Overview

CADSI's Operating Committees enable a cross-section of members to provide advice and perspectives on a range of important issues to the association's President and CEO. They are a key way for CADSI to understand the views and concerns of its members, seek information and advice, and foster an exchange of views among members.

Committees help inform CADSI's advocacy agenda and activities; review existing services, events and membership policies and consider new ones; and raise important issues for CADSI's small business members. To be eligible to join an Operating Committee, you must currently work at a company with a CADSI corporate membership (Micro, Small, Medium, and Large) in good standing.

Each committee can be led by an Industry Chair, responsible for bringing together the views of industry members for consideration by the CADSI president and staff; building consensus across the membership; and communicating back to members any recent developments or concerns they have heard.

Operating Committee Mandates

1. Policy Committee

Implementing the commitments affecting the defence industry that are set out in the government's defence policy (Our North, Strong and Free) and Defence Industrial Strategy (DIS) is a central area of focus for CADSI. It is vital that CADSI engages the government constructively and consistently on the implementation of these initiatives - both in terms of program and policy design, timing, and implementation. To do this effectively, CADSI needs company perspectives on the initiatives and commitments, some of which remain conceptual and must be translated into concrete policies and programs. The Policy Committee is structured first and foremost to provide advice to the CADSI President the implementation of industry-relevant commitments. It also provides advice, as needed, on other industry-wide policy issues affecting members.

To this end, members are expected to provide timely advice and guidance to CADSI on the implementation of the industry-impacting components of the government's defence policy and Defence Industrial Strategy, in addition to providing advice on emerging policy and programmatic issues relevant to the Canadian defence sector (e.g. the Defence Investment Agency, Build-Partner-Buy framework, ITB Policy reform, BOREALIS, NORAD modernization and continental defence, cybersecurity, an Investment Plan).

The committee will also be asked for views on other ongoing government initiatives that affect the industry, such as export control reforms and trade negotiations. The committee may also work with AIAC's Public Procurement Committee on certain procurement policy issues of common interest.

CADSI Staff Liaison: Simon Rechico Moisan, Policy Advisor

2. Small and Medium Business Committee

This committee provides timely advice and guidance to CADSI on matters pertaining specifically to defence SMBs, identifying future needs for SMB-focused programming, and provides a small/medium business lens to government policy and identify future needs for education/training targeted at SMBs.

CADSI Staff Liaison: Mindy Pearce, Director of Membership Care

3. Cyber Council

The Cyber Council provides ongoing feedback on CADSI's activities and research efforts in the cyber-defence domain, as well as offering input as the association works to form closer links between home-grown industry and government.

CADSI Staff Liaison: Marc Watters, Senior Policy Advisor (Cyber)

Selection Process

Throughout August, existing chairs will work with CADSI to select a representative slate of potential candidates (e.g. based on experience, knowledge, gender, defence/security capability or commercial field, and geography) for the above listed committees and working groups. The existing committee's membership will then select the applicants for the number of vacancies.

Committee chairs will set the agenda in consultation with CADSI's President and staff in alignment with CADSI's priorities. To enable non-Ottawa based members to participate, committees will offer web-based video conferencing technology. The meeting frequency is be determined by the chair and the President and is dependent on the issues facing each committee. The existing committee schedules are as follows:

 
1. Policy Committee The Policy Committee meets for two hours each month, with the exception of May and July. Meetings are held in person and via Microsoft Teams. Feedback is regularly sought from committee members via email or telephone calls, in between meetings, on time-sensitive issues.
 
2. Small and Medium Business Committee The SMB Committee meets for two hours up to four times per year via Microsoft Teams. Feedback is occasionally sought via email from SMB committee members, in between meetings, on time-sensitive issues.
 
3. Cyber Council The Council meets for 60-90 minutes approximately every quarter, or as needed. Meetings are held via Microsoft Teams.

Timelines