Canadian Armed Forces Military Personnel Instruction 02/08 – Branch Advisors – Roles and Responsibilities

1. Identification

Date of Issue: 2008-03-05

Date of last Modification: 2025-02-28

Application: This instruction applies to Officers and Non-Commissioned Members (NCMs) of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF).

This instruction applies to the appointment and the assignment of duties and responsibilities of Branch Advisors within the CAF Personnel System, including its Military Employment Structure (MES). Branch Advisors will continue to provide a focal point for professional and functional employment identities on behalf of Chief of Military Personnel (CMP), and in association with other appointed levels of authority and responsibilities.

Supersession: CFAO 4-11, Branch Advisors.

Approval Authority: Chief of Military Personnel (CMP).

Enquiries: Administrative Response Centre (ARC)

2. Policy Direction

Context

2.1 In the late 1960s, CAF Unification regrouped the previous Sea, Land and Air officer groupings and Other Ranks trades to consolidate common functions and achieve greater management efficiencies. Such functional restructuring occurred at a cost however, in terms of many longstanding military culture and “ethos” considerations associated with the previous separate services. Given the 100 new NCM and 35 new Officer occupations created the need for a new overarching professional/trade structure above the occupation level was recognized, and resulted in the post-Unification creation of two dozen CAF Branches in the early 1970s and 1980s.

2.2 While ethos and professional/trade considerations were originally the primary focus of the new Branches, other personnel management roles, which were not specifically assigned in the new system, became unofficially incorporated in the Branch concept and institutionalized. Such further roles have now been identified and re-articulated as part of CF Personnel Management System and MES transformation. 

2.3 The Military Occupation Structure Analysis, Redesign and Tailoring (MOSART) Project recommended new hierarchical groupings of structural elements, including “Career Fields, Occupations and Sub occupations. As a result, an eventual transition of Branch Advisors and their functions to the new Career Field construct and Career Field & Occupation Advisor function is envisaged, with Career Field & Occupation Advisors eventually fully or partially replacing Branch Advisors as Career Fields are implemented across the CAF spectrum of employment.

Policy Statement

2.4 In line with CF Personnel Management System and MES transformation, a continuing role for Branch Advisors is required for the foreseeable future. Branch Advisors will be appointed and continue to operate as significant advisors to CMP on Branch requirements and on a number of issues identified in Section 4 of this Instruction. 

Limitations

2.5 Nothing contained in this instruction must limit the actions of a Branch Advisor when acting in another capacity.

3. Authority and Advisory Structure

Functional Authority

3.1 By approving DAOD 1000-0, Foundation Framework for Defence Administrative Orders and Directives, the Deputy Minister (DM) and the Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) assigned CAF functional areas to level one advisors (L1s). The Authority and Functional Areas Tables made CMP the Functional Authority (FA) for the CF Personnel Management System and all facets of Personnel Life Cycle Activities, which includes the Military Employment Structure (MES) and the Individual Training and Education (IT&E) framework. In exercising overall authority and management of the Personnel System, CMP requires input and advice from several levels/sources that address each of the CAF planning horizons (immediate, near, and long term).

Career Field & Occupation Authorities/Training Authorities

3.2 In this regard, several authorities and advisory levels have been designated to provide required inputs/advice. At the most senior levels, and separately for the MES and IT&E Management roles, Armed Forces Council identified four Force Generators (Chief of the Naval Staff (C Navy), Chief of the Army Staff (C Army), Chief of the Air Staff (C Air Force) and Asst CMP) as the “Career Field & Occupation Authorities” for the MES; and the FA delegated IT&E management to four Training Authorities (TAs) (C Navy , C Army , C Air Force and Canadian Defence Academy (CDA)).

Career Field & Occupation Advisors/Designated Training Authorities

3.3 The second level of appointees included “Career Field & Occupation Advisors” (for the MES) and Designated Training Authorities (DTAs) (Director General Health Services (DGHS), Canadian Forces Provost Marshal (CFPM) Chief of Defence Intelligence (CDI) and Canadian Special Operations Forces Command (CANSOFCOM)) for IT&E. Annex A refers.

Branch Advisors

3.4 Branch Advisors constitute the third advisory tier as illustrated at Annex A and form the primary focus of this instruction.

Force Employers

3.5 Force employers are major contributors to the sustainability and effectiveness of the MES. Because Force Employers employ military personnel from a variety of Functional Employment Areas (FEAs) on operations, they play a key role in validating MES specifications, identifying qualitative personnel gaps and providing tactical “lessons learned” through strategic, evolving capability requirements, inputs/advice that impact the MES.

4. Branch Advisor Appointments and Duties

Branch Advisors and Branches

4.1 Branch Advisors will be appointed for Branches as they currently exist and as modified in accordance with evolving Capability and Work Requirements. As Career Fields are implemented some Branch Advisors will evolve into Career Field & Occupation Advisors while others may disappear. 

Branch Advisors - Appointment and Reporting

4.2 Branch Advisors are appointed by CMP on the advice of the appropriate Force Generation authority, in consultation with appropriate Branch Councils. 

4.3 Branch Advisors provide advice to CMP as required and will normally be required to provide at least an annual Branch update in the form of a written review of the past fiscal year, identifying Branch issues that were resolved, those that remain outstanding and future issues and trends of interest.

Note – Branch Advisor Roles are generally assumed to be Secondary Duties. However, the duties may consume a considerable amount of personal and work time including liaison visits, Branch business and technical input.

Authority to Appoint Assistants

4.4 Branch Advisors of large branches may appoint co-advisors and other assistants as required.

Rank

4.5 A Branch Advisor will be an officer of the rank of Col/Capt (N) or LCol/Cdr in the case of small branches not having a senior representative.

