary, number of years abroad, and the hardship level of the post.

Families: The Foreign Service Directives contain a number of provisions to support families, such as annual family reunion travel if families are separated during a posting, education allowances, and additional allowances for accompanying family members.

Salaries

• The Foreign Service (FS) collective agreement provides pay and benefits that correspond or exceed those of the rest of the core public administration (CPA). The salaries and benefits are collectively bargained between the Treasury Board Secretariat (The Employer) and the Professional Association of Foreign Service Officers - PAFSO (the union).
• Although GAC officials are members at the negotiations table, the authority to negotiate salaries and benefits is mandated by the Treasury Board.
• Since 2002, the cumulative salary increases for the FS group surpassed the increases for other bargaining units in the core public administration (CPA) by more than 3.4%.
• These increases are due to significant restructures. For example, the 2005 conversion exercise, that led to an increase in the number of classification levels from three (3) to four (4), resulted in an increase to the wage base of 3.6%. Also, in 2013, a review of the FS-02, FS-03 and FS-04 pay levels resulted in a cumulative salary increase of 7.39% for the FS group (including economic increases).
• On August 1, 2019, TBS and PAFSO signed the latest FS collective agreement. This agreement had a four (4) years duration and will expire on June 30, 2022.
• The economic increases were in line with the CPA.
  • 2.0% increase on July 1, 2018
  • 2.0% increase on July 1, 2019
  • 1.5% increase on July 1, 2020
  • 1.5% increase on July 1, 2021

Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance: Global Affairs Canada also provides employees travelling to hostile locations with Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) Insurance, over and above the current Public Service Health Care Insurance Plan. Based on the current criteria, this insurance is in place for Kabul, Afghanistan; Erbil and Baghdad, Iraq; Juba, South Sudan; the South Sudan states of Unity, Jonglei, Upper Nile, Lakes, Eastern Equatoria, and Western Equatoria; Tripoli, Libya; and the Gaza Strip.

Wellbeing

• Health, safety, and security of our Canada-based staff, their families, our locally engaged Staff, and co-locators, remains a top priority.
• Global Affairs Canada strives to create a culture that enshrines psychological health, safety and well-being in all aspects of the workplace through collaboration, inclusivity and respect.
• In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department, in collaboration with Canadian Armed Forces, led a COVID-19 vaccination campaign which included a clinic at headquarters for departing employees and their families, and ensuring that the mission network abroad, including co-locators, had access to COVID-19 vaccines.

Supplementary messages

• GAC is working closely with the United States to continue investigating the causes of unexplained health incidents (UHI) reported by diplomatic staff and their dependents. A cause has not been identified.
• In recent years, the types of incidents, injuries and illnesses reported has changed with an increase in unpredictable and sometimes undetectable risks which are harder to mitigate (e.g. random attacks, natural disasters, civil unrest) and to treat (e.g. infectious diseases such as COVID-19, acquired brain injuries (Havana incidents), psychological illnesses).

Supporting facts and figures

• With the support of the Department of National Defence, in the summer of 2021, GAC led a successful vaccination campaign where more than 550 departing employees and their dependants received their COVID-19 vaccine.
• Since, GAC has also shipped more than 25,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines to our mission network.
• In March 2022, every mission abroad that placed a request had received their booster and pediatric vaccines.
• 99% of GAC employees are fully vaccinated.

Background

Occupational Health and Safety

• As per the Canada Labour Code requirements, the governance structure for Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) is well established at GAC.
• GAC’s Occupational Health and Safety Policy Committee, which is co-chaired with the bargaining agents, strengthens the internal responsibility system by ensuring consistency across departmental work locations, both in Canada and abroad.
• Every GAC work location has a Local Occupational Health and Safety Committee or representative, which have the responsibility to address the health and safety issues in the workplace.
• GAC has established a Hazard Prevention Program to allow better identification and assessment of hazards and a focus on psychological hazards in the workplace.
• Given the unique challenges and risks faced by our workforce as a result of our international portfolio, we seek to ensure that GAC implements and maintains occupational health and safety (OHS) programs and services with high compliance standards that reflect our reality and go beyond minimum requirements, where appropriate.

Psychological Health

• Several actions have been taken to support employees’ psychological health and safety, more so since the pandemic. This would include extensive outreach and support from the Employee Assistance Program and Informal Conflict Management Team. Mandatory training for managers and employees on Psychological Health and Safety has been introduced to support our Mental Health Strategy which included the appointment of mental health co-champions; and access for all staff to LifeSpeak, a program which provides significant virtual self-help resources for staff.
• GAC also recently became a strategic partner with Innovation, Science and Economic Development’s (ISED) Canadian Innovation Centre for Mental Health in the Workplace, which will provide further supports to GAC employees at all levels.
• Consultations for the development of a psychological health and safety strategy based on the 13 risk factors identified by the federal government will launch this summer.
• The consultations will be based around 4 pillars:
  • Awareness and Culture Change;
  • Capacity Building;
  • Support for the Development of policies and Programs; and
  • Reporting on Key Indicators.

COVID-19

• Since the outset of the pandemic, GAC has established a governance structure to coordinate and provide oversight for the department’s recovery operations related to the COVID-19 crisis.
• GAC has been and will continue to align its decisions on public health guidelines as provided by Health Canada and local health authorities in our mission network to ensure that the appropriate Infection Prevention Measures (IPM) are implemented established in all our work locations.
• A voluntary COVID-19 rapid testing program has been implemented at GAC for employees performing critical activities in the workplace, both in Canada and abroad.
• Through a Request for Assistance via the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), GAC led two (2) successful vaccination campaigns domestically for outbound staff in the summer of 2021 and early 2022.
• GAC has delivered vaccines to 78 of our missions abroad to ensure that our Canada-based staff, their dependents, co-locators and locally engaged staff are fully protected, which included the regular, booster and pediatric vaccines.
• If further COVID-19 campaigns are necessary, GAC will procure additional vaccines, which will be delivered to our mission’s network in an effort to ensure the protection of our workforce abroad.

Unexplained Health Incidents (UHI)

• All Canadian diplomats and their families who reported unusual symptoms in Cuba have received medical testing and medical monitoring in Canada as required.
• Since October 2021, 34 reports of symptoms, globally - includes 3 dependents, 2 LES, remainder are CBS.
• Between January 2020 and October 2021, GAC moved away from confirming cases – instead, we focused on investigating and facilitating medical support for all reports of symptoms (same approach adopted by the U.S.). Between 2017 and 2019, 35 employees/dependents in Cuba reported symptoms.
• There continues to be ongoing media coverage of unexplained health incidents experienced by U.S. government staff abroad, which has understandably generated concerns among Government of Canada employees around the world.
• Out of an abundance of caution and to meet our duty of care obligations, in September 2021, GAC began a process to inform staff around the world of the symptoms of the health incidents and how to report. This included briefings with senior managers at headquarters, with all Heads of Mission abroad, and with interdepartmental partners and co-locators within GAC’s mission network abroad.
• In October 2021, a broadcast message to all staff was issued, which outlines the symptoms and how to report.
• GAC continues to maintain a security and health protocol to respond immediately to any unusual events or health symptoms affecting Canadian diplomats and their families.

Prevention of Harassment and Violence in the Workplace

• In accordance with Bill C-65, on January 1, 2021, the new Government of Canada regulations on the prevention of harassment and violence in the workplace came into force.
• GAC has established a comprehensive approach to preventing and reporting incidents of harassment and violence in the workplace, which also includes a commitment to treating confidential information responsibly and protect the identities of the concerned parties under the Canada Labour Code.
• A departmental Policy on Workplace Harassment and Violence Prevention was launched in October 2021 which included mandatory training for all employees.
• GAC aims to prevent workplace harassment and violence from occurring, respond to situations in which harassment or violence has taken place and, most importantly, support persons exposed to harassment and violence.
• Of the 41 cases reported since the implementation of Bill C-65, 14 are currently active.

Aftercare and departmental medical capacity

• Under the Public Service Occupational Health Program (PSOHP), Health Canada is mandated to provide occupational health medical advice, guidance and services to GAC.
• GAC is currently working with Health Canada to leverage existing medical services offered under the PSOHP and compliment these services with our own internal services which would include nurses and doctors.
• GAC ensures that Canada-based staff and their families assigned abroad are provided medical services equivalent to the services available in Canada.
• To that end, Foreign Service Directives exist to support Canada-based staff and their families when medical services are required.
• Canadian-based staff and their families posted abroad also have access to comprehensive insurance coverage which provides access to medical care during and after their assignment.

C. Our Policy Capacity and Core Responsibilities

Global trends & drivers of diplomacy

• Our diplomacy today is affected by both changes to the world around us and to our operational environment.
• These changes include the rise of the Indo-Pacific region, challenges to global governance, the transformation of work, new tools and technologies, and changing demographics.
• To respond to these changes we must increase our diplomatic capacity. Diplomats today need to be experts, innovators, entrepreneurs, and facilitators; they must be technology- and data-savvy, scientifically literate, agile and adaptable.

Supplementary messages

• Fundamentally, diplomacy today is still about persuasion and the ability to influence the decisions and conduct of foreign governments and actors in a variety of contexts to advance national interests.
• The changing strategic and operational environments require thought about how we train our diplomats in terms of skills and competencies; and how we manage and integrate complex data, information and knowledge using new tools and technologies to improve results and outcomes.
• We also need to think about how and where we deploy our diplomats around the world to promote our interests and provide efficient services to Canadians.
• At the same time, Canada`s diplomats must also embody the values of our society, which is evolving rapidly thanks to changes in demographics, migration flows and cultural diversity.

Supporting facts and figures

• By 2 Changing global power dynamics: Global supply chains account for over 76% of global trade and China plays a central role, responsible for nearly 29% of global manufacturing output (USG International Trade Administration, 2021).
• 030, the World Economic Center of Gravity could be located around the confluence of China and India. In comparison, it was located in the Atlantic Ocean until 2007 (Allianz Trade 2021).
• Canada’s place in the world: As of 2019 exports to the U.S. still accounted for 75% of Canada’s total exports (Statistics Canada, 2021), 45% of Canadian foreign direct investment (FDI) was in the U.S., and the U.S. represented 46% of FDI in Canada (Statistics Canada, 2020).
• Technology: The number of connected devices globally reached 10 billion in 2018, is set to grow exponentially with projections of extending from 30 billion in 2020 to 200 billion in 2030 and possibly reaching to the trillions by 2040. (US National Intelligence Council, 2021).
• Global governance: Less than half (45.7%) of the world’s population now live in a democracy of some sort. 2021 marks the 16^th consecutive year of decline in global freedom. (Freedom House, 2022).
• Inequality: The poorest half of the global population owns just 2% of the global total, while the richest 10% own 76% of all wealth (World Inequality Report, 2022).

Background

Key trends at the strategic and operational levels are prompting questions about how fit for purpose Canadian diplomacy is today.

On the strategic side, tense geopolitical dynamics have placed pressure on all countries, including Canada, to align with the major powers on key issues – a delicate diplomatic process.

At the operational level, the transformation of work has posed questions about the relative importance of physical proximity for the conduct of diplomacy and how other methods may be more effective at influencing key interlocutors in some circumstances.

Rapid changes in technology are also requiring diplomats to access and process big data analytics, as well as to effectively use new and more immediate forms of communication.

Considerations for diversity and inclusion are driving expectations about a Foreign Service that better accounts for the linguistic, gender, ethnic and racial diversity of Canada.

Different channels of diplomacy and an increase in the number of non-state diplomatic actors and their influence are forcing a reappraisal of the most effective ways through which Canada can promote its interests abroad.

International Advocacy and Diplomacy

• Canada’s mission network uses public diplomacy to advance strategic objectives. The Foreign Policy and Diplomacy Service (FPDS) stream promotes Canada’s interests and values through policy development, relationship building, advocacy and effective engagement, including through cultural diplomacy, whereby a strong enabling environment is created for the trade, consular, immigration and development streams.
• In 2021, in-house (DG-level) consultations resulted in an action plan to ensure that our FPDS officers are fit for the future which aims to modernize GAC’s advocacy and diplomacy capacity, with coherent strategic direction, sufficient human resources, clarified roles and responsibilities; as well as a comprehensive results-based management structure to monitor and improve results, including data and technology tools to support this work.
• The Department continues to explore ways to implement the proposed action plan with its limited resources.

Supplementary messages

• Canadian diplomats engage in public diplomacy activities and advocacy via strategic engagement with key decision-makers, influencers and the general public, to raise profile, presence and achieve the longer-term goals of influence and leadership by strengthening relationships, projecting a modern image of Canada, and raising awareness of Canada’s foreign policy priorities.
• The Seven Core Services* of the Foreign Policy and Diplomacy Service (FPDS) were defined in 2008, following a two-year internal and external consultation process to renew the Foreign Service. Since then, cuts from the Deficit Reduction Action Plan (DRAP) in 2012 have reduced the FPDS stream’s ability to fully deliver on these core services.

