Letter to MND: A Path Forward Report

20 October 2017

The Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan, PC, OMM, MSM, CD, MP
Minister of National Defence
National Defence Headquarters
Major-General George R. Pearkes Building
101 Colonel By Drive,
13th Floor, North Tower
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0K2

 

Dear Minister Sajjan:

I am pleased to submit to you my report entitled A Path Forward: An Action Plan for the Office of the Ombudsman. This report is submitted to you pursuant to paragraph 38(1)(b) of the Ministerial Directives respecting the Ombudsman for the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Forces.

In your response to my previous report on governance, The Case for a Permanent and Independence Ombudsman Office, you indicated that you did not support creating new legislation at this time and expressed confidence that the Department and this office will continue to build and improve processes within the departmental framework.

The report submitted to you today is a follow-up to my previous report and offers an action plan that will allow the Ombudsman to operate more effectively within the departmental structure.

The recommendations in the report aim at providing organizational independence for the office of the Ombudsman and assurances to the Deputy Minister that the authorites for which he is responsible under legislation are appropriately exercised.

As is standard practice, we will be publishing the report no sooner than 28 days from the date of this letter. As in the past, we will advise your office of the exact date that we intend to publish.

I look forward to your response to our recommendations.  

Sincerely,

Gary Walbourne
Ombudsman

Enclosed (3)