HMCS QUEEN NAVAL RESERVE DIVISION

Aaron Kaytor wrote this case for a class project in EMBA 850 solely to provide material for evaluation. Though this case is intended for class alone, the findings may be used by the organization to help provide insight into issues affecting the unit and help provide insight for a way forward. As per instructions, the first part of the case consists of background information with the later portions dedicated to solutions. The author may have disguised certain names and other identifying information to protect confidentiality.

Reproduction of this material is not restricted, however, please notify the author. Course professor is Bill Bonner located at University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. The intent of this short paragraph is to help give this project an Ivey case look and feel. Author: Aaron Kaytor, phone (306)737-4136, email kaytora@gmail.com

Copyright © 2013, Aaron Kaytor Version (A) 2013-11-30

In a small office near the corner of a cold war era building in an area known to members as command flats, the executive officer contemplates his recommendation to the commanding officer regarding the future of HMCS QUEEN. There is much on the line, two immediate issues weigh heaviest on his mind. Number one, higher command has just announced that his unit officially is the smallest unit in Canada. Number two, there is a strategic need for a unit to open in Prince Rupert, BC and there is only enough funding nationally for 24 units giving him the impression that if something is not done soon there is a very real possibility of his unit being shut-down.

HMCS QUEEN

Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) QUEEN is a naval reserve division of the Royal Canadian Navy, whose primary location is located on the East side of Wascana Park in Regina, Saskatchewan. The unit was established in 1923 as the “Regina Half Company” of the Royal Canadian Naval Voluntary Reserve. The division was renamed HMCS QUEEN in 1942 and received the same royal commissioning as any other ship in her majesty’s fleet. The unit has shut-down once already during a period from 1964-75.
Naval reserve divisions (NRD) serve the greater Royal Canadian Navy by providing a naval presence throughout Canada, serving as training facilities, and employing part-time naval personnel and maintaining a minimum military skillset and readiness level to employ them in the larger fleet if necessary. In addition, naval reservists provide assistance to other government departments (RCMP and local police, fisheries and oceans, conservation) by having a group of trained individuals with varying levels of expertise.
QUEEN sailors are trained to the same calibre as their regular force counterparts in all respects. For example, basic training is analogous to a regular force basic training. This congruence enables members to be deployable on a wide range of platforms and function proficiently within a short time after joining a new unit. The primary difference between regular force and reserve units are the physical location (ship at sea versus a shore establishment) and how crews are made up. For obvious reasons, actual ships require a much wider range of skills and expertise in order to conduct missions. Naval reserve divisions, on the other hand, are limited to seven non-commissioned and four officer trades. Reserve trades are typically those that are easily attainable during a short training period and can be easily maintained part-time. For example, naval electricians require practise at sea and much time in training to earn a journeyman level occupation. It is somewhat impractical to expect a part-time person to invest the time needed to attain this level of proficiency and for the navy to invest the funding required to train such an individual if they are not going to provide that service full time to the fleet.
The unit itself is designed to function as a training establishment for any number of naval reservists in the Southern Saskatchewan area. Throughout the past ten or so years the unit has seen a drastic decline in both attendance and membership. At its recent height, the unit employed more than 100 reservists, most of whom regularly attended training and social events regularly. Because the reserve is not a compulsory organization, members may retire at will at any time without repercussions or dues owed in service to Canada. Unit membership is generally in a constant state of flux due to individuals leaving the unit temporarily for training, meetings, or ship deployments. Currently, the unit employs 40 naval reservists comprising of approximately 12 full-time personnel, which has become problematic. Having reduced numbers is problematic because there is still an overarching mandate to complete certain objectives creating a situation where less people are having exponentially more responsibilities that cannot be compromised. For example, a minimum level of rank and a track record of accountability is expected for personnel who are made responsible for weapons, secret documents, certain administration, and so on. More serving members would help to divide tasks; many hands make light work.

