4.23

National Defence and the Canadian Forces, and Veterans Affairs Canada should streamline and automate their transition policies and administrative processes to make it easier for ill and injured Forces members and veterans to access programs and benefits in a timely manner.

Agreed. The recently published document, Caring For Our Own: A comprehensive approach for the care of CF ill and injured members and their families, and the regularly updated booklet, Death and Disability Benefits, Programs and Services: A Guide for Serving and Former Canadian Forces Personnel and Their Families, are illustrative of our efforts in consolidating policy and procedural information and communicating it in non-technical terms.

In collaboration with Veterans Affairs Canada, National Defence and the Canadian Forces will continue to streamline and, where practical, automate transition policies and administrative processes.

The booklet referred to in the official response to the audit recommendation has now been updated and renamed to:  “The Guide to Benefits, Programs and Services for CF Members and their Families.”  It is also available on-line at http://www.forces.gc.ca/en/caf-community-benefits-ill-injured-deceased/guide-toc.page. 

At the November 2013 Steering Committee meeting, a new Transition and Employment joint priority has been established.

The Department of National Defence/Canadian Forces and Veterans Affairs Canada staffs in the Integrated Personnel Support Centres will continue to work closely together to further improve the support provided to ill and injured members. 

Canadian Forces personnel with service related illnesses or injuries transition seamlessly from the care of the Canadian Forces to Veterans Affairs Canada programs and services.

December 31, 2014

Thereafter continuous review and improvement as required in coordination with Veterans Affairs Canada.

Chief of Military Personnel

4.24

National Defence and the Canadian Forces, and Veterans Affairs Canada should continue to simplify the language that explains the support available to ill and injured Forces members and veterans. They should ensure that information is updated and communicated to staff and potential beneficiaries, as appropriate, using online tools such as the Benefits Browser.

Agreed. National Defence and the Canadian Forces are taking action to address this recommendation. A new, user-friendly website designed to communicate information on benefits and programs in clear and concise language is under development. We will undertake a review during 2013 of pamphlets, information booklets, and other hard-copy materials made available to Canadian Forces members and their families to ensure that information on benefits and programs is up to date and understandable.

Additionally, the outreach briefings provided to Regular and Reserve Force units will be reviewed for currency and clarity. The feasibility and resource implications of including formal readability reviews as part of the development process for any new information tools will also be investigated during 2013.

The review of briefing packages, pamphlets and booklets continues.  Website development is ongoing.  The booklet referred to in the action plan has been updated and is now called "The Guide to Benefits, Programs and Services for CF Members and their Families". It can be found at the following link: http://www.forces.gc.ca/en/caf-community-benefits-ill-injured-deceased/guide-toc.page

All material available to Canadian Forces personnel and their families, in hard copy or e-version, is provided in clear simple language.

December 31, 2013

Thereafter continuous review and improvement as required in coordination with Veterans Affairs Canada.

Chief of Military Personnel

4.28

National Defence and the Canadian Forces, and Veterans Affairs Canada should ensure that their databases contain reliable data about Forces members, and that Canadian Forces and Veterans Affairs processes are managed to facilitate the timely and efficient sharing of authorized information.

Agreed. In close cooperation with Veterans Affairs Canada, National Defence and the Canadian Forces will continue to improve business processes and implement new tools to facilitate the maintenance of accurate information and the timely and efficient sharing of such information.

The primary Canadian Forces database for casualty administration is the Mission Support System. It is currently being upgraded and is expected to be rolled out in early 2013.

In the area of medical information, Veterans Affairs Canada and the Canadian Forces currently have a joint project under way that will enable the disclosure of Canadian Forces members’ personal health information to Veterans Affairs Canada in a more efficient, centralized, and trackable way. The intent is to conduct pilot tests in fall 2012, and undertake nationwide implementation in 2013. Methods for ensuring database accuracy will be reviewed as integral elements of these programs.

Due to higher GoC DRAP priorities the upgraded Mission Support System will now be available in December 2014. 

