Our resources

Our resources enable us to act quickly and act effectively. They are our foundation and they provide us with guidance. They are what keeps our operations running smoothly and what keeps us safe.

Our resources include among other things our sampling gear, protective equipment, vehicles, boats, uniforms, equipment, policies, protocols, and guidance documents.

Our resources are the backbone to our success. Here are two key projects that enhanced our resources this year.

DNA Sampling Guide

The Operations Support Division of WED, in collaboration with ECCC’s S&T Branch, has developed a practical guide on DNA sampling of fauna and flora. This guide is for front-line wildlife officers when gathering evidence in the field to assist them when collecting, packaging, storing and shipping evidentiary samples.

Since DNA analysis of fauna and flora is a constantly evolving field and the work of officers in identifying species is becoming increasingly complex, development of such a guide had become essential. Thanks to this guide and its timely updates, our officers are equipped to effectively adapt to required changes.

New Intelligence Products and Training

Over the past few years, a priority of the EB has been to renew its intelligence program, making intelligence a driver of operations and enforcement planning. Becoming an intelligence-driven organization has been a key factor in WED’s increasing operational success in a time of tight budget allocations.

This year, we took important steps to further the Intelligence Renewal Project. With the investments WED has made as an organization as an intelligence-driven organization at all levels, we are now a leader in the field among wildlife enforcement agencies worldwide. Training was developed by EB that has been delivered to all staff and new procedures implemented to ensure the use of intelligence in all strategic and operational planning. This included the launch of two new products:

• Intelligence Lexicon – a compendium of terms, with the purpose of standardizing language used by staff in intelligence reports and products. Consistency is important for an organization that is spread across the country and has a broad mandate.

• Probability Terms for Intelligence – a document that explains expressions of likeliness that an assessed event or development will occur. This is critical when setting priorities and deploying our resources.

Together, these products strengthen the intelligence program by providing internal consistency and by laying a foundation for alignment with other partners in the Government of Canada’s intelligence community.