Archana Cini
Lookout Newspaper

  • MARPAC launches the Health and Wellness Strategy’s Culture Evaluation Tool & Process (CET&P) across all units this fall.
  • Developed over two years, CET&P helps units assess and improve health and wellness culture.
  • Piloted in five units, the CET&P has already led to tangible improvements like hydration access, rest quality, and family engagement.

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This fall, units across Maritime Forces Pacific (MARPAC) will have the opportunity to take a closer look at health and wellness within their ranks with the official launch of the MARPAC Health and Wellness Strategy’s (MHWS) Culture Evaluation Tool & Process (CET&P).

Developed and tested over the last two years especially for MARPAC, the CET&P is designed to give units a structured way to assess and improve their organizational health culture. To do this, the CET&P examines the physical environment, governance, and subjective unit member experiences of health and wellness across MARPAC units through five key health and wellness categories: Active Living and Injury Prevention, AddictionsFree Living, Healthy Nutrition, Mental and Social Wellness, and Organizational Wellness.

Utilization of the CET&P includes a physical walkthrough of the participating unit, an assessment of its policies around the five priority categories, and individual questionnaires intended to incorporate a qualitative element to the data. Results then identify both strengths and challenges within the participating unit, therefore guiding targeted actions intended to boost health and wellness.

“On a broader scale, the CET&P also promotes shared responsibility for health and wellness by highlighting opportunities to improve environments, policies, and leadership approaches to better support members,” said Vicy Doucette, Health Promotion Specialist. “Health and wellness will no longer be seen solely as an individual responsibility, but also as an organizational outcome.”

The benefits of a tool like MHWS’s CET&P are clear. According to the most recent Health and Lifestyle Information Survey, roughly 20 per cent of Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members were unable to deploy due to healthrelated barriers. When one in five CAF members cannot deploy, remaining personnel take on additional responsibilities if replacements are not found. This creates a cycle of heavier workloads that lead to burnout, which in turn further reduces operational readiness and undermines both personal and organizational outcomes.

Five pilot units, His Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Winnipeg, HMCS Corner Brook, the Canadian Submarine Force (CANSUBFOR), Naval Fleet School (Pacific), and Base Information Services have already utilized the CET&P, providing insight into its effectiveness. Tangible actions were also implemented across pilot units as a response to CET&P findings, including improving hydration accessibility in challenging environments, lowering temperatures to improve rest quality, and planning initiatives to boost morale by welcoming family into the workspace.

To Captain(Navy) Alex Kooiman, the CET&P is a valuable pulse check for leaders. “Participating in the pilot focused my attention on morale and welfare,” he said. “It gave me a sense of how well the unit is functioning with regards to the mental and physical wellbeing of its members. This is where meaningful change can happen.”

For leaders, the process is intentionally low disruption. “The surveys and interviews were minimally invasive, and did not disrupt my unit at all,” said Capt(Navy) Kooiman. “Beyond a short questionnaire and some minimal investment of time, there is no downside. I would encourage all commanding officers to participate.”

Looking ahead, both Doucette and Capt(Navy) Kooiman see the CET&P as a way to shape the long-term culture of MARPAC. Units interested in participating are encouraged to contact Health Promotion (HP) Manager Maryse Neilson at maryse.neilson@forces.gc.ca. In doing so, MARPAC continues to contribute to a broader effort — building a Defence community where health and wellness is woven into the very fabric of daily life.