CSE to leave DND?

Is CSE planning to leave the Department of National Defence?

That seems to be the subtext of this job posting for a "special advisor" to provide strategic advice to CSE's Chief Financial Officer AKA Director General Finance:

[CSE] has experienced a rapid infusion of funds and growth since 2001.Further changes might become necessary in order to support [the agency's] enhanced mandate, including possible changes to CSE's organizational status and/or reporting relationship within Government. The CFO for CSE has been mandated to consider and assess the implications on the financial management function, infrastructure and capacity of possible changes to CSE's organizational status, including the impact of CSE becoming a separate agency under the [Financial Administration Act].

REQUIREMENTS

The CFO of CSE requires a Special Advisor to:

A) Coordinate the development and implementation of plans for selected scenarios, including the identification of internal and external expert resources and/or partnerships with other departments required to support the project.

B) Provide strategic advice to the CFO (and to CSE's senior management, on an as and when required basis): the complex financial issues arising in the event of a change in CSE's organization status, the associated resource implications, resourcing options and implementation timelines; and options for partnering or interface arrangements with other federal government organizations to achieve a required state of readiness with due consideration to cost and affordability issues.

C) Lead a comprehensive gap analysis between the current financial responsibilities, accountabilities, capacity and infrastructure of CSE, and future requirements for the full range of governance models options available for CSE.

D) Act as an independent advisor to the CFO when advising Senior Management on the implications of the various options.

E) Advise the CFO on the development and implementation of strong financial management governance, policy, program, performance, and reporting and accountability frameworks to support implementation of a new status for CSE.

F) Conduct representational, advocacy and negotiation initiatives with senior officials of Central Agencies, DND, other federal departments, consultants and other external stakeholders and partners, on an as and when required basis.

In providing this advice, the consultant will take into account the current needs and requirements of CSE for robust and modern financial management governance and service delivery model, the ranges of options for possible changes to CSE status and/or reporting relationship within Government, resulting changes anticipated in financial responsibilities and infrastructure, costs and affordability, as well as the long term direction for CFO organizations within the federal government.

See also this ad.

Sounds like CSE is looking at becoming a free-standing agency like CSIS.

That would presumably simplify CSE's currently somewhat convoluted reporting relationships, but who would be the responsible minister? The Defence Minister, as it is now? DND has traditionally been CSE's main customer, but that may become less true as the Afghanistan mission winds down. Foreign Affairs? CSE is a foreign intelligence agency after all, and Foreign Affairs is both a major customer and the department that traditionally led the SIGINT policy-making process. Public Safety? The PS minister already handles both CSIS and the RCMP, among other agencies, but that ministry is probably too domestic-focused, despite CSE's increasing role in security intelligence.

And what is DND's view? Would this be an amicable separation?

Perhaps DND would be happy to see CSE go if it means they don't have to pay for CSE's new billion-dollar headquarters complex, which CSE somewhat bizarrely is now boasting will be "the largest repository of Top Secret information in Canada."

Trust bureaucrats to emphasize how many files they have.

Update 12 June 2011

From the Department of Barn Doors

Boy howdy, it only took about one day for all three of the job postings I linked to above to get pulled. This is the Internet, people. Once it's out there, it's out there. You think you're the only guys with data repositories?

The interesting bits from the first link are already posted above. For the record, here are the interesting bits of the other two posts:

Our government client Canadian [sic] Security Establishment is currently seeking a temporary Special Financial Advisor

Requirements
• Bilingual
• Secret Security Clearance

Duties
• Coordinate the development and implementation of plans for selected scenarios, including the identification of internal and external expert resources and/or partnerships with other departments required to support the project.
• Provide strategic advice to the CFO (and to CSE's senior management, on an as and when required basis): to the complex financial issues arising in the event of a change in CSE's organization status to the associated resource implications, resourcing options and implementation timelines; and to options for partnering or interface arrangements with other federal government organizations to achieve a required state of readiness with due consideration to cost and affordability issues.
• Lead a comprehensive gap analysis between the current financial responsibilities, accountabilities, capacity and infrastructure of CSE, and future requirements for the full range of governance models options available for CSE.
• Act as an independent advisor to the CFO when advising Senior Management on the implications of the various options.
• Advise the CFO on the development and implementation of strong financial management governance, policy, program, performance, and reporting and accountability frameworks to support implementation of a new status for CSE.
• Conduct representational, advocacy and negotiation initiatives with senior officials of Central Agencies, DND, other federal departments, consultants and other external stakeholders and partners, on an as and when required basis.
• In providing this advice, the consultant will take into account the current needs and requirements of CSE for robust and modern financial management governance and service delivery model, the ranges of options for possible changes to CSE status and/or reporting relationship within Government, resulting changes anticipated in financial responsibilities and infrastructure, costs and affordability, as well as the long term direction for CFO organizations within the federal government.
• Develop and present an implementation plan to the Technical Authority (T A) -a draft version of the implementation plan must be presented first.- upon receipt, CSE may supply comments for incorporation into a final version
• Analyze and document necessary actions required to implement the CFO model based on the gap analysis review. Develop position papers which will include arguments justifying proposed functions to be implemented.
• Monthly electronic progress reports to the Technical Authority (T A) outlining progress against the schedule and implementation plan. Problems or potential problems shall be highlighted.
• Presentations of the results to the T A and various CSE Committees such as Steering Committee (SC), ExCom, People Planning Resource Committee (PPRC), etc.
• An overall final report of all deliverables in Microsoft Power Point presentation and/or Word
document format in English only.
Have a current and valid professional accounting designation from a recognized association (CA, CMA or CGA).
• Be fluently bilingual at the Public Service (at minimum CCC Level), to be able to conduct interviews and make presentations in both official languages.
• Have held for a minimum of two years, in the last five years, a Chief Financial Officer/Senior Financial Officer position in the Government of Canada (GoC) at the EX-04level or above.
• Significant experience of ten (10) years (minimum) within the last fifteen (15) years, at the senior level in GoC (DG level or above) in the management of the finance function as defined by the Comptroller General of Canada in the CFO Model and the application of best practices in the areas of finance and contract management.
• At least one (1) year of senior level experience with the management of independent agencies, as well as with various governance and funding models in use in Canadian government agencies.
• At least one (1) year of experience in the Treasury Board Secretariat in the areas of Program Analysis and/or development, and in the areas of governance, common service policies and shared services.
• At least one (1) year of experience in structuring/modernizing financial management practices in federal government organizations.

and number two...

Current Opportunities - Career Description
Other - General Application - Ottawa, Ontario
...

If you are interested in employment with the CSEC but didn't see a position that fit your skill set, we encourage you submit your application into our general inventory for future consideration.

About CSEC

The Communications Security Establishment Canada (CSEC) relies on the expertise and knowledge of approximately 2000 employees to help the Government protect information of national interest through leading-edge information technology and to provide cyber security advice and services. CSEC is also mandated to collect foreign signals intelligence as per the Government of Canada's intelligence priorities. Federal security and law enforcement agencies, in the performance of their own lawful duties, also benefit form CSEC's capabilities.

CSEC is located in the Confederation Heights area of Ottawa, close to the Rideau Canal and Carleton University, and easily accessible by public transport (OC Transpo bus or O-train). In 2014, CSEC will be moving to a new, state-of-the-art, high security facility, in the Gloucester area of Ottawa. It will be the largest repository of Top Secret information in Canada.

Update 17 June 2011

The "largest repository" line is also used here.