Naval Reserve Headquarters

The Canada Armed Forces is responsible for the defence of Canada and is required to provide a multi-purpose, combat-capable force that are prepared for the broad range of tasks assigned to them, including: observation, peacekeeping and peace-enforcement missions; combat and interdiction operations; mine-clearance, and protection of displaced persons. As such the Royal Canadian Navy, Royal Canadian Air Force, and the Canadian Army (individual units gain royal designation). The three elements are separated into a full-time regular force component and a part-time reserve component. Within Maritime Command, Naval Reserve Headquarters (NAVRESHQ or simply NAVRES) is responsible for the implementation of the broader strategies set forth by the Canadian Minister of National Defence and Chief of Defence Staff.
Naval Reserve Headquarters, located in Quebec City, Quebec, is responsible for coordinating and supporting the activities for the 24 Naval Reserve Divisions from across Canada. Generally, training in the NRDs happens one or two evenings a week and one weekend a month. The organization is particularly useful in coordinating between units for major exercises with respect to travel as most major training takes place in Halifax, NS, Quebec City, QC or Esquimalt, BC. Ultimately, NAVRES is responsible to Maritime Command in Ottawa for unit training and administration with a mandate to augment the regular force in times of need and to provide aid to civil power in times of domestic crisis. In order to accomplish this role Maritime Command has granted NAVRES a budget that is shared between 24 NRDs. Generally, all units receive a base funding with allowances based on size and capabilities. Funding for other events or training is allocated based on need.
In addition to augmenting the Regular Force, through NAVRES specialized sub-units such as diving teams, search and rescue, and other teams can be formed and coordinated through this central agency. This is important as many individual NRDs do not have the capability to administer some of these teams on their own. Importantly, until recently, the Naval Reserves have adopted the mandate to crew and operate the KINGSTON-Class Maritime Coastal Defense Vessels (MCDVs). This unique role to reserve forces has, debatably, stressed the organization in a way that seems to focus many efforts toward manning these 12 vessels. The past five years stresses have been evident to all members as complete vessels have been shut-down due to personnel shortages. Further, those ships with personnel tend to act much in the same way as HMCS QUEEN where fewer people have become responsible and accountable for more duties. Though many members are very loyal to the organization, this increase in responsibility with no increase in compensation tended to create noticeable decreases in the morale and work mentality amongst sailors. In short, the work hard and play hard mentality prevails, but time for play and more importantly time off began to drive people away from the naval reserve and to either the regular forces or release.
Recently, there has been a push to employ more regular force members on Kingston Class vessels in order to rectify the disparity that has developed. An unintended consequence of this decision is that NRDs are now finding themselves with no clear operational role. Compounding this issue is the centralized hierarchy of NAVRES administering units from the very West coast of Canada to the very East causes situations where some units with very specific cultural needs given their geographic location do not receive the support they perhaps should and sometimes even a duplication of efforts are unwelcomely noticed. For instance, annually due to the nature of the unit and building certain areas receive four annual inspections. These inspections are not conducted quarterly, there are four annual inspections regarding the same regulation. Essentially, decentralizing would allow for occurrences such as this example to at a minimum be cut in half as unit support bases such as Canadian Forces Base Winnipeg or Edmonton could inspect more efficiently than flying in personnel from Quebec as well.

New Turf The City of Regina and area has economically expanded throughout the previous ten or so years. This expansion has encouraged the migration of both Canadian and non-Canadian new residents into the area. The influx of people has created a situation where generally, wages are becoming higher and labour competition is becoming fiercer. For years prior, this fact has been exploited by some QUEEN members and used as an excuse for why attendance has declined and interest has dropped. In addition, there were some who believed that QUEEN was essentially competing for jobs with the oil and gas sector. The origins of this theory are unknown, however, as a part-time organization within the City of Regina it seems unlikely the two could ever be classed in anything together other than location in Saskatchewan. A perception shift needed to occur where a greater population should mean a greater citizen pool to draw people into the service.
One of the biggest problems with the unit is that it seems as though many persons who remain at this point had become complacent and not very motivated to expand their roles and promote the unit. This is undoubtedly the situation Scott quickly found himself trying to understand as he knew very quickly that if things were going to change for the better it would likely have to make it his personal responsibility.
Scott for all intents and purposes is the lead full time member of the unit. With respect to the chain of command he is the executive officer or second in command. The commanding officer, responsible for the administration and welfare for all members of the unit is employed part-time and has another full-time position with an agency outside the military altogether. Scott, however, is a member of the regular force navy posted into the reserve unit to gain command experience as it is the next phase of his military career. Until this point, Scott has achieved the coveted title of fleet navigating officer and typically been posted to either seagoing vessels or to the naval officer academy to train new maritime officers. Scott’s posting to a naval reserve unit in Regina, a city generally the furthest away from any ocean, came as a surprise which he accepted and decided to apply his many years of service toward making the unit better.
When he arrived he discovered that the unit he was joining, despite being relatively active in the community through activities with the provincial legislature and through other community events, the unit’s profile was relatively low. Compounded with this low profile, members were generally becoming fed up with administration, which had led to a gradual decline in both attendance and desire to remain with the unit. Many times administrative requests, though processing had begun, became stagnant leading to requests to, for example, requests to join the regular force, requests for occupational transfers, and even requests for educational reimbursement going unanswered.
As a military organization Scott received his terms of reference, which described his general duties and the basics of what he was accountable for to the commanding officer. However, many fundamental aspects of the organization seemed to be missing such as a vision and mandate.

