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SECTION I: OVERVIEW

Minister’s Message

As Minister of Public Safety, I am pleased to present to Parliament the Canada Border Services Agency’s (CBSA) Departmental Performance Report for 2006–2007.

There is no role more fundamental for government than the protection of its citizens. In particular, the border management mandate is one of the most rigorous challenges in the realm of public administration. The freedom and prosperity of democratic nations depend on borders that are both secure against threats and open to trade, travel and legal immigration.

Employees of the CBSA work around the clock, across the country and overseas to keep goods and people moving back and forth across our national border while ensuring that this same border is secure and protected against potential threats to Canada’s safety and security. The Government of Canada is firmly committed to providing the tools and resources needed to support these employees. Budget 2006 included funds to reinforce a smart, secure border through the deployment of technologies that assist in managing risk and interdicting dangerous people and goods. These investments in turn support Canada’s contribution to the trilateral Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America.

Budget 2006 also funded the work necessary to deliver on the Government of Canada’s commitment to enhance the safety of CBSA officers and Canadian communities by arming officers and eliminating work-alone situations.

The CBSA was a key player in engaging other government organizations and our U.S. partners on the U.S. Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) to mitigate the impact of its January 2007 air mode implementation and to establish the NEXUS membership as an approved alternative to the passport. This effort has provided a foundation for addressing the challenge of WHTI implementation at land and sea border crossings.

As a nation fortified by international trade and social diversity, the efficient and secure cross-border movement of people and goods is our lifeblood. The successes of the past year reflect the skill and dedication of CBSA employees and management in building a smart, secure border that reinforces our prosperity and our security.

The Honourable Stockwell Day, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Public Safety

President’s Message

During 2006–2007, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) continued to meet one of the most compelling and critical challenges of government today: ensuring that our management of the border supports both Canadian security and its prosperity. This encompasses the processing of millions of travellers and billions of dollars in trade.

We achieved some impressive operational successes, including several significant drug and arms seizures, and our work to support the evacuation of Canadians from Lebanon. We launched several major innovation initiatives, such as eManifest and the NEXUS harmonization, and we also began to expand the NEXUS Air program.

The CBSA has become a significant innovator in science and technology, building a smarter and more secure border through the deployment of leading-edge electronic systems, contraband and radiation detection equipment and biometric identification systems such as the NEXUS iris scan.

Our partnerships continued to add value to the border management mandate, including leading government efforts to manage impacts of the U.S. Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, advancing Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America priorities such as NEXUS and eManifest, and conducting value-added consultations with the trade, travel and immigration communities. We also continued to build constructive relations with employee unions, especially in support of the enormous body of work completed in preparation for the arming of CBSA officers and the elimination of work-alone situations.

Substantial challenges remain for our relatively young and still-growing agency, particularly as the government is placing greater emphasis on the protection of the border.

Within this challenging public and organizational environment, our many accomplishments speak to the skill of our employees and their dedication to protecting Canadians’ security and well-being. This is a strength that we will build on.

Alain Jolicoeur
President
Canada Border Services Agency

Canada Border Services Agency — Management Representation Statement

I submit for tabling in Parliament, the 2006–2007 Departmental Performance Report for the Canada Border Services Agency.

This document has been prepared based on the reporting principles contained in the Guide for the Preparation of Part III of the 2006–2007 Estimates: Reports on Plans and Priorities and Departmental Performance Reports:

• It adheres to the specific reporting requirements outlined in the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat’s guide;
• It is based on the department’s approved strategic outcome and Program Activity Architecture that were approved by the Treasury Board;
• It presents consistent, comprehensive, balanced and reliable information; 
• It provides a basis of accountability for the results achieved with the resources and authorities entrusted to it; and
• It reports finances based on approved numbers from the Estimates and the Public Accounts of Canada.

Alain Jolicoeur
President

Introduction

This document reports on the performance of the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) in relation to commitments set out in the CBSA’s 2006–2007 Report on Plans and Priorities.

Summary Information

Our Vision: A smart border, a smart organization.

Our Mandate: The Agency is responsible for providing integrated border services that support national security and public safety priorities and facilitate the movement of persons and goods, including animals and plants, that meet all requirements under the program legislation.

Our Mission: To ensure the security and prosperity of Canada by managing the access of people and goods to and from Canada.

Our Values

• Integrity: We will exercise our authority in a principled, open and fair manner. We will accept responsibility for our actions to foster a reputation of being trustworthy and accountable.
• Professionalism: We will set high achievement standards for our employees and strive to provide quality service. In particular, we will be innovative and harness smart technologies to achieve our mission.
• Respect: We will appreciate the dignity, diversity and merit of all people. We will appreciate their positions and be just, courteous and reasonable. We will respect the privacy of Canadians and strongly uphold the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Our Strategic Outcome: Efficient and effective border management that contributes to the security and prosperity of Canada.

