Cultural Evolution at the RCMP: Divisional Updates
Organizational Structure and Governance
Employment Equity (EE) Working Groups
| Initiative | Division | Description |
|---|---|---|
| All Category of Employee Working Group | G Division | The Working Group was formed to ensure that all categories of employees were treated fairly and the opportunity for training, development and value to the organization was equal. |
| Employee Wellness Committee | H Division | An Employee Wellness Committee (consisting of chaplains, volunteers, Divisional psychologist, etc) was created to support the Mental Health Champion and also provide regular Divisional updates/messages on the status of wellness programs. |
| Commanding Officer's Diversity Committee | K Division | A Commanding Officer's Diversity Committee was created, which is very active in promoting diversity within K Division, advising the Commanding Officer and Managers on matters of diversity and inclusion, and promoting the same at a grass roots level in units across the province of Alberta. |
| Diversity EE Committee | O Division | A Committee was created that aligns EE groups under a single structure to foster improved communications/understanding, and provide advice to Division Managers and enhance inclusivity/employee awareness. |
| EE Steering Human Resources Committee | O Division | The Committee advances pro-active tactics to support national EE priorities, ensuring that inclusion and diversity are advocated at all stages of the HR process. |
| Inuit Employee Committee | V Division | Inuit Employee Committee is regularly consulted by the Commanding Officer and actions taken are based upon feedback. |
Leadership
| Initiative | Division | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Provincial Mental Health Program Manager | E Division | "E" Division's Provincial Mental Health Programs Manager sits on the following Committees:
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| Future Leaders | E Division | The "E" Division Future Leaders Initiative was launched in January 2015 to pro-actively identify, recruit and mentor employees from employment equity (EE) groups with the potential to become future leaders. Effort is made to determine the reasons why some EE employees have not been successful at the board or review stages of the Officer Candidate Development Program process and strategically target these employees for future consideration and development. |
| Respectful Workplace Unit | E Division | Consists of an Advisor in each of the Districts who provides advice and guidance to all employees. Workplace assessments, education and accountability of behaviour are the cornerstones of the program. |
| Employee and Management Relations Section Management Team | E Division | Provides hands on training for managers with the goal of creating an educated and pro-active approach to human resource management. |
| Informal Conflict Management Program | E Division | Practitioners go above the National Program's requirements and routinely provide awareness and education across the entire Division, which encourages employees to seek alternatives and allows a level of comfort so employees can engage in difficult conversations and address issues at the lowest level. |
| Commanding Officer's (CO) Leadership Conference | E Division | The CO's conference is an annual two day event where commissioned officers and equivalents are invited to expand their knowledge base on hot button issues as well as participate in interactive presentations. This year, the conference featured a panel discussion on Islamophobia and a guest speaker who spoke about their journey from a disadvantaged and marginalized child to a successful lawyer and motivational speaker. |
| Respectful Workplace Coordinator | K Division | A full time Respectful Workplace Coordinator has been installed in K Division, to lead 162 Respectful Workplace Ambassadors across the division. |
| Senior Management Team (SMT) expansion | V Division | Expanded the size of SMT and frequency of meetings to increase the sharing of information. |
Conduct Process
| Initiative | Division | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Conduct/Harassment Advisors | E Division | E Division has dedicated resources to provide advice and guidance to all employees relating to Code of Conduct/Harassment processes. |
| Understanding the conduct process | F Division | The Conduct Management Section has given several presentations to all levels and categories of employees on the conduct process. This has included presentations to the New Member Orientation course designed specifically to address junior members and potential conduct situations they can face, consequences, duty to report situations, and expectations of the RCMP. |
| Post-harassment repair of workplace | H Division | A post-harassment repair of workplace process is carried out by the ICM Pracitioner after a founded or unfounded decision is made by the Commanding Officer. This involves employees, depending on the scale and respecting the privacy of the situation. |
| Use of the Balanced Approach to conflict | H Division | In the case of workplace conflict, a Cst from another detachment visits and meets with employees to discuss problems. An action plan is developed collaboratively, without the need for HQ intervention. A close partnership between ICM Practioner and Balanced Approach co-ordinator ensure that workplace conflict and leadership gaps are managed effectively. |
| Harassment Advisor position | J Division | A full-time harassment advisor was hired in September 2016 to assist in addressing harassment complaints in a timely manner. |
