Terms of Reference

Purpose

The Defence Policy Review will develop a public policy document that will:

• Situate defence in broader Government of Canada priorities, including foreign policy and development, amongst others;
• Provide policy guidance to the Department of National Defence and Canadian Armed Forces (DND and the CAF) regarding the desired orientation of the military in order to provide flexible options to the Government of Canada in delivering on their enduring roles to defend Canada, defend North America and contribute to international security;
• Provide organizational direction to DND and the CAF to guide prioritization of efforts, capability development and defence investments; and
• Clearly communicate the Government of Canada’s perspective and priorities on defence and security issues to the public, allies, and other defence stakeholders.

Scope

The public policy document will set out:

• An assessment of the strategic environment including threats, challenges and trends;
• Canada’s defence and security interests and priorities in relation to the strategic environment;
• Clear direction on the tasks the Canadian Armed Forces must be able to undertake to deliver on Government of Canada defence and security interests and priorities;
• Broad policy guidance to prioritize investments in defence and capability development in order to ensure DND and the CAF can deliver on the tasks assigned to it by the Government of Canada; and
• The strategic partnerships and global engagement priorities for DND and the CAF.

Other aspects of defence policy, as directed by the Minister of National Defence (MND), will be explored as appropriate.

Consultation

The defence policy review process will be based on an open and transparent process and informed by broad engagement with interested stakeholders including:

• The Canadian public, through an online forum providing Canadians the opportunity to provide input to the review process accessible at www.canada.ca/defence-consultations;
• Parliament and the Senate, through committees that study issues of relevance to the review;
• Defence experts, at a series of roundtable events across Canada to discuss key issues; and
• Canada’s closest allies and partners.

A consultation paper that includes background information and key questions will provide a starting point for public and roundtable consultations.
The Government of Canada will provide updates throughout the process and will seek to connect with Canadians and interested stakeholders through a range of traditional and new media.
A Minister’s Advisory Panel will provide the Minister of National Defence with independent advice throughout the process and to act as a forum to test ideas and proposals.

Timeline

The public consultation process will be completed by the end of July 2016. The policy review process will be completed by the end of December 2016. A public defence policy document will be published in early 2017.