RCMP Flight Operations Program Evaluation

January 28, 2015

Table of Contents

• Acronyms/Definitions
• 1.0 Executive Summary
• 2.0 Background and Context
  • 2.1 Program Description
  • 2.2 Purpose and Scope of the Evaluation
  • 2.3 Methodology and Approach
  • 2.4 Considerations, Strengths and Limitations
• 3.0 Findings
  • 3.1 Relevance
  • 3.2 Performance - Achievement of Expected Outcomes, Efficiency and Economy
• 4.0 Conclusion
• 5.0 Management Response and Action Plan
  • 5.1 Management Response
  • 5.2 Management Action Plan
• 6.0 Appendices
  • 6.1 Appendix A: Type and Location of RCMP Fleet
  • 6.2 Appendix B: Most Frequently Used Professional Flight Management System Reports

Acronyms/Definitions

ASB

Air Services Branch

AME

Aircraft Maintenance Engineer

APP

Annual Performance Plan

AREC

Atlantic Regional Executive Committee

CROPS

Criminal Operations

ERT

Emergency Response Team

FMS

Fatigue Management System

GroupWise

RCMP E-mail System

HRMIS

Human Resources Management Information System

I/C

In-Charge

MOU

Memorandum of Understanding

NHQ

National Headquarters

PMPD

Prime Minister Protection Detail

PFM System

Professional Flight Management System

PMF

Performance Management Framework

RCMP

Royal Canadian Mounted Police

OIC

Officer in Charge

OPP

Ontario Provincial Police

TBS

Treasury Board Secretariat

TC

Transport Canada

TCE

Temporary Civilian Employee

TEAM

Financial System

1.0 Executive Summary

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Air Services was established in April 1937 in Moncton, New Brunswick with four twin-engine bi-planes and eight regular member pilots. Air Services has grown to encompass 19 air sections, with 41 aircraft and employs over 150 people across the country. This evaluation was conducted to address information requirements of senior management and fulfill Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS) Policy on Evaluation requirements.

The 19 air sections provide a valuable service to front line operations through support to more than 750 detachments in eight provinces, three territories, more than 190 municipalities, and 184 Aboriginal communities. The fleet provides both operational and non-operational air services to RCMP personnel in both federal and contract provinces. The fleet, consisting of thirteen different types of aircraft, delivers:

• operational personnel into remote locations to conduct investigations,
• Emergency Response Teams (ERT) and Tactical Troop personnel to various site locations,
• prisoners, witnesses, evidence and supplies,
• northern and regional patrols,
• surveillance and search and rescue capabilities, and
• administrative functions when conducting reviews and inspections.

What We Examined:

The evaluation objectives were to provide senior management with a neutral, timely and evidence-based assessment on the efficiency and effectiveness of the Program by assessing the use of RCMP resources against current needs. In addition, the evaluation analyzed the Program's ability to provide air services in a cost-efficient manner. The evaluation was national in scope and included Air Services Branch (Ottawa, Ontario) and consultation with the various RCMP Air Sections in the divisions across Canada. The evaluation examined the Program for the three year period beginning April 2010 to March 31, 2013. The operating costs for this program were $32,841,626 in 2012-2013. The current book value of the assets is approximately $57M.

What We Found and What Was Recommended:

The following are some of the key findings:

• The program operates as 19 individual air sections, each with its own way of doing business. The RCMP would benefit from developing a national coordinated approach to delivering air services. Clear definitions of what constitutes operational vs. non-operational flights will contribute to better decision making to support the organizations priorities.
• Human resources is one area where efficiencies can be achieved from scheduling practices to alignment of staffing levels with aircraft usage in order to meet the organization's demands in a more efficient and economical way.
• The current flight scheduling, booking and tracking practices are preventing the RCMP from obtaining a national picture of aircraft use and requirements across the country.
• Accounting, tracking and reporting on operational and financial information from a national perspective needs to be strengthened. This would contribute to a better understanding of the full costs of the program.

Recommendations were developed to address the key observations made by the evaluation. They were primarily directed to national governance, alignment of human resources with aircraft usage and scheduling, and use of the professional flight management system for tracking and developing a national picture.

What Actions Have Been Taken:

As the evaluation was being conducted, management was being proactive by implementing a number of critical activities to address the findings. For example, we were advised that:

• ASB Ottawa has strengthened national governance, maintenance, reporting, oversight and communication. A national conference was held in November 2014 in Saskatchewan with line officers responsible for air sections across the country to establish a vision, expectations for the national fleet, new governance procedures and to standardize regular reporting and communication. At the conference, line officers adopted a national flight priority matrix containing 4 levels with clear criteria and definitions: operational (high, medium and low) flight use and a support role. This has now been agreed to and implemented across the country.

• ASB has staffed key positions, restructured and redefined roles and responsibilities to enhance national leadership, program oversight and accountability.
• ASB has enhanced communication with the Divisions by holding bi-monthly teleconferences with the various professional streams (Fixed wing pilots, Rotary wing pilots, Coordinators, Line Officers and Aircraft Maintenance Engineers).
• Manuals and standard operating procedures have been revised and implemented nationally. As well, working groups composed of representatives from across the country have been established to address roles and responsibilities, interoperability and other challenges.
• Use of the Professional Flight Management System to track flights, number of passengers, etc. is mandatory across the country. This not only supports the collection of performance information but will support managing the flights more efficiently to meet operational policing requirements.

A complete table of what actions have been taken can be found in Section 5.0 titled Management Response and Action Plan.

Recommendations:

Recommendation #1:

National governance practices must be enhanced, communicated and implemented nationally by the Air Services Branch, including policies, integrated planning, monitoring and oversight to allow for better management of the flight operations program.

Recommendation #2:

Air Services Branch must gather and analyze information that will enable them to better align staffing levels, aircraft usage and scheduling if the program is to ensure that it meets the organization's demands in the most efficient and economical way.

Recommendation #3:

Air Services Branch must strengthen their financial management practices. All expenditures need to be recorded in a consistent manner in order to assess the financial performance of the program. As well, a framework to ensure that cost recovery practices are implemented in a consistent and proper manner is required.

Recommendation #4:

In coordination with Air Services Branch, all divisions should establish a flight priority matrix to support their regions' booking and scheduling based on flight purpose. This will better support operational and non-operational decision making.

Recommendation #5:

The Air Services Branch and all Divisions must use the Professional Flight Management System, the RCMP system for booking a flight, in a consistent manner and ensure that all required information is recorded. This would strengthen the flight information to ensure the Program can properly support operations and decision-making.

Recommendation #6:

Air Services Branch must develop and implement a national strategic plan that will establish a national picture of how the aircraft are used to strengthen oversight. Such information will help support sound decision-making regarding aircraft placement and when aircraft can be shared for emerging short and long term operational priorities, and the allocation of human and financial resources.

2.0 Background and Context

The RCMP Air Services was established in April 1937 in Moncton, New Brunswick with four twin-engine bi-planes and eight regular member pilots. ^{Footnote 1} With the First World War solidifying the use of aircraft in combat, the Commissioner at the time was convinced that the airplane could be a valuable asset to support law enforcement activities. An Air Section was established and this was the start of using aircraft to support RCMP operations. The Force, over the years acquired more aircraft to meet operational policing needs. There was an overall increase of 20% in the operational flying hours and the RCMP fleet was increased by 14 aircrafts post the events of September 2001. With the continued rise in global threats, an increased emphasis on integrated and international policing, and the need to ensure continental security, the RCMP became increasingly reliant on air modes of transportation to deliver core policing services. ^{Footnote 2}

In September 2012, RCMP Air Services celebrated its 75 year anniversary. Today, the RCMP is one of the largest fleet operators in Canada. ^{Footnote 3}

Providing policing services to a country as large and diverse as Canada requires an organization that is both dynamic and well structured. Servicing more than 750 detachments in over eight provinces, three territories, more than 190 municipalities, and 184 Aboriginal communities, the RCMP's mandate is both extensive and diverse. ^{Footnote 4} Accessing some of these communities via traditional modes of transportation can pose significant challenges. For instance, in "M" Division (Whitehorse, Yukon Territory) the Old Crow detachment is located in a community that can only be accessed via air transportation. In "V" Division (Iqaluit, Nunavut) and "D" Division (Winnipeg, Manitoba) the RCMP services multiple isolated posts that require fly-in capabilities. Not having the ability to access these and other communities, which are not regularly or economically serviced by a commercial operator, would have a direct impact on the RCMP's ability to fulfill its policing mandate.

The fleet also provides both operational and administrative air services to RCMP personnel in both federal and contract provinces. The fleet, consisting of thirteen different types of aircraft, aims to deliver a wide variety of services to help meet operational needs, including:

• transporting operational personnel into remote locations to conduct investigations,
• transporting ERT and Tactical Troop personnel to various site locations,
• transporting prisoners, witnesses, evidence and supplies,
• conducting northern and regional patrols,
• providing surveillance and search and rescue capabilities, and
• administrative duties when conducting reviews and inspections.

As a result, RCMP Air Services is a critical piece of the operational infrastructure in various parts of the country that supports police operations.

