Horizontal Evaluation of the Canadian Police Arrangement - International Police Peacekeeping and Peace Operations Program - Evaluation Report

On this page

• Context
• Methodology
• Findings
• Recommendations

Context

Canada has a long history of international police peacekeeping, deploying over 4,500 police officers to peace missions around the world in over 33 countries since 1989. Since 1995, approximately 50 provincial and municipal police services have participated in the CPA-IPP program to complement RCMP deployments. The goal of the CPA-IPP program is to support the Government of Canada's commitment to build a more secure world through Canadian police participation in international peacekeeping and peace support operations.

The objective of the evaluation was to examine the relevance, effectiveness and efficiency of the CPA-IPP program in accordance with the Treasury Board Policy on Results. The evaluation included CPA-IPP program activities undertaken by CPA partners - the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Global Affairs Canada (GAC), and Public Safety Canada (PS) - between April 1, 2020, and March 31, 2025 (five years). >

The evaluation focused on four questions:

1. How has the program adapted to the changing international geo-political landscape?
2. Has the program achieved its international peace and security objectives?
3. How has the program implemented efficient data management practices and leveraged performance data to inform decision-making?
4. Has the program put in place sufficient operational supports to deliver on its mandate/achieve program objectives.

Methodology

Interviews

65 interviews with 95 participants, internal and external

Document review

Including foundational documents, operational reports, annual plans, open-source articles and previous evaluations

Comparative Analysis

Analysis of other organizations with a reserve program

Site visits/Observation

4 mission site visits to the United States and Europe

Performance data

Available RCMP performance and financial data, as well as external survey data

Internal survey

A mental health and wellness survey of previously deployed personnel in the CPA-IPP program

Findings

• Faced with a new global context for police peacekeeping, the CPA partners demonstrated limited strategic planning, reactive decision-making, and gaps in domestic coherence
• The absence of centralized and standardized data management tools and practices presented challenges to program efficiency
• While some performance measurement tools and practices exist, gaps in data collection presented a barrier to capturing long-term program impacts
• Inefficiencies, inconsistent messaging, and perceived imbalances in financial policies and practices led to operational barriers or challenges for deployed personnel and support teams
• Ongoing releasability challenges presented barriers to both internal and external recruitment
• While some wellness supports are available, gaps in longer-term wellness support presented a risk to currently and previously deployed personnel

Despite these challenges, CPA-IPP contributions are relevant, impactful and well-respected by international partners, particularly work undertaken to promote human rights and gender equality.

Recommendations

1. In response to the evolving geo-political landscape, the CPA partners should ensure that existing engagement mechanisms are being leveraged regularly to inform decision-making, support strategic planning, and improve deconfliction efforts across CPA partners. Additionally, individual CPA partner departments should ensure consistent communication and information sharing across relevant program areas and functions at all levels.
2. The RCMP should establish a consistent and efficient approach to data management, including relevant tools and resources that are accessible to CPA program areas. Additionally, CPA partners should update performance measurement processes, including the program’s Performance Measurement Framework and existing reporting tools, to ensure relevant information is collected across all missions with an objective to inform decision-making and demonstrate impact.
3. The CPA partners should explore opportunities to revise existing financial authorities to ensure they are responding to mission needs and maximizing program impacts. Additionally, the RCMP should ensure that internal financial policies and practices of relevance for the CPA-IPP program are clearly communicated and consistently applied.
4. The RCMP should develop a recruiting strategy that better reflects evolving mission needs. This should include improved internal and external engagement, along with updating recruiting tools to attract candidates with relevant skills sets and encourage wider participation across domestic police services.