Eighth Report by the Witness Protection Program Advisory Committee

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• Executive summary

Executive summary

This is the eighth report of the Witness Protection Program Advisory Committee presented, per its terms of reference, to the Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).

The RCMP created the Committee in 2013 as a mechanism to provide independent, expert advice on the range of complex issues inherent in administering the Witness Protection Program. The Committee structures this advice around three main pillars: a focus on protectees, Program independence from investigations, and adherence to program standards. Committee members are not privy to information that would reveal the identity or location of any protectees.

The Committee commends the RCMP's progress in implementing significant structural and operational changes, most notably:

• Standardizing the Sensitive Expenditures process for Program coordinators nationally, providing greater accountability and transparency to centrally manage funds, easing the burden and mitigating risk to Program personnel
• Continually modernizing the Program’s best practices and operational tools through training resources and collaborations with international and domestic partners
• Implementing a mental health and wellness initiative with an aim to improve employee wellbeing
• Developing formal tools to allow the Program to more effectively meet the needs of protectees by setting goals, tracking status, and promoting communication
• Developing products through the Research and Policy unit to enhance the Program’s ability to make informed decisions
• Adding personnel to the Research and Policy unit to gather data on the demographics of protectees, which will inform further research initiatives, including what needs are present, what works, and what practices require updating to support protectee well-being

The Committee recommends the Program continue to advance on the following:

• Continue to develop data and materials for the Committee to engage with during meetings, including case studies, process maps, and standard operating procedures
• Consider how to improve Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism (EDIAR) initiatives within the Committee and Program
• Seek approval to hire dedicated research and data analysts to address gaps in research and EDIAR initiatives
• Collaborate with Public Safety Canada to plan a provincial/federal engagement event, and continue to collaborate with provincial programs and other stakeholders in creating national witness protection standards
• Continue to build the capacity of the Program to conduct research and quality improvement through systematic collection of structured data and the use of data analysis in decision making within the Program administration
• Continue to seek out, learn from, and contribute to international and national collaboration efforts for information sharing, training, and best practices
• Continue efforts to modernize training for Program employees, and to address the unique and specific wellness and mental health needs of Program employees

Despite the inherent challenges of witness protection, the Committee praises the RCMP and the Program in implementing many improvements and in executing a world-class program. The Committee looks forward to continued engagement with the Witness Protection Program to address key challenges.