| Conduct Authority engagement | O Division | Face to Face employee engagement and feedback to Decision Makers/Conduct Authorities in a non-jeopardy environment throughout the processes has led to a review and the implementation of a more humanistic, inclusive approach to resolving workplace issues, which focuses on reduction of stigma through awareness/education and ongoing engagement. |
| Administrative and Personnel Officer (APO) changes | O Division | Augmentation of existing APO resources (Employee Management Relations Officer, Health Services Officers and Manager, Harassment Advisor, and employee requirements) to expedite services to employees. |
Policy Changes
| Initiative | Division | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Divisional policies pertaining to mental health | C Division | In October 2016, a Divisional policy on psychological health and wellbeing in the workplace was adopted and published. |
Employee Support
Inclusive Workplace Activities
| Initiative | Division | Description |
|---|---|---|
| International Day of Persons with Disabilities (December 2, 2017) | E Division | E Division hosts a series of workshops to support this day that seeks to increase awareness of the benefits of inclusion of persons with disabilities. |
| Employee inclusivity | K Division | To promote inclusivity, K Division has made a conscious effort, in internal/external communication, to refer to "employees of the RCMP" rather than "members." |
| Edmonton K Days | K Division | In 2016, other classes of employee joined the regular members to march in the Edmonton K Days parade, in acknowledgement the diverse nature of the organization. |
| Social Committee | L Division | Creation of a Social Committee to organize and sponsor events with a focus on inclusiveness. |
| Respectful Workplace Committee | L Division | Creation of a Respectful Workplace Committee(later amalgamated into the Employee Advisory Committee) to encourage Respectful Workplace Initiatives. The Chairperson of this committee was also occasionally engages in helping resolve workplace conflict. The Committee also developed a definition of "Respectful Workplace" and communicted this definition through posters in all detachments and at L Division HQ. |
Mental Health Promotion
| Initiative | Division | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Mental Health Awareness We+A3+A35:C41 | All Divisions | This event, held annually, encourages employees to talk about mental health, and show support for those suffering from mental health issues. |
| Road to Mental Readiness (R2MR) | All Divisions | R2MR is an interactive session to raise awareness and end the stigma associated with mental illness. J Division: The first R2MR for supervisors training session is scheduled for May 24, 2017 for the members of the Divisional Leadership Team. |
| Infoweb updates on the 13 Psychosocial Factors | C Division | From Setember to November 2016, a series of information posts were released on the infoweb to introduce employees to the 13 Psychosocial Factors that impact workplace and employee wellbeing. |
| "Talking About Mental Health" webinar | C Division | A webinar entitled, "Talking About Mental Health When No One Wants to Talk About it" was released in September 2015, and presented on a national scale. |
| Infoweb updates on mental health | C Division | Over the fall 2015, information was posted weekly to the RCMP C Division infoweb concerning mental health. This information was accessible to all employees. |
| Day of Mental Health | C Division | A sports psychologist was brought in to HQ to meet with and present interactive sessions on mental health to approximately 300 employees from HQ and detachments. |
| Peer to Peer Program (P2P) | E Division | There are 271 Peer Advisors throughout the Division. |
| Mental Health Fair | E Division | The 2017 Division Mental Health Fair showcased 28 mental health organizations. |
| Ride Don't Hide (June 25, 2017) | E Division | Teams throughout the Division rode in this fundraising event to support the goals of raising awareness and helping break the stigma surrounding mental health. |
| Mental Illness Awareness Week (October 1-7, 2017) | E Division | Mental Illness Awareness Week is an annual national public education campaign designed to bring mental illness out of the shadows. RCMP in BC typically hold a speaker event or webinar. |
| Mental Health Newsletter - Resilience | E Division | Published 4x a year, featuring employees whose actions typify the quality and fortitude required to go the extra mile to support mental wellness. |
| Health and Wellness Committee | E Division | The Committee builds a healthy workplace by offering health resources and services for all employees. The goal is to encourage employees to adopt and practice a healthy lifestyle to improve their physical and mental wellbeing. |
| Commanding Officer's Psychological Health and Wellness Advisory Committee | K Division | The Commanding Officer's Psychological Health and Wellness Advisory Committee provides advice to the Commanding Officer on health and wellness, and includes current employees, retired employees, and member spouses. |
Learning and Development
| Initiative | Division | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Mental Health at Work course | C Division | A new one-day course was launched in February 2016 that looked at ways to support mental health in the workplace. |
| Conflict Resolution Training | C Division, F Division, L Division, J Division | C Division: Increased Resolving Conflict Effectively training and introduced new conflict resolution practices adopted from the Canadian Armed Forces. F Division: Increased Resolving Conflict Effectively training. F Division: Promotion of the Informal Conflict Management Program (ICMP) services and availability for group needs assessments and informal conflict resolution services. Focus on communications skills. L Division: Mandated conflict resolution training for NCOs and those in supervisory positions J Division: Informal Conflict Management Practitioner position filled in 2014. The first Resolving Conflict Effectively course was delivered in January 2015. To date, the course has been delivered 15 times resulting in approximately 250 employees trained. |