Financial Resources ($ thousands of dollars):

Planned Spending[1]	Total Authorities[2]	Actual Spending
1,467,030	1,454,528	1,281,100

Human Resources (full-time equivalents (FTEs)):

Planned	Actual	Difference
12,763	12,383	380

Introduction

The CBSA is a key player in the Government of Canada and contributes to the security and prosperity of Canada through the effective and efficient management of our border. Created in December 2003, the CBSA is an integral part of the Public Safety portfolio, which was established to protect Canadians and maintain a peaceful and safe society.

The CBSA’s benefit to Canadians

The Canada Border Services Agency Act gives the CBSA the mandate to provide integrated border services that support national security and public safety priorities and facilitate the movement of persons and goods, including animals and plants, that meet all requirements under the program legislation.

The CBSA is a key federal partner in protecting Canadians from threats to public safety and health. To ensure that the border remains open to low-risk travel and commerce but closed to crime and terrorism, the CBSA also works cooperatively with its North American counterparts in implementing a border strategy that relies on technology, information sharing and biometrics to create a smart and secure border.

Even as the CBSA enhances border security, it is also developing measures and programs to expedite legitimate transborder movement. In 2006–2007, we processed more than 95 million travellers and cleared 351,080 passenger planes, 5,525 cargo planes and 186,192 marine vessels. Facilitating the lawful flow of low-risk people and goods into and out of Canada is essential to our national economic vitality. Because of this, the CBSA dedicates significant effort and resources to the development of cutting-edge technological solutions to process travellers and commercial shipments in a more effective and efficient manner. The CBSA also invests in business continuity planning to ensure that the border stays open if we are faced with any unanticipated emergency, such as power failures, natural disasters or a health or human crisis.

The CBSA employs a program of responsible enforcement and applies an effective sanctions regime to persons and groups that contravene Canadian border laws to promote compliance and provide a level playing field for all travellers and traders.

The collection of import duties and taxes represents an important function for the CBSA with an average daily collection of $10.1 million in import duties, $58.3 million in goods and services tax/harmonized sales tax (GST/HST), and various excise duties, taxes and liquor board fees. In total, these revenues account for $27 billion per year, which represents close to 12% of projected 2006–2007 budgetary revenues for the Government of Canada.

The CBSA is a cost-effective, transparent and accountable agency. We demonstrate fiscal prudence to Canadians through sound comptrollership measures, internal audits and program evaluations.

Operating Environment — What We Do

The CBSA provides integrated border services that balance the need to support national security and public safety priorities with facilitating the cross-border movement of legitimate trade and travellers. To deliver these services, we constantly identify, analyze and mitigate risk. Every day, our employees make thousands of real-time decisions that affect the security and prosperity of Canadians.

The CBSA delivers its programs and services in a complex environment that is rapidly evolving. To keep pace, and in efforts to enhance the security and prosperity of the nation, the CBSA advances collaboration with both domestic and international partners in areas as diverse as security, trade facilitation, immigration and public health.

The CBSA is responsible for the following:

• Administering legislation that governs the admissibility of people and goods, including plants and animals, into and out of Canada;
• Detaining those people who may pose a threat to Canada;
• Removing people who are inadmissible to our country, including those involved in terrorism, organized crime and war crimes or crimes against humanity;
• Interdicting illegal goods entering or leaving the country;
• Protecting food safety, plant and animal health, and Canada’s resource base;
• Promoting Canadian business and economic benefits by administering trade legislation and trade agreements to meet Canada’s international obligations;
• Enforcing trade remedies that help protect Canadian industry from the injurious effects of dumped and subsidized imported goods;
• Administering a fair and impartial redress mechanism;
• Promoting Canadian interests in various international fora and with international organizations; and
• Collecting applicable duties and taxes on imported goods.

SNAPSHOT OF THE CBSA:[3]

• The CBSA carries out its responsibilities with a workforce of approximately 13,000 employees, including over 7,200 uniformed border services officers.
• We provide services at some 1,200 points across Canada and 39 points abroad.
• We operate at 13 international airports.
• We manage 119 land border crossings.
• We operate on a 24/7 basis at 61 land border crossings and nine international airports.
• Our officers perform marine operations at three major ports (Halifax, Montréal and Vancouver) and at numerous marinas and reporting stations. Officers also perform rail operations at 27 rail sites.
• We process and examine international mail at three mail centres located in Vancouver, Toronto and Montréal.
• In 2006–2007:
  • We processed an average of 260,300 travellers entering Canada each day.
  • We collected an average of $10.1 million in import duties and $58.3 million in GST/HST each day.
  • The value of cross-border trade with the United States alone averaged $1.9 billion a day.
  • An average of 17,600 trucks arrived from the United States every day, with 10,300 of them processed through southwestern Ontario border crossings.
  • We processed an average of 88,245 courier shipments daily.
  • We handled over 9 million clearance requests for commercial goods.