The electronic health records pilot project was completed successfully.  The intent is to move to a fully electronic process in all locations.

A comprehensive database of all Joint Personnel Support Unit/ Integrated Personnel Support Centre clients.

December 31, 2014

March 2015

Chief of Military Personnel

4.33

National Defence and the Canadian Forces, and Veterans Affairs Canada should develop and implement policies and processes for coordinating the delivery of services to Forces members and veterans at the Integrated Personnel Support Centres.

Agreed. The requirement to develop integrated transition plans was announced on October 11, 2011. Guidance was issued, via a Canadian Forces directive, on October 30, 2011, to assist all Integrated Personnel Support Centres in developing integrated transition plans for their clients. Business processes and standard operating procedures in this area have been, and will continue to be, reviewed, standardized, and implemented as the Joint Personnel Support Unit framework evolves, with a target date of December 2013 for completion of this effort.

Business processes and standard operating procedures for Integrated Transition Plans (ITPs) have been further developed and standardized.  

Further, the Joint Personnel Support Unit (JPSU) has now initiated a Release Transition Plan (RTP) format, which emulates the ITP process for complex cases of medically releasing personnel.  The process covers the same key elements of the ITP process for complex cases, such as  referring the member to subject matter experts (PSO, SISIP, VAC) for counselling and developing the transition plan, and then providing support to the injured/ill CAF member in the implementation of the pre-release portion.  The plan also identifies post-release requirements that must be  addressed prior to release of the member as part of the holistic transition plan.  The RTP format may also be applied to non-complex cases.    

A fully cohesive and integrated Transition Plan for all ill and injured personnel leaving the Canadian Forces.

December 31, 2014

Thereafter continuous review and improvement as required in coordination with Veterans Affairs Canada.

Chief of Military Personnel

4.40

National Defence and the Canadian Forces should develop and communicate service standards for the decision on employment limitations for medical reasons and the decision on medical release.

Agreed. Since May 2012, the Director of Military Careers Administration has been engaged in a complete review of the efficiency, effectiveness, and service delivery of administrative procedures. This will enhance the ability of the Canadian Forces to complete administrative reviews and to render decisions within improved timelines. While taking into consideration the average volume of files to be considered, essential procedural requirements, and staff resources available, National Defence and the Canadian Forces undertake to review, by March 2013, the feasibility of establishing service standards for typical non-complex cases, for both the medical employment limitation decision process and the medical release review process.

Revised workload goals have been set and communicated for the number of medical files to be reviewed per physician, and total per week, for the medical employment limitation decision process. This has served to focus work priorities and workload expectations. 

Staff organizations were reviewed and new workload goals and priorities also set and communicated for the number of files to be completed per analyst as part of the subsequent medical release review process. 
As of September 2013, the backlog from a year earlier in the medical employment limitation decision process has been reduced from 8 to 3 months.  This is a desirable lag time.  To further reduce the medical employment limitation decision process would simply impose an increased workload (with resultant increased delays) to the follow-on medical release review process. 

This action is now considered complete with the understanding that the revised workload goals will continue to be monitored. 

Performance measure for Directorate of Medical Policy/Medical Standards as measured by time to review a medical file from the time it is logged in to the Standards section and tracked through the PBviews Software package. This performance measure will serve to guide a reasonable service standard for the review of all medical files logged in the Medical Standards section.

Similarly,  a performance measure for Directorate of Military Career Administration will serve to guide a reasonable standard for review, disclosure and  3(b) (Medical release) retirement messages.

Completed

Chief of Military Personnel

4.41

In consultation with Veterans Affairs Canada, National Defence and the Canadian Forces should evaluate how the new Career Transition Support Policy affects ill and injured members’ reintegration into civilian life.

Agreed. The provision of a seamless transition between partnering organizations, through improved communication and co-location, is one of the objectives identified in the Joint Personnel Support Unit performance measurement framework. This framework will be further developed to ensure that we are able to assess whether the new transition policy is in fact meeting the requirements of our ill and injured personnel. Once the Mission Support System rollout is completed (current estimate is early 2013), the Canadian Forces and National Defence will be able to develop indicators of transition readiness, and in collaboration with Veterans Affairs Canada, will attempt to capture post-release information on how the Career Transition Support Policy affects reintegration into civilian life.

