Status Report on Transformational and Major Crown Projects

Expanding Biometric Screening in Canada’s Immigration System (Biometrics Expansion Project)

General information

Project name

Expanding Biometric Screening in Canada’s Immigration System (Biometrics Expansion Project)

Description

Budget 2015 provided funding to expand biometrics collection, screening and verification to all temporary resident visa, work permit, study permit and temporary resident permit applicants (excluding U.S. nationals) and all permanent resident applicants. This includes systematic verification of fingerprints of these travellers through self-service kiosks upon arrival at major airports, in-Canada enrolment services, and expanded biometric-based information sharing with Canada’s Migration Five (M5) partners (the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand) to strengthen the decision-making process.

The costs of expanding biometric screening are expected to be fully recovered through the existing biometrics fee.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is the lead department in managing this project in collaboration with its primary delivery partners, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and Shared Services Canada (SSC).

Project outcomes

Building on the Temporary Resident Biometrics Project and the Beyond the Border Action Plan, the project supports the government’s international engagement and security priorities as biometrics and information sharing help make Canada and the world safer and more secure. The project also supports the government’s service delivery priorities given the expansion of service delivery channels and the facilitated movement of admissible individuals.

The use of biometrics as an identity management tool helps supplement existing biographic checks and significantly reduces the chance that one individual could pose as or be mistaken for another individual. Immigration and border services officers will know with greater certainty if an immigration applicant undergoing biometric screening has a Canadian criminal record, made an asylum claim in Canada, was previously deported from Canada, submitted an immigration application in the past or has used a different biographic identity.

Biometrics will also provide border services officers with greater certainty that an individual who was granted authorization to enter Canada is the one actually seeking entry. Over time, biometrics will also facilitate legitimate travel by:

Industrial benefits

The Biometrics Expansion Project will contribute to improving the safety and security of Canadian citizens by facilitating entry to legitimate travellers who contribute to Canada’s economic growth and support Canadian industry while deterring and detecting individuals who pose a risk to Canada’s security and economic and social prosperity.

Sponsoring department

IRCC

Contracting authority

Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC)

Participating departments

Prime contractor

Major subcontractors

Project phase

The Biometrics Expansion is currently completing Phase 3 (Deployment) activities, which began in 2017.

Major milestones

The project will be implemented in three phases before transitioning to steady state operations. Project close was initially planned for November 2019 but was extended to be closed out in March 2020.

Major milestones include:

Ongoing operations: As the Biometrics Expansion Project becomes operational, ongoing support will be required to ensure successful implementation, as well as service delivery. It was anticipated that the initiative would be fully operational by 2020–21 but with the delays in systematic fingerprint verification, the fully operational steady state is forestalled.

Progress report and explanation of variances

Passport Program Modernization Initiative

General information

Project name

Passport Program Modernization Initiative (PPMI)

Description

PPMI is a multi-year project focused on modernizing the Passport Program’s current issuance system. PPMI involves two departments: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is accountable for the Passport Program and responsible for policy, financial management, integrity and the program’s information technology; Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) is responsible for passport services delivered in Canada through its Service Canada network.

The modernization of the Passport Program stems from the need to manage significant volume fluctuations as a result of the new 10 year business cycle; increasing client expectations around service delivery; and evolving security requirements, including improved identity management capabilities. The Program’s current passport issuance system, service delivery model and operational business processes limit the ability to respond effectively to these drivers while maintaining service levels in a cost-effective manner for Canadians.

As a result, PPMI was created to support the transition of the Passport Program to IRCC and ESDC, as well as to deliver its three objectives:

  1. Increase the efficiency of the Passport Program;
  2. Strengthen integrity and security; and
  3. Increase access to passport services for Canadians.

Following approval of the project in February 2019, PPMI is proceeding with a revised scope to implement a new passport issuance platform that will provide a solid foundation on which the program can build future business and service improvements. This revised scope will see IRCC and ESDC working together to deploy the platform for domestic passport services. A separate project, the Passport Modernization Abroad Project, has been initiated to determine the deployment approach for passport services delivered overseas. IRCC and Global Affairs Canada will work closely together on planning and deployment of the passport issuance system abroad.

Project outcomes

In designing, testing and implementing a new passport issuance platform, PPMI aims to achieve the following three outcomes:

  1. Increase the efficiency of the Passport Program by ensuring that application processing is streamlined, use of resources is optimized, and all aspects of Passport Program operations have the automation and scalability necessary to respond effectively to volume fluctuations as a result of the 10 year business cycle.

    Key outcome measurements:

    • Percentage of applications passing through end-to-end automated decision making (for low-complexity/low-risk files only)
    • Average number of days taken to send an application from intake to the print queue
  2. Strengthen the integrity and security of the Passport Program to keep pace with evolving international passport issuance and identity management best practices, maintain the reputation of the Canadian Passport Program, and facilitate Canadians’ travel.

    Key outcome measurements:

    • Percentage of applications undergoing automated validation against trusted sources
    • Number of passport application referrals to IRCC (per reason)
  3. Increase access to passport services for Canadians by providing the platform required for consistent in-person services at more locations in Canada, and by laying the foundation for future passport business and service improvements such as online passport services.

    Key outcome measurements:

    • Number of Service Canada centres offering consistent in-person services
    • Percentage of Canadians with access to a Service Canada point of service within 50 km of where they live

Industrial benefits

N/A

Sponsoring department

IRCC

Contracting authority

IRCC

Participating departments

Prime contractor

N/A

Major subcontractors

N/A

Project phase

PPMI is currently in Phase 3, Implementation, which overlaps with Phase 2 activities, and is expected to run from January 2019 to 2022. Activities in this phase include:

Major milestones

Progress report and explanation of variances

ePassport Next Generation

General information

Project name

ePassport Next Generation

Description

The ePassport Next Generation Project will establish a contract to design the next generation of Canada’s travel documents, including enhanced security features aligned with international standards; manufacture blank travel documents; provide a personalization solution to personalize blank travel documents; and complete a phased deployment, domestically and in designated missions abroad.

Project outcomes

Three outcomes have been identified for the ePassport Next Generation Project:

Together, these outcomes will support the ultimate goals of managed migration and facilitated travel that promote Canadian interests and protect the health, safety and security of Canadians.

Industrial benefits

The project has provided the Passport Program with an opportunity to re-evaluate key aspects of the ePassport Next Generation solution, including more secure personalization technology, advanced travel document security features, and a five-year document design cycle synchronized with the contract lifecycle. Furthermore, it was stipulated in the Request for Proposal that the supplier is required to manufacture the suite of travel documents in Canada and must provide a robust maintenance and support plan.

Sponsoring department

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)

Contracting authority

Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC)

Participating departments

Prime contractor

Contract awarded to Canadian Bank Note on May 24, 2019

Major subcontractors

N/A

Project phase

The project is currently at the beginning of Phase 3: Implementation

Major milestones

Phase 1:

Phase 2:

Phase 3:

Progress report and explanation of variances

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