The tough job of merging Canada’s foreign aid agency with the country’s diplomatic and trade arms may begin as soon as this week, after the Senate ratifies a budget bill that contains the historic reform.
The legislation, known as C-60, calls for the amalgamation of the Canadian International Development Agency with the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade — two gargantuan institutions, each with their own unique management styles, diverging cultures, business lines and staff profile.
The government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper plans to take a “phased approach” led by DFAIT and CIDA, a spokesperson told Devex.