The collection of post-release information is underway in order to build up a suitable database for the assessment of the transition programs’ performance.  Adjustments will however continue to be made as the database is developed.  Due to higher GoC DRAP priorities the upgraded Mission Support System will now be available December 2014.  Work is also ongoing to modify the Performance Measurement Framework from a tool to assess stand-up of the unit to one that assesses ongoing operations.

A continuous adjustment of policy and procedures to ensure the needs of releasing personnel are met.

December 31, 2014

Thereafter continuous review and improvement as required in coordination with Veterans Affairs Canada.

Chief of Military Personnel

4.57

National Defence and the Canadian Forces should maintain consolidated information on ill and injured Forces members who will be released for medical reasons to help better manage programs and services to support their transition.

Agreed. The Canadian Forces remain committed to ensuring our programs and services are meeting the needs of our ill and injured Forces members. The Joint Personnel Support Unit’s performance measurement framework will continue to be used as the blueprint for the measurement, evaluation, and reporting of program and service performance. Surveys administered to Joint Personnel Support Unit clients and the local chain of command will be used to assess the utility of programs and services from a user perspective. There are also a number of projects under way that are designed to improve the consolidation of personal health information, in accordance with the Privacy Act, as well as a project to ensure that all Reserve documents are available electronically in the Canadian Forces Health Information System by the end of 2012.

A new policy mandating that all new forms go through a standardized approval process to prevent the proliferation of separate systems and non-standardized forms is expected by fall 2012.

Finally, a quality assurance program is now being developed for rollout at the local level, with headquarters oversight and guidance, in 2013.

Efforts continue to consolidate information on ill and injured members, (with the exception of medical information protected under the Privacy Act) and to capture resource and other costs to better evaluate programs and services.  (See also current status for recommendation 4.28).

In terms of the availability of Reserve documents medical inputs are now made electronically for all Regular and Reserve force personnel when they visit a caretaker.  This element is now considered completed.

Efforts remain ongoing to standardize forms and the associated approval process and to create electronic templates.  The intent is for the policy and associated quality assurance program to be in place by the end of 2013.

Continuous improvement of programs and services while ensuring efficient use of budgetary and other resources.

December 31, 2013

Thereafter continuous review and improvement as required in coordination with Veterans Affairs Canada.

Chief of Military Personnel

4.59

National Defence and the Canadian Forces, in cooperation with Veterans Affairs Canada, should continue to improve management of its support for the transition to Veterans Affairs Canada of ill and injured Forces members, particularly reservists.

Agreed. While recognizing that Canadian Forces responsibility for follow-up formally ends when a member is released, ill and injured members will be tracked by the Canadian Forces until an individual returns to unrestricted duty; a former Canadian Forces member (including reservists) is able to resume or seek employment; a member is able to cope independently without any further assistance; or a member expresses that he or she no longer wishes any further contact. By June 2013, the Canadian Forces and National Defence will review procedures to ensure that, when required or appropriate, members who are being released for medical reasons, especially reservists, successfully make the transition to Veterans Affairs Canada care.

In partnership with Veterans Affairs Canada, the Canadian Forces and National Defence will, also by June 2013, examine options to improve systematic post-release follow-up.

The target dates were met in terms of reviewing procedures.  At this point, on behalf of the CAF, DCSM Transition Services is collaborating with Canada Company to develop a web-based process that will provide current and relevant information for CAF members preparing for transition.  The program will capture data that will allow the determination of success rates on transition and will support further research toward enhancing transition services.  Once implemented, DCSM Transition Services will continue to share data with VAC for review and further discussion/research. 

In collaboration with Veterans Affairs Canada, National Defence and the Canadian Forces has also undertaken a multi-year data linkage and survey study focusing on Reservists.

