Civilian Readiness and National Security Threats in Canada: A Lesson from the Military

The twenty-first century has given rise to a variety of complex political challenges, each with the potential to threaten the national security of Canada. Thus, it is imperative that the government be ready to mount a swift and decisive response at any moment. This paper argues that to do this effectively, Canada must translate and apply the concept of “military readiness” to civilian security planning. Military readiness is a longstanding framework for strategic planning within defence institutions, designed to ensure mission success through the strategic generation of force readiness. As such, it has much to offer for civilian agencies grappling with a broad array of national security threats. Adopting a readiness posture would not only increase the nation's ability to manage security threats, it would also help reassure Canadians that their government is able to protect them in their time of need.