I am writing in response to the letter sent by your predecessor, Mr. Gary Walbourne, dated October 9, 2018, concerning the Integrated Conflict and Complaint Management (ICCM) program.
I am pleased to advise you that all planned Conflict and Complaint Management Service (CCMS) centres of the program are now open and that full operational capability was achieved on July 20, 2018.
The ICCM program synchronizes the efforts between existing conflict and complaint resolution mechanisms, such as alternate dispute resolution, military grievance, and human rights complaints, to achieve greater efficiency and timely resolution. The program is not intended to interfere with leaders’ responsibilities to care for their personnel and provide a healthy workplace. Rather, it is an internal enabler that guides its members and leaders toward effective resolution.
The ICCM program is an effort to improve working relationships for members of the Defence Team by providing regional front-line support and services that are efficient, accessible, and relevant to their needs. ICCM places an emphasis on self-help through the provision of unbiased information and education that helps both members and leaders understand their respective options, rights, and obligations when issues arise.
The existing formal recourse structures continue to serve their purpose, and ICCM enables members to select the appropriate course of action for their concerns. At the same time, experienced and specially trained CCMS agents and alternate dispute resolution practitioners assist members to consider informal alternatives that can yield early, local, and informal resolutions, where appropriate. A secure registration, tracking, and case management system assists leaders at all levels by providing better awareness, which facilitates the management of their conflict and complaint portfolios in real time. Accurate tracking and monitoring of all files also aids in the establishment of trust by providing transparency and the removal of any opportunity for retaliation, real or perceived.
ICCM also helps address two recommendations made by former Supreme Court Justice Marie Deschamps in her March 2015 report: the need to simplify the harassment complaint process and the need to establish a better harassment compliant tracking system.
The Department is launching a series of programs and initiatives in support of our defence policy to optimize health and wellness within the Defence Team. The expected outcome is increased operational effectiveness, attraction, and retention of personnel, and the establishment of a workplace of choice where fairness prevails.
Should you have additional questions, I encourage you to reach out the Vice Chief of the Defence Staff, the ICCM program sponsor, or the Director General Integrated Conflict and Conflict Management.
The Hon. Harjit S. Sajjan, PC, OMM, MSM, CD, MP