Technology

Technology issues are generally an organization wide responsibility that is controlled at a much higher level than the unit. Typically, units are provided with an allotment of computers, shredders, copiers, and other typical office equipment. The main problem with the computer systems is that they function on a nationwide system called Baseline. Baseline itself is a good program that allows programmers in Ottawa or NAVRES to readily update, control, and administer any workstation in the military. Unfortunately, these systems generally seem very slow. Typically, it can take 30 minutes for the system to fully log individuals into the system when powering on. In addition to the slow nature of the computers, software tends to be outdated and compatibility with files developed at home can at times be troublesome. For example, Microsoft Office 2003, though still a very capable program, does not allow for some of the more convenient features of later editions. There are ways to make modern file compatible, but once on a military computer they lose functionality, which makes it more difficult to present information in a better more productive way. Sadly, all future technology is dependent on the Canadian Armed Forces Information and Technology department which is external to the unit’s control. Another drawback of these outdated and slow computers is that though social media sites such as Facebook are accessible, it is quite impossible to achieve much more than creating a few posts. Military firewalls and limited access prevents government computers from being able to upload pictures, videos, and anything larger than small attachments to the internet.
In addition to the standard technologies provided as standard by the Forces, two additional systems specifically designed for both the military recruiting system (CFRIMS) and the tracking of naval reserve personnel (NRIMS) themselves required input of information with very little in the way of reporting back to the local unit. In order to gain information regarding recruiting metrics, unit recruiters would need to gather information from both systems and then compare that information with what was written down on a log to develop a comprehensive picture about the units recruiting efforts. What was known was that essentially the unit recruited three new people out of twelve applicants and eight had been released due to attrition or other means. The net result was that the unit was still in decline.