2.1 Program Description

The RCMP's Air Services provides direct operational support in technical and specialized areas of airborne law enforcement, enabling front-line members to preserve the peace, uphold the law and prevent and investigate crime. ^{Footnote 5}

The priority of Air Services is to provide safe, effective and cost efficient air service to the RCMP. The RCMP presently maintains 19 Air Sections in 12 Divisions across Canada. Each Air Section is designed to meet the operational policing needs of the province/territory. The organization currently employs 153 people throughout the country in support of Air Services. This includes 78 pilots, 41 Aircraft Maintenance Engineers (AMEs) and 14 Flight Coordinators and Administrative/Support Clerks. In addition to the 78 pilots, there are an additional four pilots who report to Air Services, however these pilots primarily support integrated border policing operations.

Over the years, the number of aircraft in the fleet has fluctuated. Today, the RCMP owns and operates a total of 41 aircrafts; 32 fixed wing aircrafts and nine rotary wing aircrafts. These can also be broken down by 26 federal assets and 15 provincial assets. (Note: The fluctuation in the number of aircraft is due in large part to the fleet's life expectancy estimated disposal date).

The fleet of aircraft includes fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft in order to satisfy a variety of operational and geographic requirements. Appendix A demonstrates the various types of aircraft that are a part of the RCMP's fleet in addition to their capabilities, the number the organization owns and maintains and their physical location.

The aviation industry is a heavily legislated and regulated field. RCMP Air Services, under the issuance of a Private Operator Certificate, must obtain permission to operate its aircraft by satisfying numerous legislative and regulatory standards each year in accordance with Transport Canada (TC) guidelines. ^{Footnote 6} All RCMP aircraft must be maintained in accordance with the Canadian Aviation Regulations. Certificates of Airworthiness are granted by TC on an annual basis following the approval of a maintenance schedule for each aircraft.

Based on financial information from the last three fiscal years (2010/11, 2011/12, 2012/13), Air Services expenditures total on average $38.5M annually. This not only includes fixed and variable costs but also cost recovery conducted internally and externally by various air sections and the Air Services Branch (ASB). The current book value of the assets is approximately $57M. ^{Footnote 7}

The average annual utilization per aircraft type based on data from 2011 and 2012 is illustrated below.

Graph 1: Average Annual utilization by Aircraft Type

Description of graph in tabular format follows.

Average Annual utilization by Aircraft Type

Aircraft Type	Air time hours
Cessna	264.03
Pilatus	696.75
Eurocopter	412.94
Dehavilland	392.93
Piaggio	343.50
Quest	90.70

Source: Airworthiness Reports 2011 and 2012

In addition to providing air services internally, the RCMP also provides valuable air support to external partners. This is based on the availability of the aircraft and is conducted on a priority basis. The RCMP's Air Services has Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with the following departments/agencies: Department of National Defence, Department of Justice, Canadian Security Intelligence Service, Correctional Services Canada, Ontario Provincial Police, Public Health Agency of Canada, Edmonton Police Services, Sûreté du Québec and the Montreal Police Service.

2.2 Purpose and Scope of the Evaluation

The evaluation objectives were to provide senior management with a neutral, timely and evidence-based assessment of the Flight Operations Program. Relevance, performance and cost-effectiveness were evaluated.

The scope of the evaluation was to measure the efficiency and effectiveness of the Flight Operations Program by assessing the use of RCMP aircraft against current needs. The evaluation analyzed the Program's ability to provide air services in a cost-efficient manner. The evaluation was national in scope and included National Headquarters (Ottawa, Ontario) and consultation with the various RCMP Air Sections in the divisions.

The evaluation examined the Program for the three year period beginning April 1, 2010 to March 31, 2013.

The uniqueness of the Federal, Contract (provincial and municipal) and Regional operating environment was taken into consideration.

2.3 Methodology and Approach

The evaluation followed the Treasury Board Policy on Evaluation and the TBS's Directive on Evaluation Function and Standard on Evaluation for the Government of Canada. This evaluation used qualitative and quantitative information to develop findings and recommendations for the Program and to help inform senior management decision making.

The following lines of evidence were used to assess flight operations:

Consultations

In February 2013, during the planning phase of the evaluation, 12 consultations were held with internal stakeholders and Subject Matter Experts within the RCMP. Evaluators also visited and interviewed two police forces (Ontario Provincial Police and York Regional Police) to gain more information on the operation of air services within policing environments. Overall, the consultations were used to familiarize evaluators with air services, the program area and to inform the scope of the evaluation.

Interviews and Onsite Visits

Interviews were selected as a methodology to complement existing, as well as to compensate for missing program information. Onsite visits also provided an opportunity for evaluators to see, first hand, the delivery of air services in both federal and provincial environments and helped to validate other lines of evidence utilized to inform the report's key findings.

To determine the locations of the interviews and onsite visits, preliminary analysis was conducted on each of the 19 air sections. Locations were selected based on geography, type of aircraft, service delivery model and took into consideration operational policing realities. Consultations also helped to inform these selections.

Interviews were conducted in six RCMP air sections between the months of June and August 2013. On-site visits and interviews were conducted in the following divisions: "X" Division (Atlantic Region), "O" Division (London, ON), "M" Division (Whitehorse, YT), "D" Division (Winnipeg, MB) and "N" Division (Ottawa, ON). Telephone interviews were conducted with "V" Division (Iqaluit, NU) air services' personnel.

In addition to the six air sections, interviews were also conducted in the three additional air sections within the Atlantic Region including "B" Division (Goosebay, NFLD), "H" Division (Halifax, NS) and "L" Division (Charlottetown, PEI). These interviews helped the evaluation team to better understand the Atlantic Region's unique service delivery model.

In total, fifty-three interviews were conducted (see Table 1).

Table 1: Interviews Conducted per Air Section

Division	Air Section	# of Interviews Performed
"X" Division	Atlantic Region	12Footnote *
"O Division	London, ON	10
"M" Division	Whitehorse, YT	8
"D" Division	Winnipeg, MB	9
"V" Division	Iqaluit, NU	7
"N" Division	Ottawa, ON	7
TOTAL		53

Document and Literature Review

Document and literature review included, but was not limited to corporate documents, internal/external policy documents, Transport Canada regulations and assessments, audit and evaluation reports from other departments, media reports, program specific documents such as research papers commissioned by the RCMP, Briefing Notes, and business cases.

Data Analytics

Data was analyzed from a number of sources including, financial data from SAP system (TEAM), HR data from PeopleSoft system (HRMIS), flight and passenger data from Professional Flight Management (PFM) System, flight data from manual entries on the forms submitted to ASB and the Annual Air Worthiness Reports. The data was obtained for three fiscal years 2010/11, 2011/12, and 2012/13. Together, these data sets were analyzed to inform the evaluation about the efficiency, effectiveness, and economy of flight operations. It is important to note that the flying hours depicted in the tables and graphs in this report indicate either "air time" or "flight time". Air time is defined as time an aircraft is in the air only. Flight time is defined as the time when an aircraft is running, which may include flight checks, fuelling, de-icing, boarding etc.

Review of Performance and Financial Data

Available performance and financial data was gathered and analyzed to inform the evaluation. Performance data included information from the PFM System and other corporate reporting systems such as, the RCMP's Performance Measurement Framework (PMF) and the Annual Performance Plan (APP).

2.4 Considerations, Strengths and Limitations

Scope

Due to the size and technical nature of the Program some elements were scoped out of the evaluation. At the launch of the evaluation, ASB identified that they were undergoing a full maintenance, quality assurance and safety management audit. To avoid duplicating work, the maintenance component was not included in the evaluation scope. As well, the classification of Air Services personnel was also not included given the ongoing work being done as part of Bill C-42 regarding categories of employees.

Program Performance Data

In numerous cases, performance data was not available or was incomplete. To address the evaluation questions, data that was collected was consolidated by the evaluation team with other financial or human resource information that was available to assist the evaluators in assessing performance. Inconsistent data entry was another challenge as some Divisions were not using the PFM System. Data integrity and reliability of the various systems and sources of information was not assessed.

Finance

Complete financial data to provide a national picture was not available. The financial information presented in this report was extracted from TEAM and analyzed by the Evaluation team. Its accuracy is dependant on the integrity of the financial information found in the system.

Document and Literature Review

In the organization, there exists a large volume of data on air services. The majority is held at the divisional level with minimal knowledge, holdings and analysis at the corporate level. Numerous documents were shared with the evaluation team late in the process. Evaluators were also faced with a variety of conflicting facts and information from different sources and a number of the documents reviewed contained dated information.

3.0 Findings

3.1 Relevance

The mandate of Air Services is to provide "a safe, effective and cost efficient air service to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in support of its role to maintain peace and security for our nation". ^{Footnote 8} The RCMP's Air Services supports the federal government's roles and responsibilities by providing direct operational support in technical and specialized areas of airborne law enforcement, enabling front-line members to preserve the peace, uphold the law and prevent and investigate crime." ^{Footnote 9} This is implemented through the "delivery of northern and regional patrols, high altitude surveillance, transporting personnel, prisoners, witnesses, evidence and supplies, traffic enforcement, carrying out searches, transporting emergency response and containment teams; and providing operational support for front-line resource." ^{Footnote 10}

The RCMP's fleet of aircraft aims to deliver a wide variety of services to help meet diverse policing and logistical requirements. Evidence indicates that the most frequently recorded types of air services provided include:

• Ensuring national and border security
• Transporting operational personnel (i.e., ERT and Tactical Troop personnel)
• Transporting prisoners, witnesses, evidence, dangerous goods and/or supplies
• Providing RCMP personnel with administrative transportation
• Conducting northern and regional patrols
• Conducting surveillance and search and rescue missions
• Providing aerial security for major events
• Transporting very important people (i.e., Prime Minister and Protective Detail, Governor General)
• Conducting international and national policing missions
• Providing aerial support to partner agencies

The mandate of air services is aligned with the goal of keeping people and communities safe. The 2011 Speech from the Throne stated that "[t]he Government of Canada has no more fundamental duty than to protect the personal safety of our citizens and defend against threats to our national security."