*Seven Core Services

• To support the monitoring and reporting on diplomacy efforts and improve our results-based management approach, several ad hoc initiatives are underway, including: a draft logic model to more clearly define roles and responsibilities; a new tool to track diplomatic interactions and meetings; and a tool to track and analyze narrative reports (under development).
• There is a lack of coherence between the FPDS, international assistance, trade and consular streams, resulting in challenges to clearly communicate Canada’s diplomatic objectives. Initial efforts to address this through HOM and program managers’ training, and planning pilots to support coherence at mission and add strategic direction to diplomacy work. These pilots establish clear objectives based on Canada`s top priorities for the country, bringing all Mission programs together to meet desired results.
• Foreign policy and diplomacy officers at mission are faced with a variety of tasks which do not fit cleanly within the work of the other programs at mission, nor their own. Although some larger missions have a General Relations and a Public Affairs section to support some of these tasks, the majority of missions are not sufficiently resourced to take on the breath of the requests. To demonstrate this point, in 2022-23, we have approximately 1120 FTEs supporting our commercial program globally, while only 695 support our foreign policy and diplomacy service. This is consistent with what existed pre-pandemic; in 2018-19 there were approximately 980 FTEs supporting commercial and approximately 655 for foreign policy and diplomacy. To note, the foreign policy and diplomacy officers are often expected to take on official visits, social media and much more for all mission programs by default, in addition to focused work on advancing our foreign policies.
  (*Data sources from Mission input into the Mission Planning, Monitoring and Reporting system, Strategia)

Supporting facts and figures

• The department has several modest funds to help 170+ missions in their public diplomacy efforts including the Mission Cultural Fund of $1.75M, sourced by the Creative Export Strategy which is due to sunset in March 2023. Mandate letter commitments include launching a new cultural diplomacy strategy to leverage the work of Canadian artists and cultural industries to support Canada’s diplomatic goals.
• GAC’s current investment in Cultural Diplomacy is $0.10 CND per capita, a modest investment compared to other foreign affairs ministries such as The Netherlands ($0.69), Australia ($0.93), Japan ($1.83), UK ($8.76) and Germany ($17.74). By contrast, with better resources, missions can often amplify their public diplomacy presence by aligning projects they select to support through the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI). Our 70 diplomatic missions that receive CFLI funding provide funding for small-scale, high-impact projects in more than 125 countries eligible for official development assistance (ODA). The CFLI has an annual programming budget of $26.8 million, with projects averaging $30,000 each. MINE’s mandate letter includes a commitment to increase the annual investment in the CFLI to enable staff at Canada’s embassies around the world to support the work of feminists, LGBTQ2 activists and human rights defenders.

Background

The revitalization of public diplomacy, strengthening Canada’s diplomatic capacity and public engagement abroad are priorities for this department based on ministerial mandate letters, including through cultural diplomacy. However, without high-level strategic direction or centralized oversight on public diplomacy and public affairs, and without new resources for the coordination of these activities at HQ but also at missions, there has not been notable progress. The efforts are very much a work-in-progress as the department needs to clarify program mandates, prioritize strategic direction, and improve training and assessment of outcomes.

Canada could more effectively deploy culture and other public diplomacy tools such as academics, science and sport to advance its foreign policy interests as has been done by other middle powers. Due to decades of inconsistent funding, Canada’s foreign ministry has the lowest cultural diplomacy engagement and investment in the G7, and one of the lowest in the G20, lagging behind players like Australia, South Korea, Brazil, Russia and China.

Targeted public advocacy campaigns present opportunities, especially through media and social media, to bring local issues and actors into the public eye. Effective advocacy increases Canada presence, influence, and leadership on key priorities.

From capacity-building workshops for young women interested in political participation to training journalists on using data and effectively writing about human rights abuses, advocacy strategies and campaigns help missions identify and seize upon opportunities to support change. This year, for example, Canada’s feminist policies will remain at the forefront with #SheLeadsHere – a Generation Equality Forum action commitment that will see our missions, over the year, provide women with access to and meaningful engagement with key government officials and decision makers.

Evidence based foreign policy analysis

• Global Affairs continues to pursue the increased use of evidence to inform foreign policy analysis, including through implementation of the departmental Data Strategy, in support of a modernized approach to diplomacy.
• A survey of the Department indicates that the majority of respondents use data in the policy development and decision-making process.
• Evidence and learning from internal processes such as evaluations are also integrated into foreign policy development.

Supplementary messages

• While foreign policy development traditionally draws on a wide range of information sources, work remains to be done to expand the use of advanced tools and techniques in this field.
• Among the efforts to integrate innovative data approaches into the work of diplomacy, data analysis of traditional and social media is being leveraged by geographic and functional bureaus to identify networks of influence which support foreign policy and advocacy objectives.
• Evidence from evaluations can also provide valuable data on recurring challenges in foreign policy; recent evaluations of policy coherence indicated that while there was coherence at senior levels in geographic branches, challenges exist to coherence at mission level.

Supporting facts and figures

• 19% of GAC employees completed a data literacy survey in early 2021.
  • 72% of respondents felt supported by management to seek out best possible evidence to support work.
  • 78% used data to help in the decision-making and policy process.
• 2 of GAC’s 4 Geographic Branches have established data units to support increased use of evidence in the delivery of foreign policy objectives.

Background

GAC Data Strategy: The implementation of the 5-year departmental data strategy has supported advances in use of data as evidence for decision making throughout the department. The Strategic Policy Branch leads the implementation, with support across the department from stakeholders that lead on cultural change, access to tools and data, human resources and training, performance measurement, and management and governance.

Advanced tools in foreign policy and diplomacy: The Data Science team in the IM/IT Bureau have supported efforts to monitor global events and disinformation. A Situational Awareness application provides a centralized platform to allow Foreign Policy and Diplomacy Service (FPDS) officers to leverage large volumes of open-source unstructured data, monitor, and respond to global events in support of Canadian foreign policy objectives. They have further supported FPDS policy and decision-making through support of in-depth text analysis of the federal parties’ foreign policy priorities during the 2019 and 2021 Canadian election campaigns to determine impacts on GAC’s approaches.

In addition, the Centre for International Digital Policy leads the G7 Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM), provides an early warning system to threats to democracy by leveraging open-source data and advanced data analysis. The RRM Canada team conducts research to identify emerging trends and tactics related to foreign interference in democratic processes and institutions, and has published their

open-source data analytics reports on European Parliamentary elections, the Ukrainian elections of 2019, and the Alberta elections of 2019.

Delivering, measuring & reporting on results

• Global Affairs Canada (GAC) reports on its results to the public primarily through the Departmental Results Report and the Report to Parliament on the Government of Canada’s International Assistance.
• The Department considers robust performance measurement as a key enabler of evidence-based decision-making and essential to being effective in a rapidly changing world.
• GAC is currently developing a comprehensive plan to reinforce its performance measurement capacity, culture, tools and systems, championed through the Performance Measurement and Evaluation Committee.

Supplementary messages

• Progress against Ministerial mandate letter commitments is also tracked and updates are provided to the Privy Council Office to provide accountability and identify potential blockages.

Background

Managing for Results (MfR) is an organization-wide approach to using data to make evidence-based decisions, including how to optimize the achievement of results at all stages of an initiative. It is also key to reporting on what GAC has achieved, and to ensuring that performance measurement metrics are used to inform decisions and deliver effectively on the Department’s objectives.

Given the importance of performance measurement in contributing to evidence-based decision-making and improving results for Canadians, the department continues to seek opportunities to improve its capacity by:

• Improving the distribution of capacity and enhancing expertise across business lines;
• Clarifying and reinforcing accountability and oversight for department-wide integration of MfR; and
• Harmonizing performance measurement tools and systems supporting MfR across all business lines.

The Department is currently working to develop a comprehensive plan for improving MfR across the department, championed through the Performance Measurement and Evaluation Committee, co-chaired by the Deputy Minister for International Development and the Associate Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs.

Managing for Results in the area of Diplomacy:

• Measuring departmental diplomacy results is challenging because it attempts to measure changes in foreign decision-makers, influencers and the broader publics’ willingness and action to align with Canada’s universal values and interests. These types of changes take more time to occur and are particularly reactive to shifting global conditions. As such, it is imperative to measure incremental, shorter-term results to help identify how Canada’s engagement abroad contributes to long-term objectives.
• GAC is enhancing tracking tools for foreign policy and diplomacy work which will better enable the Department, at home and abroad, to track and monitor progress for both the short and long-term results.
• Although work is underway, there are gaps in coherence, accountability, capacity and funding to maximize the ability to track, measure and manage for results on our diplomacy and advocacy work.

Trade and investment

• The Trade Commissioner Service (TCS) contributes to Canada’s economic prosperity by helping Canadian exporters grow in international markets, promoting Foreign Direct Investment, fostering international Science and Technology partnerships and promoting Canadian education.
• TCS serves clients across Canada and in 160 cities worldwide; two-thirds of TCS outside Canada are Locally Engaged Staff (LES) with extensive local networks, while the other third are diplomats with intercultural and local language skills.
• TCS directly supported over 10,000 Canadian companies in the past year, majority are SMEs; on average they export 20 percent more in value, and to 25 percent more markets than non-clients.

Supplementary messages

• TCS teams worldwide leverage strong interpersonal relationships in target markets to provide market insights and on-the-ground business intelligence, organize events and host delegations, help resolve and avoid complex business problems, identify and refer opportunities to Canadian businesses, and connect clients with local customers and partners.
• SMEs make up the majority of clients for the TCS: they face the greatest challenges, resource and knowledge limitations in pursuing international business development.
• Recent investments in the TCS have increased the network’s resources in high-growth overseas markets where client demand and commercial opportunity have been growing, and supported initiatives focussed on high potential, high growth clients (e.g. expansion of Canadian Technology Accelerator program, expanding CanExport funding program to help SMEs protect intellectual property in foreign markets).
• The TCS has a robust performance measurement approach to ensure evidence-informed operational and funding decisions, collection and analysis of client information, and reporting of results to Parliament.
• The TCS promotes inclusive trade and Canadian exporter diversity through focussed business delegations and other business development opportunities.
• The TCS promotes Responsible Business Conduct abroad as a competitive advantage for Canadian businesses, which helps them mitigate risks and strengthen their brand.

Supporting facts and figures (2021-2022)

• The TCS is delivered by over 1500 Global Affairs Canada employees. Close to 1000 work in more than 160 locations around the world, two-thirds of whom are local employees. Across Canada, 140 employees are located in six Regional Offices, with about 400 others in the National Capital Region.
• Approximately 93% of TCS clients are SMEs.
• TCS client satisfaction, as measured by regular surveys, is high, at 91% in 2021-22.
• In 2021-22, the TCS provided more than 51,000 services to over 10,100 clients.
• In 2021-22, the top sectors for TCS service delivery and successes were ICT, Ag & processed foods, clean tech, life sciences and education.
• In 2021-22, the TCS facilitated over 1,000 commercial agreements with an estimated value of over $2.2 billion and over 125 foreign direct investments (FDI) worth approximately $2.4 billion and almost 5,000 jobs in Canada.
• CanExport provided over $29 million to SMEs to support market diversification efforts, over $600,000 to help innovators formalize R&D partnerships abroad, $3.6 million to national industry associations leading international business development activities, and $4 million to Canadian communities to attract, retain and expand FDI.
• 146 research & innovation partnerships were facilitated in 2021-22.
• Canadian International Innovation Program resources for TCS innovation clients increased to $7 million in Budget 2021.
• In 2021, international students studying in Canada, grew 17% to 621,565.
• An econometric study by Global Affairs Canada found that, on average, TCS clients export 19.8% more in value and to 24.8% more markets compared to non-clients.

Background

The TCS provides a free client-oriented, advisory and support service to help Canadian businesses increase exports and diversify markets, facilitate FDI into Canada, establish research and innovation partnerships, and support recruitment of international students. The TCS works in collaboration with Export Development Canada, the Canada Commercial Corporation, and Invest in Canada, as well as other federal and provincial partners with complementary trade and investment mandates.

As part of the Government’s ongoing Export Diversification Strategy, the TCS is implementing a strategic plan focussed on customizing services for firms with high potential; supporting inclusive and progressive trade; creating a high-impact, agile TCS workforce through talent management and training; expanding and modernizing digital tools for better service delivery and data analysis; and aligning with partners to simplify the exporter journey across federal programs.

Recent investments in the TCS include:

• CanExport received $35M over five years in Budget 2022 to support the protection of Canadian intellectual property in foreign markets.
• The Cleantech International Business Development Strategy, announced in Budget 2017 and renewed in 2021 with $4.3 million annual funding, provides dedicated clean tech and climate finance Trade Commissioners in key regional hubs.
• 2018 Fall Economic Statement funded the expansion of the Canadian Technology Accelerator (CTA) program beyond the US to multiple international markets. The CTA supports the international scale-up of high-potential, high-growth tech firms.
• Budget 2019 invested $147.9 million over five years, starting in 2019–20, and $8.0 million per year ongoing towards a new international education strategy (IES), led by GAC in collaboration with ESDC and IRCC.

Development, peace and security programming

• The department provides development, humanitarian, and peace and security assistance globally through multilateral and bilateral mechanisms and by partnering with Canadian, international and local organizations.
• In 2020-2021, the Government as a whole delivered $8.1 billion in international assistance to help improve the lives and ease the suffering of billions of people and amplify the voices of the marginalized, and address the inequities and inequalities that exist in the world.
• The department is undertaking significant internal initiatives to ensure more effective, integrated, responsive, transparent and innovative management of this assistance.

Supplementary messages

• The department’s international assistance remains guided by Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy, as well as by Mandate Letter commitments.
• More complementary and coherent humanitarian, development and peace and security programming is a key focus for the department.

Supporting facts and figures

• In 2020–2021, the Government of Canada provided $8.1 billion in international assistance.
• In 2020-2021, Global Affairs Canada was responsible for just under $7 billion in international assistance.
• In 2020-2021, Canada provided close to $1.2 billion to meet the humanitarian needs of some 115 million people around the world.
• In 2020-2021, the Government of Canada invested $377 million in international assistance to advance gender equality and support the empowerment of women and girls.
• In 2020-2021, Canada delivered more than $1 billion in international assistance through more than 200 Canadian civil society organizations (CSOs) such as NGOs, colleges and universities, and think tanks working in 132 countries.
• In 2020-2021, the following countries were the top five recipients of international assistance: Ethiopia ($216M), Afghanistan ($199M), Bangladesh ($197M), Tanzania ($134M) and Mali ($133M).
• Canada provided $1.97 billion in fiscal year 2020/21 to address the COVID-19 Pandemic, and has committed more than $2.7 billion in total to date since the outset of the pandemic in 2019.