The CBSA administers more than 90 acts, regulations and international agreements, many on behalf of other federal departments and agencies, the provinces and the territories. For example:

• Citizenship Act
• Criminal Code
• Customs Act
• Customs Tariff
• Excise Act
• Excise Tax Act
• Export and Import Permits Act
• Food and Drugs Act
• Health of Animals Act
• Immigration and Refugee Protection Act
• Plant Protection Act
• Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act
• Special Import Measures Act

Our partners and stakeholders

Given the nature of our work, the CBSA is involved in strategic partnerships with many government departments and agencies at home and abroad (see Appendix A). Domestically, the CBSA relies on three pillars of partnership in the Government of Canada:

• the Public Safety portfolio;
• Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC); and
• the Department of Finance and the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).

In collaboration with our portfolio partners (e.g. Public Safety Canada, the RCMP, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, the Correctional Service of Canada), we contribute to the health, security and economic prosperity of Canadians. We also work closely with and provide a variety of enforcement and intelligence operations to CIC. In addition, the CBSA maintains close working relationships with the Department of Finance regarding departmental resourcing and the administration of trade legislation such as the Customs Tariff Act and the Special Import Measures Act. We also work with the CRA on matters relating to the collection and reporting of GST/HST and other revenues; the CRA also works with the CBSA on revenue systems to support our collection activities. The CBSA also has strong relationships with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other international counterparts. Dependable and timely communications with partners and stakeholders are key to minimizing risk and maximizing economic advantage for Canadians.

The CBSA also works on increasing cooperation and relationship-building with other government departments (OGDs) to address major terrorist, pandemic and other human/national security risks. To this end, the CBSA works closely with various international institutions to ensure that it is strategically positioned with other government bodies and stakeholders to face and respond to global challenges.

The Canada Border Services Advisory Committee (CBSAC) was created to ensure the CBSA is well connected with its stakeholders and to create a mechanism for ongoing dialogue. The CBSAC provides independent advice and serves as a sounding board on major trends and developments that may affect the management of Canada’s border, as well as on the priorities, business and operations of the CBSA. The CBSAC comprises some 23 stakeholders representing the private sector, the immigration community, travellers, the general public and academia.

The CBSA is committed to consulting with Canadian commercial stakeholders on strategies, policies, operational programs and administrative procedures that govern and affect Canada’s commercial trade. In support of this commitment, the Border Commercial Consultative Committee (BCCC) provides CBSA officials and commercial stakeholders with a forum for dialogue on Canada’s border operations. The BCCC is composed of 27 of the CBSA’s major private-sector stakeholder organizations and it generally meets twice yearly.

International relations

The Agency continues to focus its efforts internationally to contribute effectively to the development of global policy on the movement of goods and persons. An International Strategic Framework was implemented in 2006–2007 to ensure consistency and coherence in international activities. The CBSA participated in over 350 international meetings in 2006–2007. Over 90% of those meetings took place with partners such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, the European Commission, Japan, France, South Korea, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Germany, Mexico, Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

Continued involvement during 2006–2007 in multilateral fora, including the G8, APEC, the Four Country Conference, the World Trade Organization and the World Customs Organization (WCO) has broadened the Agency’s international sphere of influence, has helped the CBSA attain its priorities, has ensured the effective flow of information and has enhanced productive relationships. Participation in training and capacity-building programs allows the CBSA to advance global border management standards and, in 2006–2007, the Agency was involved in such programs with various countries in the Americas and Africa.

The CBSA continued to build on its relationship with its key U.S. collaborators — U.S. CBP and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Meetings with U.S. CBP, under the auspices of the Shared Border Accord Coordinating Committee, provided excellent opportunities for Canada–U.S. engagement as well as for opportunities to engage OGDs in both Canada and the United States on key border management issues. The CBSA also continued its efforts to support the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America, which in addition to Canada and the United States, brings in key partners from the Government of Mexico. For example, the CBSA undertook a Canada/Mexico marine training program in March 2007 where 20 Mexican customs officers participated in vessel and container examination courses, including a train-the-trainer section to ensure project sustainability. The CBSA continued to strengthen ties with Mexican customs on border security issues, including the exchange of information, personnel and best practices to seek solutions to current regional border matters.

