Change Challenges and PPI Assessment at DRDC Toronto

This report provides an in-depth analysis of the change challenges faced by Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) Toronto, focusing on the perspectives of various stakeholders and the implementation of the Professional Partnership Initiative (PPI). The primary challenge identified is the difficulty in aligning stakeholders with diverse viewpoints on the development of advanced Science and Technology (S&T) products. The report explores the role of the associate director-general, Dr. Ross Pigeau, as a change agent, aiming to foster collaboration and innovation. It examines the challenges in securing stakeholder support for scientific research due to financial concerns and the potential for failure. The assessment of the PPI highlights its structure, comprising corporate, technical science, and management streams, and their impact on both military and civilian staff. The report concludes by emphasizing the importance of stakeholder alignment and effective leadership for the successful implementation of the PPI and the overall advancement of DRDC's mission. The report also discusses the three key parameters for the success of PPI: self-organization, effective partnerships, and direct contribution to DRDC's mission.

CHANGE AT DEFENCE RESERCH AND DEVELOPMENT – TORONTO
STUDENT DETAILS
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Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................2
Change challenges for DRDC Toronto......................................................................................2
Assessment of the PPI................................................................................................................4
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................7
References..................................................................................................................................8

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Introduction
Defence Research and Development Canada is the major military research station that
is located at the former site of CFB Downsview in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. This center is
entirely incorporate operations for making research and development related to the defence
operations. This center was founded in 1939 after the study conducted by the Department of
National Defence (DND) (Preventionweb, 2020). In the study, DND analysed about the
importance of having human factors through the interdepartmental Associate Committee on
Aviation Medical Research. In this report, there will be a discussion about the changes
challenges for DRDC Toronto and about the Professional Partnership Initiative (PPI).
Change challenges for DRDC Toronto
The primary challenges that DRDC faced while developing an advance range of S&T
products are that there were various stakeholders involves in this process and due to code of
conduct it is extremely necessary that majority of the stakeholders should be on the same
page but due to different perspective, every stakeholder processes different regarding this
matter. As military operates, technical staff, research staff and administrative staff all come
under the leadership of associate director-general Dr. Ross Pigeau. He was the change agent
for this for DRDC Toronto’s “Partnership through Professionalism”. Due to the different
perspectives of the stakeholders, it was creating hindrance for implement in making
organization client drive rather remaining organization as a largely “silo-ed”.
According to his perspective, he desires to create a community which involves scientist and
other professional people that should work together and share their expertise on specific
projects for emerging lasting positive impact on military and industrial operations. Moreover,
he also insisted that the Professional Partnership Initiative will be a great successful and
positive transformations if three fundamental significances fulfill each other's demand in an

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effective and efficient way possible. Due to the different perspectives of the stakeholder, it
was a huge challenge to bring all the stakeholders on the same page. Thus, this is the major
challenge that was creating hindrance in designing an organization that incorporates specific
expertise for conducting various studies and research that will provide great benefit to
military and industrial operations but all the stakeholders were not on the same page
(Preventionweb, 2020).
Many of the stakeholders believe that designing a community that will only conduct
scientific research requires major funds because scientific experiments become successful
after a lot of trails. In general, it is also noticed that even after conducting several trail
operations a research become fails and delivers no productive output. Thus, fear of failure of
research was the prime factor that was disallowing stakeholders to agree for forming a
separate community for conducting scientific research operations that will benefit military
and industrial operations in an effective and efficient way. Without bringing all the
stakeholders or the majority of the stakeholders on the same page it was not possible to
implement such changes. As stakeholders are an important part not only in the DRDC but in
all the companies. Stakeholders provide support and their practical viewpoint for the future
growth and stability of the organization. Without the support of the stakeholders, DRDC
cannot implement any changes and if any decision is extremely important to take it is
essential to bring all the stakeholders on the same page (Carleton.ca, 2019).
However, in this case, major challenges were arising because stakeholders are not on the
same page and they have their different perspectives. Implementing any program or changing
the organization's structure for incorporating scientific research, it not only requires financial
support but it also requires the support of all the stakeholders in decision making. When the
decision for such changes is not stable then such kind of huge changes should not be taken by
going against the decision of the majority. Moreover, here the point of going against the

