CBP Posts Agriculture Quarantine Council Charter, CBP-APHIS Task Force Action Plans
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has posted (1) the charter for the interagency Agriculture Quarantine Inspection Partnership Council and (2) three additional action plans for the CBP-Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Joint Agency Task Force.
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Highlights of these documents are as follows:
AQI Partnership Council Created to Monitor Progress of Joint Task Force
According to its charter, the AQI Partnership Council was created to provide advice, recommend direction, and provide open communication to the CBP-APHIS Joint Agency Task Force charged with improving the agriculture quarantine activities of both agencies.
The Council is to support the activities of the Task Force by monitoring the action plans generated by the Task Force and by providing advice and guidance that reflects the interests and concerns of the U.S. agricultural and environmental communities and stakeholders.
Three Additional Action Plans for Task Force, Brings Total to Thirteen
CBP also posted three action plans for the Task Force, bringing the total number of action plans to thirteen.
According to CBP sources, action plans are developed by the Task Force, a group of APHIS and CBP employees tasked with evaluating reports developed by the Government Accountability Office, the Office of the Inspector General, the House Agricultural Committee, and applicable comments from selected stakeholders. The analyses of the reports and suggestions are used to create the action plans, which provide recommendations to the Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) and CBP to accomplish the agriculture mission.
Highlights of the three newly posted action plans are as follows:
Operations.CBP and APHIS need a joint comprehensive plan to establish and maintain priorities for agriculture-related operational issues that need to be improved.
Recommended responses include (partial list):
- explore ways to use new technology to improve performance
- develop a better process for risk analysis for operational priority
- identify ways to respond better to large agriculture stakeholders, such as an Ombudsman position
- investigate posting full-time or collateral duty positions (CBP and/or PPQ) at/in/near key state director offices, PPQ regional offices, and/or super ports
Action plan tasks include (partial list):
- analyze and create specific examination-related guidelines
- develop process for CBP and PPQ management to interact at the State and regional levels
- pilot/place positions at designated PPQ locations
Quality Assurance.Incorporation of quantifiable performance measures into the CBP agriculture mission resulting in improved oversight and consistent application of the agriculture inspection policy.
Recommended responses include (partial list):
- develop quantifiable measurements that improve the integrity of data
- enhance the effectiveness of targeting decision-making
Action plan tasks include (partial list):
- convene a joint committee to develop performance matrices for the Joint Agency Action Plans (e.g., outreach, joint planning, training, etc.)
- develop more definitive and measureable CBP Annual and Field Office Report Cards that identify critical agricultural components including CBP/PPQ joint performance measures and key components from the action plans
Canine.CBP should maximize the utilization of agriculture canines in the field to provide for a more efficient and effective layered enforcement of protecting U.S. agriculture.
Recommended responses include (partial list):
- in order to promote better operational effectiveness of the canine resources utilized at the ports of entry, CBP and APHIS need to validate that port review recommendations are being considered and/or implemented
- reinvigorate the CBP Agriculture Canine Program
Action plan tasks include (partial list):
- APHIS and CBP jointly determine, by environment, minimum standards for facilities; types/kinds/amounts of equipment and supplies and initiate plans to comply with standards as soon as possible identifying locations with highest priority
(The following ten action plans previously existed and are outlined in the summary of the report of Task Force: structure/leadership, joint agency planning, resources, emergency response, training, outreach and communication, performance measures, information management, regulatory enforcement, and pest identification.)
(See ITT's Online Archives 02/08/08 news, 08020805, for BP summary announcing the AQI Partnership Council.
See ITT's Online Archives or 10/19/07 news, 07101905, for BP summary of CBP and APHIS adopting the ten action plans to improve agriculture inspection.
See ITT's Online Archives or 05/27/08 news, 08052721, for BP summary of a CBP-APHIS meeting on their agriculture mission.
See ITT's Online Archives or 02/17/09 news, 09021750 3, for previous BP summary announcing the availability of the charter, additional action plans.)
Charter, action plans (posted 02/09/09) available at http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/border_security/port_activities/agro_inspection/