McG
Army.ca Legend
- Reaction score
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So a few years and the election of a new government have come to pass, but the recomendations from the first twenty pages of this thread are still generally relevant for the CAF (and Canada) to get the most from alloted defence dollars:
[quote author=MCG]
Here are a few ways that I see to immediately cut costs while protecting capability:
And here are some options options for long-term savings (though most will cost money upfront prior to the savings being achieved later):
In the current climate, we need to look at more than just where to cut. We also need to look at where to get better mileage from the same resources. Here are a few thoughts to that end:
A few more contentious suggestions:
* Top to bottom compensation and benefits review to eliminate duplication and overlap
* Revisit posting policy to reduce annual move requirement (excluding off-BTL)
* Revisit IPR move policy to eliminate same-location moves (eg a paid move from Orleans to Kanata on release)
* Replace CANEX with private suppliers (who will pay market rents for CF facilities)
* Retain small deployed NPF expertise to surge for deployments if required (hint: this does not include a Tim Hortons trailer)
* Return to annual TOS boards, particularly at ranks of LCol and above and MWO and above, to determine whether continued service meets a military requirement
* Enforce limits on GOFOs as ordered in the 1997 MND report (roughly a 1/3 reduction)
* Return to performance pay for GOFO and Capt(N)/Cols
* Make PMAs and performance info per above public
* Make PMAs and performance information for all Public Servants public
* Restructure establishment to differentiate between Lt and Capt
* Return to competitive promotion to Capt
* Revisit Degreed Officer Corps decision
* Permit short engagements with no promotion beyond Capt without a degree
* Eliminate full-time second language training
* Individuals may elect to pursue SLT on their own time; a decision not to get a language profile will limit future promotion possibilities
For IM/IT
* Migrate from MS Office to Open Office to reduce IM/IT licensing costs
* Migrate from Outlook to open-source web-based DWAN email to reduce IM/IT licensing costs
* Dissolve ADM(IM), putting IM/IT support into CANOSCOM, IM/IT procurement into ADM(Mat), and comms and ISTAR systems under CJOC[/quote]
[quote author=MCG]
Here are a few ways that I see to immediately cut costs while protecting capability:
- Reduce/Stop the use of “tactical infrastructure” in field exercises
- Impose a moratorium on creating new headquarters
- Do not bring kitchen appliances to the field (with the exception of in field kitchens)
- Maximize the use of local training areas before traveling
- Teleconference to avoid TD for meetings and working groups
- Prohibit the deployment of pers into positions requiring WSE (We do not need to pay guys above their rank when there are other sitting at home already collecting pay at that level) - exceptions only for in-theatre casualty replacement
- Deploy the next Op ATTENTION as 100% Reg F (again, Reg F pay is a sunk cost while a year of Class C pay for a Sr NCO of Jr Offr to train & deploy could instead added another training day for a Class A unit) (too late for this)
- No new “buttons & bows” initiatives
- Do not rebadged any more units for the sake of resurrecting old regiments
- Stop any unannounced plans to rebrand/rebadged/rename any branches, corps or organization for the purposes of historical sentimentalism
- Stop using rented civilian vehicles when military patter vehicles are available and serve the purpose
- Tie pay incentives for all ranks to performance and conduct. If you are on a remedial measure (IC through to C&P) then the pay incentive is delayed by the duration of that remedial measure. If you receive an unsatisfactory PER, then the pay incentive is delayed until you receive a satisfactory one.
- Rebalance officer enrollment paths to reduce the number of ROTP entrants while increasing the number of DEO entrants
- Stop the practice of sending new CF buttons & fasteners with all new DEU coats ordered on the Logistik Unicorps site (these buttons typically go straight to the garbage as most soldiers already have the buttons which are removable from the old coat, and most soldiers wear branch/regimental buttons) - if someone needs buttons they can spend more points to get them.
- Remove the recently introduced Army DEU parka from Logistik Unicorps issue - it duplicates a function already provided by the gabardine.
- Allow only one IPR move per service couple. Instead, a reunification move will bring the first retiring member to live with the mbr continuing to serve, or if both retire at the same time then a reunification move will bring the mbr without F&E to the mbr with F&E.
And here are some options options for long-term savings (though most will cost money upfront prior to the savings being achieved later):
- Consolidate all of NDHQ and appropriate other NCR units on the Nortel Campus
- Move CFC from Toronto to Ottawa (Nortel Campus) or Kingston (RMC or the closing prison)
- Divest unnecessary niche vehicle micro-fleets (if required, increase size of standard fleets to maintain platform numbers)
- Smash LFDTS & CTC into a single layer of HQ, transfer capability development functions from LFDTS to COS Land Strat
- Re-close CMR and consolidate ROTP back into RMC
- Consolidate all of 1 CMBG in Edmonton (or Wainwright, Suffield or Shilo) to reduce future steady-state cost move requirements
- Procure more training simulators for fuel guzzling equipment (like aircraft, Engr Hy Eqpt and MBT) – include this in the initial acquisition of future systems
- Reevaluate rank levels in HQ establishments – the goal is to reduce where unnecessary inflation has occurred
- Replace military ID cards, PKI cards, building access cards, and military driver's licences with a single universal military identification (See US CAC for example)
In the current climate, we need to look at more than just where to cut. We also need to look at where to get better mileage from the same resources. Here are a few thoughts to that end:
- Replace SDA, LDA, dive pay and parachute allowance with enhanced casual allowances – the current systems reward posting messages as opposed to rewarding/compensating for the behaviour that we want: going to sea, going to the field, diving, and jumping out of aircraft.
- Reduce the number of PRes unit HQs in the Army. Individual sub-units can retain unique regimental identities, but they will be grouped under a fewer stronger battalion HQs.
- Revisit the requirement for Reg F bands. There are 71 musicians from Sgt to CWO on Army Ref F establishments alone. That is a lot of PYs that could be put to better purpose (especially when we have been cutting from operational units to put PYs in new capabilities)
A few more contentious suggestions:
* Top to bottom compensation and benefits review to eliminate duplication and overlap
* Revisit posting policy to reduce annual move requirement (excluding off-BTL)
* Revisit IPR move policy to eliminate same-location moves (eg a paid move from Orleans to Kanata on release)
* Replace CANEX with private suppliers (who will pay market rents for CF facilities)
* Retain small deployed NPF expertise to surge for deployments if required (hint: this does not include a Tim Hortons trailer)
* Return to annual TOS boards, particularly at ranks of LCol and above and MWO and above, to determine whether continued service meets a military requirement
* Enforce limits on GOFOs as ordered in the 1997 MND report (roughly a 1/3 reduction)
* Return to performance pay for GOFO and Capt(N)/Cols
* Make PMAs and performance info per above public
* Make PMAs and performance information for all Public Servants public
* Restructure establishment to differentiate between Lt and Capt
* Return to competitive promotion to Capt
* Revisit Degreed Officer Corps decision
* Permit short engagements with no promotion beyond Capt without a degree
* Eliminate full-time second language training
* Individuals may elect to pursue SLT on their own time; a decision not to get a language profile will limit future promotion possibilities
For IM/IT
* Migrate from MS Office to Open Office to reduce IM/IT licensing costs
* Migrate from Outlook to open-source web-based DWAN email to reduce IM/IT licensing costs
* Dissolve ADM(IM), putting IM/IT support into CANOSCOM, IM/IT procurement into ADM(Mat), and comms and ISTAR systems under CJOC[/quote]