The Post-pandemic Canadian Armed Forces

[rmc_wannabe]

Wait; the CAF has IM policies and directives?

99.9% of the CAF…

I know this well. I feel like the only person using cutlery in the Middle Ages some days...

"You know... you wouldn't die of the Black Death of you used a fork..."

"Shut up, Nerd..."

 

[Kilted]

This was actually one of my frustrations in the JAG project.

We actually had an establishment increase of three paralegals as information/knowledge managers. They were in a very low pay classification and thus were regularly hired away by Justice.

The biggest issue, however, was getting buy-in that there had to be a supervisory structure over them which would require some supervision from the O-4 and O-5 level. My predecessor had envisioned some type of Wikipedia like system. Any one who knows law knows that you can't go to Wikipedia for black letter law.

Expecting O-5s to have the time to manage an information/knowledge base, even with para-legals, however, was seen (and probably was) unsustainable.

That's generally the problem with knowledge management. Unless you are looking at something loose and search engine based it will need a level of continuous effort to keep it authoritative. Most organizations can barely keep up with records management much less knowledge management.

As in Ontario licensed paralegals?

 

[FJAG]

As in Ontario licensed paralegals?

Their licence didn't matter as it was a Fed job. Amongst the 8 we had at various times I think 3 were educated in Quebec and the rest Ontario.

 

[Kilted]

Their licence didn't matter as it was a Fed job. Amongst the 8 we had at various times I think 3 were educated in Quebec and the rest Ontario.

So they weren't actually paralegal's, at least not by Ontario's definition of them.

 

[Remius]

So they weren't actually paralegal's, at least not by Ontario's definition of them.

Paralegals in government for the most part a required to have the same education. Licensing is the only real difference I believe. And some of them are licensed or were having come from dyne private sector. They are ECs.

Legal assistants are CRs and for the most part might not have the same level of education nor would they do the same tasks.

My experience though with that classification is limited though as I was only working with JAG in a limited capacity and have a couple of friends I know working at Justice who were both licensed paralegals prior to jumping to the PS. That and a few searches on the net.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Paralegals in government for the most part a required to have the same education. Licensing is the only real difference I believe. And some of them are licensed or were having come from dyne private sector. They are ECs.

Legal assistants are CRs and for the most part might not have the same level of education nor would they do the same tasks.

My experience though with that classification is limited though as I was only working with JAG in a limited capacity and have a couple of friends I know working at Justice who were both licensed paralegals prior to jumping to the PS. That and a few searches on the net.

We fought hard in the Pacific region to have our assistants reclassified from CR 3 to PM 1, because they did way more work than your average CR. We finally got it and a few years later, a massive re-org took those positions away and then replaced them with CR again. No way should a decently trained Legal Assistant should be CR's, having them as PM's is a better classification.

 

[dapaterson]

Work descriptions need key words to go through classification.

And sometimes dumbing down language can cost a level or group identification at classification, all because a manager never bothered to take the time to do it right.

Edit to add: DND paralegals are all EC, up to EC 6, as far as I know.

 

[FJAG]

Edit to add: DND paralegals are all EC, up to EC 6, as far as I know

That's my understanding too. Our positions were classified as EC 2s which is why we lost them fairly quickly to DoJ.

See here:

On Demand Legal Professionals Inventory

emploisfp-psjobs.cfp-psc.gc.ca

 

[daftandbarmy]

We fought hard in the Pacific region to have our assistants reclassified from CR 3 to PM 1, because they did way more work than your average CR. We finally got it and a few years later, a massive re-org took those positions away and then replaced them with CR again. No way should a decently trained Legal Assistant should be CR's, having them as PM's is a better classification.

Meanwhile, there is this reality in the public sector (and elsewhere for that matter)

 

[Grimey]

Meanwhile, there is this reality in the public sector (and elsewhere for that matter)

View attachment 78187

My current unionized workforce is the physical embodiment of that. Plus what feels like spending 90% of my time on the 10% bags-o-shite. Twas ever thus.