Chain of Command

4.6 Regardless of the Branch to which an individual member is assigned, personnel matters within a Command or Group are the direct responsibility of the Commander or Group Principal, who may seek advice/counsel from the Mil Pers FA or refer the matter to an appropriate CMP staff Office of Primary Interest (OPI).

Note – The advice of the Branch Advisor may be sought on such matters.

Branch Advisor Access to Personnel Staff

4.7 Branch Advisors may access CMP or Military Personnel Command staff at the appropriate level as indicated below:

Branch Advisor Responsibilities General

4.8 In the overall Personnel System the Branch Advisor will:

1. coordinate required activities in liaison/communication with the appropriate Career Field & Occupation Advisor appointed by the Career Field & Occupation Authority as per Annex A, e.g., Dental and Medical Branch Advisors will coordinate with Health Services Career Field & Occupation Advisor; 
2. assist with AMORs by providing advice during AMOR meetings;
3. attraction and Applicant Processing - Branch Advisors may be asked to provide advice on attraction and promotional materials;
4. advise on Personnel Selection issues by providing advice concerning professional and/or certification requirements needed to meet CAF and occupation selection;
5. assist Career Management by providing advice and contextual background information to Selection Boards and, on request, annual posting plots;
6. assist IT&E Training Authorities by validating and or advising on CAF equivalency and accreditation programs by providing advice on the suitability and/or acceptability of specific IT&E events and their alignment with established certification and/or professional requirements;;
7. participate in Support Branch Advisor Council (where applicable) - Support Branch Advisors will participate in the Support Branch Advisor Council chaired by Assistant CMP, to provide a pan CAF approach to common issues; a forum to raise issues; provide collective advice to CMP, other Level 1 Advisors and Operational Commanders; and to receive guidance and direction; and
8. report to CMP as required/at least an annual Branch update/ written review of the past fiscal year, identifying Branch issues and/or trends resolved, outstanding and likely in the future.

Branch Advisor Responsibilities Internal

4.9 Within each Branch, the Branch Advisor will:

1. be familiar with personnel requirements/competencies required for the Career Fields/Occupations within the Branch;
2. coordinate the activities and consolidate the advice of co-advisors and assistants;
3. disseminate relevant information to members of the Branch;
4. serve as the focal point for issues of ethos, esprit de corps and overall professional identity;
5. prepare or assist in the preparation of Problem Definition Papers, e.g., for MES job/functional analyses and/or other Branch Issues; and 
6. advise on personnel matters, as requested by CMP.

Branch Advisor MES Link

4.10 In terms of the MES, the Branch Advisor will:

1. assist in the development of MES Change Proposals, including providing advice on:
   1. evolving Career Field/Occupation work composition and scope of work requirement;
   2. evolving Career Fields/Occupation structure and career paths;
   3. professional, technical, educational and experiential components of career paths;
   4. Career Field/Occupation/Sub-occupation specifications;
   5. qualification requirements;
2. Participate with MES analysis, and overall MES change management activities, as potential co-chair sponsor, or associated role(s); and
3. Assist in the development of Military Employment Structure Implementation Plans (MESIPs) (previously OSIPs).

5. Support Branches

5.1 Branch Advisors of the Sea, Land and Air Ops Branches have traditionally had clear access to their appropriate Environmental Chiefs of Staff (ECS)/Force Generators in the conduct of their activities. Support Branch Advisors, designated below, have had no similar chain of command to address branch or occupation concerns. To resolve this deficiency, a Support Branch Council, chaired by Assistant CMP, was established in December 2006 to provide an appropriate framework for addressing Support Branch issues and concerns. As a result, in addition to the above responsibilities, Support Branch Advisors will participate in the Support Branch Advisor Council. This Council provides a pan-CAF approach to addressing and resolving common issues and serves as a formal mechanism where Support Branch Advisors can raise issues for consideration, provide collective advice to CMP, other L1s and Operational Commanders and receive guidance and direction. 

5.2 The following Personnel Branches are designated as Support Branches:

1. Cadet Instructors Cadre
2. Chaplain
3. Communications and Electronics
4. Dental
5. Intelligence
6. Legal
7. Logistics
8. Medical
9. Military Engineering
10. Military Police
11. Musician
12. Personnel Selection
13. Public Affairs
14. Training Development

6. References

Acts, Regulations, Central Agency Policies and Associated DAOD

• DAOD 1000-0, Foundation Framework for Defence Administrative Orders and Directives

Other References

• DAOD 5031-2, IT&E Management Framework
• CFAO 2-10, Personnel Branches Within the Canadian Forces (this document can only be accessed on the DWAN)
• CFAO 62-4, Canadian Forces Badges (this document can only be accessed on the DWAN)
• CAFMPI 13/06, Annual Military Occupation Review (AMOR) (this document can only be accessed on the DWAN)
• CAFMPI 02/07, Authority and Management - Military Employment Structure (MES), 20 Sep 07 superseded by DAOD 5070-1
• A-PD-055 –001/AG-001, Manual of Military Employment Structure, Volume 1, General (available in paper copy only)
• A-PM-005-002/FP-001, CF Personnel System Procedures, Nov 84 (available in paper copy only)
• Military Occupational Structure Analysis, Redesign and Tailoring Project, Closeout Report, 30 Mar 07
• ADM (HR-Mil) Direction to the MOSART Project, 10 Jan 05

7. Annexes

• Annex A – Diagram - MES Authority & Management Framework (this document can only be accessed on the DWAN)
• Annex B – Summary of Roles and Responsibilities of Delegated Personnel System Advisors
• Annex C – Definitions Pertaining to Branch Advisor Appointments, Duties and Responsibilities