Kathy Bunka selected for Globe and Mail Foundation mentorship
Kathy has been selected for the Globe and Mail Foundation’s mentorship program, with journalist Robert Fife as her mentor.
Canada · International
A wider perspective.
A clearer story.
Founded by Kathy Bunka, career diplomat and former Canadian Ambassador, Dispatch House is an advisory, reporting and career support service provider. We offer practical, hands-on support for those entering Government of Canada and Foreign Service competitions.
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Kathy Bunka / Founder, Dispatch House
From diplomacy to Dispatch House
A career spent asking
better questions.
I’m Kathy Bunka, a writer and former Canadian diplomat. Over a 30-year career as a rotational Foreign Service Officer, I represented Canada in places as varied as the United Nations in New York, Ghana and Togo, the Palestinian Territories, UNESCO in Paris, Slovakia and Iraq, where I served as Ambassador.
Today, I bring that experience to reporting, writing and career support. As the first member of my family to join Canada’s public service, I know how unfamiliar the hiring process can seem. I offer practical guidance and hands-on support to help applicants understand the process, identify their strengths and communicate their experience clearly—whether they are seeking a role in the federal government or Canada’s diplomatic service.
My education took me to McGill and Harvard; my career took me around the world. Dispatch House brings those perspectives together, grounded in curiosity about people and places and an understanding of how government works.
30 years
in Canadian diplomacy
Global
experience & perspective
Practical Support for Government of Canada Applications
Individual practical support for Government of Canada applicants, informed by three decades of experience in the federal public service and diplomacy.
- Understanding government hiring processes.
- Feedback on your résumé.
- Guidance on drafting responses to screening questions.
- Guidance on Government of Canada assessment methods.
- Practice writing exercises, mock interviews and simulations with practical feedback.
Diplomacy & foreign affairs
Public institutions
Technology & society
Travel & culture
Services & fees
Choose your starting point.
Start with a free 15-minute consultation. Discuss your goals and the support you need. This introductory conversation does not include detailed advice or document review. Request a consultation ↗
Individual Advice Session
$250 / 60 minutes
Practical, hands-on advice, support and answers to your questions about a Government of Canada application or competition.
One session focused on your specific needs. Substantial document review is priced separately.
Enquire about a session ↗Preparation for FS-01 Written Examination
$300
- Three realistic sample written exams to complete independently, on your own time.
- Constructive written feedback through an email assessment and tracked changes in Word or suggestions in Google Docs.
Screening Response Package
$600
Strengthen your responses with detailed written feedback on evidence, structure, clarity and completeness.
- Review of an initial draft and up to two revised drafts
- One competition and one agreed set of screening questions
- An agreed total word limit, submission schedule and turnaround time
You write and revise your own responses, supported by practical guidance.
Discuss your screening responses ↗Preparation for the FS-01 Interview & Simulation Exercise
$1,500
- One hour reviewing the competencies being assessed and what assessors are looking for.
- Two hours of realistic, one-on-one mock interviews.
- Two hours of mock simulation exercise preparation, including, if preferred, a realistic virtual simulation with other candidates.
Executive Interview Preparation
$4,000
- One hour — Key Leadership Competencies: Review how to demonstrate the Government of Canada’s Key Leadership Competencies, including examples of effective and ineffective behaviours.
- One hour — Self-assessment and Self-awareness: Assess your leadership strengths and areas for development, and build the self-awareness necessary for a leadership role.
- One hour — Government of Canada Context and Priorities: Demonstrate political and economic awareness across government, knowledge of federal–provincial–territorial relations, and priority Government of Canada files. A package of materials is provided in advance.
- Two hours — Mock Executive Interviews: Practise with at least six realistic executive-level interview questions and receive constructive feedback. Questions are provided 30 minutes before each session.
All prices are in Canadian dollars. More extensive support is quoted individually.
Endorsements
What Clients Say
Kathy was instrumental to my promotion to the executive level at Global Affairs Canada. As my director at the time, she provided me career advice and support in my application and interview preparations. She gave me concrete pointers on how to tailor my application to the process. She also guided my interview prep and did several mock interviews with me during which she provided specific and practical feedback that was critical to my success. In my career in the public service, I have not met anyone more committed or better equipped to provide recruitment and promotional coaching.