Background

Global Affairs Canada leads Canada’s international assistance efforts to reduce poverty and inequality by leveraging Canadian expertise and financial resources, providing bilateral development assistance and institutional support to multilateral organizations, humanitarian assistance responses, and security and stability assistance in fragile and conflict-affected states.

The department’s international assistance is largely delivered to countries through three main programming channels: multilateral, bilateral, and Canadian partners. Canada seeks the best mix of channels and partners to achieve impacts in crises or long-term development contexts.

As part of the Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP), the department has committed to (1) streamlining and accelerating our funding and reporting procedures; (2) reducing administrative burden on funding recipients; and (3) being more responsive, transparent and predictable. A big part of delivering on this commitment is our five-year transformation plan for grants and contributions. The plan is organized into six focus areas (each of which has elements of work related to process, technology and tools, people and organizational culture): (1) internal operations, (2) data collection and centralization, (3) risk assessment and management, (4) project financial management, (5) results-based management, and (6) transparency and efficiency for partners. The remainder of the work plan has recently been divided into three phases, each 18 months. Work includes changes to existing processes, new processes to facilitate work at the portfolio level, new ways of working with partners, new ways of collecting and using data for decision-making, and different ways of telling our story.

Complementary to the above-referenced transformation plan is a multi-year plan to improve the department’s capacity to undertake more effective “Triple Nexus” efforts, such as integrated planning and programming in conflict-affected situations. “Triple Nexus” refers to humanitarian, development and peace efforts that are undertaken more coherently and therefore more effectively. To advance this internal “Triple Nexus” plan, focus is on building internal strategic, operational and functional capabilities across the department through tools, guidance, training and behaviour change.

Help for canadians abroad

• In an increasingly unstable geopolitical context, in which the world is experiencing multiple, overlapping crises, GAC’s consular services are more important than ever for Canadians requiring assistance.
• GAC’s help for Canadians abroad is founded on two pillars:
  • Providing information and advice Canadians need to make smart travel decisions, and;
  • Providing timely and appropriate assistance.
• The expectations of Canadians for assistance have grown, as has the complexity of consular cases. For successive recent crises (PS752, COVID, Afghanistan, Ukraine) consular officials have directly supported Canadians, but also PRs and immediate family members.

Supplementary messages

• Amidst the uncertainties of international travel, Canadians can rely on Global Affairs Canada to provide timely and relevant information, thereby promoting their safety and ensuring they can make informed decisions.
• GAC’s consular program and the assistance we provide Canadians abroad are among the best in the world. We compare favourably to our closest partners in the availability and accessibility of our services.
• The need for help abroad, and our ability to provide it to Canadians are often subject to factors beyond our control: crises, host government policies, etc.
• The global coalition against arbitrary detention in state-to-state relations continues to grow, now with 69 global endorsements; this is Canadian diplomacy in action.

Supporting facts and figures

• Global Affairs Canada responds to a yearly average of 230,000 routine and consular services such as passport and citizenship applications, general assistance and routine requests, as well as difficult events or situations involving Canadians abroad.
• Typically, about 3% (or 6,700) of new cases opened each year require enhanced consular support to help Canadians through difficult events or situations abroad. This is in addition to the approximately 1,100 ongoing cases that require significant support over multiple years.
• Despite reduced international travel over the past two years, demand for consular services persisted with over 119,000 new cases opened last year (FY21-22).
• Canadians requiring consular assistance abroad can access 260 points of service in 150 countries.
• The Government of Canada’s Travel Advice and Advisories are a trusted source of information for 230 destinations. Information and updates are published 24/7. 18,9M visits to our website (www.travel.gc.ca) in 2021.
• About 500 employees abroad (many of which contribute to consular activities in addition to other duties) provide front line services to consular clients. In addition, 150 headquarters employees support the delivery of consular and emergency services.

Background

Typically, Global Affairs Canada manages 7,800 cases annually that require enhanced consular support to help Canadians through difficult events or situations abroad. These can include cases involving arrest and detention, child and family-related issues, victims of assault, medical assistance and deaths. Consular services requirements in the context of international crises can be acute.

Canadians requiring consular assistance abroad can access 260 points of service in 150 countries. The majority of consular services are provided by trained consular officers at Canada’s network of missions. In locations where Canada does not have a mission, services are offered through the global network of honorary consuls and like- minded missions with which Canada has a service-sharing agreement (e.g. Australia).

Complex consular cases

The following factors can contribute to the complexity of a consular case:

• vulnerability (children, people with disabilities, mental illness, members of marginalized groups including religious or ethnic groups and LGBTQ2+ people);
• dual nationality (where the host country does not recognize the Canadian citizenship and limits the provision of consular services);
• denial of consular access to a detainee;
• poor conditions of detention;
• death penalty;
• allegations of mistreatment or torture in detention;
• allegations of espionage or terrorism; and
• lack of documentation.

Emergency management

The geopolitical context in which consular services are provided his increasingly complex. There has been a steady rise in the number of large scale emergencies requiring Global Affairs Canada emergency management services due to their impact on Canada, Canadians and Canadian interests. Since 2020/21, this included support for the government-wide response to the downing of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 (PS752) and the repatriation of approximately 62,500 Canadians and permanent residents from 109 locations around the world in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic and complex responses to the crisis in Afghanistan and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Successive crises over the past five years have resulted in important innovations but also severely strained existing capacities.

Arbitrary detention initiative

Canada launched the Declaration Against Arbitrary Detention in State-to-State Relations to demonstrate global opposition to the practice of arbitrary arrest, detention and sentencing of foreign nationals for diplomatic leverage on February 15, 2021. The Declaration is now endorsed by more than one third of the world’s countries (68 and the EU). Turning words into action, Canada developed an associated Partnership Action Plan, welcomed by G7 Ministers in May 2021 and by G7 Leaders in June 2021 to coordinate further action. A conference in Canada is being prepared, as announced at the G7 Foreign Ministers Meeting, in December 2021.

D. Our Technological and Digital Capacity

Digital and data strategy

• GAC’s Digital and Data Strategies aim to modernize the way we work to be more responsive and resilient and to position Canada as a global leader through digital and data enablement.
• Investments in modern solutions like Microsoft 365, secure phones and upgrades to our network infrastructure are enabling anytime, anywhere access to productivity and collaboration tools; providing better and more secure access to data, streamlined document management and improved integration across corporate solutions.
• These tools are being leveraged to meet the increasing expectations of citizens and partners, modernize diplomacy and inform foreign policy with a more evidence-based lens.

Supplementary messages

• The 2020 Digital Strategy provides the roadmap for digital transformation investments, which in turn will ensure agility in the face of disruptive global events (e.g. political tensions, pandemic, environmental crisis), maintain a technological edge to keep Canada competitive, attract and retain top talent, and help GAC in the face of increasingly sophisticated cyber threats.
• The 2018 GAC Data Strategy, which complements the Digital Strategy, has an overarching goal of increasing the use of data for decision making, and is focused on changing behaviours, building capacity, increasing access to data and tools, and improving data governance.
• Increasing digital and data literacy is a top priority to realize our strategic outcomes, to ensure employees understand and support digital transformation, and feel empowered by the modern solutions introduced for their day-to-day work activities.
• Together, the digital and data strategies promote integration across our systems and with our partners, facilitate access to data, analytics, and evidence-based decision-making, and support the modernization of Canada’s diplomacy.

Supporting facts and figures

• Canada is falling behind with digital services relative to global peers. Canada has the lowest usage frequency for digital government services and 68% of users cited problems with usage (BCG 2020 Digital Citizen Survey as outlined in GC Digital Ambition).
• The US has signaled its intent to increase its technology budget by 50% to enable its employees with the right tools, data and digital solutions. (US Secretary’s Speech on October 27, 2021) Europe has also made significant strides to advance its digital diplomacy. Such sizeable investments in digital by the US and countries across Europe significantly shifts expectations of government services around the world.
• While most respondents of a 2021 GAC data literacy survey indicated they used data to help in the decision-making and policy process, the use and identification of data sources in senior-level briefing and decision-making products remains underused.

Background

The Departmental Plan on Service and Digital (DPSD) provides the operational plan to implement the Digital Strategy. This includes building a modern and secure international network and infrastructure, while phasing out the department’s inefficient and less secure legacy IT operations, and providing new digital solutions and information to enable our people and programs. The DPSD is moving away from siloed investment management and technology-driven decision-making to a coordinated effort to focus on business outcomes and product improvements.

The Departmental Data Strategy coordinates initiatives to increase the use of data in decision-making. Leveraging behavioural science, it works to increase the awareness and engagement of branches with the Data & Analytics program, as well as skilled recruitment, and data competency development activities.

GAC’s Data & Analytics Program supports the Data Strategy, by deploying a set of analytics tools that allow self-service analytics and visualization by all employees, as well as sophisticated capabilities for data engineers and data scientists. These tools are already being leveraged within GAC, for example: 1) To monitor global events and disinformation, the Situational Awareness application provides Foreign Policy and Diplomacy Service (FPDS) officers with an application to leverage large volumes of open source media and web feeds in a centralized platform to monitor and respond to global events in support of Canadian foreign policy stance, 2) To inform policy and decision-making, in-depth text analysis was performed on the federal parties’ foreign policy priorities during the 2019 and 2021 Canadian election campaigns to determine impacts on GAC’s policies.

Innovation and experimentation

• While embedded in GAC’s policy framework and strongly encouraged, innovation and experimentation in IM/IT can be hindered by factors inherent to the department’s complex international context, such as cyber risks, and by the availability of human, financial and technological resources.
• GAC promotes data experimentation with its data analytics toolkit, branded Spectrum 2.0, which contains technologies to explore and visualize corporate and external data.
• GAC is also experimenting with artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities in a bid to turn large volumes of data into actionable insights.

Supplementary messages

• Emerging digital solutions bring endless possibilities to experiment with and innovate the way the Department delivers services to Canadians and partners, and leverages data to inform foreign diplomacy.
• While there is great ambition from GAC management to encourage innovation and experimentation, putting the Department’s ambition into practice is a challenge as it requires a culture shift, as well as dedicated time, efforts and resources (human, financial, and technological).
• GAC has built innovative solutions and conducted analysis for many programs throughout GAC, enabling evidence-based decision-making as well as business and program outcomes (e.g., optimize consular staffing levels, automate application processes to reduce manual workload, support policy development and action plans through text analytics).

Background

GAC’s policy framework specifically requires that all managers encourage experimentation, staff identify new opportunities, use data and share lessons learned, and that corporate enablers will facilitate action. From an IM/IT perspective, experimentation is essential to modernizing Canada’s diplomacy, and involves identifying and piloting various solutions in iterative an approach. This requires a culture that supports new ideas and accepts the risks of investing in new digital solutions when conventional approaches are not meeting departmental objectives efficiently.

While encouraged by GAC from a vision standpoint, several factors hinder the Department’s ability to be more enterprising with innovative:

1. Cyber and security risks, inherent to global political climate and to our presence abroad, have to be considered when experimenting with new solutions to ensure the security and integrity of our sensitive information. This can sometimes slow down experimentation or reduce the business’ appetite for change.
2. Significant time, effort and resources are required to identify, experiment, develop, implement, communicate and provide training on modern technologies. As setting time aside specifically for experimentation can be challenging, competing departmental priorities and finite resources often make it difficult to put our innovation ambition to action.
3. Technological experimentation and innovation cannot be achieved solely by standing up digital solutions; they require significant business engagement and involvement. Concerted efforts between IT and the business are required to invent new ways to deliver services to Canadians.

To support innovation, GAC’s Data and Analytics Program provides advanced analytics functions – beyond traditional analytics – to address the Department’s more complex business challenges. Subsequently, GAC is experimenting and innovating with new technologies, artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities to turn large volumes of complex data into actionable insights for senior management, supporting data-driven decision and policy making. For example, 1) the Situational Awareness application provides Foreign Policy and Diplomacy Service (FPDS) officers with an application to monitor global events and disinformation. This application leverages large volumes of media and web in a centralized platform and trains the application to identify key information to monitor and respond to global events in support of Canada's foreign policy stance; and 2) several small-scale experiments focused on policy analytics and text analytics using cognitive search capabilities are currently underway.

Risk management at global affairs Canada

• Coupled with a rapidly evolving international environment, Global Affairs Canada is exposed to many risks at the strategic, program and project level that could impede its ability to advance Canadian objectives abroad.
• GAC supports integrated risk management across the Department through its Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) Strategy.
• Cyber security and resilience are a top departmental strategic risk; GAC relies on secure digital technologies to conduct all its business functions.

Supplementary messages

• The Department works in a risky international context where taking risk is essential to being able to meet the challenges and take advantage of opportunities.
• Like most departments responsible for public funds, we have struggled with having a relatively low tolerance to risk, but are working to move the culture forward. One way we are doing this is through piloting a risk appetite framework in the international assistance space.
• Cyber threats are becoming highly targeted and sophisticated, and cyber incidents expose us to operational, financial, reputational and strategic consequences; all of which come at significant costs.
• Balancing cyber risks with business is key as the pace and demand of Digital Transformation accelerates.

Supporting facts and figures

• GAC provides IM/IT services for 178 missions operating in 110 countries abroad.
• GAC is constantly targeted by cyber threats. (For more information, GAC Cyber Security produces monthly cyber briefs and quarterly security operations statistics reports at the "Protected B" level).