A review of key documents and interviews highlight the relevance of the program to the RCMP and its mandate. It is worth noting that the vast majority (43/46) of interviewees considered RCMP air services to be an essential means to deliver police services. The same number of interviewees felt that RCMP air services contributes 'significantly' towards meeting the division's and/or the province's priorities.

In a recent (2013) Speech from the Throne, it was noted that "Just as [the] Government manages debt, so too is it tackling spending… [the] Government will continue reducing the size and cost of government to ensure that taxpayers get value for money." The Economics of Policing, a joint initiative by federal, provincial, territorial governments, was established to increase efficiency and effectiveness to help sustain policing in Canada. The Government of Canada held a summit on the economics of policing in early 2013 and has indicated that "at a time of fiscal challenges for many jurisdictions, governments and police services share a common goal of keeping people and communities safe, while ensuring policing services are delivered as efficiently and effectively as possible." ^{Footnote 11}

Given the program's importance to supporting the delivery of the RCMP's policing mandate, it is critical that strong national governance and complete performance measurement of the program be established and operating effectively.

3.2 Performance - Achievement of Expected Outcomes, Efficiency and Economy

ASB within the Technical Operations Branch, is the main centre for Air Services. The Branch is responsible for policy, managing the national RCMP air fleet, training, staffing, safety, planning, monitoring, and compliance of the air sections and the maintenance of the aircrafts.

Organizationally, there are two different business lines that have a role to play in relation to RCMP's aircraft - Corporate Management and ASB within Technical Operations. Corporate Management is responsible for RCMP-wide moveable assets, including aircraft. While Corporate Management is responsible for planning and purchasing aircraft, ASB is the technical authority and policy centre responsible for managing these assets once they are acquired.

Structure

The following is an illustration of the Flight Operations Program:

The following describes the reporting structure for the Flight Operations Program:

The Flight Operations Program comprises the following three areas that report directly to the Commissioner of the RCMP: RCMP Divisions, Specialized Policing Services Branch and Corporate Management and Comptrollership Branch.

In the Divisions the Divisional Air Sections provide the operational services. Divisional Air Sections report to their respective Commanding Officer via the CROPS or Support Officer. Divisional Air Sections also have a functional reporting relationship to the Air Services Branch under Specialized Policing Services.

Furthermore, Specialized Policing Services provide Operational Program Support to the Flight Operations Program. The Air Services Branch reports to the Deputy Commissioner, Specialized Policing Services via Technical Operations. Additionally, the Ottawa Air Section reports directly to the Air Services Branch.

Finally, Corporate Management and Comptrollership Branch provide Administrative Program Support to the Flights Operation Program, through Assets Management & Programs.

The current model is a national service that is largely decentralized to address various operating environments in its delivery of flight operations. Divisionally, air sections report to the Commanding Officer via the Criminal Operations (CROPS) or Support Officer. The exception being that the ASB (policy centre) organizational chart includes the Ottawa Air Section and all staff in both Ottawa groups report to the Officer in Charge (OIC) of the ASB.

Governance

The evaluation team expected to see a strong national governance structure given the maturity and high materiality of the Program. Sound governance includes national management structures such as policies, processes, standard practices and training to facilitate a consistent approach to achieving the objectives of the Program. It also includes communication of clear strategic direction, operational plans and priorities, and reporting from the various air sections to the ASB in order to monitor and support strategic level decision making. ASB, as the policy centre, should play an important role in establishing policy and processes, and overseeing and monitoring the air sections across the country to ensure the program is aligned with the organization's objectives.

The following paragraphs highlight the minimal evidence found of a nationally coordinated and well governed flight operations program.

Policies and Processes

As a heavily regulated industry, TC has developed a number of policies that air operators (public and private) must adhere to in order to receive the necessary credentials and certification to fly an aircraft. As a result the RCMP has developed its own internal policies in order to conform to such requirements.

In accordance with Transport Canada's regulations, the RCMP has developed national policies and directives, which provide guidance on authorities, usage, maximum flying hours, training, etc.

An instance was observed where divisional policies ran counter to national policies. Specifically, as it related to the usage of the RCMP aircraft for the relocation of household goods and effects. Section 10 of the 2009 RCMP Integrated Relocation Policy states that "The Relocation Reviewer is responsible to make the shipping arrangements with the van lines as per the Household Goods and Relocation Services contract terms and conditions." ^{Footnote 12} All relocations, including those in/out and between remote locations are to be carried out under the existing contract that the RCMP has with van lines and is to be coordinated by National Headquarters (NHQ). There is some evidence that RCMP aircraft have been used for relocation purposes.

Integrated Planning

Another requirement of sound governance is integrated planning to support organizational priorities and decision making. Integrated Business, operational and HR planning is intended to align an organization's workforce with its priorities, plans and budgetary resources.

There are two policy centres that play a role in relation to RCMP's aircraft - Corporate Management and Air Services Branch. Both centres participated in the development of the RCMP Air Services' Capital Asset Strategy which outlines in a formalized manner, the strategy for the "ever-greening" of the Air Services aircraft fleet assets and helps the organization to plan for future fleet requirements. This document contains key information such as Air Services objectives, the role of ASB as the policy centre, staffing levels, status of aircraft life cycle as well as projected supplemental aircraft needs, however, it was last updated in 2005. Furthermore, the strategy has yet to be implemented or communicated.

Oversight - Reporting

Historically, "Air Services had indicators in place which covered areas such as hours of aircraft utilization, kilometres covered, training standards, maintenance standards, passengers carried and in a number of other areas." ^{Footnote 13} ASB did not collect or analyze information related to those indicators. None of the air sections are tracking performance information or producing performance reports that can be used to provide an overall assessment of the program. One exception to this absence of oversight relates to the maintenance of aircraft which, as previously mentioned, is heavily regulated. ASB "monitors all maintenance and inspection requirement of each RCMP aircraft and their components, recurring airworthiness directives, service bulletins, overhauls, retirement items (cyclical and calendar occurrences) as well as scheduling mandatory inspections." ^{Footnote 14}

When asked about the role and responsibilities of ASB, most interviewees had a different understanding of their roles and responsibilities (20 different types). This suggests that the role and responsibilities of ASB are not clear among staff in the Divisions. ^{Footnote 15}

Given that Air Services is a national program, the identification of performance expectations, consistent measurement and a formalized reporting process by all air sections should be standard business practice. It was also anticipated that this type of data would contribute to larger national program objectives which in turn, would be used to inform decision-making on the need versus the type and number of aircraft assets required in each of the 19 air sections.

The identification, collection, monitoring and reporting of performance data by all air sections, which aligns to national Program objectives, would allow the RCMP to better assess if the program is achieving its objectives in an effective and efficient manner.

Recommendation #1: National governance practices must be enhanced, communicated and implemented organization-wide by the Air Services Branch, including policies, integrated planning, monitoring and oversight to allow for better management of the flight operations program.

The air sections employ a total of 153 ^{Footnote 16} people throughout the country. This includes 78 Pilots ^{Footnote 17}, 41 AMEs and 14 Flight Coordinators and Administrative/Support Clerks. In addition to the 78 pilots, there are four pilots who specifically support border policing operations.

Flight Ops is comprised of all categories of employees, with the majority (54%) being civilian members. Public servants represent 12%, special constables 14%, Regular Members 13% with the remaining being Temporary Civilian Employees (TCE) (6%). Specific to Pilots within Air Services, there are 57 civilian members, 16 Regular Members and five TCE.

The distribution of human resources varies by air sections but the majority of air sections have at least one pilot and one aircraft maintenance engineer. Larger air sections will also include a flight coordinator, a base manager and/or an "in charge" (I/C) position.

The table below provides a snapshot of where these Air Services resources were located and in what capacity on March 31, 2013.

Table 2: Air Services Human Resources per Air Section

Air Section	Total Staff	Pilots (rotary, fixed wing and Base Mgr.)	Aircraft Maintenance Engineers	Travel Coordinators	# of Aircrafts (rotary and fixed wing)
Air Section 1	32Footnote **	5	11	2	-
Air Section 2	2	2	0	0	1
Air Section 3	15	10	4	1	5
Air Section 4	4	2	1	1	1
Air Section 5	3	2	1	0	1
Air Section 6	3	2	1	0	1
Air Section 7	3	2	1	0	1
Air Section 8	9	6	2	1	4
Air Section 9	14Footnote **	5	1	2	4
Air Section 10	10	7	3	0	3
Air Section 11	8	8	0	0	4
Air Section 12	3	2	1	0	2
Air Section 13	7	4	2	1	2
Air Section 14	3	2	1	0	1
Air Section 15	6	3	2	1	2
Air Section 16	4	2	2	0	1
Air Section 17	15	8	4	3	6
Air Section 18	2	1	1	0	2
Air Section 19	6	3	2	1	2
Air Section 20	4	2	1	1	1
Total	153	78	41	14	-

Note: Pilots include all employees identified as pilots or base managers (who also fly) in the job descriptions or position descriptions. Vacant pilot positions were not captured in this table. AMEs include engineers and aircraft maintenance supervisors. Flight coordinators include all administrative assistants and clerks.

