Report of the RMC Board of Governors By the Withers' Study Group
Balanced Excellence Leading Canada's Armed Forces In The New Millenium
4500-240 (ADM (HR-Mil))
24 September 1998
Cross-reference p. 29 of 63 of official printed copy of report
The strategic context in which the CF will operate in the 21st Century and its implications for the professional development of military officers led the Study Group to consider a vision of the role of RMC beyond the undergraduate program.
We remained focused on the improvement of RMC's role in the first stage of officer education and development. However, the Group thought it was useful to examine briefly how to incorporate the current RMC programs of continuing education and post-graduate study into a coherent career long development process fully responsive to the overall needs of the CF.
The Morton Report (1995) stated unequivocally that to perform well, officers must be trained and educated to master the art of war. A foundation of military skill is essential, as is the ability to think creatively and reason critically. These attributes need to be developed progressively throughout an officer's service with successive achievements based on earlier, fully integrated building blocks. The Officer Professional Development System foresees four phases in this process (Developmental Phases 1-4, (DP1-4)). The base of this system is composed of seven themes; leadership, communications, ethics, ethos, history management and technology. In formal terms the process comprises a combination of education/training, operational experience and self-development. Key components of this structure are undergraduate education, Staff College, post-graduate training and senior post-Staff College education (War College).
The best way to achieve formal professional development is to integrate this latter four stage sequence into a comprehensive CF University structure. In this conception, RMC would play a central role in a "CF University" responsible for all four developmental stages.
In fact, such a structure exists in embryonic form today in CFRETS. Commander CFRETS already has authority for RMC and the Canadian Forces College. He is also responsible for substantial portions of the Officer Professional Development System. It appears very feasible to build on this base by assigning this individual responsibility for DP4 courses, as well as additional components of the envisaged CF University, such as a Leadership Institute at RMC. Commander CFRETS would in effect would be "double-hatted" and given overall co-ordinating authority for all elements of the CF University.
A CF University structure would allow the creation of an educational speciality or at least a meaningful career pattern for a small number of selected, interested officers. The requirement for military officers in the academic pillar at RMC, their value to both continuing and post-graduate education, their role in a leadership institute, DP Three level staff training and DP Four senior officer education is obvious. Within a CF University such officers could be productively employed in a career path along the following lines: a posting to RMC to achieve an advanced degree, followed by a mix of operational, staff and educational postings. These latter postings would generally be at Kingston and Toronto but could, perhaps, be elsewhere in the various elements of the CF University. There is no question that some, if not many, of these officers would merge into the more conventional officer progression stream, resulting in a modest percentage of the most senior officers in possession of this experience.
Recommendation 7: Develop the concept of a CF University structure.
- Utilise the embryonic structure already in place in CFRETS to create a CF University;
- Seek to create an educational specialist officer classification.