If you allow me, I would like to provide the beginning of a response, that Elissa will complete, based upon her own personal experience.
Generally speaking, we are always guided by the priorities adopted by the government—these six priorities that you are familiar with. These priorities involve a certain number of objectives, as you know, as well as a performance indicator that we do our best to respect. The work of our colleagues in the field is integrated work, as Elissa was explaining. It aims at reaching the objectives contained within the six priorities.
I can speak about the viewpoint from Ottawa. We obviously try to provide our colleagues with the tools they need to make the required decisions with a view to reaching our objectives. That is what guides us. We do not review the objectives based upon what might happen on any given day. However, we try to determine how best to reach our objectives given the circumstances at play in any given situation.
I will give you some examples of what we face daily. Elissa would often send us messages, to my colleagues at Privy Council or to CIDA and myself, because we work in a very integrated fashion. Keeping each other informed at all times is a challenge. Elissa was able to tell us that, in her opinion, the best way to achieve such and such an objective was to do this or that. She was also able to tell us that she needed us to provide her with this or that. If she has the latitude to make decisions, she will make them in the field.
One of the basic principles that we strived to respect and carry through on was that of allowing our colleagues working in the field as much room to manoeuvre as possible. They are over there, but we are not. Our task is to provide them with the means they need to fulfil their mandate. How do things work in the field? Elissa will be able to tell you about her experience.
I would like to underscore an interesting and important aspect: we are all alone! Canada is the only country to be working in such a close and integrated fashion. In practical terms, the civilians—who in one way are represented by Elissa—and the military are on an equal footing. There is no hierarchy. The military and us must come together. We must work together, as we are partners. This is spelled out in a document entitled the Kandahar action plan. This document, subscribed to by all of the partners, reflects the priorities of the government as a whole. The partners are therefore committed to working in this fashion.
It is a good model, and as a matter of fact, it is the only one. I believe that Canada is the only country to be proceeding in this fashion, so much so that even our American partners are intrigued. This document is evolving over time and we will probably come out with a second version in the coming weeks. We will discuss this new version with our American colleagues, given their growing presence.
I will stop here, in order for Elissa to continue.