As illustrated in the table above, some air sections operate with only one or two pilots while others have eight or ten. When asked whether the number and type of human resources in their division satisfied operational requirements to provide air service support, the majority (17/26) answered no. Of those 17 responses, 6/17 qualified their answer by stating that there were not enough AMEs while 5/17 expressed a shortage of pilots.

In certain air sections, personnel carry out the roles and responsibilities of more than one position. For example, some I/C's are also pilots and in other instances, the pilots fulfill the role of the flight coordinator. When looking at both these elements, it is important to note there is no cross-training between rotary pilots and fixed-wing pilots. This means that a fixed-wing pilot cannot fly a rotary wing aircraft and vice versa.

The graphs below present the variance in the average air time hours per pilot in the different Air Sections.

Graph 2: Average Annual Air Time per Pilot - Fixed Wing

Description of graph in tabular format follows.

Average Annual Air Time per Pilot - Fixed Wing

Air Section	Average air time hours per pilot
Air Section 3	360.61
Air Section 4	145.55
Air Section 5	622.18
Air Section 8	129.90
Air Section 9	289.07
Air Section 10	194.51
Air Section 11	226.70
Air Section 12	558.06
Air Section 13	327.54
Air Section 14	237.73
Air Section 15	317.22
Air Section 16	411.03
Air Section 17	214.08
Air Section 18	650.47
Air Section 19	451.59
Air Section 20	689.74

Source: Airworthiness Reports 2011 and 2012, HRMIS data in 3 fiscal years 2010/11 to 2012/13.

Note: the number of pilots for each air section is the average number of pilots at the end of each of the last 3 fiscal years. These numbers might be different from what is reported in Table 2, which shows the number of pilots at the end of FY2012/13.

For fixed wing aircraft, pilot's average yearly air time flying hours per Air Section varied greatly between a low of 130 hours a year to a high of 690 hours.

Graph 3: Average Annual Air Time Hours per Pilot - Rotary Wing

Description of graph in tabular format follows.

Average Annual Air Time Hours per Pilot - Rotary Wing

Air Section	Average air time hours per pilot
Air Section 2	185.85
Air Section 3	143.09
Air Section 6	211.26
Air Section 7	416.55
Air Section 8	209.45
Air Section 9	270.65
Air Section 10	306.50
Air Section 17	435.62

Source: Airworthiness Reports 2011 and 2012, HRMIS data in 3 fiscal years 2010/11 to 2012/13.

Note: the number of pilots for each air section is the average number of pilots at the end of each of the last 3 fiscal years. These numbers might be different from what is reported in Table 2, which shows the number of pilots at the end of FY2012/13.

When compared to fixed-wing, rotary-wing pilots' average annual air time hours per year is significantly less, which is in part attributable to the different purposes each aircraft serves. The average air time flying hours for the rotary wing pilots ranged from a low of 143 hours to a high of 436 hours.

The following graph depicts all aircraft type combined and average annual air time per pilot.

Graph 4: Average Annual Air Time per Pilot - All Aircraft Types

Description of graph in tabular format follows.

Average Annual Air Time per Pilot - All Aircraft Types

Air Section	Air Time hours
Air Section 2	185.85
Air Section 3	267.05
Air Section 4	145.55
Air Section 5	622.18
Air Section 6	211.26
Air Section 7	208.28
Air Section 8	143.16
Air Section 9	283.27
Air Section 10	213.18
Air Section 11	226.70
Air Section 12	558.06
Air Section 13	327.54
Air Section 14	237.73
Air Section 15	317.22
Air Section 16	411.03
Air Section 17	287.92
Air Section 18	650.47
Air Section 19	451.59
Air Section 20	689.74

Source: Airworthiness Reports 2011 and 2012, HRMIS data in 3 fiscal years 2010/11 to 2012/13, TEAM data in 3 fiscal years 2010/11 to 2012/13.

Note: the number of pilots for each air section is the average number of pilots at the end of each of the last 3 fiscal years.

The graph highlights the significant differences in the amount of time the pilots are in the air flying. There is an opportunity to examine the usage and appropriateness of type of aircraft in each air section, the number of pilots allocated to each air section and operational policing requirements to better align people and aircraft to better support the organization's priorities.

Furthermore, the evaluators examined the correlation between pilot air time and overtime pay. These are depicted in the two graphs below.

Graph 5: Average Annual Air Time per Pilot vs Overtime Pay - Fixed Wing

Description of graph in tabular format follows.

Average Annual Air Time per Pilot vs Overtime Pay - Fixed Wing

Air Section	Average Annual Air time per Fixed Wing Pilot	Total Annual Overtime Pay for Fixed Wing Pilots
Air Section 3	360.61	$37,281.43
Air Section 4	145.55	$7,171.35
Air Section 5	622.18	$39,187.98
Air Section 8	129.90	$41,363.58
Air Section 9	289.07	$32,071.91
Air Section 10	194.51	$68,826.91
Air Section 11	226.70	$81,805.73
Air Section 12	558.06	$8,537.84
Air Section 13	327.54	$18,406.22
Air Section 14	237.73	$10,872.76
Air Section 15	317.22	$27,596.39
Air Section 16	411.03	$25,646.43
Air Section 17	214.08	$26,698.10
Air Section 18	650.47	$39,575.37
Air Section 19	451.59	$18,983.92
Air Section 20	689.74	$30,632.57

Source: Airworthiness Reports 2011 and 2012, HRMIS data in 3 fiscal years 2010/11 to 2012/13, TEAM data in 3 fiscal years 2010/11 to 2012/13.

Note: the number of pilots for each air section is the average number of pilots at the end of each of the last 3 fiscal years. The overtime pay is the average overtime paid to all pilots in the air sections in the last 3 fiscal years.

Graph 6: Average Annual Air Time per Pilot vs Overtime Pay for Pilots - Rotary Wing

Description of graph in tabular format follows.

Average Annual Air Time per Pilot vs Overtime Pay for Pilots - Rotary Wing

Air Section	Average Annual Air time per Rotary Wing Pilot	Total Annual Overtime Pay for Rotary Wing Pilots
Air Section 2	371.70	$18,920.35
Air Section 3	572.35	$17,015.91
Air Section 6	485.90	$15,334.53
Air Section 7	416.55	$10,324.21
Air Section 8	209.45	$9,683.81
Air Section 9	460.10	$20,242.74
Air Section 10	306.50	$6,513.20
Air Section 17	1306.85	$13,800.53

Source: Airworthiness Reports 2011 and 2012, HRMIS data in 3 fiscal years 2010/11 to 2012/13, TEAM data in 3 fiscal years 2010/11 to 2012/13.

Note: the number of pilots for each air section is the average number of pilots at the end of each of the last 3 fiscal years. The overtime pay is the average overtime paid to all pilots in the air sections in the last 3 fiscal years.

These graphs demonstrate where efficiencies can be gained in flight operations. Several air sections have significantly higher overtime costs; yet actual air time is quite low. As an example, the average annual air time per pilot in Air Sections 10 and 11 are one of the lowest at just over 200 hours (fixed wing); however, their overtime cost is much higher than all other air sections. This difference indicates that there are opportunities to examine aircraft usage, the appropriateness of aircraft type, and human resource requirements of each air section to determine how these can be better aligned to more efficiently support policing operations.

Scheduling Practices

In addition to allocating resources based on usage, further efficiencies could be gained through improved scheduling practices.

Pilot scheduling is left to the discretion of each division, in part to allow for the flexibility to respond to operational requirements in any given air section. However, there is no indication that an analysis has been undertaken to determine the demand for air services (peak hours versus non-peak hours) so as to ensure scheduling is as efficient and economical as possible.

The concept of scheduling based on need was identified in the 2012 Annual Report by the Office of the Auditor General of Ontario on the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP). The report highlighted "…a key to operating cost-effectively is having the right number of officers working at the right times." ^{Footnote 18} For Air Services, this would mean using their flight data to identify trends in flight requests by week, month and year to ensure that they have the optimal number of pilots available for peak flight times.

Using the data available, and assuming that the departure times recorded in the PFM system are accurate, each air section could produce reliable reports that would allow them to maximize the use of resources. For example, based on information in the PFM system, nationally, 86% of all flights occurred between 7:00 am and 4:00 pm, whereas the proportion of flights occurring between noon and 8:00 pm was 45% (graph 7). To increase the efficiency of operations and reduce overtime costs, we strongly encourage all air sections to undertake a similar analysis of scheduling practices.

Graph 7: Analysis of Average Departure Times for all 19 Air Sections (over 3 years)

Description of graph in tabular format follows.

