Moving Forward 2007-2010 Strategic Roadmap for RCMP Biology Services Directorate

• About this document
• Message from the Director FS&IS
• Who we are
• Our Challenges
• Our Pledge
• How Biology Services Directorate Will Improve
• Five Key Strategies
• The Way Forward
• From Crime Scene - to Biology Services Labs - to the Courtroom
• Printable version

About this document

Moving Forward is a three year strategic roadmap and statement of direction for the RCMP’s Biology Services Directorate. The roadmap represents a major milestone in Biology Services’ evolution and charts a focused course. This will ensure that we develop the full potential of DNA profiling, and continually provide quality investigative support services for front-line policing.

The strategic roadmap is the outcome of an iterative process initiated in the fall of 2007, whereby a group representing all levels within Biology Services and key stakeholders within the Forensic Science and Identification Services (FS&IS) came together to map the future state. Subsequent management and employee consultation workshops contributed to the full development of our key strategies and actions.

Message from the Director General Forensic Science and Identification Services

This is an exciting and rewarding time for Forensic Science and Identification Services (FS&IS), an integral component of the RCMP’s Policing Support Services (PSS).

The exponential growth in demand for DNA analysis has made it a key priority within FS&IS and PSS. Heightened expectations for DNA profiling and related services have led to the need for a dedicated biology organizational structure within FS&IS. In April 2007, a Biology Services Directorate was established to create a renewed focus on ensuring we better meet the evolving needs of our clients – front-line police and law enforcement agencies across Canada.

The 2007 Auditor General’s report highlighted concerns about turnaround times and quality management systems, thus increasing the urgency to address efficiency and effectiveness of operations. Consequently, we have articulated action plans and strategies to achieve better turnaround times and improve our performance.

I am pleased to present Moving Forward, our first strategic roadmap in Biology Services, which reflects the thinking, ongoing commitment and dedication of our highly skilled workforce. Moving Forward is much more than a statement of direction, it is a dynamic tool that will adapt and change when circumstances require. The roadmap will enable our workforce, our clients and stakeholders to share a common view of where we are going and how we will get there. It will also guide our way forward in meeting the needs of our clients and the expectation of Canadians in years to come.

Who we are

The Biology Services Directorate is a component of Forensic Science and Identification

Services (FS&IS), Canada’s leading service provider of forensic analysis for criminal cases. Biology Services is located within five of the six RCMP laboratories across Canada (Halifax, Ottawa, Regina, Edmonton and Vancouver). All Biology Services sites provide interpretation and reporting, while three of the five sites (Ottawa, Edmonton and Vancouver) currently provide search, recovery and DNA analysis.

Our Vision

To play a vital role in the fight against crime by providing quality and timely support to the law enforcement community by meeting the turnaround times that we have set with our clients.

Our Mandate

To provide quality investigative support services for front-line policing. More specifically, we process biological evidence using DNA analysis techniques to obtain DNA typing profiles. This includes:

• Comparing DNA profiles to determine if there are any forensically significant associations; and
• Submitting selected DNA typing profiles for entry into the Crime Scene Index of the National DNA Data Bank of Canada.

Case Study

Medicine Hat Murder Trial - The DNA of a 13-year-old girl, accused of first-degree murder in the slaying of her entire family last year, was found on a knife that also had her younger brother’s blood on the blade. The girl’s DNA was found in a speck of blood retrieved from one small area of the knife blade. This information was provided by Robert (Bob) Schimpf, a biologist and forensic specialist in the Edmonton lab, during his testimony at the girl’s trial. When Bob compared her DNA profile with that of the slain adults, he found evidence that it was their daughter’s DNA. As Bob said, it was “17 billion times more likely” that she was the biological child of the adults than not.

The girl was found guilty in July 2007 of all three first-degree murder charges and was noted as Canada’s youngest off ender convicted of committing multiple murders.

Our Challenges

The Biology Services Directorate is committed to taking action in a strategic manner to address current and emerging challenges. This entails taking stock of how Biology Services works, taking a fresh look at its efficiency and effectiveness in carrying out duties and responsibilities, identifying challenges, and finding meaningful, lasting solutions. Key areas of critical importance to us are: accountability, the use of human and financial resources, innovation, the scientific process, and workforce challenges.

Accountability

Biology Services must address concerns with accountability including the following:

• a need to better understand and meet client needs and expectations;
• heightened expectations from internal and external stakeholders regarding reporting of performance in a transparent, ongoing manner; and
• employee expectations of increased transparency in decision-making and of follow-through on commitments made by management.

Resources

Case backlogs, bottlenecks and increases in response times are all symptoms of pressing challenges resulting from the following key issues:

• workflow and operations inefficiencies;
• lack of cross-functional communication and collaboration;
• lack of strategy to deal with unexpected increases in work load (e.g. emergency situations) ; and
• a capacity gap in resource levels.