Background

Risks are managed at all levels (corporate, program, project) in the Department. To better support its planning exercises, decision-making processes and resource allocation activities, GAC introduced an Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) Strategy in 2021. The strategy is centered around three main pillars:

• Stronger Integration of risk management processes and products;
• Leverage Evidence to inform risk management and prioritization; and
• Engage People, across the department to build risk awareness and risk management literacy.

As part of this strategy, at the beginning of each two-year planning cycle senior management identifies the top five strategic risks to the department’s operations. Once these key strategic risks are selected, risk response strategies are developed to help manage, minimize and monitor these risks and are included in the department’s Enterprise Risk Profile. They are also monitored at the Corporate Management Committee and Executive Committee. The top risks for 2022-2024 are:

1. Pressure on the workforce to continuously adapt to change and increased workloads could impede the health, safety, well-being of employees, impact retention, particularly in the face of increased competition for talent, and limit the department’s ability to deliver on its mandate.
2. The need for adequate health care services and supplementary health and safety measures due to the pandemic may impact our ability to keep our staff at mission healthy and safe and meet our duty of care obligations.
3. Normalized and prolonged remote work arrangements and digital solutions increase cyber vulnerabilities and impact the department’s ability to respond.
4. The department’s IT infrastructure may not be sufficient to support the effective functioning of the Canadian government abroad or at HQ.
5. Pandemic impacts, including supply chain issues, could impede the department’s ability to deliver real property investments including duty of care obligations and security requirements.

In the international assistance domain, the department is piloting an innovative Risk Appetite Framework to enhance its ability to take appropriate risks by helping staff and senior management better weigh opportunities, benefits and potential threats and take measured risk.

The Department continues to leverage experimentation where possible to test projects and services on a smaller scale before investing to scale up, thereby lowering overall risk. As GAC expands its experimentation efforts, it will become increasingly better positioned to innovate, take smart risks, tackle uncertainty and strengthen its evidence base for decision-making.

E. Our Global Presence

Global footprint and services

• Canada’s network abroad includes 178 missions, ranging from large embassies to small representative offices and consulates, in 110 countries. The largest mission footprint is in Europe and the Middle East with 62 missions, followed by the Americas with 55, Asia Pacific with 41, and Africa with 21 missions. This footprint has remained relatively constant over the past 25 years, with 29 mission openings and 24 mission closures since 2005.
• Canada’s Network Abroad includes 21 partners (other government departments and Global Affairs Canada), 9 Canadian co-locators (crown corporations and provincial governments) and 6 foreign co-locators (foreign governments and International Organization). There are 8,300 employees, with the vast majority (70%) being Locally Engaged Staff (LES).
• Canada’s missions are supported by the International Platform Branch (IPB) that provides real property, physical security, procurement, logistics, mail room, material management and mission operations services. IPB is also the client interface with other government departments and co-locators and leads the process for position changes at missions abroad.

Supplementary messages

• Global Affairs’ International Platform Branch (IPB) was created in 2008 to manage a global network of infrastructure, people, assets and services at mission abroad. Activities include maintaining a network of over 2,500 properties in 110 countries, requiring investment planning, strategic portfolio management in addition to leading real property project management and delivery, physical security, property maintenance management services, architectural and engineering and interior design advisory services.
• The Branch is also responsible for providing procurement, material management, mail room and logistical services; physical security and local guards, armoured and fleet vehicles to missions and providing functional guidance to Management Consular Officers on common services delivery, including allocating common services funding. IPB is also responsible for the overall management and delivery of common services abroad, including cost recovery, and the management of relationships between the Department and all its partners and co-locators present in the Government of Canada’s diplomatic and consular missions abroad.
• The total cost of supporting and providing services to all staff at missions abroad was $849 million in 2020-21, with the common services costs averaging $165,900 per Canada-based employee. This includes staff quarters, embassies, security, transportation, IM/IT and procurement of vehicles, among other things. With the inclusion of salary and benefits, such as foreign service directives and relocation costs, the per-Canadian employee cost averages around $500,000 annually depending on the mission threat level and other factors.

Property, infrastructure and technology

• Global Affairs Canada maintains a large international real property inventory of approximately 2,200 assets, including Chanceries, Office Residences, Head of Mission and staff accommodation. Some of these properties are crown-owned, while others are crown-leased or privately leased.
• Challenges exist in delivering and maintaining this complex inventory from shifting local security concerns and the need to respond to changing security threats, fluctuating foreign currency, reconciling different building standards and most recently responding to international supply chain disruptions.
• In addition, similar to other Foreign Ministries, while we ensure that our investments in our portfolio are strategic and respond to government priorities, GAC’s overseas network faces many new financial and other challenges.
• On the IT side, the Department is currently conducting a multi- level review of technological capacity at missions.

Supplementary messages

• The Treasury Board Fixed Asset Review identified that Much of GAC’s ability to achieve Canada’s foreign policy objectives in this turbulent global era rests on a strong and complex network of real property (and IT) assets that support program delivery. These assets are located in politically and geographically complex, sometimes even hostile regions.
• Challenges exist in delivering and maintaining a complex property portfolio and the ability for the Department to respond quickly to requested changes, given that a long lead time that is required to make modifications to build or fit up an Embassy building or to even open a new Embassy.
• Changes in security and threat levels have necessitated enhanced physical security requirements, which is a major focus of the program. The Department received 1.8 billion in “Duty of Care” funding to upgrade the current mission network to enhance security and address seismic issues.
• Moreover, the portfolio strives to maintain Canadian priorities, such as promoting greening and designing/modifying buildings in order to be as close as possible to Canadian standards.
• In terms of IT, the Department is looking to transform the entirety of Digital Service Delivery Internationally through a project called International Digital Service Delivery Transformation, which is run under the Operations Modernization Programme.
• The mission audit process will help validate the effectiveness of GAC’s initiatives to improve digital adoption, literacy and enhance service delivery at missions.

Supporting facts and figures: GAC property portfolio

F. Additional Materials

GAC Attrition Rate for CBS indeterminate employees

Data Source: HRMS as of March 31, 2022
Produced by HSF – HR Demographics, Employment Equity and Diversity & Inclusion

GAC Attrition Rate for Rotational CBS indeterminate employees

Data Source: HRMS as of March 31, 2022
Produced by HSF – HR Demographics, Employment Equity and Diversity & Inclusion

GAC Attrition Rate for Rotational CBS indeterminate employees

Data Source: HRMS as of March 31, 2022
Produced by HSF – HR Demographics, Employment Equity and Diversity & Inclusion

Chart – Rotational Pools

Text version

Rotational Pools Demographics

Positions: Total = 2494; FS/IT/AS = 2014; EX = 480

Employees: Total = 2059; FS/IT/AS = 1684; EX = 375

Occupancy Rate: Total = 83%; FS/IT/AS = 84%; EX = 78%

Goal: Total = 100%; FS/IT/AS = 100%; EX = 100%

Gap: Total = 435; FS/IT/AS = 330; EX = 105

Women: 1086 (53%)

Men: 973 (47%)

Employment Equity Groups Representation

Abroad (Rotational and Non-Rotational): Women = 49.7%; Indigenous People = 4.9%; Persons with Disabilities = 2.2%; Visible Minorities = 24.1%; Black People = 4.2%

Rotational Employees in Pools (Diplomats): Women = 52.3%; Indigenous People = 4.0%; Persons with Disabilities = 3.0%; Visible Minorities = 20.8%; Black People = 2.2%

Stream Composition – Working Level (AS, FS and IT)

Political: 31%

Trade: 19%

International Assistance: 15%

Management and Consular: 18%

Information and Technology: 10%

Administrative Assistants: 7%

Rotational Positions Location

HQ: 46%

Abroad: 52%

Regional: 2%

Strategic Objectives

• Aggressive Processes: close gap by 2023-24
• Pool overfill to sustain staffing
• Streamline processes
• Evergreen strategy and processes

Historical and Projected Pools Growth (Working Levels FS + AS*) – 2018-2024 – Closing the Gap by 2023-24

2018: Employees = 1091; Positions = 1370

2019: Employees = 1260; Positions = 1741

2020: Employees = 1293; Positions = 1734

2021: Employees = 1407; Positions = 1856

2022: Employees = 1524; Positions = 1774

2023: Employees = 1743; Positions = 1825

2024: Employees = 1853; Positions = 1850

*FS + AS have biggest gaps

Processes Timeline

2020: FS02: Ongoing, 126 successful candidates

2021: FS01: PSR ongoing, Target: 200-300; FS03: Ongoing, Target: 150-175; FSITP: IT02 and IT04, Ongoing

2022: EX01: Launched in May; FS01: MCO: 36 successful candidates; FS02: Planned; FS04: Planned; FSEAA: AS03 Planned

2023: FS01: PSR process; FS03: Planned

2024: EX01: Planned; FS02: Planned; FS04: Planned

USS HR Fact Sheet

USS: HR Facts at a Glance

Total GAC employees: 13,106
CBS: 7723
LES: 5383
Canada: 6443
Abroad: 6669 (51%) in 178 missions
Rotational employees (“the foreign service”): 2059 employees (16% of total workforce)
Rotational positions: 2494 (only 83% filled)
Recruitment and promotion: expecting 200 new FS recruits this year; over 1000 candidates recruited or promoted since 2018

Foreign Service by Stream:
Political: 31%
Trade: 18%
Development: 16%
MCO: 19%
IT/Admin: 16%

Employment Equity groups among CBS (2021 data)
Women: 56.2% (similar to the WFA)
Visible Minorities: 26.2%, up from 20.4% in 2018 (WFA=15.8%)
Indigenous: 6.3%, up from 4.9% in 2018 (WFA=3.5%)
Black: 4.8%, up from 3.4% in 2018 (LMA=3.2%, no WFA data)
People with Disabilities: 3.7%; WFA and LMA 9.1%, redefined & nearly tripled in 2020
HOMs: 47% women, 12% visible minorities

Official languages:
Positions designated bilingual: 89% total and 100% abroad
EXs meeting language profile: 93%
Francophones in GAC: 41% (vs 22.8% in general population and 30.2% in public service)
Francophone EXs: 27%

Foreign Language Training:
On full-time language training every year: 140
Positions designated with language requirement: 433
Investment in foreign language training: $13.7m/year

Postings:
Relocations: 950/year
Dependents abroad: 2500

Q & A

Anticipated Questions & Suggested Responses

Contents

• Our people
  • Staffing
  • Locally Engaged Staff (LES
  • Talent Management & Skills Development
  • Official languages
  • Diversity, Inclusion & Gender Equality
  • Conditions of the Foreign Service (enabling rotationality)
  • Wellbeing
  • Hybrid Work & the Future of Work
• Our policy capacity and core responsibilities
  • Global Trends & Drivers of Diplomacy
  • International advocacy and diplomacy
  • Evidence Based Foreign Policy Analysis
  • Delivering, Measuring & Reporting on Results
  • Trade and Investment
  • Development, Humanitarian, Peace and Security Programming
  • Help for Canadians Abroad (Consular)
• Our technological and digital capacity
  • Digital and Data Strategy
  • Managing Risks – IT and broader issues
• Our global presence
  • Global Footprint & Services - International Platform
  • Property, Infrastructure & Technology

Our people

Staffing

What is the breakdown of employees abroad versus at HQ?

• GAC has 13,106 employees (7,723 CBS and 5383 LES)
• Of these roughly 13k employees, a little over half (6669 or 51% - including LES) are abroad vs 6443 in Canada;
• Number of rotational employees: 2,059 employees, of whom 52% are abroad vs 46% at HQ and 2% in regional offices;
• Overall, GAC is about evenly divided between Canada and the field;
• Many functions – especially corporate ones – can be better and far less expensively performed in Ottawa.

What is the ratio of Canada Based Staff at HQ and abroad?

• CBS abroad: 16.6%
• CBS at HQ: 81.5%
• CBS in regional offices: 1.9%

How many FS are there? How many FS have been hired in the last few years?

• Rotational employees (“the foreign service”): 2059 employees (16% of total workforce, including EX)
• Rotational positions: 2494 (only 83% filled)
• Recruitment and promotion: expecting 200 new FS recruits this year; over 1000 candidates recruited or promoted since 2018.

What is the break down of the Foreign Service by stream?

• Foreign Service by Stream:
  • Foreign Policy: 31%
  • Trade: 18%
  • Development: 16%
  • MCO: 19%
  • IT/Admin: 16%

How many CBS are at multilateral postings?

• There are 119 CBS positions at 11 multilateral missions. 8 more missions have dual responsibilities for bilateral and multilateral relations.

How many CBS non-FS are on postings at any time?

• 24.3% of CBS employees abroad are currently non-rotational employees.

How many missions do we have?

• Canada has 178 missions abroad.

How many EX are there?

• Total EXs at GAC: 431
• Rotational EXs: 375
• A recent EX-01 competition has been launched with the objective to fill approximately 65 positions.

What is the ratio of FS to EX?

• Non-executive rotational officers represent 82% of all rotational employees.

How many EX positions are abroad vs. at HQ?

• 54% (328) of EX positions (rotational and non-rotational) are at HQ while 45% (273) are abroad. 1% (6) are at regional level.

What are the planned recruitment timelines for the next five years?

• For rotational recruitment timelines we are planning to continue promotion processes for each group and level every second year;
• We are currently running 6 rotational recruitment processes (FS01, FS02, FS03, EX01, AS02, IT04);
• 3 more processes are planned for 2022 and 5 more from 2023 to 2024.