Analysis of Average Departure Times for all 19 Air Sections (over 3 years)

Departure Time	Total Number of Flights
0000-0100	63
0100-0200	82
0200-0300	153
0300-0400	165
0400-0500	219
0500-0600	429
0600-0700	769
0700-0800	1692
0800-0900	4120
0900-1000	4704
1000-1100	4265
1100-1200	3972
1200-1300	3864
1300-1400	3597
1400-1500	3292
1500-1600	2885
1600-1700	1912
1700-1800	1340
1800-1900	956
1900-2000	622
2000-2100	425
2100-2200	239
2200-2300	124
2300-2400	76

86% of flights depart between 07:00 to 16:00
45% of flights depart between 12:00 to 21:00

Source: Professional Flight Management System

As mentioned previously, the aviation industry is highly regulated to protect and maintain air safety and security. This includes the number of hours a pilot can fly within a day, a month and a year. According to the RCMP Fatigue Management System (FMS), a pilots flight time cannot exceed:

1. 1200 hours in any 12 consecutive months;
2. 300 hours in any 90 consecutive days;
3. 120 hours in any 30 consecutive days; or
4. If single pilot IFR, 8 hours (flight time) in any flight duty day;
5. If single pilot VFR, 10 hours (flight time) in any flight duty day. May be extended up to a maximum of 12 hours (flight time) if working on an extended flight duty day. ^{Footnote 19}

In addition to the conditions listed above, the FMS outlines minimum rest periods of no less than 8 consecutive hours of sleep in a 24 hour period, along with adequate time to travel to and from the hangar.

According to the FMS, flight duty time commences when aircrew report for work (report time) and ends 15 minutes after shutdown on the last flight. Interviewees added that assigned administrative duties count towards duty time and as a result, time spent on administrative duties reduces the pilot's availability to fly. Accordingly, where there is only one pilot, scheduling flexibility is limited and poses a potential risk of not having a pilot available and having to resort to an alternative service delivery. This would not only increase costs to the division but also to the organization. A national relief pool of pilots was identified as a mitigation strategy to address temporary resourcing gaps (vacation, retirement, etc.) as well as means to maximize available resources.

When interviewees ^{Footnote 20} were asked how pilots' schedules are decided, some (5/14) reported having a Monday to Friday schedule, some have a 10 hour shift (4/14) or an 8 hour shift (3/14). Some air sections use a monthly schedule while another had a 42-day schedule. Even so, there were a few comments on the fluidity of schedules, where 4/14 mentioned that they keep a flexible working schedule while 3/14 stated that the pilots schedule may change daily depending on the need to fly and/or the availability of pilot in terms of hours or the aircraft availability.

When interviewees were asked what pilots do during their downtime, various answers were provided. The most often cited response (8/11) was that pilots do administrative work. Examples of this include: conducting mandatory training, completing flight logs, staying current on aircraft and flying regulations, helping out around the hangar, completing travel expenses, etc.

Another scheduling practice that was identified was that some pilots are only required to report to the hangar when they are scheduled to fly. This practice was to ensure that pilots were not "timed out" when a flight request was made outside their scheduled hours.

One example of maximizing resources was seen with another police force where it employed members as tactical flight officers. When the members were not airborne, the expectation was that they would be out on general duty ensuring a maximum return on their resources.

Alignment of the staffing levels and scheduling practices with the organizational demands would increase efficiencies and contribute to lower costs. Sound national governance and oversight mechanisms will provide for a more holistic approach to delivering air services.

Recommendation #2: Air Services Branch must gather and analyze information that will enable them to better align staffing levels, aircraft usage and scheduling if the program is to ensure that it meets the organization's demands in the most efficient and economical way.

Financial information management, tracking and reporting is occurring on a limited basis.

Assessing the financial picture of the national air services program was difficult due to a number of factors including: the de-centralized nature of the Program, the absence of clear direction from ASB on financial coding and the ownership structure of the assets.

The recorded operating costs for the Flight Operations Program (nationally) have decreased by nearly 25% over the last three years from $44,124,145 in 2010-2011 to $32,841,626 in 2012-2013. ^{Footnote 21}

The following table presents the expenditures by Air Section for FY 2010/11-2012/13.

Table 3: Yearly Expenditures for each Air Section for fiscal years 2010-2013

Air Section	2010-2011	2011-2012	2012-2013
Air Section 1	$10,309,041	$9,460,958	$2,419,901 Footnote 22
Air Section 2	$664,079	$486,125	$560,502
Air Section 3	$2,457,964	$3,262,549	$3,327,015
Air Section 4	$451,039	$938,071	$439,088
Air Section 5	$2,122,112	$1,950,980	$1,802,745
Air Section 6	$738,207	$683,255	$920,231
Air Section 7	$788,039	$705,836	$911,741
Air Section 8	$1,353,381	$1,729,639	$1,494,587
Air Section 9	$1,807,156	$1,087,349	$1,763,466
Air Section 10	$1,433,874	$1,826,431	$2,058,529
Air Section 11	$1,803,618	$2,639,921	$2,262,501
PSAT Collator	$(78,581)	$120,110	$175,551
Air Section 12	$403,596	$808,185	$1,301,647
Air Section 13	$3,678,196	$1,766,363	$1,562,374
Air Section 14	$709,048	$589,825	$647,518
Air Section 15	$1,652,222	$1,596,991	$2,232,543
Air Section 16	$892,406	$1,162,951	$1,310,254
Air Section 17	$8,924,389	$3,490,947	$3,426,489
Air Section 18	$1,198,147	$834,276	$857,825
Air Section 19	$1,286,032	$1,753,139	$1,893,457
Air Section 20	$1,530,178	$1,563,935	$1,473,665
Total	$44,124,145	$38,457,837	$32,841,626

As mentioned previously, analysis of (TEAM) data revealed that financial coding is not applied consistently. Although collator codes exist, the items coded against the various codes are inconsistent. For example, some air sections code salaries against aircraft collator codes while others capture all salaries under administrative. Such inconsistent practices prevent the organization from producing relevant and accurate information to assess the performance of the program.

The de-centralized nature of the Program and the absence of clear direction from ASB have contributed to most of the inconsistencies with the way expenditures are coded and reported divisionally and nationally. Furthermore, there needs to be more oversight and communication from Corporate Finance to ensure the consistent recording and tracking of costs related to air services.

Cost Recovery Practices

Cost recovery guidelines and standard costs for both fixed wing and rotary wing have been established. Guidelines established indicate that cost recovery applies in the following circumstances:

• when an aircraft is operating outside of its Division
• when an aircraft is operating outside of the RCMP or in accordance with an MOU
• when an aircraft is operating on a major event

Additionally, there are provisions in place for cost recovery when a contract owned rotary aircraft is used for federal operations.

The rates are determined through the use of an industry tool from the private sector which specializes in aviation costs. ^{Footnote 23} These rates include aircraft variable costs such as fuel and parts. In the case of usage outside the RCMP, the average operating costs such as the landing fees, Nav Canada Fees, hangar fees, etc. are also factored into the rate. Stipulation also exists that crew expenses and overtime will be recovered at actual cost via expense and overtime claims.

For the fixed wing aircraft, the cost recovery rates are calculated per nautical mile, varying between $1.88 and $3.09 unless stated otherwise in the MOU. For the rotary wing aircraft, the cost recovery rates are calculated per hour, varying between $572.34 and $640.94 unless stated otherwise in the MOU. ^{Footnote 24}

Cost recovery practices vary widely across the air sections. Internal recovery is much more frequent than external cost recovery and occurs in the majority of air sections.

Interviewees expressed mixed views on whether the RCMP should be cost recovering as there are intangible values associated with assisting other Divisions, Departments, organizations and communities. For example, in 2010 during hurricane Igor, the Twin Otter located in Goosebay was used to support the provincial government in moving items such as generators and personnel to a number of communities that were cut off by the flooding and where communication collapsed. As one interviewee stated, this assistance contributed to an increased sense of security for those citizens.

Atlantic Air Section cost recovers all flights as a result of its model where it provides services to four Divisions. We were advised that 50% of the fee charged to the Divisions serviced by the Atlantic Air Section is based on the number of employees in their division/regional program (whether they are users of air services or not) and the remaining 50% is based on actual usage rates charged at the varying rates already outlined above.

External cost recovery is not consistently applied. When asked, almost half (8/19) of interviewees stated that they do cost recover within their division when external users/partners utilize an RCMP aircraft. Three out of these 19 individuals said that cost recovery was done through a formal process. A handful (5/19) of interviewees said they do not charge external partners for aircraft usage. Four interviewees said that cost recovery is charged on occasion as there is a "give and take" approach with other partnership agencies. A few (3/19) interviewees said that the Line Officer determines whether or not the division will charge cost recovery rates for external users.

The Deputy East report stated that the RCMP was significantly under-charging external partners for its air services. It went on to say that, supporting departments/agency partners does not mean subsidizing their budgets. It concludes that the RCMP needs to re-evaluate how it calculates the cost recovery, to have a more inclusive and comprehensive model where the full costs of the aircraft are reflected. ^{Footnote 25}

Actual Full Costs

It was difficult to determine the full cost of operating aircraft based on the information available. This was also highlighted in other reports such as the RCMP Atlantic Region Air Services: Fiscal Review conducted in 2011 which stated "...the actual cost cannot be overlooked as extra expense to our plane can add up." ^{Footnote 26}

Other operational organizations have cost factor manuals. The manuals are designed to provide a common basis for estimation of the personnel, equipment and facility costs in order to inform decision making and cost recovery. Having such information would empower ASB to set cost efficiency benchmarks. This would be particularly useful in terms of required passenger loads for non-operational travel. Although interviewees revealed an objective benchmark / passenger load of four people or more as being cost effective, no documentation exists to support or refute such an argument.

