Review of the Immigration Control
Officer Network – Final Report

3.1 ICO Management Framework

The current management framework for the ICO Network does not clearly articulate the roles and responsibilities of the various stakeholders in the ICO Network (IR, the Enforcement Branch and the Case Management Branch) and is not fully supported by the stakeholders. In assessing the ICO Network, it is important to establish a management model that will help guide the evaluation of the various issues (roles, planning and reporting) and that is consistent with CIC’s current departmental management model.

While many of the findings of this review refer to aspects of a management structure, it was felt to be important to determine what the management framework should be prior to addressing any of the other issues in this report. Therefore, a framework was developed. It is provided in the next section to give context to the issues described and recommendations made.

The following section describes the roles of the various groups in Headquarters (IR, the Enforcement Branch and the Case Management Branch) and in ICO missions (program managers and ICOs).

Roles of Headquarters

The following are the key roles and responsibilities of IR, the Enforcement Branch and the Case Management Branch as they relate to the ICO Network.

International Region

  • Contribute to the setting of objectives, policies, procedures and standards.
  • Lead the development of business plans that set out mission performance expectations and target results.
  • Establish resource allocations to areas for program delivery to achieve planned expectations.
  • Establish, in collaboration with other HQ branches and program managers, a framework, a set of procedures, and associated systems support for regional program performance monitoring and reporting of results.
  • Manage issues and activities of importance to international activities.
  • Select personnel, based on selection criteria developed by IR, the Enforcement Branch, the Case Management Branch and program managers.
  • Provide input into ICO performance appraisal.

Enforcement Branch

  • Establish objectives, policies, procedures and standards for the Enforcement Program.
  • Establish suggested resource allocations to areas to achieve planned expectations for the Enforcement Program.
  • Identify requirements (related to equipment, budget, tools and so on) based on planned expectations for the Enforcement Program.
  • Develop and deliver an ICO training program in collaboration with RIRT.
  • Establish, in collaboration with other HQ branches and program managers, a framework, a set of procedures, and associated systems support for performance monitoring and reporting of results of the Enforcement Program.
  • Provide key selection criteria for ICOs on a location-by-location basis.
  • Manage issues and activities of importance to the Enforcement Program.
  • Provide input into ICO performance appraisal.

Case Management Branch

  • Establish objectives, policies, procedures and standards for case management.
  • Establish suggested resource allocations to areas to achieve planned expectations for case management.
  • Identify requirements (related to equipment, budget, tools and so on) based on planned expectations for the Case Management Branch.
  • Develop and deliver an ICO training program in collaboration with RIRT.
  • Establish, in collaboration with other HQ branches and program managers, a framework, a set of procedures, and associated systems support for performance monitoring and reporting of results of case management.
  • Provide key selection criteria for ICOs on a location-by-location basis;
  • Manage issues and activities of importance to case management.
  • Provide input into ICO performance appraisal.

Proposed Roles of ICO Missions

Key responsibilities of program managers and ICOs are as follows.

Program Managers

  • Organize and manage, within assigned resources, the delivery of programs and activities in accordance with priorities and within program performance parameters.
  • Participate fully in the setting of priorities and direction by providing input to the generation of mission plans and priorities.
  • Reassign resources within and across programs, as required, to address emerging priorities while continuing to meet operational performance standards and other delivery obligations.
  • Assist IR in the selection of ICOs.
  • Prepare, in consultation with HQ, performance appraisals for ICOs.

Immigration Control Officers

  • Participate fully in the setting of priorities and directions for the location.
  • Realign priorities, in consultation with the program manager, to address emerging priorities or emergencies of the location.
  • Deliver on program objectives and priorities.
  • Support CIC officers and staff in fulfilling CIC objectives.
Recommendation 1

The management framework described in this report should be adopted. Once agreement is reached, a communication plan should be developed to ensure all stakeholders are informed of and understand the management framework.

Management Response

Management agrees in principle that there needs to be a new management framework, consistent with the Department’s management model, but details remain to be defined.

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