MPA523

Defence Decision Making

Course Manual
Version 10

This is your Course Manual and syllabus for MPA523 Defence Decision Making. This manual
provides you with an outline and roadmap of the course, a summary of the topics to be covered
in the course, information about how this online course will be conducted, and policies relating
to the course.

It also contains important information about the learning methodology, course expectations, the
schedule and timetable for the course, the assignment options, and the evaluation and grading
scheme for the course. Keep this manual for future reference.

Detailed information about each of the 12 lessons of the course are provided in the Course
Notes.

Course Aim and Major Objectives

The aim of MPA523 Defence Decision Making is to study the evolution of the structure (actors
with authority, organizations, and decision-making processes) for the formulation and
administration of defence policy, and the direction and command of the Canadian Armed
Forces. The main vehicles for this investigation are the defence policies and statements, and
the studies and inquiry reports, concerning the higher direction of national defence between
1960 and today.

The course major objectives are as follows.

 To review the history of the central direction of defence policy and command of the
armed forces in Canada since the early 1960s.

 To examine the history of ideas, concepts, and policy solutions that have given rise to
the present structure.

 To study the defence policies and statements, and the key reports and studies, that have
been the main drivers for recommending changes to the defence decision-making
structure over the years.

 To discuss the influence of this history on the development of the Canadian defence
ministry and attempts since the early 1960s to improve both the effectiveness and the
efficiency of the higher defence organization.

 To appreciate the importance of the actions of key individuals in promoting and

advancing changing agendas, in advancing alternatives and solutions, in defending the

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 status quo, and their influence in shaping the Canadian defence decision-making
structure.

 To understand the dominant influence that the federal government’s agenda, the
machinery of government and its processes have on the functions of the defence
ministry and defence decision making.

 To appreciate the accountability framework for political control of the CAF and for
overseeing defence activities and military operations.

 To appreciate trends and issues in national security and Canadian defence that may
impact on the future National Defence structure and defence decision-making
processes.

Course Administration
Your instructor is your first point of contact. His or her contact information can be found on
your course website. Take the opportunity to introduce yourself, to ask any preliminary
questions about the course and the assignments, and to ensure that your email address is
correct. If you have questions while working through the course, contact your instructor.

Read through the RMC Academic Regulations for Graduate Studies. This handbook is an
overview of the Royal Military College of Canada policies, procedures and operations regarding
graduate studies. It can be found at https://www.rmcc-cmrc.ca/en/registrars-office/academic-
regulations-graduate-studies.

Academic Integrity
Academic misconduct, including plagiarism, cheating, and other violations of academic ethics, is
a serious academic infraction for which penalties may range from a recorded caution to
expulsion from the College.

The RMC Academic Regulations for Graduate Studies, Section 5.17, defines plagiarism as:
“Using the work of others and attempting to present it as original thought, prose or work. This
includes failure to appropriately acknowledge a source, misrepresentation of cited work, and
misuse of quotation marks or attribution.” It also includes the “failure to acknowledge
adequately collaboration or outside assistance and copying.”

All students should consult the published statements on Academic Integrity, at

https://www.rmcc-cmrc.ca/en/registrars-office/academic-regulations-graduate-studies#aci.

Course Materials
Required Textbooks

You must purchase the following item:

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  Bland, Douglas, ed. Canada’s National Defence, Volume 2, “Defence Organization.”
Kingston: School of Policy Studies, 1998. ISBN 0889117977.

Students are also strongly recommended to purchase the following book, which is a concise
treatise on academic writing. It consists of several short and pointed chapters to guide the
reader through every stage of the academic writing process.

 Chapnick, Adam and Craig Stone, Academic Writing for Military Personnel. Ottawa:
Ottawa University Press, 2010. ISBN 9870776607344. (Note: this book is also available
in French)

If you have not already purchased the textbooks required for this course, go to
www.campusbookstore.com and follow the “Textbook Search Engine” link. For more information
on course materials, see the RMC Guide to Undergraduate Distance Education.

Note that there is no Course Reader for MPA523. All course material, and except for the
required textbook, will be accessible online through Moodle.

Readings
The readings for this course are divided into three categories: For Reference; Assigned (or
Required) Readings; and Optional (or Supplementary). Students can expect to be assigned
between 125 and 175 reading pages weekly, depending on the complexity of the material.

For Reference

For Reference are either readings, references or Internet web links that students should be
generally familiar with before starting the applicable lesson. Students who are not familiar with
the concepts or ideas presented or would like to have a deeper foundation or more contextual
knowledge before embarking on the assigned readings are expected to review the reference
material.

