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Status Report on Major Crown Projects

Air Cargo Security

1. Description

The primary objective of the Air Cargo Security initiative is to develop a comprehensive air cargo security regime in Canada that will mitigate the risks associated with the introduction of explosives in cargo or mail and the use of cargo aircraft as weapons. Through design and pilot testing, supply-chain programs to identify low-risk cargo will be developed and procedures will be identified to screen high-risk and targeted cargo.

2. Project Phase

Phase 1: completed by Transport Canada
Phases 2 and 3: project development and pilot testing; to be completed by March 31, 2009.

3. Leading and Participating Departments and Agencies

Table 3.10: Leading and Participating Departments and Agencies

Leading and Participating Departments and Agencies
Lead department or agency	Transport Canada
Contracting authority	Public Works and Government Services Canada and the Canada Revenue Agency
Participating departments and agencies	Canada Border Services Agency

4. Prime and Major Subcontractors

Table 3.11: Prime and Major Subcontractors

Prime and Major Subcontractors
Prime contractor	n/a
Major contractors	n/a

5. Major Milestones

Start date: September 1, 2006
Projected date of completion: March 31, 2009

• The project definition will lay the groundwork for future enhancements leading to a measured, balanced Canadian approach to align the Air Cargo Security initiative with international standards.
• The project will explore ways to further protect aviation security and those working in the air cargo supply chain while ensuring the efficient flow of goods both domestically and internationally.
• The milestones listed below are to ensure the project is progressing in an approved manner as per the approved project plan.

Table 3.12: Major Milestones

Major Milestones
Ref. #	Milestones	Target Date
1	Report to the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) on project management plans and controls submitted.	June 30, 2007
2	Design, development and evaluation security standards completed.	July 31, 2007
3	Definition of the operating environment, characteristics and screening models for “break bulk” air cargo screening completed.	August 31, 2007
4	Commercial off-the-shelf Secure Supply Chain Management System (SSCMS) prototype populated.	December 31, 2007
5	Initial evaluations of screening technologies in controlled environment completed.	January 31, 2008
6	Interim report on project progress submitted to the TBS.	March 31, 2008
7	Piloting of the SSCMS prototype completed.	September 30, 2008
8	Report on the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America commitments for air cargo security completed.	June 30, 2008
9	Evaluation of security assessments and plans for the project completed.	July 31, 2008
10	Assessment of potential program enhancements for the CBSA that could be derived from the SSCMS completed.	July 31, 2008
11	Recommendations for air cargo screening for the Air Cargo Security initiative completed.	August 31, 2008
12	Interoperability analysis between Transport Canada and the CBSA completed.	September 30, 2008
13	Supply-chain system regulatory and compliance program drafted.	December 31, 2008
14	Final recommendations for the Air Cargo Security initiative completed, including the memorandum to Cabinet and the TBS submission.	December 31, 2008
15	Close out of Phase 2 and Phase 3.	March 31, 2009

6. Progress Report and Explanations of Variances

• The CBSA is accountable for completing milestone 10.
• Transport Canada is responsible for milestones 1 through 15 except for milestone 10.
• Work continues on milestone 10; however, the CBSA requires information from Transport Canada that will not be available until February 2009.
• Therefore, milestone 10 will be delayed, but will be completed in this current phase, which coincides with the fiscal year ending March 31, 2009.

7. Industrial Benefits (Business Goals)

• Protect the Canadian public and those working in the air cargo supply chain. 
• Streamline trade through risk management.
• Promote the movement of goods both domestically and internationally through effective trade supply chains.
• Improve the ability of the CBSA to detect high-risk cargo.
• Improve controls and make better and more efficient allocations of CBSA resources.
• Ensure the efficient flow of goods contributing to Canada’s economic prosperity.

eManifest

1. Description

One of the strategies that the CBSA employs in managing the border is the use of advance information to identify and stop high-risk people and goods before they arrive in Canada. Having successfully implemented the marine and air components of the Advance Commercial Information (ACI) initiative, the CBSA is now in Phase III of the ACI, known as eManifest.

eManifest is a key priority under the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America. Under eManifest, carriers, freight forwarders and importers will transmit real-time and concurrent advance commercial and crew information to the CBSA. eManifest will contribute to a key Agency strategy, to “push the border out,” and will position the CBSA to obtain the information necessary to identify and interdict threats before their arrival in Canada. This next phase of the ACI solidifies the Agency’s commitment to providing CBSA officers with electronic pre-arrival cargo information so that they are equipped with the right information at the right time to identify health, safety and security threats related to commercial goods before the goods arrive in Canada.

eManifest will feature the following:

• reporting using electronic data interchange (EDI);
• an Internet portal;
• automated risk assessment;
• an enhanced client notification system;
• a data warehouse and associated business intelligence tools; and
• compliance management and management information reporting.

