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5520-2 Reserve Service Opportunities – 90 or More Consecutive Days

Cadets and Junior Canadian Rangers Group Order (CJCR Gp O)

1. Identification

Date of Issue: 2022-09-08

Date of Verification: N/A

Application: This is an order that applies to applicants of established Reserve Force positions administered by CJCR.

Supersession:

Approval Authority: This order is issued under the authority of the Comd CJCR.

Office of Primary Interest (OPI): CJCR DCOS Sp

Enquiries: CJCR HQ J1

2. Abbreviations

Abbreviations Complete Word or Phrase
Cl “A” Class “A”
Cl “B” Class “B”
CTC Cadet Training Centre
DCBA Director Compensation and Benefits Administration
HQ Headquarters
Monitor MASS Monitor Military Administrative Support System
P Res Primary Reserve
RCSU Regional Cadet Support Unit
REO Reserve Employment Opportunity 
Reg F Regular Force
Res F Reserve Force
SP Succession Planning
TOR Terms of Reference 

3. Definitions

Approving Authority. The approving authority is the authority who may approve the specific Class of Reserve Service.

Board Chairperson. The Board Chairperson is the senior most member of the selection board who is responsible for presiding over board meetings, and ensuring the review process runs in a smooth and efficient manner while upholding the highest level of ethics and transparency. The Board Chairperson will be responsible for submitting the board report to the employing authority and the approving authority for selection.

Board Member. A board member is a person forming part of the selection board who has suitable knowledge and experience to be able to effectively review applicant files and provide an unbiased recommendation to the Board Chairperson.

Board Secretary. The Board Secretary is responsible for ensuring all policy and regulations are adhered to by the selection board throughout the selection process, as well as providing expert advice and consistency on the employment process. The Board Secretary is responsible to the Board Chairperson for the development of the board reports on behalf of the board. 

Employing Authority. The employing authority is the authority within the employing unit who approves any period of Cl “A” and “B” Reserve Service.

Employing Unit. The CJCR HQ and five RCSUs are the units which has permitted a member to serve a period of Cl “A” or “B” Reserve Service.

Scoring Guide. The scoring guide is a rating scale consisting of points for consideration to each question that is used by the selection board to evaluate and score the applicant’s answers.

Suitability. Suitability is an applicant’s identifiable character traits and conduct which are sufficient to decide whether employment or continued employment would or would not protect the integrity or promote the efficiency of the unit.

Statistical Tie. If the variance between scores is 5% or less, the scores are considered a statistical tie. 

Qualified. Qualified is having the required experience and qualifications for the position as outlined in the applicable REO message. An applicant’s experience and qualifications are evaluated and scored during the assessment and interview phases using a scoring guide specifically developed for the position. 

4. Policy

4.1 The basic principles governing Reserve Service policy are equity and transparency. CJCR is committed to ensuring that all Cl “B” Reserve Service employment opportunities of 90 or more consecutive days are filled in a transparent, fair, equitable and consistent manner that complies with applicable policies and instructions.

4.2 The CJCR will use the Succession Planning process in accordance with CJCR Gp Order 5520-1 or the REO process, found in CJCR Gp Instruction 001/22 and this document, to fill all established permanent and temporary Reserve Service positions of 90 or more consecutive days.

4.3 The DComd CJCR is the delegated authority for all filling of Cl “B” positions of 90 or more consecutive days. Approval to fill these positions must be obtained prior to posting the REO message through Monitor MASS. Once the advertising of the REO is approved by the DComd, the board report may be signed by the employing authority in accordance with CJCR Gp Order 5520-1, Cadet Organizations Administration and Training Service - Succession Planning.

4.4 The board report will remain valid for six months from the date of approval and may be used to select a successful applicant should the position be vacated in that time.

Requirements

4.5 The TOR for the position will be used to develop the:

  1. REO;
  2. scoring guide;
  3. interview questions and related scoring guide;
  4. performance-based assignments; and
  5. reference check questions.

4.6 A subject matter expert for the advertised position may be consulted in the development of the scoring guides and any performance-based assignments.

4.7 The REO process will be initiated by the RCSU/CJCR HQ J1 section and should be administered by an RCSU J1 staff officer or the CJCR HQ J1 Employment Officer.

5. Purpose of the REO Process

5.1 When a position becomes vacant and it is not identified within the succession planned positions or if there is no appropriate candidate following the succession plan review, the REO process will be used to fill vacant permanent or temporary positions of 90 or more consecutive days.