How can GAC adopt more systematic hiring mechanisms to address the severe understaffing situation? How does GAC plan to address under-recruitment/understaffing in the FS pool?

• We still have staff shortages in Foreign Service.
• The rotational pool is currently only 83% full (worse among EXs: 78%).
• Of 8,199 funded positions at GAC, 1,444 are vacant which is a 17% rate of vacancy.
• We are aware of the need overfill (redundancy) to ensure positions filled by qualified personnel, to build expertise, and allow for parental leave, training, secondments, career enrichment, and surge capacity;
• In response, we are undertaking aggressive recruitment and promotion processes and we expect to close the gap by 2024 and have modest overfill.
• Since 2018, we have launched over 20 processes leading to the hiring or promotion of over 1000 qualified candidates;
• We have held two nationwide post-secondary FS recruitment processes since 2018. The second is underway now, and will bring in about 200 new FS recruits;
• Plan to continue holding promotion processes for each group and level every second year;

Would developing a “surge capacity” help to address some of the bottlenecks and operational barriers faced?

• The rotational pool system means that Foreign Service officers are not attached to specific positions, but can be deployed where they are needed;
• The flexibility of the rotational pool system as a respective condition of employment is essential for a modern, responsive foreign ministry;
• In reality, we still lack the numbers necessary to have a real “surge capacity,” but this is one of the reasons we are striving to overfill the rotational pools.

What is the FS attrition rate? Can we break that down by year?

• The attrition rate in the foreign service is considerably less than in GAC as a whole;
• Comparison: attrition in various streams:

What are some of the main reasons people leave the diplomatic service?

• The main reason for people’s departure is retirement, followed by either promotional or lateral opportunities in other Government department’s or outside the government.

How are promotion processes run?

• Promotion processes are run according to the Treasury Board guidelines and procedures.
• They are based on competitive, competency-based processes.
• Every process is carefully tailored to the targeted classification and level.
• Some processes are specifically run to target EE groups to increase diversity and inclusion.
• Selection boards for recruitment and promotion represent a balance of Employment Equity groups and representatives of targeted classification group.

What is the proportion of HoMs that are political appointees vs career diplomats? Should a greater proportion of HoMs be selected from the public service rather than external appointees?

• There have always been a small number of Heads of Mission appointed from outside the Public Service – typically about 2-3 a year;
• It is the prerogative of the government of the day to appoint HOMs;
• GAC ensures that these non-career HOMs receive training and support to help them fulfil their functions.

Why are there so many HOM vacancies?

• We recognize that there remains a number of vacant HOM positions (positions that are vacant or filled on a temporary basis are a little under 10%).
• HOMs are appointed via Order in Council (OIC) process, the length of which can vary from one case to another.
• GAC responsibility is to ensure that missions without a HOM in place are staffed with effective and competent career diplomats who can oversee mission operations.

Is GAC considering other models for addressing HR issues related to rotationality and the pool system currently being employed?

• At this time, GAC is satisfied that a rotational pool system is an appropriate model for a rotational foreign service.
• We continue to support the model with aggressive staffing and continuously assess its appropriateness.

Does GAC have an aging workforce?

• The workforce age has been stable for many years with 44 as the average age.

Locally Engaged Staff (LES)

How many LES are there? What is the average proportion of LES to CBS at missions abroad?

• GAC has 5383 LES, over a third of total workforce, and over ¾ of those at post;
• Locally Engaged Staff are essential to the Department, they are an integral part of our international engagement and without them, we would not be able to do what we do.
• They help bring continuity, as well as local knowledge, language and networks that CBS don’t have.
• LES perform many roles including officer roles equivalent to CBS. The responsibilities placed on LES are generally increasing and complement those of CBS, but inevitably there are ceilings to LES career advancement in a Canadian diplomatic mission.

Are we offering competitive terms of employment for LES in order to attract the talent we need? If not, why not?

• LES are not part of Public Service and are subject to local labour laws; some Canadian laws do not apply. LES pay is based on local labour market data, comparing private- and public-sector markers.
• A 2019 review modernised LES HR framework.
• In 2021, GAC launched a new directive on LES employment and staffing (major changes include the capacity to establish pools of qualified candidates, plan for diversity, new employment models and employee status, etc.), in addition to the launch of the LES Benefits Modernization initiative to change the way we manage and deliver LES benefits around the world.
• Jobs in Canadian missions are highly sought after, because we’re seen as a good employer; our missions continue to attract & retain talented candidates for their LES positions.

What is our duty of care when it comes to LES? Do we assist LES in the same way we treat CBS when crises take place? Specifically what can be learned from recent experiences in Kyiv and Kabul about how GAC prioritizes the safety and wellbeing of LES?

• While we have duty-of-care for LES during the discharge of their work, we do not have the same responsibility for them as we have for employees sent from Canada; LES are local residents, and in most cases, citizens of host county.
• We cannot protect LES from the risks borne by the local population – those risks do not arise from their employment.
• When crises erupt, we take steps to reduce the risk to LES, such as special leave, and remote work. When missions are temporarily evacuated, LES continue to receive their salaries, and in some cases, are able to continue to work remotely. When missions are closed, LES receive severance packages.
• KYIV: The mission has reopened – during the evacuation, LES remain GAC employees, and were either on paid leave or working remotely; some left for third countries.
• KABUL: LES, along with close family were evacuated to Canada in August 2021 and given refugee status. With regard to their tax situation, severance pay is taxable for Canadian residents.

Talent Management & Skills Development

How does GAC build diplomatic and issue-specific expertise through ongoing professional development, sustained recruitment of talent with core skill sets reflective of

the current global context and complex issues?

• We recognise that diplomacy is a vocation and a métier that requires training and the honing of skills throughout a career.
• “Onboarding” for new FS recruits includes a 2-year mandatory program of training, cross-Canada engagement and mentorship to build core competencies; mandatory pre- posting training precedes all postings.
• FS recruits also receive stream-specific training. Training & skills development continues throughout a diplomat’s career, in fact, there are now 200 different learning activities offered through the Canadian Foreign Service Institute (CFSI) covering wide range of topics ranging from negotiation skills to international development and trade topics. This is further complemented by the rich syllabus of the Canada School of Public Service.
• FS recruits who are not already bilingual receive “ab initio” 1-year official language training.
• Informal learning is just as important as formal training, and career-development experiences, such as temporary duties are encouraged in addition to mentoring and coaching by seasoned diplomats which is facilitated by the mentoring program.
• In addition to management skills developed for all EXs, outgoing HOMs receive extensive HOM training, and have access to mentors they can call on for advice.

What is GAC’s approach to developing and maintaining expertise (geographic, linguistic and functional)?

• The department has developed comprehensive learning roadmaps that identify the courses and learning activities available to diplomats to develop their skills, abilities and competencies at the entry, intermediate or expert levels throughout their career.
• Roadmaps are developed according to the area of specialisation of the diplomats: foreign policy, trade, international assistance, consular affairs and readiness.
• Full time language training is also offered to assist with the development of linguistic expertise.

Does GAC have mechanisms in place to bring specific types of expertise into the department? Is there space for mid-career entry to attract specific expertise?

• There is a mechanism that exists that the Department has used in the past to make external appointments useful to bring in specific expertise. The Employment Act allows us to appoint directly from outside GAC or even from the public service the people from whom the merit is demonstrated. The Department rarely uses this mechanism as our business model is to fill at the junior level and develop people through assignments, among other things.

How important are foreign languages to GAC’s talent management approach in the FS stream?

• Language proficiency is an important competency for diplomats. It is essential to speak to people in their own language and to understand a society - language opens a window to a country’s mentality and culture.
• Foreign language proficiency is an asset qualification in rotational promotion exercises and GAC is committed to strengthening its language training and staff abilities.

How many FS officers receive foreign language training?

• On average there are around 140 staff on full-time language training.
• Part-time and maintenance training are also offered and encouraged – overall about 575 staff take some foreign language training every year.
• Approximately a fifth (433 of 2064) of positions abroad have foreign language requirements.

How much is spent on non-official language training?

• GAC invests about $13.7m annually in foreign language training and related costs.
• Foreign language training is not offered until new FSs master both Official Languages (CCC)

What is the proportion of diplomats that are fluent in a third language? Over 50% (1097 of 2059) of rotational staff, of which a high proportion are executives (295 of 375), have had test results in the past that demonstrate intermediate or advanced working proficiency in one or more foreign languages.

• Over one third (759 of 2059) of rotational staff have had test results in the past that demonstrate intermediate or advanced working proficiency in a third foreign language.
• 13% (261 of 2059) of rotational staff have had test results in the past that demonstrate intermediate or advanced working proficiency in a fourth foreign language.
• Close to 4% (77 of 2059) of rotational staff have had test results in the past that demonstrate intermediate or advanced working proficiency in a fifth or sixth foreign language.

Which key languages will we need to invest more in the future? Is there a plan for this?

• It will be important to prioritise difficult or widely-spoken languages such as Mandarin, Japanese, Arabic, Spanish, but there is training offered in 31 languages and dialects.
• While there is no requirement to focus exclusively on one geographic region, those who have learned difficult languages often have multiple assignments in that language zone in order to develop area expertise.

Official languages

Is concrete action being taken to address the “English by default” status quo?

• The goals of bilingualism and inclusion are allied: both help us reflect and serve the Canadian reality;
• We are aware of the perception that promotion favours Anglophones within the department – as noted in an article published in Le Devoir last year on this subject;
  • In fact, in that promotion exercise, 15 of the 66 promoted were Francophone, (ie 22.7%) – this tracks quite close with the proportion of Francophones in the Canadian population (22.8%)
• But the perception remains – we take it seriously; and we are working to address it.

How does GAC compare with other departments in terms of bilingualism?

• GAC senior management is dedicated to ensuring a bilingual work environment;
• GAC reflects linguistic duality in its workforce, which is 41% Francophone, as compared to 30,2% of the Public Service as a whole;
• Among GAC Executives, 27% are Francophone, as compared to 22.8% of the Canadian population;
• GAC compares well with other departments in respect for official languages;
• 89% of GAC positions are bilingual, this is about twice the rate of the public service as a whole;

How many FS are on official language training at any one time?

• There are approximately 140 employees are on full-time language training every year.

Is full bilingualism a requirement for entering the Foreign Service?

• 100% of positions abroad, are designated as bilingual;
• All of our Foreign Service positions require a CCC level of proficiency, which is the highest level that can be required, including above the level required for executives.
• Although exceptions are made for operational exigencies, normally officers are not posted abroad unless they meet the official language requirements.

What training in official languages is available for diplomats? Are there full-time options available?

• FS recruits who are not already bilingual receive 1-year official language training.

How much does GAC spend on language training per year?

• We have significantly increased the training budget for Official Languages, from $1.49m to $2.5m over three years.

Diversity, Inclusion & Gender Equality

Is there a tension between ensuring diversity and excellence?

• There is no tension between these goals, on the contrary: they are mutually reinforcing.
• Diversity gives us a bigger talent-pool and greater range of experience, skills, perspectives, and languages.
• Diversity enables us to reflect Canada better, and more effectively promote and protect its interests and values at home and abroad.
• Diversity is part of Canada’s competitive advantage compared to other countries; it is a source of strength.

What percentage of diplomats are members of Employment Equity Groups such as women, or visible minorities?

• There has been significant progress over last 4 years on inclusion of Employment Equity (EE) groups, and in fact, we are now exceeding some targets.

• Black Canadians are a subset of Visible Minorities, so we do not have WFA data, but are striving to ensure inclusion of Black Canadians. Now 4.8% of GAC employees are Black which is higher than Black Canadians’ Labour Market Availability (3.2%).

What proportion of HOMs are women?

• Currently 47% of HOMs are women.

What proportion of HOMs are Visible Minorities?

• Currently 12% of HOMs are Visible Minorities.

How is GAC working to improve diversity, equity and inclusion?

• We are committed to an inclusive workplace where all employees feel welcome and comfortable. We have Action Plans for Employment Equity, Diversity & Inclusion, Anti- Racism, and Reconciliation, as well as an Anti-Racism Advisory Committee and a Diversity & Inclusion Council which are part of GAC corporate governance.
• GBA+ Guide ensures all key HR practices maintain a GBA+ lens.
• Selection boards for recruitment and promotion represent a balance of Employment Equity groups.
• Some specific hiring and promotion processes target gaps in representation.
• There is a sponsorship programme that provides opportunity for racialized groups and Persons with Disabilities to be sponsored by senior management in their career development.
• So far we have had positive results: rates of promotion for Employment Equity groups are now outpacing their numbers (except Persons with Disabilities).
  • Eg: Black Canadians represent 4.8% of GAC workforce, and 1.1% of Executives, but 7.6% of new hires in 2021-22, over twice their LMA.
• These are important strides and over time, we are closing these gaps.

What is being done to support LGBTQ2+ Employees?

• LGBTQ2+ people are not an Employment Equity group, but we recognise they do face special challenges, particularly when serving abroad in environments that may be less welcoming, or even hostile to LGBTQ2+ people.
• It is important to recognize that many senior members of the GAC LGBTQ2+ community started their careers at a time when “the Purge” was still going on, or when its effects on policies was still very much felt.
• It is a testament to their resilience and to the modernization of the Department over the years that many are now serving as proud, out, LGBTQ2+ diplomats and ambassadors around the world.
• The GAC Pride Network and LGBTQ2+ Champion have advised the department on the development of an action plan and continue to participate in various consultations regarding LGBTQ2+ employees and both the workplace and the public service;
• Through the volunteer efforts of the GAC Pride Network, GAC is offering training to all employees at HQ and abroad through the Positive Space Initiative;
• GAC provides information and resources to support LGBTQ2+ employees interested and nominated to go abroad and provides regular updates on the designations and living conditions of each country.
• GAC Pride Network and its Champion are engaged in international networking, consultation and information sharing among like-minded Staff Associations and groups in countries such as UK, US, Australia, EU, and Spain.