Assigned (or Required) Readings

Participants are expected to complete the assigned readings in full in advance of the start of
every weekly class (Monday). The assigned readings are carefully selected to provide the
students with the fundamental concepts, knowledge and understanding of the topic of the week.
Should more current readings become available, the instructor my substitute readings.

Optional (or Supplementary) Readings

The optional readings provide for a more in-depth view of the topic, including differing opinions
and perspectives. The optional readings should be reviewed by those writing Critical Reviews
as well as by those for whom the material will be relevant to their major essay, should they
select Assignment Option A.

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Other Useful References and Research Material

• The Canadian Armed Forces Virtual Library, at http://www.cfc.forces.gc.ca/188/223-

eng.html.

• National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces, at https://www.canada.ca/en/

department-national-defence.html.

• Canadian Military Journal, at http://www.journal.forces.gc.ca/index-eng.asp.

• Claxton Series papers, at https://www.queensu.ca/cidp/claxtonpapers.

• Parliament of Canada, House of Commons Standing Committee on National Defence, at

http://www.parl.gc.ca/Committees/en/nddn.

• Parliament of Canada, Senate of Canada, Standing Committee on National Security and

Defence at
http://www.parl.gc.ca/sencommitteebusiness/CommitteeHome.aspx?parl=40&ses=3&Langu
age=E&comm_id=1076.

Course Schedule and Lessons

This course represents a study period of one semester of 13 weeks, which includes an
Orientation/Introduction week. The course material is divided into three main parts, with a total
of 12 lessons, for a normal pace of study of one lesson per week. Students can expect 10-12
hours of study time per week. Students who adhere to a pre-determined study schedule are
more likely to successfully complete the course on time and be more effective in the online
discussion forum.

A generic course timetable to assist you with scheduling your study time and meeting the
assignment(s) due date(s) is provided below in this document. The instructor will also provide
you, during the course Orientation week, with a timetable specifically adapted to the RMC term
schedule you registered for.

The three parts of the course, with the corresponding lessons, are as follows.

Part 1 (3 weeks) – Introduction, Framework of Analysis and Context

 Orientation/Introduction Week – Orientation to the course, overview of the lessons and

readings, selection of the assignments, initiation with the Moodle online leaning
learning environment, and introduction of the instructor and students.

 Lesson 1 - Canadian Defence Policy: Ideas, Structure, and Outcomes.

 Lesson 2 – Canadian Defence Policy: Context, Evolution, and Trends.

Part 2 (6 weeks) – Historical Analysis of Evolution of Defence Structure

 Lesson 3 – The Glassco Commission Report and its Influence of Defence.

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  Lesson 4 – Minister Hellyer, Unification and the Chief of the Defence Staff.

 Lesson 5 – The Management Review Group and the Creation of National Defence
Headquarters (NDHQ).

 Lesson 6 – The Civilianization of Defence and NDHQ.

 Lesson 7 – The Somalia Affair, National Command and a Civil-Military Relations

Crisis.

 Lesson 8 – New Public Management and The Management, Command, Control and
Re-Engineering (MCCR) Initiative.

Part 3 (4 weeks) – Modern-Day Government Decision Making and National Defence

 Lesson 9 – CF Transformation, General Hillier and Afghanistan.

 Lesson 10 – Government Decision Making and National Defence.

 Lesson 11 – Defence Accountability and Civil Control of the Military.

 Lesson 12 – The New Strategic Landscape: Trends and Issues for Defence Decision
Making.

Weekly Timetable
The instructor will provide you, during the Orientation week, with a timetable specifically tailored
to the current RMC academic term schedule.

A typical week runs from Monday to Sunday (except for the Introduction to the Course week).
Taking Week 3 as an example, as shown on the enclosed diagram depicting the first four weeks
of the course, the weekly schedule is as follows.

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 During the previous Week 2, while doing the discussion for Lesson 2, you are doing the
assigned readings for Lesson 3.

 By the start of the Week 3, which always starts on a Monday, those who have selected
and are responsible for a Critical Review (CR) for Lesson 3 must post it online in the
Discussion Forum (as an attachment) by Monday, end of day.

 On Tuesday, the discussion for Lesson 3 opens.

 By Wednesday, end of day, all students (except those who posted a CR for Lesson 3)
must have posted their discussion post on a weekly question for Lesson 3.

 By the following Monday, all students must have posted the remaining comment posts
for Lesson 3. Remember that all students must post three weekly comment posts in
total. Those students posting a CR for the lesson don’t have to answer a weekly
question; however, they must post two comments or rebuttal posts.

 You are encouraged to post your comments early in the discussion week, as these will
generate more comments and discussion.