| Women's Leadership Institute (WLI) | D Division | In 2016, eight female members were enrolled in the WLI though the International Association of Chiefs of Police. This is a rigorous training program which recognizes the unique challenges and opportunities women face as they rise through the leadership positions in public safety organizations. |
| D Division Officer Leadership Development Course | D Division | Every senior D Division Officer is invited to attend a two-day session that focuses on developing and enhancing their leadership skills. Speakers and proven leaders are brought in to discuss a range of topics, including: integrity, communications, ethics, mental health, leadership principals and strategies, addiction, etc. |
| As per School Advaced Program in Management, Leadership and Strategy | D Division | This two week program is designed specifically for D Division officers and senior management to become stronger leaders and gain strategic leadership skills. Courses on finance, human resources, and communications are included. |
| Mental Health for Managers course | D Division | Disability management expert Nancy Gowen led "Understanding and Supporting Mental Health in the Workplace for Managers" training. |
| Internal Communications Training | E Division | Approximately 500 people in the Division have taken a 3-hour internal Communications course, which focuses on the importance of two-way and ongoing communication between management and employees during times of change. |
| Internal Communications Newsletter- Information X-Change | E Division | One-page newsletter published every 2 months sent to all Internal Communications course grads. The newsletter highlights Internal Communications best practices and industry-leading tips. |
| Women's Leadership Initiative | E Division | Identification and tracking of leadership training opportunities for identified future female leaders. Training with the Art of Leadership for Women and the Women's Leadership Institute (through the International Association of Chiefs of Police) is strategically allocated to those female employees who have been acknowledged as future leaders and are supported by their line officer/manager. |
| Resolving Conflict Effectively | E Division | The RCE has been delivered on a regular basis throughout the Division. |
| Lunch and Learn (Health and Wellness Committee) | E Division | Speakers periodically attend "E" Division headquarters (2,300 employees) over the lunch hour to address employees on a variety of topics, from meditation to menopause. |
| Updates to Supervisor Development Program (SDP) and Manager Development Program) | F Division | Presentations introduced at SDP/MDP and Detachment Commanders' course to assist in skill development related to resolving conflict effectively and respectful workplace. |
| Executive Education program | K Division | K Division has partnered with the University of Alberta to develop an Executive Education program at the Masters level. These courses have been offered to all categories of employee. |
| Unconscious bias training | K Division | Late in 2016, all Commissioned officers received training in Unconscious Bias. |
| GBA+ Training | L Division | Mandated GBA+ training for all employees. |
Employee Recognition
| Initiative | Division | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Diversity Week | All Divisions | Annually, activities are planned and employees are encouraged to take part in a celebration of diversity in the RCMP. |
| Public Servants Week | All Divisions | Annually, during one week in June, the contributions of public service employees are celebrated. |
| Long-Service Awards | All Divisions | Bi-annually, employees are recognized for 20+ years of service, as well as with commendations and certificates of bravery from the Commanding Officer/Commissioner. |
Physical Fitness Promotion
| Initiative | Division | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Yoga sessions | D Division | Weekly yoga sessions are held in D Division HQ and accessible to all employees. |
| Gym equipment for detachments | D Division | Priority has been placed on ensuring detachments have the fitness equipment they need to stay physically active and healthy. Members in Thompson, MB can use the gym during regular shift to promote fitness and well-being and a PARE incentive has been implemented to encourage members to complete the PARE on an annual basis. |
| Mind Body Movement | E Division | A week-long calendar of events to support Mental Health Week aimed at 2,300 employees at E Division headquarters, with multiple events happening each day, including yoga, sumo wrestling, a tug-a-war, dodgeball, jousting, Zumba and more. |
| Health and Wellness Survey | E Division | 2,300 employees at E Division headquarters were surveyed to determine what they wanted information and seminars about. |
| The "E" Division Gym Committee | E Division | A committee made up of E Division headquarters volunteers with an interest in health and fitness and a desire to assist others to ensure a safe and active environment. In May 2017, this committee sponsored the Mind Body Movement during Mental Health Week, which featured a series of physical activities daily throughout the week. |
Performance Measurement/Engagement
| Initiative | Division | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Prize for Distinction in Psychological Health | C Division | In May 2015, C Division received a prize from the Groupe Enterprises en Santé for contributions made to the health and wellbeing of employees. |
