Values and Ethics at the Canada Border Services

Values and Ethics at the Canada Border Services Agency Workshop Trade and Customs Partnership to Fight Against Corruption & Safeguard Integrity South Africa April 3, 2007

Purpose of Presentation v. Provide organizational context about CBSA v. Describe the roles and responsibilities of the Values & Ethics (V&E) Program within the CBSA organization v. Provide a brief overview of the V&E Program at the CBSA 2

Agency Mandate • Agency created in December 2003 as part of reorganization of Government of Canada • An Act to Establish the Canada Border Services Agency came into force on December 12, 2005 • The Agency is responsible for providing integrated border services that support national security and public safety priorities and facilitate the free flow of persons and goods, including animals and plants that meet all requirements under the program legislation • Part of the Public Safety portfolio 3

CBSA Mission, Mission and Values • Mission – To ensure the security and prosperity of Canada by managing the access of people and goods to and from Canada • Vision – A smart border, a smart organization • Values – Integrity – Respect – Professionalism 4

Operating Environment • Approximately 13, 000 employees (over 7, 200 uniformed staff in the regions) • Provides services at approximately 1, 200 points across Canada and 39 locations abroad • Manages 119 land border crossings • Operates on a 24/7 basis at: – – 61 land border crossings; and nine international airports. • Marine operations at three major ports: Halifax (Nova Scotia), Montreal (Quebec) and Vancouver (British Columbia) • Administers more than 90 Acts and Regulations on behalf of other departments and agencies 5

International Dimension • CBSA promoting implementation of the World Customs Organization (WCO) Framework of Standards to Secure and Facilitate Global Trade (SAFE); coordinating capacity building activities with WCO Secretariat and other donors such as United States • As WCO Vice-Chair of the Americas and the Caribbean, the CBSA is promoting enhanced communication and integrity in Customs management via its capacity building activities, including delivering national and regional integrity workshops in cooperation with the WCO • Canada very active in international institutions dealing with immigration enforcement issues, such as the Inter-Governmental Consultations on Asylum, Refugee and Migration Policies, the Four-Country Conference, and the G 8 6

Canadian Public Service Values and Ethics Framework Overall Legislations and Guiding Principles: v. Values and Ethics Code for the Public Service v. Conflict of Interest Measures v. Post-Employment Measures v. Public Service Employment Act v. Policy on the Prevention and Resolution of Harassment in the Workplace v. Proactive Public Disclosure v. Political Activity v. Public Service Disclosure Protection Act (soon to come into force) 7

CBSA Values and Ethics (V&E) Program Objectives v. To ensure CBSA meets all legislated requirements with respect to V&E. v. To promote and enhance the ethical behaviour of employees and the organization, thereby enhancing the ethical culture at CBSA. 8

Roles & Responsibilities within the V&E Program Currently also V&E Agency Champion CBSA President Vice-President Strategy & Coordination Human Resources Branch Comptrollership Branch Senior Ethics Official / Internal Affairs Unit Senior Internal Disclosure Officer Regional V&E Network Manages the Labour relations, CBSA Code of Conflict, Disciplinary Policy, Administration of Conflict of Interest and anti-Harassment Policies National Do Formal Investigations V&E Advisors Help identify the V&E Program requirements, disseminate information, and promote values and ethics throughout the organization Experts, developers, promoters and advocates of the program Actively work with Human Resources and Internal Affair Unit counterparts to address Issues raised to Senior Ethics Official 9

Expected CBSA V&E Program Outcomes v Raise awareness v Educate all employees and managers in all sectors of activity v Provide customized tools v Provide scheme for evaluating the effectiveness of the V&E Program 10

Elements of CBSA V&E Action Plan v Implement Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act (soon to come into force) § Ensures CBSA resources and structures are in place to support implementation of new legislation § Communicate roles and responsibilities through V&E Program initiatives 11

Elements of CBSA V&E Action Plan (cont’d) v V&E Awareness Campaign § Promote V&E Program across the organization at a National level § Use mechanisms such as: presentations in all Regions; develop Intranet site; and issue national messages/newsletters § Discuss ethical dilemmas faced by staff at all levels 12

Elements of CBSA V&E Action Plan (cont’d) v V&E Education and Training § Integration of V&E modules in Border Services Officer 13 -week orientation/recruit training § Continue to design, develop, and roll-out V&E education and training products for all sectors of activities and levels (e. g. managers and staff) § Integration of one-day pilot integrity awareness session into national education strategy for Border Services Officers v V&E Toolkits § Provide V&E toolkits tailored for managers & employees 13

Elements of CBSA V&E Action Plan (cont’d) v. Fostering partnerships within the Public Safety Portfolio § Exchange information, expertise and experience with other government entities that share similar mandates § Some of these entities are: Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Correctional Services Canada and the Canadian Security and Intelligence Service 14

Elements of CBSA V&E Action Plan (cont’d) v. Background Checks and Security Screening § CBSA Senior Management evaluating options related to: § enhancing background checks of new recruits and existing staff § the appropriateness of existing security clearance levels 15

CBSA V&E Achievements to Date v Resources dedicated to National V&E Program (2 x. National Senior V&E Advisors) v Creation of CBSA Code of Conduct v Integration of V&E modules in Border Services Officer recruit training v Completion of pilot project - one-day integrity awareness session v Creation of V&E Intranet site 16

CBSA V&E Achievements to Date (cont’d) v Creation of CBSA integrity case studies v Initial analysis related to the security clearance and background check issue v CBSA Senior Management meetings always have some discussions/focus on V&E v CBSA surveyed its employees in 2005, of which a substantial section of the survey was focused on V&E 17

Ongoing Activities v Review existing V&E Program governance v Develop performance framework to determine and monitor program effectiveness v Enhance program based on feedback from V&E Network and employee surveys v Work with other government departments and forums such as GFV to gather best practices for possible application within the Agency v Continue our open dialogue with Private Sector and other external stakeholders via our advisory committees, which demonstrates the Agency’s dedication to integrity 18

CBSA Capacity Building Regarding Integrity Programs • In June 2006, Canada was elected Vice-Chair of the WCO Council and Representative of the Americas and the Caribbean Region (Vice-Chair). • As the Government of Canada lead on border management issues, CBSA is responsible for advancing the Vice-Chair strategic objectives, including those linked to integrity in partnership with regional members 19

Vice-Chair Americas & Caribbean Region Commitments • Enhance the promotion of Customs integrity • Encourage the utilization of WCO integrity development tools, activities & other information • Foster regional communication and cooperation 20

Conclusion v Border management organizations need a robust integrity program v An effective program will permit us to offer a favourable working environment, thereby allowing us to position ourselves as an employer of choice v An effective program is an ongoing activity and not a short term project – V&E needs becomes an integral part of the organizational culture and all decisions made v V&E is a high priority for CBSA v Integrity programs are a key element of the CBSA capacity building activities, as well as opportunities to learn from each other 21