 The cycle is repeated week after week.

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  Students are encouraged to post multiple comments to enrich the debate and
discussion. You are also encouraged to continue the online discussion on previous
Lessons even though we have move to another Lesson. The discussion never ends!

Timetable for Orientation Week

It is critical for you to get organized early on in the course, particularly if this is your first
graduate course in the MPA program or first online course.

For the Orientation Week, which starts on the first official day of classes at RMC, you will be
expected to do the following.

 Contact and Familiarization

o Make early contact with your instructor.
o Confirm your preferred e-mail address, and ensure this is correctly reflected in Moodle.
o Familiarize yourself with the Moodle online learning environment, especially if this is
your first time using this dynamic learning tool.
o Introduce yourself in the online Discussion Forum.

 Course Syllabus and Readings

o Read the Lesson 1 outline in your Course Notes.
o Complete the assigned readings for Lesson 1 (remember that by Monday of Week 1,
the discussion for Lesson 1 will open up).
o Scan the course notes, to familiarize yourself with the topics and learning objectives of
Lessons 2 to 12.

 Selection of Assignment
o See Assignments and Evaluation below.
o Finally, you must select which Critical Reviews you want to take.

Assignments and Evaluation

Assignment Options

Because MPA523 students may, in the course of their other responsibilities, be required to
travel or may not have easy access to a research facility, completion of a major research paper
may be difficult.

Activity Assignment
Online Discussion Forum and Participation 20%
Critical Reviews (CRs) X 4 80%
(four critical reviews of
20% each)
Total 100%

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Critical Reviews

A critical review is a 2,000-word analysis ( 20%) that reveals the extent to which the student
understands the main themes and material dealt within a particular lesson’s readings. It also
allows the student to introduce material or perspectives not included in the readings, adding
insights to the issues in question. In other words, the reviewer is expected to become a minor
expert on the topic in question, and to lead the way in terms of presenting a basis for the rest of
the class to work with in their dealings with that lesson’s material.

The review should have an argument, flow logically and coherently from start to finish,
demonstrate a masterful grasp of the facts and information, and be objective. Appendix A to this
Manual provides more information on the preparation of Critical Reviews.

By the end of the Orientation (first) week, you must select the lessons for which you would
prefer to do your Critical Reviews.

o Select four lessons for which you would like to write a critical review. You must select
two lessons from lessons 2 to 6, and two from Lessons 7 to 12.
o Send your selections to your instructor by email.
o Your instructor will then confirm or redistribute the selections to ensure there is a
balance of critical reviews for each lesson throughout the course.
o Once your selections are approved by the instructor, post them in the online Calendar
under the relevant lesson/week.
o Review the course timetable and ensure you are clear on the due dates for your
assigned Critical Reviews.

Online Discussion Forum

Participation in seminar is an extremely important component of any graduate course as it is

through discussion that one is able to demonstrate the ability to assimilate, analyze, and
synthesize the assigned readings.

This is an online course taught through a dynamic learning environment, Moodle. Your regular
and active participation to the online discussion forum is critical to the success of the course and
your learning. In an online discussion, if students do not prepare effectively and contribute
positively, their peer students miss out on a unique perspective and their learning experience
suffers. It is for this reasons that engagement and discussion through the online forum
participation represent a significant portion of the final mark, as participation evaluation of
student performance is based in large part on whether they have improved the learning
experience of their peers.

As the success of a seminar-style activity depends on the contributions and interaction of its
participants, the course places an emphasis on consistent, thorough student participation
through web-based discussion forums. The idea is to stimulate an effective and thoughtful
dialogue, so students and the instructor have an important responsibility both to contribute to
the discussion and to keep it lively and ongoing.

Additional direction and guidelines for the online threaded discussion is provided at Appendix C
of this Manual.

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Final Examination

There is no final examination in this course.

Evaluation of Written Assignments

Each written assignment will be evaluated based on your demonstrated understanding of, and
critical engagement, with the material reviewed. Written assignments should do more than
simply repeat the information you have read in the textbooks and the Course Notes; they should
also reflect your own thoughts and responses to the material. As a formal reflection of your
thoughts on the material, all assignments should also have an introduction with a thesis
statement (your reflection on the subject), body paragraphs which develop the reasoning behind
your thesis, and a conclusion. Any written assignment should have an argument, flow logically
and coherently from start to finish, and demonstrate a solid grasp of the facts and information.

The instructor will provide you with a more detailed written work assessment template during the
Orientation week.

General Feedback
Your input is essential for maintaining and improving the quality of this course material for future
offerings, e.g., course content, typos, assignments, readings, course design. Email your
comments to the instructor or [email protected].