Taking Charge

Shortly after taking the reins of the unit, Scott essentially found himself turning his attention to three issues. To begin, as he had done many times before, he knew that upon joining a new ship he would need to rapidly establish a situational awareness. Though the only thing that would give him a full appraisal of the unit would be time, almost immediately he noticed problems that had developed with respect to office processes, the unit’s profile in the community, and probably most importantly, with recruiting and retention of members. Though he did not label it as such, Scott knew he would have to develop a new vision for the unit using an IS approach, which incorporates the structure of the organization, development and utilization existing processes, motivation of people and using the existing technology.
Though there were three key issues facing the unit, the most immediate need seemed to be recruiting. The unit was shrinking faster that it was growing and it became obvious that the effect of seeing people leave was having a negative impression on the remaining crew. Morale, motivation, and esprit-de-corps (pride in unit) needed a boost. The typical command reaction to such issues is to hold movie nights or other social events to help make people feel better about the work they are doing. However, this time a complete revitalization and new blood seemed necessary to ensure the long term viability of the unit.
The most obvious real change that would have immediate benefits to the unit is an increase in recruiting. As military units are typically slow to change, Scott and his team needed to begin to think outside their standard boxes. It was decided that a proper way forward was to create some in-house solutions that would meet the needs of the unit instead of relying on outside solutions developed for higher levels. Within a few weeks authority was granted for the creation and administration of an official unit Facebook page. The only condition of this page was to comply with the military Social Media Policy. The overall intent was to place HMCS QUEEN in cyberspace permanently in order to have another outlet for people to contact or ask questions of the unit.
The Facebook page received a greater response than expected. For a unit that had near zero per week interaction with the public, people who were not members were liking the page at approximately five new people per week. Content creators for the site uploaded photos, messages, and information often and this medium of communication began to serve as a window into the unit. A problem developed when it was discovered that NAVRES (who had officially created the page) had disabled posts from non-administrators. This act was counter to the goal of engaging people in the community. More so, to generate site traffic we knew people would need the freedom to speak their mind or the social media campaign would fail. After two months of deliberating, the site was finally opened to all comments.
The final piece to the social media campaign was to have a social presence in order to have something to talk about to the world on the web. Though the unit had typically participated in government or low key civic events, to build the unit’s presence, participation in other public activities would be needed. The unit essentially doubled its external activity participation. Events included providing safety boats for Canada Day festivities on Wascana Lake, Taking the lead in welcoming international Wounded Warriors to Regina for their summit, hosting a formal gala ball where members of Regina’s business community as well as her honour the Lieutenant-Governor attended, and taking charge at the Canadian Armed Forces Experience for Grey Cup festivities in Victoria Park.
In addition to developing a social media presence, the issue remained that the unit had no immediate access to metrics aside from digging through both CFRIMS and NRIMS applications. Though it would mean a slight duplication of efforts, it was decided that a file be created to both track and evaluate new recruiting efforts. Mainly this system would be utilized to record interested people and provide reminders to follow up in order to increase recruitment. A spreadsheet seemed to be the most logical choice with metrics for name, first contact date, a date to follow up, how they heard about the unit, and other metrics relevant to the recruitment process (Exhibit 1).
The final measure to increase recruiting was to broadcast to the world that the unit was hiring. Traditionally, the unit had relied on participating in career fairs, speaking at high schools, and had on occasion had a limited presence at the local university campus. Immediately, a new campaign was implemented to take advantage of job websites such as jobshop.ca, Kijiji, Craigslist and others. On the advertisements themselves were descriptions of the various opportunities available, tuition reimbursement program information, and contact information for the unit.
The response to this campaign was phenomenal. As the unit had typically received around 20 or so complete applications per year for the past 7 years, most everyone was amazed that the new efforts had surpassed that in the first week. Generally, the unit was receiving approximately 20 or so interested inquiries per week. Needless to say, as many people continue to develop an interest in the unit the spreadsheet file quickly outgrew its original intent.

2014: Looking Ahead

HMCS QUEEN has entered the 2013/14 training year with 230 legitimately interested persons asking about how they can become members. Unfortunately, many will be initially rejected due to not meeting the minimum eligibility requirements for enrolment. Of those interested some generally will take an enrolment form immediately and some will take more time to consider. The result so far has been that within the first two months of the training year the unit has 21 applicants in the recruiting process (Exhibit 2). Though some may not be eligible due to medical, aptitude, or interview complications, the unit can expect that the declining enrolment trend, at least for this year, will be reversed.
QUEEN has established for itself a strong base for the beginning of the new training year. Key community events such as the Plywood Cup race and Trafalgar Ball Gala are already being incorporated into plans. In addition, connection developed through new outreach has allowed the unit to secure an appearance by a few of the Grey Cup Champion Saskatchewan Roughriders for an upcoming open house event scheduled in the early in the New Year. Though the unit is not generally associated with the football team, the foot traffic that will be developed as a result will no doubt display the unit in a positive light.
From a technical perspective, though upgraded equipment is appropriated from higher command, there are many ways to modify processes in order to maximize productivity through existing technology. For example, as technology provided by the government does not completely satisfy the needs of the unit, two solutions have emerged. The first solution is to utilize personal electronics. Uploading information to the Facebook site is now done almost exclusively through personal smartphone or personal home computer. The result has been positive as it encourages pictures and uploads of unit activities in the community in real time. This process of using personal technology to augment the supplied equipment seems to be working well as mobile data becomes ever more inexpensive and more Facebook page likers join the site. As well, as more people are liking the page, all images are gaining increasing exposure. The Facebook page in QUEEN’s case continues to relate people to the structure of the military and communicate that a reserve division in Regina Saskatchewan can be a pretty fun and interesting organization to join.