What is GAC doing to address the under representation of employees of Black or African heritage?

• GAC’s Anti-Racism Strategy and Action Plan 2021-2026, released on October 29, 2021, is a 5-year plan that aims to make the department an equitable and inclusive organization, at home and abroad, that reflects Canada’s culturally diverse society.
• The pillars of the Department’s Anti-Racism Strategy are ‘Representation at all levels, Career Development and Anti-Racism Training and Engagement’. These pillars focus on concrete actions and initiatives aimed at making GAC representative and inclusive of Indigenous, Black and other racialized communities at Headquarters, regional offices and in diplomatic representations abroad. GAC has established representation benchmarks to help bridge the gaps where representation is an issue.
• The recent launch of the Deputy Ministers’ Pilot Sponsorship Program is one of the key initiatives of the department's Anti-Racism Strategy. The Program’s objective is to provide equitable career advancement opportunities for Indigenous peoples, Black and other racialized people, and persons with disabilities into and within the executive (EX) level. The selection of the targeted groups is based on departmental disaggregated data that demonstrates underrepresentation for these groups at the EX levels.

What other actions are being taken to ensure diversity and inclusion in Canada’s foreign service?

• The department’s current Anti-Racism Strategy and its accompanying Action Plan supports the achievement of equity, diversity and inclusion in Canada’s foreign service.
• Achievements to date include: the development and implementation of an Employee Anti-Racism Survey, the creation of a Deputy Ministers Advisory Committee on Anti- racism composed of internal and external members, the creation of an interdepartmental discussion forum at the Deputy Ministers level to ensure alignment in implementing systemic changes throughout the public service, the launch of an anti-racism training for GAC’s executives, the launch of a Deputy Ministers’ Pilot Sponsorship Program, and the development of a performance measurement framework to track and assess our progress.

Conditions of the Foreign Service (enabling rotationality)

Are the unique conditions and requirements of rotational work compatible with the Public Service HR model?

• Accepting overseas postings is a condition of employment in Foreign Service. Working abroad and moving regularly bring unique life challenges to FS staff and their families;
• Foreign Service Directives (FSDs) are therefore intended to enable rotationality. FSDs govern the terms & conditions of life and service abroad, including housing, health, education, travel & leave provisions. At certain missions there are allowances to offset the cost of living and hardship.
• FSDs are based on the principle of comparability with life in Canada and are intended to bring rough equivalency, so employees neither unduly penalised nor unduly benefit from postings
• FSDs are negotiated between Treasury Board and PAFSO and other bargaining agents – they are not set by GAC. They are re-negotiated every 3-5 years and the next re- negotiation is expected in 2023.
• GBA+ analysis is being done in advance of next re-negotiation to ensure FSDs provide equitable support to diverse workforce.

How does GAC Administer FSDs?

• GAC administers FSDs for its own employees and for employees of 23 OGDs with staff posted abroad.
• Typically, 950 employees plus their families move every year to or between posts.
• GAC contracts and organises these relocations which is a huge annual undertaking. There are some 2500 accompanying dependents with complex needs; supplemental “hardship” allowances and other benefits compensate employees at difficult posts (vary according to level of hardship).
• A hard-working team of 52 staff at HQ administer FSDs worldwide.

Wellbeing

What health and wellbeing support do we provide to diplomats on postings?

• GAC continues to work with partner departments and Health Canada, who has the mandate to provide occupational health medical advice, guidance and services to departments who have employees serving abroad.
• The Foreign Service Directives are meant to ensure that Canada-based staff and their dependants assigned abroad have access to adequate medical services equivalent to the services available here in Canada.
• When necessary, medical evacuation services are available to employees and dependants. The Public Service has a contract with a private insurer who can assist in emergency situations.
• GAC provides 24/7 coverage to employees and/or their dependants facing a critical health incident or medical event when posted or travelling abroad. These services are meant to provide support to the mission and employees or their dependants if and when a critical incident arises.

Are diplomats in hardship postings given the resources necessary to ensure their mental and physical health and safety?

• GAC became a strategic partner with Innovation, Science and Economic Development’s (ISED) Canadian Innovation Centre for Mental Health in the Workplace, which will provide further supports to GAC employees at all levels.
• Diplomats have access to a departmental Employee Assistance Program that offers services to employees, as well as to their family members, for both personal and work- related problems.
• Psychological support is offered to employees on assignment to hardship postings.
• Pre-posting group training are provided on psychological health, cultural adaptation, conflict management.
• In the aftermath of a critical incident, onsite psychological debriefing group sessions are provided to mitigate risk of PTSD and offering one-on-one sessions. Counselling, advice and guidance on demand, upon reintegration.

Responsive lines on Havana Syndrome:

• The RCMP is leading on the investigation and working closely with US counterparts to investigate cause of “Unexplained Health Incidents”.
• We have transparent communications with staff and dependents on symptoms, and encourage them to report anything unusual.
• Medical & security protocols activate when individuals report; targeted responses have included decreasing staff, removing dependents, providing medical support and reviewing mission security measures;
• In general, undetectable risks or those without a known cause are hard to mitigate.

Responsive lines on COVID:

• In the early stage of the pandemic we withdrew non-essential staff from missions where health systems were not equipped to handle COVID-19.
• Since 2021 almost all staff have returned or the positions have been filled by others.
• We worked with DND, OGDs and allies to ship and administer vaccines in our mission network around the world – this was a massive undertaking.
• Departing CBS and their families were all vaccinated; 99% of GAC employees – including LES – are now vaccinated.

Does GAC need to review the “Duty of Care” doctrine to achieve appropriate balance between safety and security of staff with presence and visibility required to remain relevant and engaged in volatile contexts?

• Greater risk is inherent in service abroad.
• As an employer, GAC has a moral and legal obligation to minimise and mitigate risk to our employees and their dependents. At the same time, we need to recognise that most countries are riskier than Canada, sometimes far risker.
• CBS are compensated for the risk and inconvenience of service abroad in more difficult missions via FSD allowances. CBS receive these additional “hardship” allowances and supplementary insurance coverage.
• We try to find the right balance between operating internationally while mitigating risk.
• Health Canada currently provides medical advice and services to GAC with regard to postings and employee wellbeing.

Hybrid Work & the Future of Work

How has GAC’s approach to diplomatic work adapted during the pandemic?

• With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Canada’s missions abroad and regional offices acted swiftly to adapt their activities in a way that prioritized the health, safety and well-being of our workforce while ensuring excellence in delivering services to Canadians.
• For many of them, this meant working remotely and participating in meetings virtually until local conditions permitted the safe return to diplomatic offices.
• A number of good practices were put in place during the pandemic when in-person engagement was not possible, such as virtual ministerial visits and virtual capital-to- capital engagement or bilateral consultations.
• In many cities around the world where continued restrictions are in place, Canada continues its diplomatic work, such as multilateral meetings and negotiations, via virtual platforms.
• However, many of Canada’s diplomatic missions abroad resumed in-person operations – with masking and social distancing protocols – in 2021.
• Virtual meetings have also allowed GAC to expand engagement with officials and stakeholders in places that are remote, costly, or dangerous to visit in person.

What are some of the ongoing challenges and opportunities?

• Challenges:
  • The continued reliance on virtual meetings and negotiations represents challenges for GAC officials to develop the relationships of trust necessary to advance the department’s core objectives, particularly on highly sensitive files.
  • Canada’s pre-pandemic IT posture (i.e. many already had remote access to work emails) made the transition to virtual work easier than for some partner countries. For countries that had limited remote access prior to the pandemic, pressure to return to the office at headquarters sooner has been greater than for Canada.
• Opportunities:
  • The worldwide adoption of new digital platforms presents exciting opportunities and efficiencies for advancing Canada’s priorities on the international stage.
  • Virtual meeting platforms have facilitated more frequent interactions for Canadian diplomats to advance relationships with other states, while senior officials can now hold bilateral consultations and attend summits all in the same week, at lower cost and a lighter carbon footprint.

Has there been high-level strategic thought around what the future of hybrid diplomacy could look like?

• A number of committees have been set up to consider the future of diplomatic work. They are responsible for developing options to make our workplace, workforce, systems and tools, and missions abroad more innovative, adaptable, and inclusive. They meet regularly to generate policy proposals, or consider specific implications of the future of work at headquarters and missions abroad.
• GAC is undertaking sustained outreach to other foreign ministries worldwide to learn from their experiences during the pandemic and consider their post-pandemic plans. In addition to adopting flexible work arrangements at their headquarters, some Ministries of Foreign Affairs (MFAs) are advancing diplomatic modernization practices, such as building virtual communities and using artificial intelligence (AI) to disseminate reporting more efficiently.

How does GAC compare to other organizations in this ever evolving landscape?

• In Canada, GAC’s approach is broadly in line with other federal government departments which are still developing their post-pandemic work postures but largely refraining from mandating a weekly minimum number of days in office.
• GAC’s strategic focus on promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion within our workforce, as well as dedicated attention to promoting GBA+ principles, places Canada at the vanguard among MFAs worldwide.

What other countries have gone through similar reviews or modernization exercises:

• Other countries have also undergone similar modernization exercises while sharing key similar characteristic with Canada in terms of middle power, multilateral involvement, values, and size/capacities of their respective foreign ministry. These include: Australia, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Japan, and Norway.
• In October 2021, US Secretary of State Antony Blinkin also announced a similar modernization effort for the US State Department.

Our policy capacity and core responsibilities

Global Trends & Drivers of Diplomacy

Does GAC have robust policy planning mechanisms in place to identify long term strategic priorities, anticipate emerging issues and challenges, introduce new ideas and solutions and bring coherence to responses?

• GAC has a variety of corporate policy planning structures and processes which allow for long term strategic thinking and anticipatory governance.
• The corporate governance structure includes the Executive Committee, comprised of GAC’s four Deputy Ministers and all Assistant Deputy Ministers. Various mechanisms report to the Executive Committee, including the Policy and Programs Committee which provides strategic guidance on a range of issues, helping maintain coherence and alignment between Departmental priorities and ensuring that emerging GAC policies and programs integrate key recommendations from past audits and evaluations.
• Policy planning work more generally is led by the Strategic Policy Branch, which helps develop an international narrative for Canada, tackling cross-cutting policy issues and facilitating policy coordination across departmental lines.
• The department has a small foresight unit that tests foreign policy assumptions and assesses medium term trends and their consequences for Canada’s international relations.
• Further policy planning and anticipatory capacity comes from the Corporate Planning Branch which, among other things, provides leadership, analysis and tools to support integrated planning and reporting for the Department, including for corporate risk management.
• Key policy planning processes include the evergreen Medium Term Planning (MTP) exercise, which identifies new trends, gaps and strategic considerations, and considers future policy challenges and opportunities. The results are used to provide strategic recommendations to our Deputy Ministers and the Clerk of the Privy Council in the best interests of Canada and Canadians.
• The annual renewal of the Departmental Plan also provides an opportunity to introduce new ideas and solutions in key priority areas touching on our core diplomatic, trade, development, security and consular responsibilities to support Canadians. The Department also engages in regular consultations with a wide range of stakeholders across Canada and abroad to inform analysis and anticipatory policy development.
• The Department holds regular Foreign Policy Planning talks with partner countries and organizations. Talks examine strategic foreign policy planning issues from a horizon perspective, and explore emerging trends in the near to medium term.

International advocacy and diplomacy

How does Canada undertake international advocacy?

• Canada’s network of diplomatic missions has access to a few funds (namely the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives, the Mission Cultural Fund, and the Post-Initiative Fund).
• The projects funded often have immediate impact, thereby providing Canada with results, partnerships, opportunities, and influence when interacting with key government stakeholders.
• Our diplomatic mission network is provided with strategic and multilingual suites of products (messaging, graphics, animations, social media content) to use in advocacy and public affairs work related to key policy priorities.
• These strategic advocacy campaigns provide a unified global voice for Canada on key issues in addition to local, nuanced messaging.
• These consistent, high-quality assets support missions (especially those with fewer resources) to be active and visible in both the online and offline spaces. Timely guidance is also provided as issues of importance arise.
• Canada’s missions are often admired for their ability to be an active and relevant diplomatic presence despite limited resources. Successful initiatives are the result of creativity, innovation and knowing the local context.

Will the department undertake a Foreign Policy Review?

• Our foreign policy is guided by government priorities, in particular those outlined in the Speech from the Throne, Budget 2022, and the Ministerial Mandate Letters. There is currently no plan to carry out an in-depth foreign policy review.
• That said, we are constantly reflecting on the best way to promote, advance and defend Canada’s values and interests abroad taking into consideration the evolving global context.
• To support this reflection, we engage in regular consultations with a wide range of stakeholders across Canada and abroad and the department undertakes a fresh look at Canada’s foreign policy priorities on a regular basis, including through the evergreen Medium-Term Planning process.

What is the status of the Feminist Foreign Policy? Will a formal policy be released?

• The implementation of the feminist foreign policy is a key priority, as reflected in Minister Joly’s mandate letter.
• It is important to proactively communicate to Canadians and to partners abroad what a feminist foreign policy means for us. A policy document will be published soon to clearly articulate our objectives and approach. This will be an important milestone in our continued efforts, and will help guide our work internationally.

How do we engage with Canadians and how do we inform Canadians about our diplomatic work and how it impacts their lives?