The CBSA’s Program Activity Architecture

In accordance with Treasury Board of Canada requirements, the CBSA has adopted a Program Activity Architecture (PAA) that includes all activities undertaken by the Agency. The PAA provides a structure to ensure that activities are aligned with the CBSA’s mandate and priorities. The CBSA’s PAA in the following table reflects our operations and includes our strategic outcome and three of the four program activities.[4]

Spending profile by program activity

		2006–2007
		Planned Spending ($ thousands )	Actual Spending ($ thousands)	Contributes to the following CBSA strategic priorities[1]		Contributes to the following government outcome areas[2]
	Strategic Outcome:	Efficient and effective border management that contributes to the security and prosperity of Canada.
Program activities	Security	557,500	358,366		Priority 1, 2 and 3	A strong and mutually beneficial North American partnership.
	Access	768,271	698,775		Priority 1, 2 and 3
	Science- and Technology-based Innovation	141,259	223,959		Priority 1, 2, 3 and 4
	Total:	1,467,030	1,281,100

[1]
Priority 1: Effective delivery of programs and services
Priority 2: Innovating for the border of the future
Priority 3: Strong internal and external relationships
Priority 4: A modern management regime

[2] The work accomplished under the CBSA’s program activities also supports the Safe and secure communities and the Fair and secure marketplace government outcome areas.

Review of the CBSA’s resource base

In December 2006, the CBSA completed an independent, third-party review of its base resources (A-base). The Agency had committed to inform the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat and other central agencies (i.e. the Department of Finance and the Privy Council Office) by fall 2007 of its capacity to discharge its mandate. To this end, central agencies were presented with a consolidated report on the findings of the review in December 2006, informing them of the Agency’s capacity to discharge its mandate. The review concluded that the CBSA has A-base resource shortfalls for its ongoing programs and corporate infrastructure in addition to funding that sunsets at the end of 2009– 2010. Due diligence is underway with central agencies to address this issue.

Departmental Plans and Priorities

The priorities set forth for the 2006–2007 fiscal year reflected the Government of Canada’s commitments to a strong and mutually beneficial North American partnership, safe and secure communities, and a fair and secure marketplace.

The four strategic priorities are considered to be ongoing as they are explicitly identified in previous CBSA planning documents tabled in Parliament. Each priority continues to support the CBSA’s future strategic direction. Section II provides an overview of our progress under each of the four priorities.

In 2006–2007, the CBSA developed its first Enterprise Risk Profile in which 12 risks were identified and ranked in terms of likelihood and impact. Mitigating these risks will enhance the CBSA’s ability to achieve its goals. Strategic planning sessions, which will include discussions on risk, are scheduled to take place in fall 2007. 

The following tables provide performance highlights for each of the CBSA’s 2006–2007 priorities. Sections II and IV provide detailed performance information by program activity in support of the CBSA’s priorities and commitments.

Strategic outcome: Efficient and effective border management that contributes to the security and prosperity of Canada.

Alignment to Government of Canada outcomes: A strong and mutually beneficial North American partnership.

Strategic Priority 1: Effective delivery of programs and services
Results statement for this priority: The CBSA will increase its ability to identify and interdict people and goods of high and unknown risk, while expediting the flow of low-risk travellers and trade.
Program Activity	Performance Highlights
Security	Refused entry to or removed from Canada 41 persons complicit in war crimes or crimes against humanity. Referred 424 criminal investigation cases to the Public Prosecution Service of Canada. Achieved 95% success rate for serious prosecutions under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. Drafted new minimum-security criteria for the Partners in Protection program. Posted intelligence liaison officers in Australia and England. Intercepted 4,796 persons abroad through the work of migration integrity officers. Arrested 7,347 persons and removed 12,617, including 1,996 criminals who posed a high risk to Canada. Began delivering training related to providing CBSA officers with duty firearms. Installed 10 new radiation detection portals at the ports of Montréal and Saint John. Ended work-alone situations at four sites. Developed and formally approved the Intelligence Vision, to inform and support the CBSA’s program and operational decisions to better identify threats posed by people and goods.
Access	Completed a study on the primary inspection line and the secondary inspection function in support of the Movement of People Framework and continued to implement recommendations of the Travellers Program review. Finalized a report on the future direction of the commercial program, developed a commercial process model and completed or initiated a series of reviews in support of the Movement of Goods Framework. Began work to simplify the Administrative Monetary Penalty System. Conducted extensive consultations with stakeholders in the air mode under the Core Services Review. Successfully negotiated with the United States to have the NEXUS membership card recognized as an alternative to a passport under the U.S. Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI). Helped protect 29,000 jobs and $4.9 billion in Canadian production under the Anti-dumping and Countervailing Program. Rendered 4,200 enforcement-related and 3,500 trade-related decisions under the recourse program.
Science- and Technology-based Innovation	Expanded the commercial risk-assessment system to include all shipments arriving by air. Maintained 24/7 operation and maintenance of a number of automated commercial systems, which were available to internal and external clients at a rate of 95.5%.