Currently, calculations do not include pilot salary as it is assumed that they are employed by the organization either way. However, some would argue that if the Program was only supporting operational flights then the current number of pilots would not be required. The organizations limited knowledge of the true operating costs impedes their ability to establish a cost-efficiency threshold reflective of costs incurred.

Not knowing the true cost of operations makes it difficult for the Program to tell their story and impacts their ability to make informed decisions and forecast budgets. In order to support informed decision making, the organization should seek to understand the true full cost of offering air services.

Recommendation #3: Air Services Branch must strengthen their financial management practices. All expenditures must be recorded in a consistent manner in order to assess the financial performance of the program. As well, a framework to ensure that cost recovery practices are implemented in a consistent and proper manner is required.

The stated mandate of Air Services is to provide air support and assistance to operational personnel. ^{Footnote 27} While the PFM System identifies specific trip types and purposes, the Program has not defined these items into larger categories (operational versus non-operational) to help prioritize flight requests.

While the PFM's User Manual indicates that in order for a flight to be considered operational, a file number must be provided ^{Footnote 28}, very few managers took the time to enter a project code or file number. Since the RCMP fleet is to be used primarily in support of operations, the RCMP needs to develop a clear articulation of what constitutes operational and non-operational flights. This is supported by the Deputy Commissioner East Report which further explains that, "while operational priorities are supposed to take precedence over administrative requests, none of the air units has a formal flight prioritization methodology defining: what constitutes an operational request versus an administrative request; and which operational requests take precedence over other operational requests." ^{Footnote 29}

When asked who determines booking priorities for an aircraft, the majority (5/9) of interviewees revealed that the Flight Coordinator is the first level of authority to determine booking priorities. Should there be competing operational requests; seven out of nine interviewees stated that the decision would be elevated to a higher level for decision.

The Program should explore the development of a framework that would help to prioritize flight booking requests. These and other related efforts will help to increase the quality of data contained in the PFM System, assist Flight Coordinators in applying consistent standards, and ensure assets are being used primarily to support operational requirements.

Recommendation #4: In coordination with Air Services Branch, all divisions should establish a flight priority matrix to support their regions' booking and scheduling based on flight purpose. This will better support operational and non-operational decision making.

Inconsistent approaches were used for booking, managing and tracking flight information.

In 2007, ASB implemented the PFM tool intended for national use. The PFM system was introduced to replace other methods utilized to facilitate scheduling of RCMP aircraft and intended to serve as a central repository of all flight data. At the time of the evaluation, the majority of air sections (15/19) had implemented the PFM system and a few (4/19) continue to book through other means such as in the GroupWise Calendar.

Despite the financial and human resource investments that have been made to implement the PFM system since 2007, the system is still not being used to support decision making because the data is perceived to be incomplete and inaccurate. Many air sections submit their flight information to ASB by paper-based methods for quality assurance and maintenance purposes. This is a duplication of effort to have two systems (one computer based, one manual) in place, both of which are designed to capture much of the same information. ASB should explore how these two systems could be better integrated to meet the requirements of QA and maintenance and ensure that each air section takes the time required to properly enter all flight information in the PFM system to support decision making.

The PFM System has the capacity to publish flight schedules to the RCMP InfoWeb allowing anyone to view upcoming flights as well as seat availability. The online schedules are based on the information inserted into the PFM System scheduling module. Half of the air sections had their flight information available on the interactive map.

The PFM provides the ability to produce reports on aircraft usage including flight time, air time, nautical miles, passenger miles, number of passengers, etc. and its ability to provide information by air section and by selected dates. Some of the most frequently used PFM reports can be found in Appendix B. While the PFM system can generate multiple types of reports, it is perceived to be inaccurate and unreliable. The RCMP should ensure the PFM provides consolidated reliable and accurate reports from a national perspective to support decision making.

At a divisional level, and in accordance with RCMP policy on the Use of Transport Assets contained within the Transportation Management Manual, "Regions are responsible for implementing tools and processes to regularly monitor and analyze utilization data to ensure effective and efficient management of fleet assets and actively seek out opportunities to account for both asset and fleet sizes." ^{Footnote 30} In compliance with this policy, it is recommended that the PFM System be utilized by all 19 air sections in a consistent manner. As previously mentioned, this would enable the program to assess performance from a national perspective.

This is not the first time that booking and managing of flights has been identified as an area for improvement. A 2011 review of the Atlantic Air Services recommended that, "A review of our flight booking practices is needed to help define a process that would improve our delivery of this service in a cost effective manner." ^{Footnote 31} As the policy centre responsible for the PFM System, it is suggested that ASB offer training information on how to use the tool, the importance of the information entered and review the tool to ensure mandatory fields are completed by way of drop down boxes to ensure consistency and accuracy of information contained in the System.

Another nationally established process to support the gathering and tracking of flight information is the use of form 3640. It is to be completed and submitted electronically to regional flight coordinators whenever requesting a flight. This process is complemented by the RCMP's internal website that provides an electronic interactive map which allows users to view daily aircraft availability.

Form 3640 provides information, such as passenger details, purpose, cost centre and the person authorizing the flight (Unit Commander, Director or equivalent). ^{Footnote 32} Only half of the air sections mention the form on their divisional intranet site as a requirement when booking a flight. Of the five air sections sampled, only one used form 3640. A number of Air Sections have adopted their own approach which includes scheduling flights in response to an e-mail request or a phone call. Even though these approaches may contain the same information included in the form, often there is no documentation that formally authorizes the flight.

Until such time that ASB implements measures to ensure that all essential information mentioned above is collected and analyzed using the corporate information system, it will not have sufficient information to support operations and decision-making.

Recommendation #5: The Air Services Branch and all Divisions must use the Professional Flight Management System, the RCMP system for booking a flight, in a consistent manner and ensure that all required information is recorded. This would strengthen the flight information to ensure the Program can properly support operations and decision-making.

In order to satisfy evolving policing realities and emerging priorities, the organization must define and assess operational needs/priorities on an ongoing basis. Consideration would then be given to the type and number of aircraft that would best fulfill those needs/priorities. Document review supports this view, as the 2005 Capital Asset Strategy states, "the changing conditions under which RCMP operates and the evolving adaptation to meet shifting requirements, requires that Air Services support aircraft and personnel to also adapt and evolve." ^{Footnote 33}

As presented in Appendix A, the RCMP's fleet currently includes 41 aircraft, comprised of thirteen different types, both fixed-wing and rotary-wing. The current composition is supported by evidence that suggests the organization requires the right mix of multi-role, short, medium and long-haul air platforms to fulfill their mandate. ^{Footnote 34}

A 2008 report stated that the fleet did not satisfy 100% of mission needs force-wide but cautioned however that, "meeting the requirements 100% is unrealistic. The aircraft should therefore be able to carry a full passenger load, with the associated amount of cargo and full fuel, to complete the mission, 80% of the time. The remaining 20% of the time is considered exceptional, and other supply alternatives could be considered (e.g., 2 trips, less gear, more fuel stops, chartering, etc.)". ^{Footnote 35}

Unlike other moveable assets (land and marine), the management of the aircraft fleet, the needs assessment for acquisitions, disposal, enhancement and maintenance of the aircrafts are the responsibility of the policy centre and not Corporate Management. With regard to the aircrafts, they assist at the front end in terms of planning the acquisition as well as the back end with the disposal and life-cycle.

To ensure that Air Services had the right type and number of aircraft, a 2005 Capital Asset Strategy report entitled "Capital Asset Strategy - The Ten Year Outlook 2005/06 to 2015/16" was reviewed. Given that the report is now almost ten years old, the RCMP should develop an updated Strategy.

Furthermore, in 2008, the RCMP hired consultants to produce an Air Fleet Strategy. This report recommended different aircraft capabilities and range requirements that would meet multiple and diverse operational needs. While the proposed aircrafts would satisfy the need at the time of the report, costs were extremely high. The report itself stated, "the challenge lies in finding the right mix of aircraft to meet the variety of policing needs, at the best value to government." ^{Footnote 36} Recommendations contained within this report are outdated, were not viable economical options to acquire and no longer apply to the operational and fiscal environment in which the RCMP polices today.

Business cases submitted by different air sections for the acquisition of new aircraft have offered some rationale as to the type of aircraft required to meet specific divisional needs. We observed that the planning and rationale provided were short-term rather than long-term and spoke predominantly of the current needs of the Division. While different options were included in the business cases, some also addressed alternate service delivery. The vast majority discounted alternative options as being either too costly or as not meeting the Division's need. It is unclear the level of involvement or direction, if any, that was provided by NHQ.

Today, most of the RCMP's fleet is comprised of the Pilatus PC-12. For many, the Pilatus continues to be the best multi-purpose aircraft currently available and the preferred option among air sections. As the Winnipeg Air section highlighted in its business case, "The Pilatus PC-12 is still considered the optimal plane to suit the current need, based on range, size, cargo space, as well as its ability to both function in the northern environment and land on short, rough airstrips." ^{Footnote 37} A proportion (12/45) of interviewees agreed that the Pilatus offers great capabilities and is a good aircraft. ^{Footnote 38} In order to determine whether the RCMP on a national level, has the right type of aircraft to fulfill its mandate today and into the future, the RCMP should consider developing a national planning strategy. Such a strategy would highlight divisional requirements within the context of national priorities and priorities across the divisions. It would highlight short and long term planning, provide strategic direction from NHQ, contain financial information, identify accountabilities for decision making, and establish how performance of the fleet will be assessed.