Innovation and the scientific process

As a science-based program, Biology Services must be at the forefront of new science and technologies. It is a service where constant innovation is the norm; however being innovative and rooted in a scientific process involves more than investing resources. It requires that staff and clients alike have confidence in the new technologies being implemented. To remain up to date and effective, issues that need to be addressed are:

• lack of a systematic and comprehensive hand off of new scientific methods in the transition from Research & Development to casework Operations; and
• lack of consistency in how technology is being implemented and used.

Workforce

Attracting and retaining a professional workforce remains a key priority for the Biology Services Directorate. To act on this in a manner that gets results requires a change in the business culture within the Directorate. Critical challenges needing to be addressed are:

• repetitive and compartmentalized work -- can be de-motivating for new recruits who join anticipating a CSI-style work environment;
• training -- inconsistencies in the delivery, the need to update content and the increased workload on existing resources to provide on the job training and mentoring over and above regular duties;
• ‘change fatigue ’ among staff -- constant organizational changes and how they are being implemented can result in weariness, a loss of confidence in, and frustration with management; and
• rapid growth and management training -- significant increase in service and workload and the need for more focus on management training has diluted managerial experience and effectiveness.

The 2007 report by the Auditor General found that within the purview of the RCMP’s Biology Services Directorate client expectations were not being met. The Directorate carefully considered those findings and committed to significant changes outlined in its Action Plan.

Our Pledge

Biology Services Directorate recognizes the pressing need to better anticipate, respond and address these emerging challenges. We are committed to meet the turnaround times we have set with our clients. To do this, we pledge to take decisive action to improve client satisfaction by fostering employee engagement, improving our productivity and efficiency by being innovative in the way we work.

The purpose of this strategic roadmap is to provide an overview of the key actions and initiatives that Biology Services Directorate will take to fulfill this pledge.

How Biology Services Directorate Will Improve

Five Key Strategies

The five interconnected strategies are critical to the success of the roadmap. These strategies, in conjunction with key strategic actions, will help ensure we achieve our ultimate target of meeting the turnaround times we have set with our clients by the year 2010.

Ensuring scientific excellence and Ensuring a highly skilled, motivated and sustainable workforce are the foundation of the five strategies. Excellence in science is the cornerstone of the services we provide to our clients and the commitment of our workforce ultimately makes things happen.

Our strategy for Ensuring efficient and effective use of resources will enable us to better meet our client needs and deliver on our commitments.

Strengthening and improving client relationships and Setting expectations and demonstrating accountability will help gauge our improvements and help adjust our direction.

1. Strengthening and improving client relationships

Our success is linked directly to the relationships we foster with our clients: front-line police officers and the law enforcement community. We are committed to strengthening and improving those relationships so that we can better meet the needs and expectations of our clients. The PROOF targets are our commitment to our clients, ensuring the highest priority cases are worked on first. We are well on our way to meet these targets.

Key Strategic Actions:

Manage client expectations

• Benchmark performance against client needs and expectations, and address gaps.
• Develop and implement a structured outreach approach (e.g., lectures at client sites).
• Assist Forensic Identification Services in establishing a Crime Scene Liaison Officer (CSLO) Program.

Communicate and consult effectively with our clients

• Better determine client needs and requirements.
• Through dialogue, foster a mutual understanding of capabilities and constraints.
• Include client input in our decision making process, and provide the rationale for our decisions.
• Create new opportunities and enhance existing client consultation mechanisms (e.g. invite the chairpersons of the Regional Client Consultation Committees (RCCC) to sit on the FS&IS Advisory Committee)

Regional Client Consultation Committees were established in June 2007 and meet biannually. The regional committees are composed of members of major police departments, provincial justice officials, crown and/or defense counsel, and the Director General of FS&IS.

2. Ensuring efficient and effective use of resources

Recognizing that our resources -- staff , equipment, finances -- are all vital components of our work, we pledge to ensure that these resources are used in an efficient and effective manner. This entails more than identifying gaps in our performance. It includes anticipating future needs to ensure that Biology Services runs smoothly no matter the circumstances.

Key Strategic Actions:

Develop and implement strategies for Biology Services to become more productive and effective

• Undertake an external review of our systems to identify key opportunities for improvement
  • Integrate approved recommendations into our roadmap initiatives.
• Develop a strategy to optimize and ensure continuous review of workflow;
  • Anticipate, identify and quickly address bottlenecks in process,
  • Implement a teamwork approach,
  • Explore alternative work schedules.
• Further optimize technology.

Ensure oversight and effective management of activities that affect Biology Services

• Better anticipate issues, cross program impacts and remove barriers.
• Improve workload management - manage conflicting priorities.
• Enhance relationships and collaboration within FS&IS and the RCMP.