• Our social media accounts showcase on a daily basis the great work our diplomats are doing in international development, trade and foreign policy around the world. In addition to the various missions accounts, we manage accounts like the Canada & the World Facebook page, which has about 470k followers (ENG) and 103K (FRA), and the Canada Twitter account, which has more than 1 million followers.
• We also manage the Global Affairs Canada’s web presence which promotes and highlights the work being done by our diplomats and offices abroad. through stories, country specific information as well as easy to find links to mission social media accounts and news.

What are we doing to engage with Canadians through domestic outreach to communicate and garner support for our international engagement?

• GAC conducts consultations and public engagement activities through a two-way active dialogue to take into account the public's views, concerns, ideas and proposals for the development or assessment of our diplomatic work, programs, services and initiatives.
• Public opinion research is another tool used to collect information that can demonstrate Canadians’ awareness, knowledge, attitudes and behavior towards Canada’s international development and towards GAC’s mission abroad.

How do development officers in Canada’s missions work with foreign policy and trade streams at post?

• On an annual basis, Heads of Mission are requested to work with their Foreign Policy, Trade and International Assistance colleagues to develop mission-wide coherent plans for Canada in their countries of accreditation and to identify how each program will work to advance the mission-wide objectives.
• The Mission-wide planning tool, Strategia, is then leveraged to help communicate the mission-wide objectives and the role of each program. All staff are encouraged to identify opportunities where they can support and enhance each other's programming and activities, creating linkages where appropriate. All programs are requested to input into the tool their progress throughout the course of the year and, at year-end, to provide a summary of how their collaborative work supported meeting objectives.

How has GAC equipped Canadian diplomats to advance implementation of the Feminist International Assistance Policy? What challenges have they faced? How has the Policy been useful for furthering Canadian values and interests?

• A policy suite was developed including 6 Action Area policies, ‘innovation and effectiveness’ guidance notes, standing briefs, wiki page, among other tools to equip diplomats with clear policy guidance.
• Canadian diplomats at all levels are offered training on the Policy’s content and to build capacity to design and implement effective international assistance projects.
• Implementation challenges have included identifying appropriate approaches to advance key objectives of the Policy.
• For example, adapting the term “gender equality’’ to some local contexts has proven difficult at times, and efforts to advance women’s “sexual and reproductive health and rights” are not always well aligned with partner country social values.
• The Policy provides very clear and concrete policy direction, which diplomats can use in policy discussions, advocacy efforts and programming.
• Canada is recognized globally for its leadership in advancing a feminist approach to international assistance, which is focused on Canadian values of peace, prosperity, equality and inclusivity.

Evidence Based Foreign Policy Analysis

How is evidence used in foreign policy?

• Global Affairs continues to pursue the increased use of evidence to inform foreign policy analysis, including through implementation of the departmental Data Strategy.
• To track the implementation of the data strategy, and more effectively support evidence based foreign policy, the department has begun to track the self-identification of data in products for senior management and undertook a survey of data literacy across the department, which identified areas where greater support is needed.
• Among the efforts to integrate innovative data approaches into the work of diplomacy, data analysis of traditional and social media is being leveraged by geographic and functional bureaus to identify networks of influence which support or challenge foreign policy and advocacy objectives.

Delivering, Measuring & Reporting on Results

How do we measure and evaluate results within the diplomatic sphere?

• Diplomacy results are based on the ability to influence and change the minds of key interlocutors. A theory of change and logic model help guide and track progress in influencing foreign decision-makers to align with Canadian foreign policy.
• Mission-level outputs, such as key bilateral interactions or advocacy campaigns, are rolled-up to measure progress towards departmental foreign policy and diplomacy results.
• Performance information feeds into various dashboards enabling analysis on an annual basis and over time, for use in decision-making in the department’s policy cycle.

How do we communicate results both internally and to the Canadian public?

• Global Affairs Canada officially reports on its results internally and to the public primarily through the Departmental Results Report and the Report to Parliament on the Government of Canada’s International Assistance.
• Departmental and Mission social media platforms and web-based stories are also used to communicate some results and achievements to both international and Canadian audiences.
• The department is developing a comprehensive plan to improve performance measurement given its importance in contributing to evidence-based decision-making and achieving results for Canadians.

Trade and Investment

How do diplomats support our trade and investment priorities?

• Over 300 Canadian diplomats work for Canada’s Trade Commissioner Service (TCS) in more than 150 locations abroad, alongside more than 600 locally-hired employees and over 500 staff in the National Capital Region and across Canada.
• The TCS contributes to Canada’s prosperity by helping Canadian exporters expand into new international markets, attracting Foreign Direct Investment, fostering international Science and Technology partnerships and promoting Canadian education.
• Among other things, Trade Commissioners provide their clients with market intelligence and advice, identify business opportunities, organize events, and help resolve complex business problems.
• Trade Commissioners supported over 10,000 Canadian companies last year, 93% of which were small and mid-sized enterprises (SMEs).
• Trade Commissioners contributed in 2021-22 to over a thousand new export deals worth nearly $2 billion.
• In 2021-22, Trade Commissioners supported new foreign direct investment into Canada worth over $2 billion which created nearly 5,000 jobs.
• Trade Commissioners help Canadians understand and take advantage of free trade agreements.
• Trade Commissioners promote inclusive trade and Responsible Business Conduct (RBC) abroad as a competitive advantage for Canadian businesses.

How can we improve coherence and coordination between the FS stream and Trade Commissioners?

• There are many existing mechanisms to promote coherence and coordination between Trade Commissioners and foreign policy specialists.
• Abroad, Heads of Mission are accountable for all mission-based programs and are responsible for promoting and ensuring coherence and coordination.
• Heads of Mission chair management committees that include all program managers to discuss priorities, take decisions, and develop initiatives that promote Canada’s interests.
• All mission-based programs participate in a detailed annual budget and activity planning process which is transparent and intended to promote coordination.
• In Canada, trade and foreign policy specialists work side by side in integrated geographic divisions as well as in other parts of Global Affairs Canada. Policy analysis and development, international negotiations, public communications and consultation, and network-building are all undertaken jointly by both Trade Commissioners and foreign policy specialists.
• Training, good management practices, organizational design, and internal communication will continue to promote coherence and coordination of Canada’s international priorities and activities within Global Affairs Canada.

Are there training programs in place to improve the trade and investment capacity of Canadian diplomats?

• Yes, Canadian diplomats who work in the Trade Commissioner Service are provided comprehensive training and professional development opportunities.
• All newly-hired diplomats are required to take training on a range of topics including international economics, trade, and investment.
• Prior to each assignment abroad, all Trade Commissioners must take a Core Training Program to ensure that they understand the latest approaches and practices for the effective delivery of services to Canadian businesses abroad.
• Specialized training is provided to Trade Commissioners on topics such as Foreign Direct Investment attraction, Responsible Business Conduct, Intellectual Property Protection, Canada’s Free Trade Agreements, Climate Finance, and so on.
• Trade Commissioners have access to formal training provided by the nationally recognized non-profit Forum for International Trade Training, and funds are provided for Trade commissioners to obtain the recognized designation of Certified International Trade Professional.
• In addition, all employees may identify and obtain funds for other training, courses, conferences, and other professional development they need for their work.

Which trade and investment issues will be of strategic importance in the next decade? Do we have forward-looking plans to make sure we are well-positioned in this sphere?

• Canada’s prosperity as a trading nation depends on access to the broadest range of high-growth international markets, integration into regional and global supply chains, and deep economic and trade linkages with trusted partners.
• Prior to the pandemic, the Government began implementing Canada’s Export Diversification Strategy. The Strategy centers on diversifying what, where, and how Canada exports, as well as who exports.
• GAC’s trade and investment programming has evolved over time, and will continue to do so, to more effectively respond to persistent economic challenges such as rapid technological and digital transformation, pressures on the multilateral trading system, and geopolitical competition.
• At the same time, GAC is factoring into its long-term planning processes a number of new supply chain vulnerabilities and chokepoints that could potentially disrupt trade flows. These include many Government-wide efforts which the Department is currently supporting on issues like climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, China-US tensions, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
• In this way, new challenges to international trade are gradually integrated into multiple GAC planning resources.

How do we increase coherence between Canada’s trade and development priorities?

• Many contemporary global challenges threaten to undermine Canada’s core priorities in trade and development.
• For example, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is disrupting global supply of critical agri-food commodities, disproportionately impacting the most vulnerable developing nations.
• Addressing such challenges will require greater coordination and coherence across Canada’s trade policy, trade promotion, and international assistance activities.
• Efforts are underway across the Department to develop a framework for deploying integrated approaches to trade and development.
• Building on the principles established in these documents, the department will seek to further:
  • improve familiarity of Trade and Development Streams with each others’ priorities, activities and organizational structures; and
  • design initiatives that generate outcomes relevant to both streams while respecting principles of Canada’s approach to development and commitment to untied aid.

Development, Humanitarian, Peace and Security Programming

How does GAC incorporate a triple nexus approach to ensure coordination between development, humanitarian and peace and security challenges?

• GAC is implementing a multi-year plan to improve the department’s capacity to undertake more effective “Triple Nexus” efforts, such as integrated planning and programming in conflict-affected situations.
• “Triple Nexus” refers to humanitarian, development and peace efforts that are undertaken more coherently and therefore more effectively through building new capabilities, tools, guidance, training and behavioural change across the department.
• In any country where Canada is involved through more than one nexus pillar (i.e. development, humanitarian, peace and security), our teams are encouraged to introduce a “nexus approach” throughout the planning and programming lifecycle, as well as in all other interventions, such as diplomacy.
• Our missions abroad play a central coordinating role by identifying opportunities for synergies and de-conflicting across the nexus streams.

Help for Canadians Abroad (Consular)

What were our consular responses to recent crises: ex. COVID-19, Ukraine, Afghanistan etc?

• During Canada’s COVID-19 response, Canadian consular officials were responsible for coordinating the Government’s global repatriation operation, which helped to repatriate over 62,000 individuals over the course of 4 months. During the operation, it is estimated that over 1,000 departmental employees were integrated into repatriation operations in support of contact centre operations, air and sea operations teams, reporting units, and logistics teams. This activity was the largest peace-time repatriation operation ever undertaken by the Government of Canada.
• Between 26 August 2021 and today, Canada has helped over 1,900 Canadian citizens, permanent residents and their immediate family members leave Afghanistan. Canada continues to work with a wide range of partners, including like-minded countries, private sector service providers, and non-governmental organizations, to address a wide range of shared challenges related to safe passage.
• Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, over 7.1 million people have been displaced. Affected Canadians continue to receive consular services via the 24/7 Emergency Watch and Response Centre in Ottawa, as well as through our network of diplomatic missions in Warsaw, Bucharest, Bratislava, Moscow, Budapest, Prague, and Berlin.

Any key stories or anecdotes that highlight our consular capacity or its importance to Canadians?

• During the unprecedented COVID19 pandemic, Global Affairs Canada repatriated tens of thousands of Canadians while continuing to manage approximately 7,800 complex cases that were made even more complex by the pandemic.
• In addition to global repatriations, Global Affairs Canada established an Emergency Loan Program that assisted approximately 8,000 Canadian residents to return home unexpectedly. Global Affairs Canada delivered this program throughout the world during a time that Canadians were facing great uncertainty.
• As part of our response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, consular officials have helped facilitate border crossings into neighboring countries for dozens of Canadians, permanent residents and their immediate families.

How do we communicate with Canadians abroad?

• Amidst uncertainties of international travel, Canadians can rely on Global Affairs Canada to provide timely and relevant information, thereby promoting their safety and ensuring they can make informed decisions.
• The department actively engages with Canadians by sharing information through multiple online platforms and providing ongoing updates and recommendations during international crises and significant events.
• The Travel Advice and Advisories portal is the most credible source of information that travellers can rely on for up-to-date travel information. It is complemented by the department’s social media messages and those sent via the Registration of Canadians Abroad system.
• Canada’s consular services help prepare Canadians for international travel and keep them informed in the event of an emergency.

Our technological and digital capacity

Digital and Data Strategy

What does our data strategy look like? Is our foreign policy informed by data?

• The 2018 GAC Data Strategy, which complements the Digital Strategy, has an overarching goal of increasing the use of data for decision making, and is focused on changing behaviours, building capacity, increasing access to data and tools, and improving data governance.
• GAC is deploying a set of analytics tools which can be leveraged to monitor global events and disinformation and to inform policy and decision-making. For example, in- depth text analysis was performed on the federal parties’ foreign policy priorities during the 2019 and 2021 Canadian election campaigns to determine impacts on GAC’s policies.

Do we have estimates for future spending to modernise our digital technology? Was a cost benefit analysis completed?

• It is estimated that modernizing GAC’s entire network infrastructure, security posture, and collaboration, data and analytics suite of tools will greatly surpass available funding.
• GAC currently spends over 80% of its $200M IT budget on maintenance and operations.
• As described in 2022-2025 Departmental Plan on Service and Digital (DPSD), IM/IT will be working on refining these estimates, conducting a benefit analysis of its portfolios of investments, examining capacity and funding options, as well as formalizing a roadmap to modernise our systems, reduce technical debt and protect our information.

How are we leveraging digital technologies for diplomacy? Do we have a cohesive strategy?

• The pandemic greatly accelerated the introduction of new tools to collaborate, share information, manage relationships and provide services as the workforce became “virtual-by-default".
• While this digital transformation enabled diplomacy and increased GAC’s agility in the face of disruption, significant investments in digital are still required to ensure a seamless user-experience all around the world, and to ensure the security of our data.
• These investments are anchored in GAC’s Digital Strategy and operational plan, the 2022-2025 DPSD. Work is underway to strengthen alignment of all IM/IT investments to this strategy and ensure coherent planning and proper governance.