Kathy has been instrumental in helping me better understand and navigate Government of Canada application processes. Her perspective as an accomplished Canadian diplomat has provided me with valuable advice and insights that have greatly benefited my professional development as an international affairs professional at Global Affairs Canada.
Working with Kathy on my screening questions was an absolute game-changer. Drawing on her three decades of diplomatic experience, she pinpointed exactly what evaluation boards look for beyond just the surface requirements. She helped me reframe my examples to emphasize the true nature of collaboration, structure complex analysis methodically, and eliminate common screening pitfalls. Her rigorous, actionable feedback transformed standard job responses into compelling, gold-standard public service narratives. I couldn’t have asked for a more insightful mentor to guide me through this process, and I highly recommend her to anyone preparing for high-stakes government competitions.
Kathy's help made a big difference when I applied to be a Foreign Service Officer (FS-01) at Global Affairs Canada. She knows what the assessors want to see. Her detailed feedback showed me how to explain what I did and why I did it, with enough detail. She reviewed my answers carefully and replied quickly, even with a tight deadline. My answers became much stronger because of her. I highly recommend Kathy to anyone applying for a job in the federal public service.
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Kathy's guidance throughout my FS-01 application was exceptional. She took the time to thoroughly review my responses, identify areas for improvement, and provide practical suggestions that significantly strengthened my application. Her knowledge of staffing processes and her genuine commitment to helping candidates succeed made a real difference. I am incredibly grateful for her support and highly recommend her coaching services.
Reporting & writing
Published Articles, Interviews & Podcasts
Travel, lifestyle, foreign affairs and the stories behind the headlines.
Envoy · Essay
The Diplomat Behind the Drama: A Dose of Diplomatic Reality ↗
They Said So · Interview ·
No Straight Lines to Baghdad ↗
PLOS · Diplomacy for Public Health ·
Diplomacy is Not Peripheral to Public Health ↗
Beyond the Obvious · Video interview
Leadership Under Fire with former Canadian Ambassador to Iraq, Kathy Bunka ↗
Le forum politique · Entretien vidéo
L’importance des connexions avec Kathy Bunka, ex-ambassadrice du Canada en Irak ↗
A memoir in progress
Bag Lady
Diplomatic Dispatches from Abroad
A life in diplomacy, told through the people, places and encounters along the way.
Drawing on three decades representing Canada, this memoir travels from the United Nations in New York, to East and West Africa, the Middle East, Slovakia and Iraq where I served as Canadian Ambassador.
More about the book, including publication news and excerpts, will appear here.
Enquire about the book ↗Practical advice & support
Understand the process.
Prepare with purpose.
Navigate Government of Canada hiring processes with practical guidance, candid feedback and focused preparation—from your résumé and screening questions to assessments, interviews and simulation exercises.
01 / Understand
Understand the hiring process.
Review the hiring process, the position’s requirements and the stages of assessment. Identify your priorities and build a preparation plan tailored to the competition.
02 / Apply
Strengthen your application.
Receive feedback on your résumé and guidance on drafting responses to screening questions. Choose concrete examples that clearly demonstrate how your experience meets the stated criteria.
03 / Practise
Prepare for assessments.
Prepare for standard government assessment methods, interviews and simulation exercises. Practise explaining your judgment, skills and achievements, with candid feedback and structured homework.
Who is this support for?
People applying for Government of Canada positions, including foreign service roles, or preparing for a government selection process. The initial consultation helps establish whether the support fits your needs.
What does the support cost?
The initial 15-minute consultation is free. An Individual Advice Session is $250 for 60 minutes; Preparation for FS-01 Written Examination is $300; the Screening Response Package is $600; Preparation for the FS-01 Interview & Simulation Exercise is $1,500 for five hours; and Executive Interview Preparation is $4,000 for five hours. Detailed screening review is separate from the interview preparation packages. Prices are in Canadian dollars. Scope and review limits are agreed before work begins.
Is Dispatch House affiliated with the Government of Canada?
Dispatch House is an independent business. Support draws on Kathy’s professional experience; it does not provide privileged access to hiring processes or guarantee a selection outcome.
How do I commission reporting or writing?
Email Kathy with your publication, story idea or brief, desired length and deadline. You can discuss the angle, scope and fee directly.
Let’s talk