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Status Report on Transformational and Major Crown Projects

eManifest

Description

eManifest represents Phase III of the Advance Commercial Information initiative, which is aimed at improving the CBSA's ability to detect shipments that pose a high or unknown risk to the safety and security of Canadians. eManifest will help the Agency protect and secure Canadian frontiers by “pushing the border out”, because it will require carriers to electronically submit all pre-arrival commercial information (including all cargo, conveyance and crew data) in the highway and rail modes of transportation. It will also require freight forwarders and importers to electronically submit advance secondary cargo and advance trade data for all modes (marine, air, rail and highway). This will enable the CBSA to more effectively analyze risk, help ensure that efficient border procedures are in place and help secure the international trade supply chain.

Project Phase

eManifest is being deployed in multiple phases, whereby deliverables are being implemented at various stages throughout the project according to client group. The following activities will be undertaken during the life cycle of the project:

• Electronic receipt and automated risk assessment of pre-arrival data, including
  • primary and secondary cargo information;
  • conveyance information;
  • crew/driver information; and
  • importer release/admissibility information.
• Development of
  • alternative methods of communication (Internet portal);
  • cargo messaging / notification system;
  • linkages between cargo, importer admissibility and release information (including arrival status);
  • a multi-modal manifest suitable for all modes of transportation;
  • improved information for border services officers at the primary inspection line;
  • integrated examination results;
  • a mechanism for risk assessors to make pre-arrival admissibility recommendations;
  • trend analysis and pattern detection (supported by business intelligence and a data warehouse);
  • compliance management and data quality review;
  • information reporting to senior management; and
  • sufficient capacity and infrastructure to meet established pre-arrival reporting time frames and volumes.

In addition, some of the activities listed above will be implemented or retrofitted for the air and marine modes because the activities were not included as part of Phase I and II of the Advance Commercial Information initiative. In particular:

• electronic receipt and automated risk assessment of pre-arrival data, including secondary cargo, crew and importer release / advance trade data;
• development of trend analysis and pattern detection;
• linkages between cargo, advance trade data and release information (including arrival status); and
• a multi-modal manifest suitable for all modes of transportation.

Leading and Participating Departments and Agencies

Table 5.1: Leading and Participating Departments and Agencies

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

Prime and Major Subcontractors

Table 5.2: Prime and Major Subcontractors

Prime contractor	n/a
Major contractors	n/a

Major Milestones

Table 5.3: Major Milestones

Major Milestone	Date
Phase I: Highway carriers begin transmitting cargo, conveyance and crew data to the CBSA in advance of their arrival at the border.	Spring 2010
Phase II: Rail carriers begin transmitting their pre-arrival data. Deployment of the Internet portal.	Fall 2010
Phase III: Freight forwarders begin transmitting their pre-arrival data.	Summer 2011
Phase IV: Importers begin transmitting their pre-arrival data.	Spring 2012
Full implementation: eManifest is expected to be fully implemented in all modes of transportation.	Spring 2014

Progress Report and Explanation of Variances

Treasury Board granted effective project approval on November 29, 2007.
The following eManifest project achievements were realized in 2009:

• Bill S-2, an Act to Amend the Customs Act, received royal assent on June 11, 2009. This Bill contains modifications to the advance commercial reporting requirements that provide the CBSA with the authority to mandate that carriers, importers and freight forwarders, in all modes of transportation, provide the CBSA with electronic shipment information prior to arrival in Canada.
• Implementation of electronic data interchange rail reporting (Phase I), enabling facilitated electronic processes for use by rail carriers.
• Development of an interim solution to manage the CBSA's information technology infrastructure to support the future increase in the receipt of electronic data volumes and processes from trade-chain participants.
• Implementation of the Highway In-Transit Pilot Project into production systems.
• Multiple consultations with the eManifest Stakeholder Partnership Network.

