Fraser River Sturgeon

Jim Graham (left) catching and releasing sturgeon in BC's Big Muddy.

Changes at Fort Pearson

DFAIT staff have received initial information about a long-rumoured departmental re-organization, the gist of which is that the three geographic branches will be brought under a management pool consisting of four ADMs. The significance of the announced change may be clearer to those still labouring in Fort Pearson. The unaltered text of the announcement is below.

-----

On September 1, 2008, DFAIT will implement an innovative structure to lead and to manage the full range of its bilateral and regional relations.

NGM, RGM & WMM will merge into a new Geographic Group with four ADMs accountable for the collective leadership and vision of this Group.

In a June 19th Memo to Ministers, USS and DMT committed to the following goals for the Geographic Group:

• More integrated intelligence, service, advice and options on country and regional issues to both Ministers;

• Enhanced policy capacity and responsibility of our missions;
  More equitable, aligned allocation of resources to foreign policy and international trade interests;

• Better horizontal coordination, including with functional branches;

• More coherent advice to clients within and outside the Government of Canada.
  
  

Each ADM will be responsible for one of the following geographic portfolios:

• Europe and the Middle East;

• Latin America and the Caribbean;

• North America; and

• Asia and Africa.

• ADMs will also manage “Horizontal Teams” to cooperate and collaborate on both foreign policy and trade files: e.g.

• 3 priority themes (Afghanistan, Americas & Emerging Markets);

• Innovation Strategies;

• UN Campaigns;

• Human Rights;

• G8 Issues.
  
  

The new Geographic Group will be one Branch, co-managed by four ADMs.

This Group will focus on both bilateral and regional relationships.

Only one common-services bureau will support the new Geographic Group.

The integration of people and programs will be at the Director General level.

DGs will act as Chief Operating Officers (COOs) for their regions and will have the primary role of dealing with stakeholders in the public and private sectors.

Peter Boehm, Jim Fox and Ken Sunquist are organizing information sessions with staff from NGM, RGM and WMM to discuss what this new structure will mean for employees at Headquarters.

Conference calls will also be scheduled with missions.

The names of the four ADMs for the new Geographic Group will be announced in an upcoming broadcast message.

More detailed information will follow by broadcast messages over the course of the summer.