| Altius Prize for Contributions to Cardiovascular Health | C Division | In 2014, C Division was awarded the Altius Prize for improving the cardiovascular health of its employees through physical activity programs. |
| Divisional studies and reporting | C Division | A research project launched in April 2016, and a long-term study launched in 2014, both concern mental health in the workplace, and will contribute to ongoing program and standards development for C Division and the greater RCMP. |
| CompStat – Lower Mainland (Other districts also using to varying degrees) | E Division | The Lower Mainland District uses a consultative and research-based approach to increase public safety by analysing the underlying causes of crime, focussing police efforts on prolific offenders and known crime hotspots. Lower Mainland District CompStat is a crime reduction tool with a built-in accountability structure that amalgamates crime data across the district, encompassing long term multi-jurisdictional crime activity in an effort to maximize enforcement activities. |
| Respectful Workplace competency | J Division | One district has incorporated, on every 2285 Cpl and above, the requirement "Must demonstrate how the candidate fosters a Respectful Workplace" in their cover letter. |
| Respectful Workplace performance commitment | J Division | Creating a respectful and inclusive workplace culture has been a performance commitment for all senior managers since 2015. |
| Seeking employee input | K Division | The 162 Respectful Workplace Ambassadors led a structured employee engagement initiative to enhance the level of employees' input into decision making and function as a form of continuous improvement, issues management, and improvement mechanism for the whole division. This gives employees a means to identify concerns and help affect responses. |
Continuous Engagement and Communication
National Initiatives for an Inclusive and Respectful Workplace
| Initiative | Division | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Not Myself Today | All Divisions | Promotion of "Not Myself Today Campaign" encourages employees to talk about mental illness and reduce stigma. |
| Well-Being Program | C Division | In April 2015, a conference was held for C Division employees, which included a teleconference for those in detachments. The goal of this event was to discuss priorities and solutions concerning professional and personal health, and was presided over by Olympian Tina Poitras. |
| Mental Health Awareness Week | D Division | This awareness campaign each October includes numerous activities and presentations designed to raise awareness and end the stigma associated with mental illness. |
| Questionnaire | E Division | During fall of 2016, a survey on employee engagement, respectful workplace, and organizational development was provided to members of the Surrey detachment as part of a pilot project. The survey was designed to obtain insight into diversity and inclusion issues within the Surrey detachment, both internally and externally in their interactions with the community. |
| Women - Women in Leadership | E Division | A strategy session was held in September 2016, which focused on building a Women in Leadership program within the RCMP's E Division. This session included thinking strategically about the challenge women face in the RCMP, how to address under-representation of women in leadership roles, creating strategic choices as a starting point for key decisions, and how to influence decisions and policies to increase the number of women in leadership roles within the RCMP. A number of recommendations were gathered during the session with an eye towards formalizing a women in policing task force and implementing an effective strategy? |
| Commanding Officer's (CO) Cultural Diversity Advisory Board | E Division | The Advisory Board offers advice from a community perspective, serves as a knowledge base, and provides feedback on RCMP services to the CO's office on diversity-related issues. Duties include discussing and advising on how the RCMP can connect (build trust) with culturally diverse communities, addressing the best possible way to balance service delivery between the police and culturally diverse communities, and acting as a resource to the RCMP on planning, implementing and evaluating diversity initiatives and programs. |
| Commanding Officer's Diversity and Inclusion Council | E Division | The Diversity and Inclusion Council (D&I) is the forum established by the CO for employees to voice their concerns but also provide solutions to better improve the work environment for all employees. Council members enhance communications between employees and the CO, share best practices toward removing barriers to further achieve diversity, equity, and inclusion, and identify and provide recommendations to help resolve issues or concerns affecting the employees in the Division. |
| Respectful Workplace messaging/ communications | K Division, J Division | K Division: The Respectful Workplace program's initial roll out included broad consultations, discussions at the unit level, Divisional initiatives, and regular dialogue between supervisors and their peers. This communication continues. J Division: Commanding Officer communicates Respectful Workplace messaging to Block Training members each week. J Division: Detachment commanders regularly communicate associated messages to employees via newsletters, email, etc. |
| Catalyst.org | L Division | Promotion and discussion of support for women in the workplace at townhalls. |
Strengthening Community Ties
| Initiative | Division | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Charitable Campaigns | All Divisions | Examples from across the divisions include Cancer Care Manitoba, United Way, etc. |