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Appendix A – Guidelines for Writing Critical Reviews

A critical review is a concise report that reveals the extent to which the student understands the
main themes and material dealt within a particular lesson’s readings. It also allows the student
to introduce material not included in the assigned readings, adding insight to the issues in
question.

Having conducted a more rigorous analysis of the readings of the lesson, the reviewer is
expected to become a minor expert on the topic in question, and to lead the way in terms of
presenting a basis for the rest of the class to work with in their dealings with some of the
lesson’s material. The review could include adding contextual information to expand the
knowledge on the topic or challenge the views presented in the assigned readings often
expanding the discussion from the optional readings).

The student has several options in preparing his review. The reviewer could decide to make a
detailed analysis of one critical reading of the lesson or one particular element of the
readings. In a lesson in which the readings deal with several topics or theories, the reviewer
should choose one of the areas and concentrate his or her review on that topic. Demonstrating
an expertise and a comprehensive understanding of a key reading, theme or issue, no matter
which ones the reviewer chooses, is the central aim of the exercise.

In his critical review, the student should explain why the issue(s) being dealt with was (were)
chosen as being important and then move on to addressing with those points thoroughly. A
summing up or conclusion that ties those themes together as a whole (a thesis or main
argument) should be included.

It is important to avoid just providing a simple narrative summary of the readings. Contrasting
the main arguments of a number of readings, with some key deductive statements, is the
recommended approach when doing a critical literature review.

A properly developed critical review will show that the reviewer understands the material in the
readings, can link or relate it to other course material, and can share those themes or points
with others in a sophisticated and comprehensive manner. The review should have an argument
(thesis), flow logically and coherently from start to finish, demonstrate a masterful grasp of the
facts and information, and be objective. The review should be of graduate-level written quality,
and be formatted as per essays, with footnotes and a short bibliography. As a final product, the
critical reviews should constitute a valuable collection of information and analysis, from both
their authors and the discussion forum material.

The instructor will provide you during the Orientation week with a more detailed work
assessment template for writing Critical Reviews.

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Appendix B – Participation to the Online Discussion Forum
Introduction

Participation in seminar is an extremely important component of any graduate course as it is

through discussion that one is able to demonstrate the ability to assimilate, analyze, and
synthesize the assigned readings.

In a university setting, all members of the group read material and then share their thoughts and
perceptions of what the key themes, questions and problems within that material were. In a
face-to-face seminar environment, this discussion is promoted by the interactions among
students under the guidance and facilitation of the instructor. In this course, the discussion
forum allows such interactions to take place on line. Although geographically separated,
students still have the same responsibility to read the material and to construct comprehensive,
sophisticated, logical, and learned questions and responses. If all students participate fully, the
experience is an enriching and vital learning experience that allows material to be covered far
more comprehensively and usefully than a simple individual reading of that same material would
achieve. If students do not participate fully in the discussion forum, they are not only robbing
themselves of the chance to benefit from the experience and of the insights and knowledge of
others, but they are doing their classmates a disservice by not fulfilling their intellectual
obligations to help provide that shared learning environment.

As in any face-to-face seminar, a regular cycle of reading, analysis and then sharing must be
established. Because of the nature of the medium this course uses, attention to the schedule is
doubly important. Failure to participate in a satisfactory manner may result in a student being
given a failing grade (course expectations and evaluation criteria for online participation
discussed below).

Readings, Preparation and Personal Experience

There is an explicit requirement to have completed the assigned readings and be ready at the
beginning of each week to post comments on the course discussion forum. In order to achieve
maximum marks for participation, you must contribute in a manner that demonstrates you have
read and reflected on the assigned materials. It is therefore essential to be properly prepared to
post quality comments on the course discussion form. In general, to prepare yourself for a
seminar, it is necessary to discern the purpose and thesis of assigned readings and their
supporting arguments. You must then critically analyze these arguments with a view to either
agreeing or disagreeing with the author. It is also helpful to understand the background of the
author while reviewing a reading as it permits a better understanding of the methodology and
point of view that is forwarded.

As in any graduate-level seminar, freedom of thought and expression are the key demands. As
you will quickly discover, most of the time in this course there is no right or wrong answer. There
is a need on the part of the students, however, to demonstrate a rigorous, knowledgeable, and
sophisticated understanding of the material. You should have or develop an informed evidence
based opinion as to what the right or wrong answer might possibly be; but your position has to
be carefully and logically explained.

Personal experiences may be interesting, and even useful, but seldom add to the academic
intent of the discussion. Keep in mind at all times that this is a senior course, and thus more

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than just simple narrative or survey-style thinking is required. Craft your questions and answers
so that they are clear, concise and easily understood by all who will read them.