There are a number of factors that impact the usage of aircraft. The location of the aircraft, the needs of the Division and its geographic location must all be taken into consideration.

Results of document review and interview analysis were compared with aircraft usage rates. This comparison demonstrated that a significant proportion of travel was not specifically identified. As previously mentioned under Finding #6, information is not consistently being entered into the system or collected through the appropriate travel forms. From the limited data captured in the system and the lack of a clear definition of operational vs. non-operational, it is difficult to establish how many flights are operational or non-operational.

From the system, 36% of aircraft usage did not specify the type of services provided. It is difficult to assess use of the aircraft with incomplete information (i.e. operational vs. non-operational).

With each air section applying its own definition of what constitutes operational vs. non-operational and deciding whether to input data in the PFM system, has resulted in information being incomplete and inconsistent. The outcome is that the organization does not have sound information at a national and divisional level on usage of the aircraft. This impacts the ability of the Branch to oversee air services across the country and develop a national picture of aircraft, usage and address all potential operational requirements.

The majority of flights conducted over the last three years have been carried out by the following three aircrafts: the Pilatus, the Cessna and the Eurocopter, all of which meet different needs. Below is a description of the national usage for these aircrafts.

Pilatus

The Pilatus is the most multi-purpose aircraft rolled out across the force. There are currently a total of 16 Pilatus aircrafts in the fleet. The Pilatus has had the highest utilization rates across the country with 10,000 hours of air time and 2.1M nautical miles flown. The Pilatus is also the aircraft that has transported the most passengers with a yearly average of 22,379. The three Pilatus aircrafts that have gotten the most annual usage are located in Winnipeg, Yellowknife and Prince George. The Pilatus aircrafts that have the least amount of annual usage were located in Ottawa, London and Montreal.

Eurocopter

The Eurocopter has the second highest air time hours on average per year with 3,795 hours flown and has transported 5,600 passengers on average per year over the last three fiscal years. There are nine Eurocopters in the fleet. On average, Prince Albert, Vancouver and Kamloops have the highest airtime hours and Montreal, Comox and Kelowna the lowest.

Cessna

As previously mentioned, there are 12 Cessna's in the fleet and they are predominantly used for surveillance. The top three aircrafts based on usage are located in London, Montreal and Prince Rupert while the lowest usage rates are located in Winnipeg, Edmonton and Regina. Overall, the Cessna aircrafts account for 2,941 hours flown on average per year and have transported 1,435 passengers.

The following is a more in-depth analysis of usage rates from a cross-section of Divisions that have been divided into different groups, namely, the North, Contract Provinces including the Atlantic service delivery model and Federal Provinces.

North

Canada's North is remote, sparsely populated and experiences some of the country's most inclement weather. A number of communities are not accessible by roads and may be completely isolated, particularly in the winter, with the exception of some ice roads. As such, the North is heavily dependent on aircrafts to transport personnel, supplies and to provide services.

Whitehorse, Yellowknife and Iqaluit Air Sections service the communities of the Territories. Overall, there are 37 fly-in communities with the majority located in "V" Division. Whitehorse Air Section has the lowest usage rates amongst the three air sections. However this is expected given that "M" Division has the highest number of communities accessible by road. These three air sections combined have some of the highest flying hours with the least amount of pilots.

With only one aircraft, there are times when it may be unavailable to fulfill an operational requirement due to the aircraft being down for maintenance or already out on another flight. Historically, the Iqaluit Air Section has typically called upon the Ottawa Air Section for assistance in terms of a loaned aircraft.

Contract Provinces

Policing services in most contract provinces are delivered in a large geographic area that captures both cities and isolated northern communities. While larger cities located further south have access to various modes of transportation and alternative service delivery options, northern communities are more dependent on aircraft with little other transportation infrastructure available.

Usage rates vary among contract provinces examined, the majority of provinces are within the average for the fleet. Divisions provide Federal, Provincial, Municipal, and First Nation policing through host and stand-alone detachments. Divisions such as "D" and "F" also have fly-in communities similarly to the North. Air sections in both "D" and "F" Divisions expressed that winter driving conditions also present transportation challenges. Access to these geographic locations is reliant on the use of an aircraft.

The Atlantic Region operates under a centralized service delivery model, which delivers air services to four different Divisions - Newfoundland and Labrador (NFLD), Nova Scotia (NS), Prince Edward Island (PEI) and New Brunswick (NB). The Air Section located in Moncton, NB provides support with one Pilatus, one Eurocopter and one Cessna.

This region has unpredictable weather given its proximity to the ocean. Fog, rain and snow are environmental factors that significantly impact an aircrafts' ability to fly. As a result, this Air Section had the highest number (368) of flights cancelled due to weather conditions over the last three fiscal years.

Usage rates for contract provinces vary depending on the location, the number and type of aircrafts flown and in certain instances the remoteness of northern communities. As previously mentioned, without complete data input into the system, it is difficult to assess the usage of the aircraft.

Federal Air Sections

The corridor encompassing London - Ottawa - Montreal Air Sections are closely linked by geography (proximity to one another) and the availability of other modes of transportation.

These air sections are responsible for federal policing in Ontario and Quebec and have the primary law enforcement authority for federal matters. Operations are focused on organized crime, economic integrity, border integrity and national security.

Historically, Ottawa Air Section has provided support to other divisions through a loaner Pilatus in addition to supporting federal policing activities (i.e. deployment of ERT teams, conducting Prime Minister Protection Detail (PMPD)-related flights etc...). The federal Divisions have a total of 19 aircrafts available, with 10 aircraft located in the London-Ottawa-Montreal Air Sections.

While these air sections combined have the highest number of aircrafts and pilots, they also have the lowest usage rates compared to the other air sections. These air sections could achieve economies by coordinating their resources given their proximity and the fact that they have the same needs and conduct the same type of flights.

As the analysis of different Divisions highlighted, usage rates and human resources vary widely across the fleet. Without knowing the actual needs for air services as a whole, the RCMP cannot ensure that it is efficiently allocating aircraft.

4.0 Conclusion

RCMP Air Services and its mandate are relevant and important in supporting operational policing situations and initiatives of the RCMP. The evaluation found that the 19 air sections operate individually rather than one Branch, each with its own way of doing business. It is important that the organization develop a national coordinated approach to delivering air services in order to maximize the use of the fleet and ensure the right mix of aircraft is available across the country. The ability of the Air Services Branch to meet its outcomes in an effective and efficient matter is currently limited by:

• an ad hoc approach to governance, fleet management, integrated planning and managing based on maximizing fleet use
• absence of a clear, concise definition of operational vs. non-operational flights
• inconsistent approaches used to capture information about all aspects of the performance of flight operations
• distribution of human resources across air sections that do not necessarily match fleet use and priorities

For the program to be effective and respond to emerging priorities more efficiently, information must be captured consistently so that a national picture of flight operations can be established that aligns aircraft type, usage, location and available human resources to address organizational priorities.

5.0 Management Response and Action Plan

5.1 Management Response

Senior officials responsible for RCMP Air Services and Corporate Management reviewed the report on the evaluation of the RCMP Flight Operations Program and accept its findings and recommendations. The content of this report has served as a catalyst to modernize RCMP Air Services.

The Management Action Plan below outlines many concrete measures that have already been taken. These measures will strengthen national governance and leadership, financial management and overall service delivery. Additionally, RCMP Air Services has proactively gone beyond the recommendations and have begun to undertake a number of initiatives that support continuous program improvement. Examples of such include hosting a national conference with all the line officers responsible for Air Services, establishing regular communication at various levels between the Air Services Branch and the Air Sections, restructuring the Air Services Branch and scheduling reviews for fixed wing and rotary wing.