| Project 11 | D Division | Presentations were made to employees across Manitoba by Craig Heisinger, Assistant GM of the Winnipeg Jets on Project 11. Project 11 is a partnership between the Winnipeg Jets' True North Foundation and the Manitoba Government, which addresses mental illness. It was created as a legacy to Jets prospect Rick Rypien, who took his own life in 2011 after a long battle with depression. |
| Aboriginal - First Nations Policing Program Workshop | E Division | A First Nations Policing Program workshop was held in Kelowna, BC from January 17-19, 2017. The workshop was delivered in partnership with the BC Ministry of Public Safety, Solicitor General and Public Safety Canada. The event brought together partners involved in First Nations policing in BC, including Aboriginal Policing and First Nations representatives, federal and provincial governments, and RCMP representatives from both the Aboriginal Policing Services and the First Nations Policing Program (FNPP). Workshop participants shared experiences from implementing the FNPP Agreements, exchanged information on resources available for community safety planning, addressed relevant policy and program issues, and built connections for ongoing networks. |
| Visible Minorities - Outreach to Syrian Refugees | E Division | The Coquitlam RCMP conducted two 'Welcome to Coquitlam' presentations in Coquitlam school districts for newcomers, with a specific focus on new Syrian families. RCMP members gave tours of detachments and also provided the opportunity for participants to have one-on-one meetings with the Officer in Charge. The Terrace detachment also conducted a meet and greet with Syrian families who had moved to the community. RCMP members discussed the role of the police in Canada and their commitment to ensuring their safety and well-being. |
| Visible Minorities - Community Meetings | E Division | A meeting was held in January 2017 between the RCMP, key members of the Muslim community, and members of the Commanding Officer's Cultural Diversity Advisory Committee, following the tragic mosque shooting that occurred in Quebec. The implications of this event on the Muslim community in BC were discussed and participants were reassured about the RCMP's continued commitment to public safety. |
| LGBT | E Division | E Division will be participating in the Vancouver Pride Parade in August 2017. |
| Mayor's Consultative Forum | E Division | Lower Mainland District meets twice a year with provincial and municipal partners to consult and provide recommendations on policing matters in the Lower Mainland, province and Canada. |
| Community Connections Newsletter | E Division | In the fall of 2016, the BC RCMP rolled out their first edition of Community Connections, which is the BC RCMP's Cultural Diversity Newsletter. The first edition highlighted a number of diversity and inclusion topics of relevance to both the BC RCMP and Canada-wide. Some features included an article on the expansion of uniform provisions to include the hijab, the development of a newcomers' guide to police and justice for immigrants in various languages, and a profile of BC's first female South Asian commissioned officer. |
| Participation in Community Events | E Division | E Division employees and leadership regularly participate in community events such as cultural festivals, sporting tournaments with local kids and teenagers, forums and meals at local religious gathering places, and initiatives with local multicultural/community organizations. In particular, members from the Integrated National Security Enforcement Team Community Outreach Program participate in these types of events on a monthly basis. |
| Community meetings | G Division | Face to Face meetings with elected officials by Senior Management at each community at least once a year. |
| Raising of the Pride flag | K Division | The raising of the Pride flag at Edmonton HQ, during Pride week in 2016, was a historically significant event. |
| INSET outreach to communities | K Division | K Division INSET teams undertake regular community outreach, the members of which facilitate communication with a broad cross section of new Canadian communities and also educate investigators about those cultures. Growth of this unit has been a Division priority over the past several years. |
| Pride Parade Participation | L Division | Annual participation in the Prince Edward Island Pride Parade. |
| Prioritization of community engagement | V Division | Sections/units must report their community activities on a monthly basis, and the Commanding Officer promotes community engagement. |
Senior Management Engagement
| Initiative | Division | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Regular meetings with the Coordinator of the Health and Wellbeing Program | C Division | The Coordinator of the Health and Wellbeing Program meets monthly with staff to provide updates on program initiatives. |
| Fireside Chat Series | D Division | Senior officers attend training workshops for informal face-to-face chats with members and employees at various stages in their careers. One-on-one and group discussions are held, reaching hundreds of employees. |
| Senior Officer Ride Along | D Division | The Commanding Officer and Criminal Operations Officer schedule detachment/unit visits and ride along with individual members for a normal working shift. This enhances the visibility of senior officers and demonstrates engagement. |
| Divisional townhall meetings | G Division, V Division | Face to Face town hall meetings with Senior Management (including the Commanding Officer) take place at each detachment as least once a year. |
| Increased communication to employees | V Division | Increased communication to all groups and levels, including written quarterly internal and external updates (Isolated Post). |
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