Evidence-Based Assessments of Character Required for Personnel Being Promoted to Captain (N) and Colonel

Above image: Left to right air force colonel badge, army colonel badge, captain (navy) badge, and Chief of Military Personnel LGen. Lise Bourgon.

All Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) officers looking to be promoted to the rank of captain(N) or colonel will now have to undergo an evidence-based assessment of character.

These assessments will go in to effect for promotions in 2025.

In CANFORGEN 104/24, LGen. Lise Bourgon, Chief of Military Personnel, states that the assessments will factor as part of the board scoring criteria.

Assessment Timelines

Assessments will take place online prior to Regular Force National Selection Boards. These typically occur between Sept. 16 and Oct. 24.

Candidates, according to the CANFORGEN, will receive three separate emails from ILEXECSVCS-SVCSEXECMIL(AT)FORCES.GC.CA [[email protected]] to take the assessments.

Recommendation from the Independent External Comprehensive Review 

The initiative to include an evidence-based character assessment is based on recommendations from the Independent External Comprehensive Review (IECR) conducted by former Supreme Court Justice Louise Arbour in 2022.

Her report included an entire section assessing how promotions are carried out within the CAF. She noted that several changes made to the selection process were a step in the right direction but commented there was much work to be done.

Justice Arbour’s Six Recommendations Regarding Personnel Appraisal & Assessment

In the report Justice Arbour made six recommendations on how the CAF could update its current process to promote members and how to ensure that their character and past misconduct are considered.

From the IECR:

Recommendation #30: A section should be added to the PAR requiring the supervisor to certify that, to their knowledge, the CAF member being appraised is not currently subject to any investigation or proceeding, whether criminal, disciplinary, administrative or otherwise, related to allegations of sexual misconduct.

If the supervisor is aware of such an investigation or proceeding, they should not reveal its existence if doing so would compromise its integrity. Otherwise, the supervisor should provide all relevant details of the investigation or proceeding.

Recommendation #31: A past misconduct sheet should be prepared for each candidate considered for promotion to the rank of lieutenant-colonel/commander or above, or to the rank of chief warrant officer/chief petty officer 1st class, by an appropriate unit under the CMP. The past misconduct should include anything the CAF deems to be serious misconduct,but should include at a minimum, convictions for Criminal Code sexual offences and findings of sexual harassment.

The CAF should also prepare appropriate guidance to selection boards on how to take past misconduct into account as part of their deliberations and decision-making. Finally, the CAF should make appropriate provision in its policy for rehabilitation, including the removal of criminal convictions for which a record suspension has been granted.

Recommendation #32: In fulfilling her responsibility in approving General Officer and Flag Officer (GOFO) promotions, the Minister should be assisted by a senior civilian advisor, not currently a member of the Defence Team. In her consultation with the CDS, the Minister should examine what efforts are being made to correct the over-representation of white men in GOFO ranks.

Recommendation #33: The new processes for psychometric evaluation and confirmatory 360-degree review used in the promotion of GOFOs should be carefully reviewed by an external expert on an annual basis, with a view to their progressive refinement. The results of this annual review should be reported to the Minister.

Recommendation #34: The new processes for GOFOs, including psychometric testing and 360-degree multi-rater assessment, should, at a minimum, be expanded to candidates being considered for promotion to the rank of lieutenant-colonel/commander or above, or to the rank of chief warrant officer/chief petty officer 1st class.

Recommendation #35: The PaCE system should be modified to include a self-certification requirement on the PAR for those being considered for promotion to the rank of lieutenant-colonel/commander or above, or to the rank of chief warrant officer/chief petty officer 1st class, similar to that already in place for GOFO nominations.

The candidate would need to certify that they are not subject to any current or prior investigation or proceeding, whether criminal, disciplinary, administrative or otherwise, related to sexual misconduct; and, if they are, provide all relevant details.

Recommendation #36: The CAF should establish a system of progressive targets for the promotion of women in order to increase the number of women in each rank, with a view to increasing the proportion of their representation in the GOFO ranks above their level of representation in the overall CAF workforce.

More Information

People looking for information regarding an evidence-based assessment of character can check out the frequently asked questions (FAQ) page here. It is only available through the National Defence Network (DWAN).