Status report on transformational and major crown projects

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

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 for 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 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 (United States, 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.

Project outcomes:

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

Using biometrics as an identity management tool helps supplement existing biographic checks and significantly reduces the chance that one individual could pose as another individual or be mistaken for one. 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 who is actually seeking entry. Over time, biometrics will also facilitate legitimate travel by:

Industrial benefits:

The Biometrics Expansion Project will improve the safety and security of Canadian citizens. It facilitates 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:

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)

Contracting authority:

PSPC

Participating departments:

Prime contractors:

Major subcontractors:

Project phase:

The Biometrics Expansion Project is closed as of March 31, 2020, and will fully transition into an ongoing program at IRCC.

Major milestones:

The project was implemented in three phases before transitioning to steady state operations. The end of the project was initially planned for November 2019, but this close out date was extended to March 2020.

Phase 1 – Planning:

Phase 2 – Development:

Phase 3 – Deployment:

Major milestones include:

Progress report and explanation of variances:

Initial funding for the Biometrics Expansion Project was announced in Budget 2015. In June 2015, new funding of $312.6 million over five years was approved, with $103.2 million ongoing (excluding HST).

Initially, the Biometrics Expansion Project was granted an indicative cost of $146,715,871. Since allocation of the budget, 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 during primary inspection at the top eight airports (kiosks) remains frozen.

The Biometric Expansion Project reported a total surplus in the amount of $30.8 million for 2019–20. This surplus is mainly related to the de-scoped activities, such as verification at Toronto and Montréal airports, criminal removal information sharing - Immigration Information Sharing Project, service-oriented architecture, licensing and overseas enrolment. There are also activities having a lower cost than what was been anticipated and remaining contingency at project closure (March 31, 2020).

Passport Program Modernization Initiative

Project name:

Passport Program Modernization Initiative (PPMI)

Description:

In July 2013, accountability for the Passport Program (formerly Passport Canada) was transferred from the Minister of Foreign Affairs to the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship. This organizational change aimed to leverage IRCC’s operational expertise and information technology platform, as well as ESDC’s domestic service delivery capacity and the Service Canada network. The Minister of Foreign Affairs at Global Affairs Canada 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, strengthen integrity and security, and increase domestic access to passport services.

Project outcomes:

In designing, testing and implementing a new passport issuance platform, PPMI aims to achieve the following 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 the program’s 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

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 Passport Program, and facilitate Canadians’ travel.

Key outcome measurements

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

Industrial benefits:

Not applicable (N/A)

Sponsoring department:

IRCC

Contracting authority:

IRCC

Participating departments:

PPMI requires a concerted and coordinated effort across three departments:

Prime contractor:

N/A

Major subcontractors:

N/A

Project phase:

Phase 1 – Project Initiation and Initial Deployment

Phase 2 – Global Case Management System (GCMS) Passport Module Upgrade and Business Transformation Planning

Phase 3 – Implementation and Deployment (Current Phase)

Major milestones:

Progress report and explanation of variances:

ePassport Next Generation

Project name:

ePassport Next Generation

Description:

The ePassport Next Generation Project secured a new contract to procure and deploy a new solution for all Canadian travel documents across the domestic and international passport networks. This contract includes a new secure book design that is aligned with international standards, new personalization equipment, a new personalization software solution, and maintenance and support domestically and abroad.

Project outcomes:

The ePassport Next Generation Project aims to achieve the following outcomes:

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 worked to ensure the new contract meets the constantly evolving requirements of global travel. The Project continues to provide the Passport Program with opportunities to re-evaluate key aspects of the ePassport Next Generation solution, including secure personalization technology, enhanced 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:

Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC)

Participating departments:

Prime contractor:

Canadian Bank Note Company Ltd (CBN), headquarters based in Ottawa, Ontario.

Major subcontractors:

Names not disclosed to maintain the integrity of the supply chain. Various raw goods and primary material for manufacturing Canadian travel documents.

Project phase:

Phase 1 – Planning and Identification

Phase 2 – Definition

Phase 3 – Implementation (Current phase)

This phase, initiated in June 2019, includes the following activities:

Major milestones:

Progress report and explanation of variances:

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