Picture of DND Carling Campus building

Canadian Armed Forces (CF) and Department of National Defence (DND): Defence Headquarters Consolidation Project

Location:

Ottawa

Size:

Carling Campus 135,025 m2 (1,453,400 sq.ft.)

The Challenge:

To work with leadership in order to help identify critical workplace transformation success factors, planning principles, and strategic objectives that would favourably reshape the work environment into a more effective, more performance-driven, and less costly space that transitions 23,000 occupants from 44 buildings to approximately 14.

The Solution:

Canadian Armed Forces (CF) and National Defence Headquarters (NDHQ) will be relocating to an existing complex in the National Capital Region (NCR) formerly occupied by Nortel. There are approximately 23,000 occupants in the NRC of which 8,000-10,000 will be relocated to the Carling Campus by 2019. CF/NDHQ is projecting to reduce its number of occupied buildings from 44 to 14.

Meredith Thatcher was selected as the workplace strategist and change management expert working directly with the Vice Chief of Defence Staff (VCDS) and other DND/CF representatives to:

  • Facilitate the leadership (DM, all ADMs, CDS, VCDS) brainstorming session to identify transformation critical success factors, planning principles, and strategic objectives
  • Conduct research
  • Review and identify possible approach to integrate Workplace 2.0 into the strategy
  • Prepare for and participate in the Defence Management Committee meetings
  • Analyze results and help identify future organizational scenarios
  • Guide decision-makers and provide insight to potential impacts of different strategic decisions
  • Develop draft documentation for review and comment
  • Initiate change management working groups to test the planning principles with senior management, middle management and youth network
  • Prepare strategic framework documentation that will identify, list and rank actual critical success factors and strategic objectives

Services delivered:

  • Workplace Strategy, critical success factors, planning principles, change management strategies
  • Leadership engagement and consultation
  • Stakeholder group workshops and building tours
  • Expert advice to Senior Management
  • Transformation and change management advisory services