A Way Forward

Though recent initiatives have shown some tangible results, the momentum must be maintained in order to reach the ambitious newly established goal of employing a sustained unit of 75-85 regularly attending part-time persons within three years. Growing the unit at that rate poses new challenges with respect to experienced personnel to effectively train individuals and modifying the structure of the unit organization to more effectively divide tasks amongst the leadership. The key to success is that there is no one solution to help the unit achieve its goals. However, many possible solutions present themselves to both Scott and other leaders within the organization in order to continue and manage the growth as a system.
Though there may be an infinite number of directions Scott and the rest of the command team may choose for the direction of the unit, they must be cautious not to take on too much in order to prevent stress burnout of the current staff. As new members typically take between three and five years to become proficient within the organization, new strategies need to be implemented with the understanding that some effects will be immediate and some will be long-term.
To begin, the unit should attempt to use existing technology to its greatest extent. In this, time should be spent to develop and use Microsoft Access software to maintain an interest tracking database. Much like the spreadsheet, this database could be programmed to deliver data in more appropriate and a more informative manner. Creating this database will allow recruiters to manage the data collected and organize it in a much more efficient and productive manner than sifting through 200+ spreadsheet entries. This medium term project would require some time to develop due to the skills that would be required to develop such a database as Microsoft Access is not typically learned by military members.
The next opportunity is for the unit to continue with its goal to increase public visibility and host both large and smaller events on a frequent basis. Events such as the Trafalgar Gala engage those in the community who have influence. Continuing to engage these influencers or even convince them to come on board in a volunteer capacity would help to convince other employers that keeping reservists in their organization will provide other benefits such as first aid and leadership training paid for by their tax dollars. Engaging in more activities would also have the added benefit of making it easy to keep the unit’s social media presence continually refreshed with new material, which will frequently emanate a positive impression to the wider community.
In order to solve the problem of not having a clear operational role within the Canadian Armed Forces, the unit should embark to find a niche within the local civic services community. Two opportunities that have recently come to light should be pursued at the earliest convenience. These roles would serve to help solidify the unit’s long term goal to have a clear purpose within their larger obligation to Canada. To start, the unit should become an active participant in Ground Search and Rescue (GSAR). GSAR is currently a volunteer organization in Southern Saskatchewan and are called upon when individuals become missing or when law enforcement have a need for trained volunteers to assist in searching wide non-urban areas. QUEEN member’s military backgrounds make them ideal to help fulfill this role within society.
Further to the GSAR role, and probably more exciting to the unit is the possibility of attaining an operational diver team. Divers would be trained to Canadian Forces standards at one of two facilities located in Halifax and Esquimalt. Once trained, these members could assist local law enforcement including RCMP and Regina Police Service dive teams in any number of underwater operations. This arrangement would be mutually beneficial as military and police prairie divers are in demand. Creating a military dive team, though difficult due to the bureaucracy and costs involved in setting up a team, would be a major draw for the unit in its recruiting efforts.
Finally, and probably most important is to enact atmospheric improvements should be made to the existing building. A fresh coat of paint will act to serve as a sign of better things to come and this short term fix will also serve to show to new and old members that leadership is committed to improvement.
Revitalizing HMCS QUEEN will be an ongoing process. It is unfortunate that the threat of being once again shut-down was needed in order for leadership to realize that major changes had to take place to ensure the longevity of naval presence in Regina. Without the unit, the Royal Canadian Navy would have no presence in one of Canada’s rapidly growing cities and therefore lose their outlet to recruit and represent why Canada’s naval importance. NAVRES, for the time being, will remain the next level of authority for all 24 NRDs throughout Canada. Though there are certain considerations for units in different locations, HMCS QUEEN will need to continue to have a good working relationship with this organization in order to capitalize on the proposed new initiatives. With the shift to crew the Kingston Class vessels with less reservists and more regular force, the unit will be able to expect a few experienced individuals to return and help close the experience gap that will develop with the successful recruiting efforts bringing in more talent. It seems as though it is about time HMCS QUEEN caught the wave that is the economic prosperity in Saskatchewan and especially within the City of Regina. With hard work and dedication to revitalizing the unit, undoubtedly Scott and his team will be able to implement all plans for the future and restore HMCS QUEEN to its rightful prominence.

References

Personal Interviews names not to be disclosed