Status Report on Transformational and Major Crown Projects

Project name: Biometrics Expansion Project

Description

The Biometrics Expansion Project is being undertaken to strengthen informed admissibility decision making through the expansion of biometrics collection, verification and information sharing.

Project outcomes

1. Strengthened identity management for informed admissibility decision making
2. Inadmissible individuals are not allowed entry into, or allowed to remain in, Canada
3. Facilitated movement of admissible individuals into Canada

Industrial benefits

Not applicable

Sponsoring department

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)

Contracting authority

Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC)

Participating departments

• Shared Services Canada (SSC)
• Royal Canadian Mounted Police
• Canadian Border Services Agency
• Employment and Social Development Canada (EDSC)/Service Canada (unofficial partner)

Prime contractor

Not applicable

Major subcontractors

Not applicable

Project phase

Deployment

Major milestones

• April 2015: Budget announcement
• June 2015: Royal assent to legislative changes
• June 2015: Approval of project and expenditure authority for Phase 1
• June 2015: Approval of project brief
• March 2016: Amended project approval and expenditure authority for Phase 2
• March 2016: Approval of project brief
• May 2017: Amended project approval and expenditure authority for year 1 of Phase 3
• May 2017: Approval of project brief
• February 2017: Award of Visa Application Centres contract
• June 2018: Approval of Phase 3B (2018 and ongoing)
• July 2018: Coming into force 1
• July 2018: Expansion of secondary verification capacity at points of entry
• December 2018: Coming into force 2, Visa Application Centres deployed and operational

Progress report and explanation of variances

Initially, the Biometrics Expansion Project was granted an indicative cost of $146,715,871. Since the allocation, a number of amendments have been approved based on further substantiation of costs. The last funding submission granted an amended project approval at a total substantive cost estimate of $176,060,624. The project is currently reporting an approved budget of $164,400,000 as funding for systematic fingerprint verification at primary inspection at the top eight airports (kiosks) remains frozen. There is also a surplus in fiscal year 2018–19 that is being forecasted in 2019–20 due to delays in activities and the need for project contingency until project closure in 2019–20. The Biometrics Expansion Project is to be completed by February 2020.

Project name: Passport Program Modernization Initiative (PPMI)

Description

In July 2013, through a machinery of government change, accountability for the Passport Program (formerly Passport Canada) was transferred from the Minister of Foreign Affairs to the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship. The organizational change aimed to leverage IRCC’s operational expertise and information technology platform, as well as ESDC’s domestic service delivery capacity and Service Canada network. The Minister of Foreign Affairs at Global Affairs Canada (GAC) was authorized to continue providing passport services delivered abroad through Canada’s consular network, working in partnership with IRCC and ESDC.

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 into IRCC and ESDC, to strengthen integrity and security, and to increase domestic access to passport services.

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
• 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 online passport services and automation to improve the service experience.

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

Not applicable

Sponsoring department

IRCC

Contracting authority

IRCC

Participating departments

PPMI requires a concerted and coordinated effort across three departments:

• IRCC
• ESDC
• SSC

Prime contractor

Not applicable

Major subcontractors

Not applicable

Project phase

PPMI is finalizing its transformation planning and business readiness activities in preparation for implementation of the new passport issuance.

Major milestones

• May 2015: Project approval and expenditure authority for Phase 1 (amended) and Phase 2 obtained.
• May 2015: New Passport System Module developed and initial testing performed.
• October 2016: Controlled environment testing of passport issuance system for mail-in passport applications.
• June 2017: Approval was received with conditions to extend the Initiative to December 2018. A new business case and more rigorous business transformation planning were identified as required to achieve modernization objectives.
• January 2018: Initiation of third-party review of PPMI’s final business case and indicative total project and operational costs.
• February 2019: Approval received for the final business case, deployment plan and final costing for implementation.

Progress report and explanation of variances

• Initially in 2013, PPMI was approved with an estimated cost of $101.3 million. In May 2015, approval was received to amend project estimated costs to $176.0 million (increase of $74.7 million). In June 2017, additional authorities were granted to PPMI in order to undertake business transformation planning activities and additional information technology design and development work for the new passport issuance platform. In February 2019, PPMI received amended project approval of $199.5 million.
• PPMI is scheduled for completion by 2022.

Project name: ePassport Next Generation

Description

The ePassport Next Generation Project will secure a new contract for the design and supply of the next generation of Canada’s suite of travel documents. The new design will include additional security features that are aligned with international standards.

Project outcomes

The ePassport Next Generation Project will attain the following outcomes:

• A secure booklet design that contributes to Canadians’ confidence in the Passport Program, which will be measured using data drawn from the annual Passport Program client satisfaction survey;
• The integrity of the Passport Program addresses national and international security interests, which will be measured in terms of the improved overall security design and alignment with documents issued by our Five Nations Passport Group partners; and
• Canadian travel documents are internationally respected and recognized, which will be measured in the context of compliance with international standards.

Together, these outcomes will facilitate international travel that promotes Canadian interests and protects the health, safety and security of Canadians.

Industrial benefits

The project team has worked to ensure the new contract meets the constantly evolving requirements for global travel. The project has provided the Passport Program with an opportunity to re-evaluate key aspects of the next-generation ePassport solution, including more secure personalization technology, advanced travel document security features and a five-year document design cycle that is synchronized with the contract lifecycle. Furthermore, the project is supported by a robust maintenance and support plan.

Sponsoring department

IRCC

Contracting authority

PSPC

Participating departments

• ESDC
• GAC
• SSC

Prime contractor

To be determined

Major subcontractors

To be determined

Project phase

The project is nearing the end of Phase 2 – Definition. Phase 2 is comprised of procurement activities leading to the award of a new contract for the next generation of Canada’s passport and suite of travel documents.

Major milestones

• June 2017: Invitation to Qualify posted on BuyandSell and potential bidders were evaluated in September 2017.
• December 2017: Draft Request for Proposal sent to pre-qualified contractors.
• April 2018: Final Request for Proposal sent to qualified contractors, with bid submissions due in August 2018.
• May 2019: Authority to award a contract will be sought.

Progress report and explanation of variances

• The ePassport Next Generation Project was initially approved in June 2017 at an estimated cost of $115.1 million.
• The June 2017 approval included expenditure authority for Phase 2 (Definition) of the project, to develop the statement of requirements and complete a competitive procurement process, at an estimated substantive cost of $17.9 million.
• The project is preparing substantive plans for the required approval in May 2019, to award the contract and commence Phase 3 (Implementation) of the project, during which the new ePassport solution will be developed and deployed.
• A phased deployment of the solution is scheduled to commence in December 2020.