5.2 The purpose of the REO process it to select an applicant for a position who is qualified, suitable, and eligible for Cl “B” Reserve Force Service based on:

  1. Qualified. The applicant must demonstrate that they have the required experience and qualifications for the position as listed in the REO message. The applicant’s experience and qualifications are evaluated and scored during the assessment and interview phases using an appropriate scoring guide for the position;
  2. Suitability. The applicant will be evaluated for suitability through personal references, supporting documents, and the home unit check; and
  3. Eligibility. The applicant meets the criteria to serve on Cl “B” Reserve Service. This is linked to a set of criteria that are not scored during the assessment phase but are considered at the selection stage by the employing authority.

6. Timelines

6.1 An REO message should be posted six to eight months prior to the anticipated position start date, or as soon as it is known that the position will become vacant.

6.2 Whenever possible, the selection process will be completed within 30 days after the closing date of the REO message, with an applicant selected for the position. If it is not feasible to complete a selection process within 30 days, the employing unit will notify the applicants and provide a timeline as to when the selection process will be completed. The employing unit will endeavour to complete the selection process as quickly as possible so as not to leave the applicants in a situation of uncertainty.

7. Costs Associated with the Selection Process

7.1 The financial costs of the REO process will be borne, in full, by the employing unit. If an applicant resides outside the local geographical area, interviews should be conducted by videoconference or teleconference. The selected interview method for this applicant must be applied to all other applicants being interviewed in order to ensure a consistent and equitable process.

7.2 An REO must indicate if a move of dependants, and household goods and effects may be considered. If the REO has indicated that a move may be considered and the selected applicant is outside the geographic area of the employing unit, the request for relocation will be submitted by the applicable RCSU to the CJCR HQ J1 for onward submission to DCBA. As the relocation move authority, DCBA will review the submission and determine if an applicant is eligible to receive benefits under the Canadian Armed Forces Relocation Directive for a Reserve Service move.

7.3 In accordance with Canadian Armed Forces Relocation Directive, benefits paid to a member in support of a move to a new work location, including Post Living Differential, may be impacted should the applicant terminate their period of employment prior to the conclusion of their initial period of service. Members are responsible with familiarizing themselves with the appropriate directives.

8. Selection Board

8.1 A selection board is required when the REO process is conducted. The selection board assesses the applicant’s qualifications, experiences, and suitability and makes a recommendation to the employing authority.

8.2 The membership of each board will differ according to the position to be filled but should remain consistent throughout the REO process.

8.3 Selection boards will consist of at least three members, one who is the Board Chairperson. At minimum, the board members should be one rank higher than the rank requirement for the position. One of the three board members will be appointed as the board chairperson. The selection board consists of:

  1. at least one member with sound working knowledge of the position; and
  2. one member who is external to the employing unit. This member may be a CAF member from the local area, staff members from an RCSU, or a staff member from the CJCR HQ.

8.4 Board members must be free from real or apparent conflicts of interest or bias that may affect the outcome of the REO process. Board members are to disclose any personal relationships with an applicant and recuse themselves as required. A professional relationship with an applicant is not considered a conflict of interest.

8.5 The Board Secretary, who is separate from the three board members outlined above, will normally be the respective RCSU J1 staff officer or the CJCR HQ J1 Employment Officer, in order to maintain consistency in the REO process.  An alternate staff officer is authorized to act as board secretary if an RCSU J1 staff officer or CJCR HQ J1 Employment Officer is unavailable.

Board Member Responsibilities

8.6 The board members are responsible for:

  1. scoring all applicant files that are nominated in Monitor MASS and compiled by the Board Secretary;
  2. using individual judgement while assessing applicants;
  3. providing substantiation for the allocation of scores for each applicant;
  4. providing subject matter expertise during the assessment phase; and
  5. reporting any real, potential, or apparent conflicts of interest to the Board Secretary.

Board Chairperson Responsibilities

8.7 In addition to the board member responsibilities, the Board Chairperson is responsible for:

  1. liaising with the Board Secretary to develop the scoring guide, interview questions, and performance based assignments;
  2. assisting the Board Secretary in selecting board members;
  3. providing guidance to board members on the format for the interviews;
  4. assisting the Board Secretary in drafting the board report; and
  5. providing direct feedback to applicants, when requested.

Board Secretary Responsibilities

8.8 The Board Secretary is responsible for:

  1. receiving and maintaining all application files;
  2. liaising with the board members and applicants to establish the selection board schedule;
  3. providing an instructional briefing on process, expectations, and security measures for the board;
  4. providing assistance to board members as required;
  5. submitting any reports of real, potential, or apparent conflicts of interest to the RCSU/CJCR HQ J1;
  6. leading the reconciliation processes throughout the assessment stage;
  7. drafting the board report based on recommendations from the board members;
  8. submitting the signed board report to the employing authority; and
  9. provide individual applicant scores when requested.

