Amalgamation Update
We are pleased to report that, since our October 18 message, good progress has been made in building a new, amalgamated department that provides greater international policy coherence. Your contributions through Agora, our new Departmental Consultative Group (DCG), and meetings with management in branches and at missions, have been central to this progress and have highlighted your enthusiasm and genuine commitment to building a new institution where excellence is at the forefront.
A truly collaborative corporate culture is our goal. To that end, your suggestions have highlighted the value of a brief, clear internal vision statement to guide the way we work and reflecting who we are. With your input, we have agreed on the following:
Serving Canadians, promoting our values and interests, finding solutions to global challenges, bringing prosperity to Canada and the world.
This internal vision statement will guide our leadership, as we hope it inspires the vital work you do.
Amalgamation is a complex project that affects our people, the way we do business and the tools we use. We are happy to see the significant progress made so far, ranging from the practical (an ID card that works in our key buildings) to a new governance structure that has already improved our ability to further our integrated policy interests, and best-in-class business practices and tools that will enable the department to deliver effectively on the government’s priorities.
To ensure that we manage a project of this magnitude effectively, we have developed with all branches a Change Management Plan. Amalgamation provides us with an opportunity to undertake important reforms that will expand our capacity to deliver on the department’s widened mandate. Building on the energy that we have seen at the DCG, on Agora and in branch sessions, the spirit of amalgamation is something that we all need to live day to day, not something we do as an aside.
It cannot be said too often that people are the heart of the new department. How amalgamation impacts our workforce, as well as its renewal, is at the core of our Change Management Plan. Our objective is both to resolve long-standing issues and take advantage of amalgamation to build a more flexible workforce based on skills, not silos. We wish to offer a first instalment by announcing that almost all executive positions will be de-streamed. As a result, affected EXs will be afforded the opportunity to deploy to the rotational pool. Assignments will be based on the candidate’s experience and right fit, and no longer on their formal Trade/Political/Management Consular/Development stream designation. This will promote a more inclusive workforce that will allow for greater flexibility and career potential for all executives. At the same time, we are mindful of the need to ensure that we maintain strong subject expertise and will make sure that our training and assignment programs are adapted to the new reality.
Working better together is the key to amalgamation. To that end, with the ADM team, and the support of the External Advisory Group (EAG), we have examined the organizational structure that was put into effect November 4, 2013 and have identified refinements. These will increase overall policy coherence, while allowing each branch to deliver on its specific mandate and collaborate effectively with other parts of DFATD. ADMs are already implementing changes, recently discussed with members of their teams. For example, we are testing a fully amalgamated geographic branch for Africa, a region that offers both the capacity and potential for integration in support of furthering political, development and trade interests. Through a governance structure linking the geographic bureaus, we will also promote the same integrated approach across the world. Given the significant role our heads of mission play in making amalgamation a reality, we are widening their accountability to support their role as executives leading the charge at our missions, as set out in a new policy.
Amalgamation is bringing a new and more coherent approach to international engagement, strengthening alignment between foreign policy, trade, and development objectives. It is enabling Canada to maximize its impact in a changing world. For example, the Global Markets Action Plan and our new focus on economic diplomacy are helping us build crosswalks between trade, foreign policy and development. We are also deepening innovation in diplomacy by capitalizing on an increasingly interconnected and technology-driven world to engage a much wider range of non-state actors, supporting both political and commercial interests. And our development approach, with its focus on innovation, new tools and new partnerships, in particular with the private sector, will not only support Canada's efforts to reduce global poverty, but will reinforce our prosperity, security and values. We are also working together across the department to look at how best to engage with Canadians.
While this message confirms a number of decisions that will be implemented in coming months, we are also making progress on a number of other fronts. For example, on office accommodation, we have made hundreds of “briefcase moves” to bring staff together in their new bureaus. We are also sketching out options that could allow us to consolidate our headquarters footprint, moving from the current 11 locations to eventually two or three buildings, plus swing space. This in itself would both support our objective of promoting collaboration and also reduce costs. We have also received a number of suggestions from the DCG Innovation working group, and we hope to be able to leverage your ideas in promoting an environment that is receptive to innovation. Finally, in the context of our ongoing amalgamation, we have initiated work across the department to identify efficiencies that may eventually be reinvested in new departmental priorities.