 

Strategic Priority 2: Innovating for the border of the future
Results statement for this priority: An increased use of evidence- and science-based solutions will contribute to improved security at our border and greater economic prosperity.
Program Activity	Performance Highlights
Science- and Technology-based Innovation	In June 2006, the CBSA’s commercial risk-assessment system development team received the Public Service Award of Excellence in the Innovation category for creating a sophisticated automated tool to assess the risk of cargo shipments destined for Canada before their arrival at the border. Implemented NEXUS Air at Toronto Pearson International Airport and Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport. Procured 159 document readers, as part of an initiative to enhance the Travellers Risk Assessment System, to perform automated risk assessments on travellers and vehicles seeking entry to Canada at land border crossings. Identified data-reporting requirements for some 40 OGD programs under the Advance Interdepartmental Reporting Initiative. Advanced the Harmonized Risk Scoring — Advance Trade Data initiative by determining the most critical risk indicators. This was achieved by identifying gaps with WCO standards. Secured a five-year investment of $396 million in eManifest to effectively analyze risk, ensure efficient border procedures and secure the international trade supply chain. Developed system enhancements to improve the “push” functionality of the Passenger Name Record program by enabling the Agency to analyze air travellers’ data before their arrival in Canada on a 24/7 basis throughout 2006–2007. Harmonized the NEXUS Air, Highway and Marine programs into one NEXUS program.

 

Strategic Priority 3: Strong internal and external relationships
Results statement for this priority: The CBSA will have stronger partnerships and agreements internationally, with our stakeholders and with our clients and employees.
Program Activity	Performance Highlights
Security	Worked with domestic and international partners to investigate, prevent entry into Canada and remove persons complicit in war crimes and crimes against humanity. Migration integrity officers overseas delivered training to over 8,900 persons working for our partners.
Access	Continued to lead the Canadian response to the WHTI to encourage the United States to minimize potential impacts on legitimate travel and trade before land and sea implementation.
Science- and Technology-based Innovation	Began discussions with U.S. CBP and Mexican customs that contributed to the development of key products related to the eManifest initiative that will increase our ability to detect shipments to Canada of high or unknown risk.
Corporate Management and Direction	Implemented an International Strategic Framework in 2006–2007 to ensure consistency and coherence in international activities. The CBSA participated in over 350 international meetings in 2006–2007 and laid the groundwork to deploy a counsellor in Washington, D.C., and a second official in Brussels. Throughout 2006–2007, Agency regional representatives participated in collective bargaining and essential service agreement negotiations. The CBSA worked closely with the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat on these initiatives.

 

Strategic Priority 4: A modern management regime
Results statement for this priority: The delivery of the CBSA’s mandate will be supported by a strong governance and integrated planning structure, underpinned by a robust values and ethics regime.
Program Activity	Performance Highlights
Corporate Management and Direction	In February 2007, the CBSA produced its first Human Resources Plan. As part of the Agency’s 2007–2008 Report on Plans and Priorities, the Plan focuses on the immediate short-term need to address key workforce challenges for 2007–2008 and sets the foundation for the further refinement of a more comprehensive, integrated and forward-looking human resources plan for 2008–2009. In 2006–2007, the CBSA developed its Values and Ethics Program Action Plan. To complement the Values and Ethics Code for the Public Service, the Agency developed an internal Code of Conduct.  The Agency’s first Enterprise Risk Profile was completed in 2006–2007. It will support further work in 2007–2008 to establish an integrated risk-management framework for the CBSA.  In December 2006, the CBSA completed an independent, third-party review of its base resources. The CBSA was rated among the top five federal organizations for its official languages program management. The CBSA’s accomplishments were recognized in the 2006–2007 Annual Report of the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages. In December 2005, Treasury Board ministers approved the Frontière/Border (FB) classification standard — a classification tool designed to recognize and evaluate the specialized skills and abilities required in CBSA work.  An action plan was developed to address the requirements of the Treasury Board’s new Policy on Internal Audit.  The CBSA developed an action plan to prepare for the implementation of audited financial statements.

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