The Royal Military Colleges Alumni Association (RMCAA) has engaged a team of consultants, led by Genevieve Bonin (Royal Military College, Class of 1993) of Boston Consulting Group (BCG), to support the RMCAA’s efforts to produce an independent, fact-based submission to the Canadian Military Colleges (CMC) Review Board aimed at renewing the CMCs.
The RMCAA believe the Colleges have a valuable role to play going forward. The Colleges are where foundations are laid. Needed cultural changes at the Colleges can cascade into and reinforce needed cultural change in the Canadian Armed Forces. We want to contribute to a Review that helps identify ways the Canadian Military Colleges can become better at recognizing and upholding the dignity of all persons while producing exemplary leaders for the Canadian Armed Forces and for Canada.
The RMCAA selected BCG through a competitive process. The scope of work includes the following core tasks:
- Provide strategic counsel, advice, research, analysis, and communications support to develop a comprehensive submission to the CMC Review Board, responding to Independent External Comprehensive Review recommendations 28 and 29, within the parameters of the RMCAA mission, with evidence-based recommendations to:
- enhance the educational experience of Regular Officer Training Plan (ROTP) students;
- improve the effectiveness of leadership development in the ROTP;
- change elements of CMC and Alumni culture as needed to improve psychological safety; and
- eliminate sexual misconduct.
- Gather evidence to support these recommendations by:
- conducting research, including interviews and surveys of Alumni members and other comparator groups.
- Gather and analyze best practices from:
- other post-secondary institutions, including in Canada,
- from other militaries and foreign military academies.
To enhance this effort, RMCAA is creating a steering committee with a diverse group of senior leaders with expertise and experience in areas relevant to this work. The goal of this steering committee will be to direct, guide and challenge the work of the RMCAA and BCG team, and to advise the RMCAA board during the development of RMCAA’s official submission to the CMC Review Board. As we expect that the CMC Review Board will be announced soon, the RMCAA is taking these steps to be prepared with a fact-based, thoughtful response.
As a valued member of our alumni, we will be actively seeking your perspectives through a formal survey and some small group discussions. We will have more information to share on how you can help support this effort and will provide general updates as this vital work progresses.
We continue to welcome your feedback and questions. You can reach our Arbour response team at: [email protected]
J Scott Stevenson, 16598
Chair – Advocacy & Promotion Committee
Lead – RMCAA Response to Arbour Report
Royal Military Colleges of Canada Alumni Association