Finally, we wanted to congratulate and thank you for your participation and contribution in making amalgamation a reality. On Agora, for example, more than 2,500 of you have joined theVoice-up group, a strong signal of your commitment to making amalgamation a success. We encourage you to continue using Agora as a platform for comments, questions and recommendations. The exchanges that we have had with employees at the DCG have been both informative and energizing. The coming months will be important as we continue to work together to move forward with amalgamation. Our commitment is to demonstrate through our actions that your contributions are genuinely making a difference.
A truly collaborative corporate culture is our goal. To that end, your suggestions have highlighted the value of a brief, clear internal vision statement to guide the way we work and reflecting who we are. With your input, we have agreed on the following:
Serving Canadians, promoting our values and interests, finding solutions to global challenges, bringing prosperity to Canada and the world.
This internal vision statement will guide our leadership, as we hope it inspires the vital work you do.
Amalgamation is a complex project that affects our people, the way we do business and the tools we use. We are happy to see the significant progress made so far, ranging from the practical (an ID card that works in our key buildings) to a new governance structure that has already improved our ability to further our integrated policy interests, and best-in-class business practices and tools that will enable the department to deliver effectively on the government’s priorities.
To ensure that we manage a project of this magnitude effectively, we have developed with all branches a Change Management Plan. Amalgamation provides us with an opportunity to undertake important reforms that will expand our capacity to deliver on the department’s widened mandate. Building on the energy that we have seen at the DCG, on Agora and in branch sessions, the spirit of amalgamation is something that we all need to live day to day, not something we do as an aside.
It cannot be said too often that people are the heart of the new department. How amalgamation impacts our workforce, as well as its renewal, is at the core of our Change Management Plan. Our objective is both to resolve long-standing issues and take advantage of amalgamation to build a more flexible workforce based on skills, not silos. We wish to offer a first instalment by announcing that almost all executive positions will be de-streamed. As a result, affected EXs will be afforded the opportunity to deploy to the rotational pool. Assignments will be based on the candidate’s experience and right fit, and no longer on their formal Trade/Political/Management Consular/Development stream designation. This will promote a more inclusive workforce that will allow for greater flexibility and career potential for all executives. At the same time, we are mindful of the need to ensure that we maintain strong subject expertise and will make sure that our training and assignment programs are adapted to the new reality.
Working better together is the key to amalgamation. To that end, with the ADM team, and the support of the External Advisory Group (EAG), we have examined the organizational structure that was put into effect November 4, 2013 and have identified refinements. These will increase overall policy coherence, while allowing each branch to deliver on its specific mandate and collaborate effectively with other parts of DFATD. ADMs are already implementing changes, recently discussed with members of their teams. For example, we are testing a fully amalgamated geographic branch for Africa, a region that offers both the capacity and potential for integration in support of furthering political, development and trade interests. Through a governance structure linking the geographic bureaus, we will also promote the same integrated approach across the world. Given the significant role our heads of mission play in making amalgamation a reality, we are widening their accountability to support their role as executives leading the charge at our missions, as set out in a new policy.
Amalgamation is bringing a new and more coherent approach to international engagement, strengthening alignment between foreign policy, trade, and development objectives. It is enabling Canada to maximize its impact in a changing world. For example, the Global Markets Action Plan and our new focus on economic diplomacy are helping us build crosswalks between trade, foreign policy and development. We are also deepening innovation in diplomacy by capitalizing on an increasingly interconnected and technology-driven world to engage a much wider range of non-state actors, supporting both political and commercial interests. And our development approach, with its focus on innovation, new tools and new partnerships, in particular with the private sector, will not only support Canada's efforts to reduce global poverty, but will reinforce our prosperity, security and values. We are also working together across the department to look at how best to engage with Canadians.
While this message confirms a number of decisions that will be implemented in coming months, we are also making progress on a number of other fronts. For example, on office accommodation, we have made hundreds of “briefcase moves” to bring staff together in their new bureaus. We are also sketching out options that could allow us to consolidate our headquarters footprint, moving from the current 11 locations to eventually two or three buildings, plus swing space. This in itself would both support our objective of promoting collaboration and also reduce costs. We have also received a number of suggestions from the DCG Innovation working group, and we hope to be able to leverage your ideas in promoting an environment that is receptive to innovation. Finally, in the context of our ongoing amalgamation, we have initiated work across the department to identify efficiencies that may eventually be reinvested in new departmental priorities.
Howard Edward Campbell December 28, 1920 - March 28, 2014 Passed away peacefully on the morning of March 28, 2014 with Marilyn, his loving wife of over 30 years, by his side. His easy smile, his optimism, his joy in friends and family, his vibrant sense of humor and his warmth and generosity will be missed by those who knew him, spread across many continents.