Improve application of LIMS (Laboratory Information Management System) and Information Technology (IT) systems

• Ensure our business requirements drive and are supported by our IT systems.

Improve ‘Front-End’ and optimize forensic exhibit submissions

• Help clients better understand our processes and capabilities.
• Work with clients to improve sample collection.

3. Ensuring scientific excellence

As a professional, science-based organization, the Biology Services Directorate is dedicated to ensuring and upholding scientific excellence. More than a value, it is a principle that governs how we work. Scientifi c excellence is the pillar and foundational element of our roadmap. Like any area where excellence and precision are standards that need to be met without fail, our Directorate needs to regularly re-evaluate its effectiveness in ensuring a high standard of excellence.

Key Strategic Actions

Strengthen our technical leadership

• Establish a technical committee to ensure research priorities are met and facilitate the implementation of required improvements.
• Improve communication and collaboration across units (search and recovery, analysis and reporting)
  • Establish cross-functional issue response teams; and
  • Communicate technical tips and highlights.
• Enhance technical expertise.
• Establish, formalize technical support; process and structure.
• Strengthen linkage to FS&IS quality management systems.

Standardize methods for Biology Services

• Conduct program scientific and technical reviews.

Develop plans for technological improvements

• Develop a protocol for new processes, or the review of existing processes which includes validation and an implementation strategy.
• Further enhance coordination and collaboration between Research and Development and Casework Operations to better facilitate the implementation of scientific changes.

Further develop alliances with other scientific institutions

• Share innovations and best practices.

4. Ensuring a highly skilled, motivated and sustainable workforce

Our professional workforce is the lifeblood of Biology Services. No strategic objective can be met without our employees’ talents, skills and engagement. Investing in people is one of the foundational requirements of our roadmap. The commitment and dedication of our people need to be matched by our ability to provide them support and development opportunities.

Key Strategic Actions:

Develop and implement strategies to attract, develop and retain our high-quality workforce

• Establish an employee resource office that is linked to RCMP Human Resources (HR) to increase our HR capability, and improve our recruitment and hiring practices.
• Develop and implement an HR Plan that includes retention strategies, succession plan, career path, and improved performance management approach.

Provide opportunities for our employees to realize their full potential by developing their skills and knowledge

• Establish a Strategic Learning Unit, linked to RCMP Learning & Development, which will help develop and implement a comprehensive technical and professional learning strategy.

Foster an enabling and motivating work environment

• Improve our people management and leadership skills, and identify and develop future leaders.
• Engage in clear and consistent bilateral communication with staff , ensuring feedback and follow-up mechanisms and provide a communication forum to keep employees within Biology Services connected.
• Enhance employee recognition, including unit recognition.
• Develop and implement work-life balance strategies.
• Facilitate self-directed initiatives.

5. Setting expectations and demonstrating accountability

Establishing and maintaining dialogue with employees and clients will be critical in helping Biology Services meet its strategic goals.

Key Strategic Actions:

Review and improve our performance management / measurement approach

• Develop a performance measurement strategy in consultation with key internal stakeholders.

Improve reporting to our stakeholders and partners

• Issue regular reports highlighting results and progress in relation to stated objectives.

The Strategic Learning Unit will:

• develop learning profiles for each role in Biology Services based on core competencies.
• work with staff to develop individual learning plans focused on achieving core competencies and skill sets.
• improve training programs through continuous standardization, updating of content, and evaluation and through the development of academic partnerships.
• implement mentorship and job shadowing programs.
• provide cross-training to increase capacity, flexibility and job enrichment.

The Way Forward

The work of Biology Services is highly integrated within the broader context of the services provided by Forensic Science and Identification Services. We work collaboratively with our partners, Forensic Identification Services, their Crime Scene Liaison Officer Program, the Canadian Police Services Information Centre / Case Receipt Unit and the General Managers of FS&IS to provide quality investigative support services for front-line policing.

Forensic Science and Identification Services provides a wide range of forensic programs and services to clients in Canada and internationally through forensic science services, crime scene forensic identification, fingerprint identification and criminal record repositories and the National DNA Data Bank. The programs and services form an essential part of virtually every criminal investigation – FS&IS assists investigators in solving crime and exonerating the innocent. We strive to be leading edge in developing processes and methods to ensure that the law enforcement community receives quality and timely support in fighting crime.

Moving Forward is a strategic roadmap that provides a high level framework, which will guide Biology Services for the next three years. We are committed to demonstrating tangible results against our key strategic actions. We have developed specific, more detailed actions plans to ensure we move forward on each of the strategic actions.

We are committed to respond to the evolving challenges which Biology Services faces. Our action plans will be adjusted to ensure they’re main relevant and effective.

From Crime Scene - to Biology Services Labs - to the Courtroom

Any queries regarding the content of this report, or requests for additional copies should be forwarded to FS&ISClientServices@rcmp-grc.gc.ca