5.2 Management Action Plan

Recommendation	Planned Action	Current Status	Diary Date
Recommendation 1: National governance practices must be enhanced, communicated and implemented nationally by the Air Services Branch, including policies, integrated planning, monitoring and oversight to allow for better management of the flight operations program. Responsibility: Director General Air Services Branch	Management agrees with this recommendation. Air Services Branch (ASB) has already begun enhancing communication with the Divisions by implementing bi-monthly teleconferences. Furthermore, ASB is in the process of staffing key positions and redefining roles and responsibilities to enhance national leadership and program oversight. Additional planned actions include:	ASB has staffed key positions, restructured and redefined roles and responsibilities to enhance national leadership, program oversight and accountability. Furthermore, ASB has enhanced communication with the Divisions by holding bi-monthly teleconferences with the various professional streams (Fixed wing pilots, Rotary wing pilots, Coordinators, Line Officers and Aircraft Maintenance Engineers).
	1. Staff the Operations Manager position.	Complete - The position has been staffed with a 2 year secondment from Transport Canada.	1. September 2014
	2. Host a strategic planning workshop to communicate national direction, set priorities and create action plans.	Complete - A three day Program Oriented Work Planning Meeting (POWPM) was held in November 2014 with all Line Officers responsible for Air Sections across the Force. As a result, national priorities were set and action plans including policy development and working groups were created.	2. November 2014
	3. Modernize the aircraft maintenance management and safety management systems	In progress - For both systems, the requests for proposals have been conducted. The CIO is the project authority for the maintenance management system and ASB continues to monitor the progress of acquiring the new software for the systems. A project completion date of March 2016 has been set.	3. March 2016
Recommendation 2: Air Services Branch must gather and analyze information that will enable them to better align staffing levels, aircraft usage and scheduling if the program is to ensure that it meets the organization's demands in the most efficient and economical way. Responsibility: Director General Air Services Branch	Management agrees with this recommendation. Planned actions include:
	1. Complete a comprehensive review of flight operations in Central Canada (C, O and NHQ Divisions) and prepare service delivery recommendations for senior management.	Ongoing - A review of Central Canada operations has been completed. DG Air Services has met with counterparts and recommendations have been made. These have recently been communicated to the line officers and an implementation schedule has not yet been determined.	1. December 2014
	2. Establish and communicate a national performance management framework for Air Services.	Ongoing - In alignment with the tech ops logic model, a national performance management framework was collectively determined and agreed upon at the November POWPM. Five key performance indicators were identified for collection. Next steps include aligning the new performance framework with the Tech Ops data collection tool to enable the start of data collection.	2. March 2015
	3. Establish a schedule of flight operations reviews for the remaining divisions.	Complete - An Operational Flight Document Review Schedule containing an ongoing/follow-up review component has been established. All Fixed Wing Bases have undergone a review and all the Rotary Wing Bases will undergo a review in 2015. The review process is scheduled to start over again as early as August 2015 on the Fixed Wing Bases.	3. March 2015
	4. In consultation with the Divisions, assess new models to enhance coordination, tasking and tracking of flights including a centralized model.	In progress - This item was discussed at the November POWPM and is linked to planned action 1 of this recommendation. The Air Service Branch is taking steps to move towards a centralized model. As part of this planned action, a 6 month pilot project to centralize flight coordination among three Air Sections is to begin in Spring 2015.	4. September 2015
Recommendation 3: Air Services Branch must strengthen their financial management practices. All expenditures need to be recorded in a consistent manner in order to assess the financial performance of the program. As well, a framework to ensure that cost recovery practices are implemented in a consistent and proper manner is required. Responsibility: Chief Financial Administrative Officer & Deputy Commissioner Specialized Policing Services	Management agrees with this recommendation. Planned actions include:	A resource has been identified to lead the working group. This resource will be establishing the necessary working group with appropriate membership from all parts of Corporate Management as well as an Air Services representative. Shortly thereafter, a project plan will be established that will align with the first deliverable of May 2015.
	1. Appoint a financial management analyst to lead a working group with membership including Air Services, Financial Management, Corporate Accounting, Corporate Management Systems, and Air Asset Management.		1. October 2014
	a. Conduct gap analysis exercise and confirm fact validation.		1.a. May 2015
	b. Consistent with Air Services governance structures, strategic direction and key performance indicators develop a national policy framework to address accounting treatment and cost recovery practices.		1.b. October 2015
	c. Conduct a full costing exercise inclusive of all direct, indirect, and all other applicable costs.		1.c. March 2016
Recommendation 4: In coordination with Air Services Branch, all divisions should establish a flight priority matrix to support their regions' booking and scheduling based on flight purpose. This will better support operational and non-operational decision making. Responsibility: Director General Air Services Branch	Management agrees with this recommendation. Currently, a priority matrix already exists within the Professional Flight Management manual. Planned actions include:
	1. In consultation with Divisions, validate and amend, as appropriate, the existing flight priority matrix.	Complete - The priority matrix was shared with the Divisions for validation in September 2014. It was presented at the November POWPM where it was revised and adopted. A national flight priority matrix containing 4 levels with clear criteria and definitions has been implemented and communicated nationally to all staff.	1. October 2014
	2. Monitor the use of the priority matrix in the scheduling and tasking of aircraft.	Ongoing - ASB is currently taking the steps required to have Form 3640 and the PFM System modified to capture and reflect the priority levels. A process has not yet been established to determine how the use of the priority matrix will be monitored, by whom and how often.	2. Ongoing
Recommendation 5: The Air Services Branch and all Divisions must use the Professional Flight Management System, the RCMP system for booking a flight, in a consistent manner and ensure that all required information is recorded. This would strengthen the flight information to ensure the Program can properly support operations and decision-making. Responsibility: Director General Air Services Branch	Management agrees with this recommendation. Planned actions include:
	1. Complete review of policies, procedures and the Professional Flight Management (PFM) User Guide to identify gaps and corrective actions.	Complete - All policies and procedures have been reviewed. The PFM user guide has been reviewed and is currently in translation. The guide will be made available online to support ongoing PFM training nationally.	1. October 2014
	2. Host bi-annual PFM training.	Complete - A 4 day PFM training course was delivered to all flight coordinators on October 27 - 31, 2014.	2. October 2014 and then bi-annually
	3. Monitor compliance with PFM policies and procedures and initiate follow-up action where appropriate.	Ongoing - A monthly quality assurance process for the PFM System has been developed and is being conducted by the Base managers. It requires each Air Section to print out the operational report from the PFM System and conduct a comparison with the aircraft flight logs to ensure data completeness and accuracy. This oversight provides the opportunity to take corrective measures where necessary.	3. Ongoing
Recommendation 6: Air Services Branch must develop and implement a national strategic plan that will establish a national picture of how the aircraft are used. Such information will help support sound decision-making regarding aircraft placement and when aircraft can be shared for emerging short and long term operational priorities, and the allocation of human and financial resources. Responsibility: Directors General Air Services Branch and Assets Management	Management agrees with this recommendation. Planned actions include:
	1. Develop a strategic plan for Air Services in consultation with Divisions and key stakeholders.	In progress - Foundational elements of a Strategic plan were front and center at the November POWPM. Items such as a vision and mission exercise, priority setting, business planning, etc. took place. Consultations with Divisions and key stakeholders on this topic will continue. A strategic plan for Air Services is expected to be complete by March 2015.	1. March 2015
	2. Develop an Air Asset Capital Strategy for the RCMP.	In progress - A working group that includes employees from Assets Management has been formed to develop an Air Asset Capital Strategy. Terms of Reference outlining the mandate, meeting schedule and project timelines is due December 29, 2014	2. March 2016

6.0 Appendices

6.1 Appendix A: Type and Location of RCMP Fleet

Type	Specifications & Capabilities	# Owned	Location (RCMP Division)
Pilatus (PC-12)	Fixed wing, single turbo-prop engine, and commuter aircraft that provides a multi-purpose platform (i.e. transports passengers, cargo and aerial surveillance) and is used across Canada.	16	K Division x2 V Division A Division x2 O Division (Specter) J Division C Division F Division x2 E Division x2 D Division x3 (1 Specter) G Division
Cessna (208)	Fixed wing aircraft used for surveillance as well as an amphibious transport aircraft that is capable of operations on land and water.	3	C Division E Division x2
Cessna (206 & 210)	Fixed wing aircraft with a single piston engine that is mostly used for surveillance purposes	8	K Division (206) J Division (206) O Division (206 & 210) C Division (206 & 210) F Division (210)
Cessna Soloy (U206G)	Fixed wing, turbo shaft single engine aircraft that has enhanced reliability, versatility and performance to the Cessna 206. High performing, it is an extremely quiet aircraft that is used for surveillance.	1	E Division
Eurocopter (AS-350)	Rotary wing aircraft with a single engine, used to access areas without an airstrip and features increased maneuverability.	7	E Division x3 K Division O Division J Division C Division
Eurocopter (EC-120)	Rotary wing aircraft with a single engine that is light and can be used for multi-purposes (i.e. transports passengers, conducts aerial surveillance and search and rescue.)	2	E Division x2
De Havilland Twin Otter (DHC6-300)	Fixed wing, twin engine aircraft that can operate in Canada's northern climate. Multiple cargo configurations allow for maximum flexibility and utility (i.e. aerial search and rescue, transport passengers and cargo)	2	B Division M Division
Kodiak Quest Float Plane (100)	Fixed wing, single turbo-prop engine amphibious aircraft. Capable of operations on land or water.	1	E Division
Piaggio (P180)	Fixed wing, twin-engine turbo-prop aircraft that can operate at high altitudes (up to 40,000 feet) and has an increased cruise speed (up to 700 km/h).	1	A Division
TOTAL		41

6.2 Appendix B: Most Frequently Used Professional Flight Management System Reports

Category	Report Name	Description
Aircraft Report	Operational (Ops) Report	Break down of aircraft usage by leg. Provides flight time, air time, nautical miles, passenger miles, number of passengers, cargo and trip type.
Aircraft Report	Scheduled/Record Keeping Comparison	Compares scheduled flights versus flights entered in Record Keeping. It is a good way to verify which flights have been entered in records.
Aircraft Report	Trip Type Statistics	Break down of aircraft usage by leg. Provides authorizer, trip purpose, division, number of passengers miles and hours.
Cost Reports	Chargeback	Useful report to determine cost recovery information.
Crew Reports	Pilot Flight Log	Breakdown per leg providing all details entered in record keeping.
Crew Reports	Pilot Summary	Breakdown per aircraft and duty times.
Crew Reports	Single Pilot	Lists only the trips that the pilot was single crew.
Passenger Reports	Passenger Usage	Breakdown of passengers per leg.