Quantity, timeliness, and especially quality of contribution will be considered in assigning this
portion of the grade.

Expectations of Online Treaded Discussions

The course approach to online seminar learning emphasizes a combination of original thinking,
engaging participation, and personal reflection. Online discussions typically are divided into two
parts.

In a first part, students will be assigned one weekly question per lesson which they must answer
(minimum 250 words) that they must post by Wednesday of the applicable lesson week. In
answering the weekly question, students will focus on their own understanding of the readings.
Participants must bear in mind that overly lengthy posts lose their effectiveness within venues
such as threaded or online discussions. The initial posting might include points of agreement,
points of contention, points giving rise to questions, or other perspectives on the issue. It should
make explicit reference to the reading(s) under consideration.

You can use either the Chicago Manual of Style or APA formatting and style guide when writing
your posts. If you select one, stick with it, and do not mix both styles in the same post or
document. That being said, due to the relatively informal nature of online discussions, formal
footnotes need not be used. Instead, a parenthetical reference including the name of the
article’s author and the page number will be sufficient.

Students are free to refer to their own personal or professional experiences as they relate to the
content of the readings after they have contributed the required word count of original thought
based on the readings themselves. In other words, no matter how much prior knowledge they
bring to the discussion, students must complete the readings in order to make their expected
contribution.

The second part of the online discussion will focus on student responses to the postings of their
peers. During the period of time designated, students will post comments to Critical Reviews
written by other students or provide direct responses to postings made by others in the class.
Students must post two additional 250-word comment posts during the discussion week; that
being said, students are encouraged to post multiple responses and thus contribute to a better
discussion thread. The best discussions are the ones that move beyond the simple questions
and answers. Students will be rewarded for bringing up more challenging ideas and for trying to
deal with them collaboratively with their peers. To do this effectively, students must have read
assigned material carefully.

Conduct during Online Discussion

In an online discussion, if students do not prepare effectively and contribute positively, their peer
students miss out on a unique perspective and their learning experience suffers. For this
reason, evaluation of student performance is based in large part on whether they have improved
the learning experience of their peers.

Supporting, engaging, and listening to one’s peers does not mean that one must always agree
with them. Rather, students should make a sincere effort to respond to comments in a

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professional exploration of the issues. Playing an active role in discussions involves
volunteering one’s opinion, asking questions, and reading all posts with care.

Negative, offensive, and disrespectful comments can do serious damage to the learning
atmosphere. Such behaviour will necessarily result in a substantially lower grade. As has been
explained earlier, there are two elements to participation in an online threaded discussion. The
first is the initial posting addressing the weekly questions assigned by the Instructor. The
second element is the series of responses to the Critical Reviews or comments made by other
members of the class, particularly the responses to other responses, thereby creating a
discussion thread. In all cases, comments that are not posted in a timely manner will not
contribute to shared learning and will not have improved the learning experience of the
syndicate members. Consistently posting early or late, or missing deadlines completely, will
result a lower participation assessment of the course.

Evaluation Criteria

For this participation element of the course, students will be evaluated as follows.

 Participatory Contribution
o Level of active participation
o Continuity of engagement and participation
o Leadership in initiating discussions
o Relations to Peers
o Timeliness of participation
 Intellectual Contribution
o Understanding of key themes and linkages to readings
o Quality of reflection on course material
o Depth and thoughtfulness of comments
o Quality of arguments presented
o Demonstration of critical thinking
 Impact on Group Dynamics
o Constructiveness of interactions
o Impact of interventions on level of discussion
 Quality of Written Posts

Role of the Instructor

The role of the instructor in the discussion forum is multi-faceted. At the simplest level, the
instructor is there to settle disputes over points of fact or material that is in question. However,
those types of exchanges should not occur too often. The more significant roles of the instructor
are as follows.

 Provide contextual information to help students pursue lines of thought.

 Guide the discussion along useful lines that will benefit the students the most.
 Act as a check on discussions of a factual nature to ensure that a high standard of
accuracy in the commentary is upheld.
 Generally, to act as a traffic cop or organizer in keeping the seminar moving in a
logical fashion.
 Answer questions of clarification from the students.
 Provide concluding perspectives to capture the important themes of the discussion and
of the course.

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The instructor will also introduce key and additional material into a discussion, when an
important element has been left out, side-tracked, or lost to ensure the unit or topic under
discussion is put into context with respect to other aspects of the course. Finally, the instructor
will provide summaries and clarifications when discussions are convoluted or difficult.

© Royal Military College of Canada

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