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stakeholders is not possible because even the associate director-general Dr.Pigeau also has to
fulfill all the parameters of code of conduct in an effective and efficient way. As it is true that
scientific research requires funds and various other things. Even after stakeholders agree on
creating a separate community then also it is no guarantee that these scientific programs will
bring a high probability success rate. However, after creating community these operations or
research gets failed then it will resultant in wastage of huge funds which could be contributed
towards other military and industrial operations. After analysis, it can be said that
stakeholders in this matter were also right because they were thinking about securing current
funds and Dr.Pigeau was also right because he was thinking about emerging future benefits
that can contribute major changes in the operations in an effective and efficient way
(Preventionweb, 2020).
Assessment of the PPI
PPI stands for Professional Partnership Initiative (PPI) and in this case study, it was
recognized by four of its major professional streams which were corporate, technical science
and management. These four streams put their impact on both military and civilian staffs in
an effective and efficient way possible. Each stream incorporates members who process
different levels of practical and professional experience. All of the members take control of
their streams with their different leadership and other skills. As their roles and responsibility
are different thus there was a point that all these streams process identical leadership and
other skills. However, all of these streams operate with the primary goal to fulfill the
objectives of DRDC Toronto’s clients. These streams working in collaboration with DRDC
and they do not change the organization’s design neither they interact in the chain military
operations of commands.

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The observations of the corporate stream state that it is the part of the military family
and in military operations change should be the constant process. Apart from this, the
professional partnership philosophy is a critical concept that showcases that recognizing an
effective collaboration of every district professional stream is necessary and refreshing.
These chains of commands operate in two dimensions that are vertical and horizontal. These
two dimensions significances the levels of management operations in an effective and
efficient way. Although, the primary objectives of the management in PPI while operating in
these two dimensions are directly related to the establishment of task accountability and unity
of efforts. As per the views of Dr. Pigeau, PPI will be successful but the model of PPI has to
accomplish three parameters that incorporate the measures for self-organize, to effectively
partnering well with the other two major streams and to contribute directly in the mission of
DRDC Toronto. After fulfilling these three outcomes, the probability of success changes of
PPI will be enhanced but like the previous challenges that arise from a different point of view
of stakeholders, this same challenge can arise in PPI also (Carleton.ca, 2019).
The same challenge which incorporates in the DRDC can be raised in PPI also. In this
case, the major challenges for the management will be to bring the majority of the
stakeholders on the same page in an effective and efficient way possible. According to me, in
the case of PPI with three state measures, Dr. Pigeau should also be concern about the views
of stakeholders that can hamper the process of the functioning because the different
perspectives of the stakeholders can make this PPI assessment difficult to incorporate.
However, stakeholders should also understand that the incorporation of PPI will not hamper
the functioning of DRDC in anyways. Although the primary objective of designing PPI is to
support the DRDC functioning so that all the external threats cannot hamper the internal
environment. Moreover, for making PPI successful, effective leadership parameters will also
be required if leadership parameters are not present in PPI then it will create another

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challenge for Dr. Pigeau. The challenge of leadership will incorporate in the mid of the
running process. So, according to me, Dr. Pigeau should incorporate effective ways at the
initial stage of PPI that will help the management to outperform all such challenge which
may arise in the PPI.

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Conclusion
Defence Research and Development Canada is the military research center that guides
the functioning of the military. From this report, it is concluded that while developing
advance science and technology functions in DRDC, Dr. Pigeau faces major challenges that
arose from the different viewpoints of the stakeholders. Although for developing or
implementing the S&T program in DRDC it is necessary that the majority of the stakeholders
should be on the same page. It is concluded that stakeholders were not in favour of S&T in
DRDC because according to the scientific research program incorporates huge funds and in
this research program there is always a huge probability involved in the failure. Apart from
this, the discussion about PPI is also made in this report. According to Dr.Pigeau, the success
of PPI depends upon three major outcomes that are related to the self-organize, establishing
well-defined partnership with other streams, to operate with an objective to support all the
funcitons of DRDC.

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References
Carleton.ca. (2019) Partnership with defence research and development Canada. Retrieved
from: https://carleton.ca/spacecraft/2019/srcl-awarded-a-contract-from-defence-
research-and-development-canada/
Preventionweb. (2020). Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC). Retrieved
from: https://www.preventionweb.net/organizations/18307