9. REO Process

9.1 The REO process has six stages:

  1. publication;
  2. nomination;
  3. assessment;
  4. recommendation;
  5. selection; and
  6. debrief (upon member request).

9.2 Additional details on how to implement each stage of the REO process can be found at CJCR Gp Instruction 001/22, Reserve Service of 90 or More Consecutive Days.

Publication Stage

9.3 An REO message must be published in accordance with article 4.5 of CF Mil Pers Instr 20/04, Administrative Policy of Class “A”, Class “B” and Class “C” Reserve Service. REO messages must be published through Monitor MASS and widely advertised across the CJCR using all acceptable media as approved by the employing authority.

9.4 All requirements of the REO outlined in para 4.5 above will be developed during the Publication Stage of the REO process.

Nomination Stage

9.5 Members interested in applying for an REO are responsible for contacting their home unit to request that they be nominated for the REO and that their application and supporting documentation is uploaded into Monitor MASS.  

9.6 Prior to nominating the member in Monitor MASS, the home unit will conduct a staff check to ensure the member does not have any outstanding administrative or disciplinary action pending. The home unit will advise the employing unit and the member of any adverse findings which may prevent their nomination. The home unit will notify members once they have been nominated in Monitor MASS.

Assessment Stage

9.7 The assessment stage is conducted in two phases:

  1. application review phase; and
  2. interview phase.

9.8 The board secretary will review each application submission in order to ensure the required information and documents identified in the REO message are submitted.

Application Review Phase

9.9 The selection board will evaluate the applicant’s submission and MPRR against the scoring guide. The selection board will assess the applicant based on the information that was submitted. The entire submission will be considered in this phase, this may include: performance evaluation reports, reference letters, certificates, etc.

9.10 Applicants must meet a minimum score threshold of 70% on the required experience and qualifications during the application review phase in order to be considered for advancement to the next stage of the REO process. Applicants who receive a zero score on an essential requirement, from any board member, will not advance to the interview phase regardless of their total required experience and qualifications score. The Board Members may choose to advance an applicant who scores below the minimum 70% threshold, based on information in the applicant’s submission that is relevant to the required experience and qualifications, secondary requirements, and the member’s past performance and potential. The Board Chairperson must provide justification for the decision to advance any applicant who does not meet the 70% threshold in the board report.

9.11 Depending on the number of applicants who achieve the minimum 70% threshold in the required experience and qualifications, the board members may decide to limit the number of applicants to advance to the interview phase. When making this decision, the Board Chairperson will consult the Board Secretary, as the J1 subject matter expert, and the board members to determine an appropriate number of applicants to advance to the interview phase. Any decision to restrict the number of applicants who advance to the interview phase must be fully substantiated in the board report. Examples of substantiation may include:

  1. The selection board elects to only advance the top five applicants due to the large number of applicants who meet the 70% threshold; or
  2. There is a significant break or grouping by score following the application review phase, therefore the selection board elects to advance only the top grouping.

9.12 When a statistical tie occurs, the decision to advance or not advance an applicant must apply to all applicants who are in the statistical tie.

9.13 The selection board may forego the interview phase altogether for numerous reasons including, but not limited to:

  1. the applicant is the sole applicant for the REO:
  2. the applicant scores significantly higher than other applicants during the application review phase; or
  3. the applicant participated in an interview for the same or very similar position within the previous 30 days.

Interview Phase

9.14 The Board Secretary will invite the applicants as determined by the selection board to participate in a formal interview which may include a performance-based assignment. The selection board will evaluate the applicant’s responses to the interview questions and assignment against the scoring guide. The use of a performance-based assignment will be determined by the Board Chairperson.

9.15 Each applicant selected to advance to the interview phase may be provided a copy of the interview questions at maximum two days prior to their scheduled interview. When interviews are spread over multiple days, each applicant will have the same amount of time to review the questions prior to their interview, therefore applicants may not receive the interview questions at the same time, depending on when their interview is scheduled. Applicants are not to share the questions with other personnel.

9.16 Personal references provided by an applicant may be contacted by the Board Secretary or Board Chairperson following the interviews.

9.17 For all interviews, each board member should take notes on the Interview Scoring Guide found at Annex B to CJCR Gp Instr 001/22, Reserve Service 90 or More Consecutive Days, which will be retained on file, in order to provide a record substantiating the selection board member’s scoring.

