Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - i -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This report presents the findings of a review of the Australian Customs Services Passengers Branch functions at International airports within Australia. The review focussed on the three broad themes of: efficiency; consistency; and the passenger experience. Every airport is subject to traffic with different characteristics, resulting in differing demands for resources. In general terms, however, airport passenger flows are characterised by relatively short periods of very high demand, combined with long periods of little or no demand, as a direct result of airline scheduling considerations. Such patterns make if very difficult to achieve high levels of efficiency in the utilisation of resources at airports. Passenger flows at airports lead to an inevitable build-up of queues, which are absolutely necessary from an efficiency perspective. The review did not reveal a single, overall solution to these challenges. However, a range of potential incremental measures were identified whereby the efficiency of Customs operations and the quality of the passenger experience could be enhanced. Implementation of these measures should be as consistent as possible within the constraints imposed by the different airport environments. Ultimately, responsibility for the smooth flow of passengers through an airport must rest with the airport operators. They are the only stakeholders with influence over all of the interacting processes that occur within the airport. However, Customs should ensure that it does everything it can to effectively manage its interactions with other airport stakeholders, in the interest of enhancing Customs ability to perform its portfolio of responsibilities as efficiently as possible. In particular, Customs should work, at a high level, to ensure that airport operators and other influential stakeholders clearly understand the interactions between the different processes in airports and the extent to which each agency is responsible for the smooth flow of passengers. Since queues at airports are unavoidable, effective management of waiting passengers is important to provide an acceptable passenger experience. Whilst queues for the primary line were generally observed to be orderly and well-managed, the provision of additional passenger management resources in the primary line queues has the potential to realise significant processing efficiencies by ensuring that the appropriate documents are correctly completed and ready for inspection. At the larger airports, a net reduction in resources can be expected. The resource savings realised could be reassigned to fulfilling Customs enforcement functions or to managing passenger congestion in the baggage hall and Secondary Examination Area. There may be a role for other industry organisations, such as the airlines and airport operators, in ensuring passengers are adequately prepared. Improved signage may also help in this respect; however in isolation this is unlikely to be sufficiently effective. If passenger preparation activities could be combined with a relocation of enforcement targeting functions currently carried then behind the primary line, the synergy could help
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - ii -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
enhance the publics perception of Customs. Given the potential benefits that could result, this is considered to be a high priority area for attention. Passenger flows in the baggage hall and queuing arrangements at the entrance to the Secondary Examination Area were observed to be consistently problematic. This situation is ultimately caused by a fundamental lack of capacity for the conduct of quarantine inspections. Nevertheless, there are some steps Customs could take to assist the smooth flow of passengers and overcome these infrastructure limitations. More active management of passengers in the baggage hall is essential and should be considered an immediate priority. At the same time, queuing arrangements for the Secondary Examination Area at individual airports should be reviewed for effectiveness, ease of understanding by passengers, the efficiency with which they utilise the available space and the extent to which they impact on passenger flows in the baggage hall. Streamlining of the Customs and quarantine marshalling processes would also offer benefits in terms of efficiency and the passenger experience and should be investigated as quickly as possible. A stronger and better- defined relationship with AQIS is essential to achieving both of these outcomes. Meanwhile, Customs should use the passenger facilitation task force to investigate necessary capacity enhancements within the Secondary Examination Area. Whilst short-term resource allocation and deployment appears to be performed in an effective manner at all airports, this could be enhanced through the consistent application of the currently available planning tools. A more systematic long-term resource planning process, which considers whole-of-airport requirements, can help to resolve the inevitable tension between Customs enforcement and passenger facilitation activities. An integrated planning approach will also allow a level of resources to be delivered that more closely matches that required on a day-to-day basis to achieve Customs specific outcomes. More rigorous prediction of resource requirements will allow an economical roster structure to be developed and implemented, and provide greater confidence that the twin objectives of efficiency and effectiveness are being achieved. In order to support an enhanced resource planning process, however, a series of basic human resources indicators need to be monitored. The use of Customs Officers to perform certain functions has been considered as part of this review. There is the potential to accommodate part-time officers to accommodate peak period flows at the larger airports. The potential efficiencies that this could realise warrant the development of a category of part-time officers, subject to labour availability and engagement considerations, which could be utilised in the appropriate circumstances to fulfil a range of compliance-focussed functions. However, at smaller airports the flexibility offered by a completely multi-skilled workforce is essential to efficient operations. An alternative solution might be to develop a graduated Customs Trainee program which would spread training costs over a longer period and allow officers to be productive in certain functions at a much earlier stage than presently.
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - iii -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
Infrastructure limitations will continue to present challenges to Customs and other stakeholders who conduct operations at airports. More effective education of airport operators about the impacts of their decisions, combined with earlier involvement in redevelopment proposals, is required to overcome these difficulties. The flexible deployment of Customs resources between the airport and other locations has considerable merit in achieving the most efficient utilisation of staff. Ways in which this could be achieved in the medium- to long-term should be given serious consideration. Customs signage at airports needs to be comprehensively reviewed. A consistent signage policy should be developed that addresses aspects such as the content, style and siting of Customs signs as well as interaction with the signs of other stakeholders, particularly airport operators. The message, form of delivery, location and audience for each sign must be considered carefully. Signage is not always the most effective medium and alternative methods of delivery for key messages should be used where appropriate. The current inwards passenger facilitation standard is a satisfactory indicator of performance at the entry control point. However, this standard should be considered within an integrated framework of passenger facilitation measures covering all relevant airport processes, which Customs should work to establish through the passenger facilitation task force. Performance measures for facilitation by Customs in the Secondary Examination Area are not appropriate. However the development of a passenger facilitation performance measure for the outward control point would be beneficial to Customs in managing its interactions with airlines and airport operators. In establishing framework of key performance indicators to assist management in monitoring the effectiveness and efficiency of Customs passengers operations, it should be recognised that the comparison of efficiency indicators between airports will be of limited value due to impracticality of establishing a useful benchmark. Benchmarks for efficiency need to be founded on baseline resource requirements for each individual airport established through a systematic resource planning process.