Table 5.4: Progress Report and Explanation of Variances
($ thousands)

CBSA Branch	2006-07		2007-08		2008-09
	Budget	Actual	Budget	Actual	Budget	Actual
Innovation, Science and Technology	4,660	4,660	46,169	30,656	90,019	46,842
Admissibility	296	296	708	368	584	940
Operations			392	1,087	2,733	1,108
Enforcement	302	302	723	140	584	218
Comptrollership	1,821	1,821	158	623	1,025	2,281
Human Resources	369	369	240	138	371	705
Strategy and Coordination	760	760	488	67	786	1,901
Carry Forward for 2008-09			0		12,749
Total	8,208	8,208	48,878	33,079	108,851	53,995
Carry Forward		0		12,749		54,856

Table 5.4: Progress Report and Explanation of Variances (continued)
($ thousands)

CBSA Branch	2009-10		2010-11
	Budget	Forecast	Budget
Innovation, Science and Technology	81,356	47,600	72,722
Admissibility	584	1,322	288
Operations	6,555	1,754	5,528
Enforcement	584	723	281
Comptrollership	2,078	1,999	1,747
Human Resources	566	663	309
Strategy and Coordination	1,319	1,152	509
Carry Forward for 2008-09	54,856
Total	147,898	55,213	81,384
Less: Government of Canada Contribution	-40,000		-45,000
Total	107,898		36,384

 

The spending profile was adjusted to reflect figures in the effective project approval submission dated November 2007. The total amount spent in 2008–09 was primarily related to the design and development of components towards the implementation of electronic reporting in the highway mode (target: spring 2010). Such components include an electronic reporting interchange, Internet portal and improved systems integration for border services officers at the primary inspection line. Additional spending was to carry out the further development and implementation of capacity and infrastructure enhancements to support future electronic reporting time frames and volumes.

The 2008–09 carry-forward amounts are attributed to a further refinement of the project schedule and associated implementation dates. The rollout of systems functionality has been aligned to meet the requirements of specific client groups, which necessitated the realignment of project spending. Furthermore, in response to the current economic environment, the Government of Canada requested a temporary rollback of $85 million (to be repaid over two years starting in 2011-12) to support other government pressures. This rollback necessitated a complete review of project spending profiles and the project deployment strategy. As a result, project components were realigned to account for yearly pressures relating to this budget reduction, which included the movement of procurement activities for infrastructure and hardware into future years. A significant amount of yearly carry-forwards are associated with the procurement of a data warehouse and associated tools. As a result of this realignment of project funds, the project is now targeted to be completed in 2013-14, a delay of two years from previous reports.

The 2010-11 budget accounts for a reduction in funding due to the Government of Canada's contribution. This reduction will be managed through a carry-forward as identified in 2009-10.

Industrial Benefits (Business Goals)

eManifest will provide the following industrial benefits:

• Enhanced prosperity: eManifest will contribute to a strong economy by facilitating the flow of low-risk trade in a high-volume, time-sensitive, transborder environment.
• Enhanced security: Canadian society will be better protected from health, safety, security and terrorist threats as eManifest will “push the border out” as a means to obtain the necessary data at the right time. eManifest uses sophisticated tools and technology and rigorous risk-assessment systems to interdict threats before goods arrive in Canada.
• Streamlined border processing: Obtaining and risk-assessing commercial information from trade-chain participants before the arrival of goods in Canada will minimize the processing required at the physical border, streamline the clearance process and reduce border congestion.
• Consistency of application: As eManifest will expand the existing requirements for marine and air carriers to those in the highway and rail environments, there will be a consistent application of risk assessment across all modes of transportation relative to CBSA requirements.
• Reduced costs of compliance: Members of the trade community will be able to leverage the investment they are making to comply with both international and United States requirements. To the greatest extent possible, eManifest will develop system requirements using recognized international and North American standards.
• Enhanced systems performance: Given the high volumes and compressed time frames associated with transborder trade, the CBSA will make enhancements to its information technology infrastructure that will improve system performance and reliability.

 

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