How will we/do we measure the effectiveness of our digital strategy?

• Key projects and performance indicators will emerge following the approval of GAC’s new operational plan, the 2022-2025 Departmental Plan on Service and Digital.
• GAC will launch a Digital Readiness Survey in this year to measure how employees across the world have incorporated the new tools and how effective training has been.
• IM/IT is also looking at leveraging the Mission Audit to measure digital adoption as part of mission inspections.

Managing Risks – IT and broader issues

Is GAC’s senior management too risk averse?

• As leaders, we need to find a balance between opportunities and risks in Canada’s international engagement and the implications for our workforce.
• Modernizing Canada’s diplomacy requires a culture that supports new ideas and accepts the risks of investing in new digital solutions when conventional approaches are not meeting departmental objectives efficiently.
• For example, GAC developed, in partnership with Shared Services Canada, a new international network infrastructure called the Virtual Mission Model (VMM) solution.
• Calculated risks related to security, funding and procurement were taken to successfully implement the solution in 18 sites in FY 21-22, enabling a secure, cloud-capable and collaboration-friendly network architecture abroad.

What are your main IT risks and how do you address them?

• GAC’s strategic risks include:
  1. cyber and digital security and resilience, and
  2. aging IT infrastructure
• The Department is addressing those risks by investing in solutions to improve threat detection and monitoring, enabling secure communications and file sharing, bolstering the infrastructure with modern cloud-enabled network solutions, and decommissioning legacy solutions.
• From an IM/IT perspective, GAC needs to be properly resourced to dedicate time and efforts for innovation. This could be achieved by more predictable funding (via centralized IT funding governance and mechanisms), attracting and retaining talent, and by a holistic view of the capacity and demand for IT services.

What are the trade-offs around mitigating risk vs making space for innovation and experimentation?

• Finite human and financial resources are currently dedicated mostly to operational activities, leaving little left for innovation. In turn, experimentation with new digital solutions will help optimize the way GAC delivers its services to Canadians, and modernize Canada’s diplomacy by increasing its agility in the face of disruptive global events and better respond to increasingly sophisticated cyber threats.

GAC was recently the victim of a cyber attack, what are we doing to improve your technological security?

• GAC is accelerating key work outlined in its Cyber Security Strategy and lessons learned, such as increasing human and technical resources in the Cyber Security Operations Centre and improving tools and processes.
• As result of its collaboration with SSC, TBS and Microsoft on the incident, GAC now benefits from the use of advanced tools, to better enable detection and quarantine of threats, and from the implementation of improved protection of highly privileged accounts.
• Projects are also underway to implement mobile secret capabilities and to modernize GAC IM/IT operations and improve security via improved system development processes and support capabilities.

Do missions abroad have the resources and technology they need to ensure the integrity of sensitive information?

• Yes, resources are in place to ensure the integrity of sensitive information. GAC uses PKI encryption for transmission of Protected B information. This capability has been deployed to all domestic and international locations for all computers and smartphones and is available for both locally Engaged Staff and Canada Based Staff.
• Classified information is processed on the department’s own SIGNET-C network. SIGNET-C is available at most missions, where classified communications are available and only limited to CBS.

With COVID-19 and the two years of work-from-home, how did GAC deal with sensitive information without access to secure servers (C6)?

• As missions and other department facilities were closed during the early stages of the pandemic, the need for classified processing and access to secure systems declined. During lockdown periods, staff at HQ and abroad were issued authorization letters to allow them to access facilities.
• To maintain operations and collaboration between departments and partners, ad-hoc measures were put in place by the Privy Council Office to temporally allow certain type of information to be processed on unclassified systems. GAC does not offer a remote access solution for its classified network and staff are always required to use the appropriate facilities for access to classified information.

Our global presence

Global Footprint & Services - International Platform

Were COVID-19 vaccines delivered to diplomatic staff and their families? Were LES given vaccines from Canada?

• COVID-19 vaccines were delivered to CBS and their dependants, LES and some contractors (those who require frequent access to mission premises such as security guards, cleaners, gardeners), in April and May 2021.
• Vaccines were Moderna/Pfizer and Pfizer for Youth (12-17), delivered to the mission network. In a few cases some mission staff chose to receive local vaccines.
• Between December 2021 and February 2022, boosters (Moderna) and Pfizer pediatrics (5-11) were distributed to missions.
• Yes, LES were included in the mission count to receive vaccines including the booster.

How do we compare with like-minded in terms of number of missions abroad and number of CBS abroad versus at HQ?

• Canada – 178 missions, 7,385 employees working at HQs and 2,230 CBS working abroad
• United Kingdom – 285 missions, 5,304 UK-based staff working at HQ and 2,125 working abroad
• Australia – 114 missions, 3,758 A-based staff working at HQs and 603 working abroad
• United States – 258 missions, 14,415 working at HQs and 9,378 working abroad

How many missions are there abroad in total? How many by region?

• Canada currently has 178 missions in 110 countries
• Geographically, the largest mission footprint is in Europe and the Middle East (61 missions), followed by Americas (55 missions), Asia Pacific (41 missions) and Africa (21 missions).

How does GAC support wider Government of Canada presence abroad?

• Global Affairs Canada’s mission platform serves as a ‘home’ for Canada’s broader presence abroad.
  There are approximate 8,300 positions at Canadian missions abroad, of which 2,400 positions belong to other federal government departments (OGDs), provinces and crown corporations.

What are the top ten sized missions?

• The top 10 sized missions are Washington DC, New Delhi, Beijing, London, Mexico City, Paris, Manila, Hong Kong, Nairobi, and Tokyo.

What are the top ten costliest missions? Why are these missions so costly?

• The top 10 costliest missions for the International Platform Branch (ACM) to maintain in FY 2020-21 are London, New York, Washington DC, Kabul, Hong Kong, Paris, Beijing, Mexico, Brussels and New Delhi. These 10 missions represent roughly 33% of ACM’s total costs across all missions. Kabul will come off the list for FY 2021-22.
• These missions are costly for several reasons:
  • Firstly, the top 10 most expensive missions support a significant portion of Canada’s presence abroad. 7 out of the 10 missions are also listed as the top 10 largest sized mission. In total, these 10 missions support 1,580 positons, representing 20% of the Canada’s total footprint in the Network.
  • Secondly, these missions are among the most expensive cities to live in the world. According to Mercer’s 2021 Cost of Living Index, 7 out of these 10 missions are among the top 55 most expensive cities. Service delivery at those mission is consequently pricy.
  • In addition, 5 of these missions host the Common Service Delivery Points (CSDP), a modern business model to consolidate service delivery at regional level (Brussels, London, Mexico, New Delhi and Washington DC). As the hosting missions, the mission cost also includes CSDP services to other smaller missions. For example, an annual CSDP service delivery cost is about $40M at Washington DC, and $35M at London.
• Among the top 10 costly missions, property service such as residential and business accommodation, is the largest service cost, representing 50-60% of all common services mission cost. Program delivery services and business support services, such as financial, procurement and logistics services, represents the second largest service category, making up 15% -20% of the total cost at missions.

What is the total annual cost of our missions? By region

• In FY 2020-21, ACM’s total mission expenditures (including salary, capital, and other operating expense) by region are: Europe and Middle East ($184M), Asia Pacific ($155M), Americas ($137M), and Africa ($58M).

What is the annual budget for mission security?

• The security budget represents GAC’s contractual obligations related to mission’s security guards (abroad).
• The security budget for the current fiscal year (2022-2023) is $46,9M. This amount includes [REDACTED], Operating and Maintenance Budget and the Middle East Strategy Fund. Security expenses have relatively been stable from year to year. However, with the suspension of our operations in KABUL, it has been reduced for the current fiscal year.

Which missions are most costly from a security perspective?

• Security services provide to missions include 1) emergency and consular management, 2) physical security such as construction/outfitting of workplaces and residence to security standard, 3) Non-Physical Security such as security guards and personal screening, 4) security planning and preparation and 5) IT security.
• Among all the missions in the Network, the top 10 most expensive missions on security services are Kabul, Baghdad, Beijing, Washington DC, Nairobi, London, Port au Prince, New Delhi, Geneva, and Tokyo.
• Among the top 10 most expensive missions from a security perspective, 5 of them are also the most expensive missions in general (Washington DC, Beijing, London, Paris, and Mexico).
• Kabul had the largest cost for security services at $14M in FY2021-22, representing 58% of the total mission cost. It will come off the list for FY 2021-22.
• The annul common service cost on security services at Baghdad, Beijing and Washington DC is all about $4M, followed by Nairobi at $3.6M and London at $2.9M respectively.

There is shortage of Management and Consular Officers (MCOs) across the mission network. Do you have a strategy in place to address this shortage?

• GAC has already taken significant action to address the MCO shortage, including having made 48 appointments to the MCO stream since 2019 at the FS-01 and FS-03 levels. We expect at least 40 more appointments to be made as a result of recently concluded external FS-01 and FS-02 exercises.
• In addition, while our primary source for new recruits will always be the Post-Secondary Recruitment campaign, the critical shortage of MCOs led us to undertake a deployment of experienced, internal non-rotational staff into the FS-01 level in this stream. This exercise is almost complete and is expected to bring at least 30 people into the FS-01 MCO stream.
• In the last 2 years we have designed and delivered new, customized well-being and leadership sessions for MCOs to address their particular stressors.

What is the average cost to post a CBS abroad?

• The average common services costs per CBS position charged for GAC programs, OGDs, provinces, and crown corporations for position creation, is $165,900.
• This cost is broken down by the provision of seven common services (HR management, Foreign Service Directive (FSD) administration, transportation, security, IM/IT, program delivery support and property and materiel) and excludes salary, Employee Benefit Plan and FSD allowances.

Are missions abroad properly equipped?

• In the context of Common Services to deliver mission operations, missions abroad are considered well equipped.
• They are provided with budget allocations for vehicles, property assets (chanceries, official residences, and staff quarters) as well as IT equipment based on mission-specific requirements.
• Missions may request additional resources through the annual planning exercise (Strategia) and through in-year budget reviews conducted throughout the year.
• Furthermore, missions are supported through the 7 Common Service Delivery Points that provide standardized transactional services related to Financial Operations, Contracting and Procurement and Locally-Engaged Human Resources Staffing.

What is the composition of our physical presence abroad? How many buildings? How many are owned/leased?

Overall what is the condition of our physical presence abroad? Are most buildings in good condition?

• Under the performance measurement framework for Asset Management, GAC has consistently met its target with over 85% of our crown-owned assets being rated as in good or fair condition.

Do properties abroad meet Canadian health and safety standards?

• GAC is subject and compliant with the Canada Labour Code which includes health and safety considerations and standards.

How did the pandemic affect the delivery of property management at missions?

• Since the beginning of the pandemic, COVID public health restrictions have affected 15 (or 41%) of the 35 major capital real property projects forming part of Duty of Care, by either slowing their progress (for 12 projects) or bringing work to a halt (for 3 projects).
• Despite the pandemic-driven difficulties, project teams have been able to adopt new practices, adapt project plans and create new opportunities to continue to advance certain projects in efforts to mitigate its impact. Examples include:
  • leveraging virtual tools and innovative technologies: for example, 3D modelling of a building to enable bidders to view the building virtually, allowing procurement activities to advance;
  • establishing international teleworking arrangements between and among contractors, consultants and Government of Canada project staff to advance work.
• Engage with local consultants/staff to reduce travel requirements.

Property, Infrastructure & Technology

Is our global footprint abroad aligned with our priorities?

• Global Affairs Canada’s international mission footprint is aligned to respond to strategic priorities, and deliver on ministerial commitments.
• Efforts to establish and re-open several new missions in the ASEAN region (examples: Yangon, ASEAN (Multilateral) Indonesia, Phnom Penh, Vientiane) in the past years, for example, align with and support, the direction included in the Mandate Letters to develop and launch a comprehensive Indo-Pacific strategy to deepen diplomatic, economic and defence partnerships and international assistance in the region.
• In addition, consistent with announcements from Budget 2022, we are examining opportunities to enhance our diplomatic capacity in Eastern Europe, to be ready to assist as the repercussions of this conflict reverberate through the region.
• Global Affairs Canada undertakes a medium-term policy planning exercise on an ongoing basis, drawing key linkages to Canada’s priorities and commitments. However, no corresponding process or mechanism is in place to systemically and periodically review our mission footprint abroad.

We say that Asia is fastest growing region in the world, and thus emerging priorities. How come this is one of the regions where we have less missions and CBS?

• Over the last decade, Canada has reinforced its presence in the region.
• A new Canadian mission to ASEAN was inaugurated in 2014. Canada also opened new consulates in Chandigarh in 2004 and Bengaluru in 2014 to serve growing consular and immigration needs.
• We also deployed 67 new trade commissioners (in which 37 went to the Greater China Network, including HK SAR) to support an expansion of Canadian trade and investment with the region.
• The 2021 Speech from the Throne confirmed that developing a new Indo-Pacific strategy would be a foreign policy priority for the government.
• Global Affairs Canada is currently developing a new whole-of-government approach aiming to deepen Canada’s diplomatic, economic, defence and development partnerships in the Indo-Pacific.
• As part of this effort, GAC is closely examining Canada’s future diplomatic needs and requirements in the region.

Canada recently closed embassies, such as in Tehran and Caracas. What is the process for re-opening these or other missions?

• GAC has a Framework for Planning and Managing Change to the Network. The Framework outlines the steps, processes, consultations and governance oversight that must be undertaken before authority can be ultimately sought by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and/or Cabinet.
• In order to abide by the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, the host country’s approval is sought for the opening of a mission and is apprised of a mission closing.