A Word from the
Policy Review Task Force

By Lisa Watson, Director, Strategic Policy and Chair of the 2008 Policy Review Task Force

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Led by Laval Marchand, the 1996 Task Force on Policy Review emphatically concluded that “Policy is a BIG DEAL.” It’s been 12 years and our policy framework needs some attention once again. It’s time to take a comprehensive look – from A to Z.

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We seem to be facing some of the same challenges as the ones reported in 1996: Commissioner’s Directives (CDs) are too detailed (or not detailed enough); there seem to be too many policies and the wording can be complicated. The 1996 report was very comprehensive and brought forward some great ideas, but while we were able to make progress in some areas, there is still a need for improvement. It’s time to get back on track with renewed focus.

Good policy analysis and development take time. As this information age speeds up our lives, we find ourselves producing policies quickly which sometimes makes it difficult to assess the overall longer term impacts. We need to find a better way to make our policy framework work for us.

The 2008 Task Force

The work of the current task force began in February 2008, and we anticipate presenting our final report to the Executive Committee in the fall.

The Task Force’s work complements that of the Transformation Team. We are working closely to ensure that the Service’s policy framework supports the transformation of corrections to, in the end, achieve better public safety results.

The membership consists of various NHQ sector participants as well as representatives from each region. The Task Force’s regional representatives will conduct both formal and informal consultations and will be seeking staff's views about policy. Information sessions and requests for input will also occur at the national level with staff, unions and stakeholders. We hope you’ll share your ideas, because in order to be effective, the policy framework must respond to your needs.

Within the “A to Z” context, the Task Force will explore issues of clarity, consistency, communications and gatekeeping. For example, we will be asking questions such as: What type of policy direction does staff need? What types of policy documents could/should be used? What are the best ways to communicate policy to staff? Is training needed? How do we bolster our capacity to be compliant with our policies? Are there CDs that could be deleted or gaps to fill? How can we improve the policy development process?

We are also looking to different government departments and our international, provincial and territorial correctional partners to share best practices and lessons learned.

Help is on the way

A few “quick fixes” are being put in place. Because you need to access policies fast, we are improving our intranet accessibility to require fewer clicks of the mouse for users. You can also find information about the work underway on our intranet Web page and contact the Task Force by sending us your questions, ideas and suggestions through our dedicated mailbox. Policy is a big deal and it’s essential that we get it right.  ♦