A seamless transition of ill and injured Canadian Forces members to Veterans Affairs Canada.

December 31, 2015

Chief of Military Personnel

4.73

National Defence and the Canadian Forces, and Veterans Affairs Canada should update the joint steering committee’s terms of reference to specify its authority, responsibility, and accountability.

Agreed. By March 2013, National Defence and the Canadian Forces, and Veterans Affairs Canada will update the terms of reference for the committee to ensure a clear delineation of committee authority, responsibility, and accountability.

The updated Terms of Reference were signed by the VAC DM and the Chief of Defence Staff effective 15 April 2013. Task completed.

Revised Terms of Reference for the Steering Committee including a name change and a more specific governance structure.

Completed

Chief of Military Personnel

4.74

For each approved joint priority, the steering committee should establish measurable objectives and specific timelines for completion.

It should prepare an annual report to the Deputy Ministers and the Chief of the Defence Staff, summarizing progress achieved against the joint priorities.

Agreed. In 2011, the joint steering committee identified objectives and timelines for seven priorities: continuity of care; transition management; transfer of electronic Canadian Forces personnel records; a joint mental health strategy; outreach, consultation and engagement; commemoration; and research. These priorities continue to evolve as progress is achieved and new plans are developed.

At the June 2012 Veterans Affairs Canada/Canadian Forces Steering Committee meeting the 2012/2013 joint priorities were updated to reflect:
- Target Area
- Target Date
- Deliverables
- Office of Primary 
   Interest.

This new format will be used for all future joint priority documents.

The first Annual Report was signed by the co-chairs in August 2013, for furtherance to the DMs and CDS.

Task completed.

A new format for all future joint priority documents and an annual report.

Completed

Chief of Military Personnel

4.80

To inform the future direction of their respective income support and vocational rehabilitation programs, National Defence and the Canadian Forces, and Veterans Affairs Canada should conduct a joint analysis (including tracking outcomes) of the costs and benefits of each department operating similar programs.

Agreed. Under the current program arrangement, Service Income Security Insurance Plan—Long Term Disability is the first provider of income support and vocational rehabilitation services for Canadian Forces members upon medical release. Veterans Affairs Canada’s program provides vocational rehabilitation and income benefits to veterans who identify a service-related re-establishment need subsequent to release. This arrangement is supported by National Defence and Veterans Affairs Canada, and achieves the necessary interim alignment recommended in the Veterans Affairs Canada independent assessment of the New Veterans Charter in 2010. National Defence and the Canadian Forces will collaborate with Veterans Affairs Canada to establish, where possible, common program evaluation metrics to allow for program comparability. When sufficient data is available, the Chief of Military Personnel will consult with the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat to review options for the future direction of the program.

An initial program description table has been created with VAC to define respective program details.  In coordination with VAC the next step will require the establishment of common program evaluation metrics so that the appropriate data can be collected. This step will be predicated on the status of the current VAC Vocational Rehabilitation contractor.  A renewal of the existing contract, or a new contract provider, will affect discussion timelines to establish common evaluation metrics. Once metrics are defined, data will need to be collected for approximately 18 to 24 months before program comparisons can be made.

When sufficient data are available, the Chief of Military Personnel will consult with the Treasury Board Secretariat to review options for the future direction of the program.

December 31, 2015

Chief of Military Personnel

4.81

National Defence and the Canadian Forces should follow a competitive tendering process to select its private sector insurer.

Agreed. The Chief of Military Personnel intends to obtain direction and guidance from the Chief of the Defence Staff by March 2013 on re-tendering the vocational training and long-term disability benefits program, and subsequently, to consult with the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat to seek agreement and advice on the way ahead.

Chief of Military Personnel staff action remains ongoing with the aim of acquiring Chief of Defence Staff guidance in Fall 2013.

Although this contract has no firm termination date, similar to other contracts under the governance of the Treasury Board of Canada, the Chief of the Defence Staff or the Treasury Board Secretariat could recommend that this contract be re-tendered.

Ongoing commitment.

Chief of  Military Personnel