9.18 Applicants must meet a minimum score threshold of 70% on the interview phase in order to be considered for advancement to the next stage of the REO process. The Board Chairperson may choose to advance an applicant who scores below the minimum 70% threshold, based on information in the applicant’s submission that is relevant to the required experience and qualifications, secondary requirements, and the member’s past performance and potential. The Board Chairperson must provide justification for the decision to advance any applicant who does not meet the 70% threshold in the board report.

Recommendation Stage

9.19 A board report will be produced for all REO processes which will provide the assessment stage results and Cl “B” eligibility information. The Board Secretary will produce the board report on behalf of the Board Chairperson, to recommend a successful applicant based on the results of the assessment stage and consideration of eligibility requirements. The board report will be submitted directly to the employing authority by the Board Secretary.

9.20 The overall score of the applicants will be calculated as follows:

  1. required experience and qualifications: 40%;
  2. secondary requirements: 20%; and
  3. formal interview and performance-based assignment (when applicable): 40%.

9.21 The selection board may recommend a successful applicant to the employing authority without interviewing the applicant. In these circumstances, the selection board must clearly articulate the reasoning for not completing a formal interview with the applicant. In situations where a selection board does not complete interviews, the overall score of the applicants will be calculated as follows:

  1. required experience and qualifications: 70%; and
  2. secondary requirements: 30%.

9.22 Should a statistical tie occur, the board may consider the scores awarded for the secondary requirements and past performance and potential to determine if an applicant should advance to the selection stage and the overall applicant ranking. Any decision with regard to advancement or ranking of applicants who was a statistical tie with another applicant, must be justified in the board report.

9.23 The board report will list all applicants who were nominated in Monitor MASS, in order from highest to lowest score.

9.24 As the approving authority must ensure that reservists are eligible to serve on Cl “B” Reserve Service, the employing authority must confirm that members meet the eligibility criteria. Given some limitations of the applicant’s status when applying for a position (i.e. medical is not current, security clearance in process, etc.), it may not be possible for all applicants to meet all Cl “B” eligibility criteria upon submission of their application. Therefore, the employing authority may consider all applicants during the selection process. Cl “B” Reserve Service eligibility will not be scored by the selection board members during the assessment stage, rather only considered at the selection stage by the employing authority, however the selection board will review the eligibility criteria when making their recommendation.

9.25 In addition to the Cl “B” Reserve Service eligibility criteria, language, annuity status, and the potential requirement for a relocation move will be criteria considered during the selection stage and will be considered by the selection board when making their recommendation.

Selection Stage

9.26 The employing authority will approve the selection of the successful applicant based on the information provided in the board report. The approved board report will not be shared with personnel other than the board members and the employing authority.

9.27 The board report is an independent and accurate report submitted to the employing authority on the outcome of the REO. Should the employing authority disagree with the board report recommendation, the employing authority may indicate on the board report that they do not support the recommendations and must provide substantiation as to their reason for not supporting the board report recommendation. Additionally, the employing authority may not request the board report recommendation be altered in order to reflect the final decision.

9.28 If a Reg F applicant is offered the position, the member will be required to component transfer to COATS.

9.29 If a P Res member is offered the position, the member will be required to:

  1. sub-component transfer to COATS; or
  2. be posted to the NDHQ PRL or attached posted from the member’s home unit under the administration of DRSM, with DRSM approval prior to the commencement of the period of employment.

9.30 The board secretary will advise all applicants of the outcome of the REO.

Debrief Stage

9.31 Applicants may request a debrief from the selection board with regard to their application. Without disclosing information concerning other applicants or the specific criteria used to score the assessment stage, the debrief will provide the applicant with meaningful and specific feedback on their application, interview, and any performance-based assignments administered.

9.32 The Board Secretary and Board Chairperson may provide feedback to applicants upon request.

10. Extensions

10.1 A member may be extended in their position in accordance with CF Mil Pers Instruction 20/04, Administrative Policy of Class “A”, Class “B” and Class “C” Reserve Service.

11. Documentation

11.1 The board report and any related documentation will be retained for five years in accordance with the Defence Subject Classification and Disposition System.

12. Publication

Frequency of Publication

12.1 Annual or more frequent review and updates, as required.

Errors/Omissions or Suggestions

12.2 Users of CJCR Gp Orders are encouraged to identify any errors, omissions or suggested orders to the attention of CJCR HQ J1 Policy.

13. References

Source References

 Related References

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