Field Liaison Officers – Job Summary

• Job Summary
• Statement of Qualifications
• How to Apply

Key responsibilities and activities

In accordance with the Canada Elections Act, field liaison officers (FLOs) are responsible, under the Chief Electoral Officer's general direction, and in respect of the geographical area (region) to which they are assigned, for providing support to returning officers (ROs) and acting as intermediary between ROs and the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer.

Each FLO is responsible for providing advice and support to Elections Canada (EC) and to the ROs for a region, which is composed of approximately 10 to 14 electoral districts, usually near his or her home. The work is usually performed from a home office, with travel to electoral districts in the region and to Gatineau (Quebec).

EC has also reviewed its governance framework to provide more accountability and leadership responsibilities for FLOs, both between and during electoral events.

Between electoral events, in their respective regions, FLOs lead:

• The adoption of best practices by fostering collaboration and promoting information sharing among ROs to find solutions to regional issues and challenges
• The practical implementation of changes with respect to legislation, processes, policies, practices and priorities
• Pre-event field readiness assignments conducted by ROs by endorsing deliverables; negotiating plans and budgets with EC; providing advice, guidance, coaching and support to ROs; and encouraging timely completion of tasks within allotted budgets and guidelines
• Engagement activities with their respective provincial or territorial management bodies, municipalities, school boards and other organizations in the region
• The organization of post-election meetings

They are also actively involved in:

• The recruitment and orientation of ROs and assistant returning officers (AROs)
• The optimization of EC's plans by providing expert advice on regional challenges and considerations
• The development of performance objectives, expected results, measures and assessments for ROs
• The performance evaluations of ROs
• Special assignments, when required

During electoral events, in their respective regions, FLOs:

• Provide advice, coaching and support to ROs in carrying out legislated and operational deliverables
• Assist ROs in problem-solving local issues and in obtaining EC support, when required
• Coordinate regional activities such as recruitment and outreach initiatives; school board, vendor or service provider liaison; etc.
• Work with regional media advisors to respond to and handle media requests
• Conduct assessments of pre-identified activities in local EC offices linked to RO performance objectives, provide advice to ROs on corrective actions and report accordingly to HQ throughout the election period
• Provide assessments to senior management at headquarters regarding the overall management of the election in their region, including how ROs are meeting objectives and fulfilling statutory requirements and EC policies

Field liaison officer regions

A FLO is appointed in each of the following regions. Click on the region to see the names of electoral districts it contains.

* This region changed after the previous regional distribution and may be subject to further analysis after the FLO is appointed.

** This region has been designated as bilingual.

Employment status and remuneration

FLOs are appointed under the Canada Elections Act in a manner similar to ROs. Their remuneration is specified under the Federal Elections Fees Tariff. It includes:

• A monthly stipend of approximately $575, beginning three months after the end of an election period
• $57.49 per hour for special assignments outside a general election or during by-elections
• $27,768 for all work performed during the election period of a general election
• $2,300 for services performed during the three months after the end of the election period

For details, see the Federal Elections Fees Tariff.