2. Project Phase

The eManifest initiative is currently in the analysis and design phase.

• The following eManifest readiness activities have been completed:
  • Information technology (IT) prerequisites; and
  • Synchronous Technology and Application Release (STAR) configuration and independent service delivery (ISD).
• Preliminary project approval was granted on October 5, 2006.
• Effective project approval (EPA) was granted on November 29, 2007.

3. Leading and Participating Departments and Agencies

Table 3.13: Leading and Participating Departments and Agencies

Leading and Participating Departments and Agencies
Lead department or agency	Canada Border Services Agency
Contracting authority	Canada Revenue Agency and Public Works and Government Services Canada
Participating departments and agencies	n/a

4. Prime and Major Subcontractors

Table 3.14: Prime and Major Subcontractors

Prime and Major Subcontractors
Prime contractor	n/a
Major contractors	n/a

5. Major Milestones

• Project start date: October 2006.
• Estimated date of completion: March 2012.
  • On October 5, 2006, eManifest received preliminary project approval.
  • In January 2007, the eManifest Stakeholder Partnership Network was launched to establish formal consultations with the trade community.
  • On November 29, 2007, eManifest received EPA.
  • In November 2007, the following eManifest readiness activities were implemented:
    • IT prerequisites; and
    • Phase I deployment of the STAR configuration and ISD.

Table 3.15: Major Milestones

Major Milestones
Ref. #	Milestones	Target Date
1	eManifest readiness – IT prerequisites and Phase I deployment of STAR configuration and ISD	Implemented November 2007
2	eManifest readiness – Automated in-transit pilot project (Phase I): Enhancements to support linkages between the existing commercial systems. Enhancements to the notification system to advise trade chain partners when information has been received.	June 2008
3	Electronic reporting for rail.	November 2008
4	EDI reporting in highway mode. Internet portal for highway mode. Passage for highway mode (Phase I). Picture-in-booth technology. An eManifest compliance management and client support program. Ongoing enhancements to risk-assessment and business-intelligence systems.	July 2009
5	EDI reporting for secondary cargo. Internet portal for secondary cargo. Enhanced notification system. An eManifest compliance management and client support program. Ongoing enhancements to risk-assessment and business-intelligence systems.	December 2009
6	EDI reporting for importer admissibility data. An eManifest compliance management and client support program. Internet portal for importers/brokers. Enhanced notification system. Passage for all modes. Ongoing enhancements to risk-assessment and business-intelligence systems.	March 2010
7	Risk assessment for all modes.	August 2010
8	EDI reporting for marine/air crew. Risk assessment for marine/air retrofits. Passage for highway mode retrofit.	April 2011
9	Business intelligence data warehouse.	August 2011

6. Progress Report and Explanations of Variances

To date, eManifest has accomplished the following:

• the project was granted EPA by the Treasury Board on November 29, 2007;
• the legislative amendments required to support eManifest were tabled in the House of Commons on February 15, 2008;
• the eManifest readiness activities (Phase I IT prerequisites and TITAN online updates) were implemented;
• extensive external, internal and binational consultations on the design and development of eManifest were held;
• staffing and training of substantive employees took place for both the eManifest business and development areas; and
• revised target dates were set for certain major milestones following a delay in obtaining EPA.

7. Industrial Benefits (Business Goals)

Because eManifest will help provide CBSA officers with the right information at the right time, Canadian industry will benefit from more certainty at the border and from streamlined release processes. This will enable both industry and the CBSA to manage commercial import volumes more effectively. eManifest functionality will allow for the seamless movement of goods through secure international trade-supply chains. With improved controls along the international trade-supply chains, the CBSA can more efficiently allocate resources to ensure that integrated border services further national security and safety priorities, while continuing to facilitate the free flow of low-risk people and goods.

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