One of the recommendations of a report studying RCMP management calls for an external management board to oversee all top-level decision-making in the force. (CBC)

A federal report on management in the RCMP is calling for changes to its oversight structure that its authors say are needed to modernize the federal police force.

From Reform to Continuous Improvement: The Future of the RCMP is the fifth and final report written by the RCMP Reform Implementation Council, appointed in 2008 to monitor the progress of RCMP reform.

The council was originally tasked with overseeing the implementation of the 49 recommendations made by the 2007 Task Force on Governance and Cultural Change in the RCMP.

The recommendations touched on everything from the relationship between the RCMP and the government to the roles and responsibilities of various parts of the force. Over half of the recommendations dealt with human resources and workplace issues and not all were implemented.

The implementation council eventually developed a broader focus of modernizing the overall management within the force and was asked to focus not only on policing operations but on the RCMP's management of staffing, leadership and accountability to the government and public.

Released Wednesday, the council's report calls for a two-pronged approach to bring RCMP management in line with the times. Its authors say the RCMP needs more independence from government (particularly with regard to labour relations and staffing) but also calls for an external management board to oversee all top-level decision-making in the force.

The report says this board should be composed "of eminent Canadians chosen for their independence, insight and expertise."

"Despite important progress in areas such as community policing, with its enhanced accountability to the public, the institutional culture, governance mechanisms and management approach of the force have evolved remarkably slowly," said the report.

Calls for more transparency

The report also said the RCMP must be more open in its dealings with the public and its employees. It found that although the RCMP's role and responsibilities changed and expanded over the years, the force has remained "at heart an organization with a strong culture of command and control."

"Our bottom line is that the RCMP must be as open and transparent as possible in dealing with its own employees and with the public," said the report. "This is another touchstone for testing the success of reform and for recognizing an organization that is striving always to be better. The force must aim higher in this area."

The council, whose work officially ended on Dec. 19, was chaired by David McAusland, a corporate director, consultant and lawyer from Montreal.

The other members are:

• Jean-Claude Bouchard, a former deputy minister and career public servant.
• Beverley A. Busson, former Commissioner of the RCMP.
• Jocelyne Côté-O’Hara, a corporate director and former government executive.
• Kevin McAlpine, a professor and former chief of the Durham Regional Police Service, who served as a member for the council's first two terms.