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - iv -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
PRIORITY ACTION AREAS The principal recommendations relating to each of the key priority action areas identified by this review are summarised below. These key recommendations are presented in priority order and are supported by the remaining recommendations contained within this report which are summarised in Section 6.0. Each group of recommendations should be considered as a suite of complementary actions that, if implemented together, will generate substantial synergies. Furthermore, there are cost and efficiency interactions between each group of recommendations such that, if implemented in totality, these actions should result in improvements to the passenger experience and consistency of practice with a net improvement in efficiency. Passenger management and preparation: More active management of passengers in the baggage hall is essential, from the perspective of the passenger experience. Queuing arrangements for the Secondary Examination Area require scrutiny. Although additional resources are required for passenger management, closer relationships with AQIS would present opportunities to minimise this increase through streamlining. Recommendation 5: Sufficient resources should be provided in busy periods dedicated to the active management of passengers attempting to exit the baggage hall. Customs should use the passenger facilitation task force to investigate necessary capacity enhancements within the Secondary Examination Area (SEA). Recommendation 8: Queuing arrangements for the Secondary Examination Area at individual airports should be further scrutinised for their effectiveness, ease of understanding by passengers, the efficiency with which they utilise the available space and the extent to which they impact on passenger flows in the baggage hall. Recommendation 6: Sufficient marshal resources should be provided to prevent the Customs marshal point from being a limiting factor in the queuing process for the Secondary Examination Area. Recommendation 7: The opportunity for streamlining the Customs and AQIS marshalling duties for the Secondary Examination Area should be investigated through the passenger facilitation task force. The provision of additional passenger management resources in the primary line queues, either by Customs or other stakeholder organisations, has the potential to realise significant processing efficiencies, especially at larger airports. If this could be combined with a relocation of enforcement targeting functions, the synergy could generate greater efficiencies and help enhance the publics
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - v -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
perception of Customs. Some of the resource savings here could be redirected to the management of passengers in the baggage hall. Recommendation 3: Measures to reduce entry control point cycle times by improving passenger readiness should be adopted at SYD, MEL and BNE. Customs should seek to secure the cooperation of airlines and airport operators to achieve this. The potential benefits of this strategy at other airports should be reviewed. Recommendation 14: Customs should review internally its publicly visible enforcement work practices for the potential to carry out these activities in other locations so that the officers conducting them appear more active. Recommendation 10: Customs should seek to secure the cooperation of airlines and airport operators to ensure passengers have completed their outgoing passenger card before entering the queue and have it ready for inspection at the desk along with their passport. This principle should be established at a national level as well as between the regions and individual airports. There is potential to realise resource savings by using teams of part-time officers to accommodate the peak period flows in highly demand-driven compliance-focussed functions at some airports. Development of a corresponding category of personnel would offer a cost-effective mechanism for the provision of additional resources to carry out passenger management activities. Recommendation 36: A job description for part-time officers should be developed. Mechanisms by which such officers could be integrated within the Customs personnel structure should be investigated. Recommendation 37: Customs should consider the use of part-time officers at MEL and BNE initially and, subject to positive results there, review the potential to engage them at SYD in light of labour market considerations.
Resource planning and performance measurement: A more systematic long-term resource planning process, which considers whole-of-airport requirements, is required to allow a level of resources to be delivered that more closely matches that required on a day-to-day basis to achieve Customs specific outcomes. Efficiencies will flow from the ability to deliver resources in the most cost-effective manner. More systematic resource planning will also identify baseline resource requirements for each individual airport and allow efficiency to be assessed and monitored in a meaningful way. Recommendation 22: In planning long-term resource requirements, adequate account must be taken of anticipated variations in passenger numbers and aircraft arrival times. Resource
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - vi -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
requirements should be planned explicitly to achieve the current specified performance targets. Adequate resources must be allocated to resource planning activities to achieve these objectives. Recommendation 23: Long-term resource planning for Customs enforcement activities should be carried out as rigorously as possible and the results incorporated into the overall workforce planning process. Recommendation 56: The baseline predicted resource requirement should be established at each airport in order to permit a meaningful assessment of the efficiency of resource delivery by rosters. The baseline resource requirement must be reviewed at each change of flight schedule and updated as necessary.
Infrastructure, signage and stakeholder relationships: Customs should ensure that it does everything it can to effectively manage its interactions with other airport stakeholders, especially AQIS, in the interest of enhancing Customs ability to perform its portfolio of responsibilities as efficiently as possible. Customs signage at airports needs to be comprehensively reviewed. Recommendation 18: Customs must work to achieve a stronger relationship and clearer division of responsibilities between Customs and AQIS with respect to the management of passengers in the Secondary Examination Area (SEA) and baggage hall. This should be achieved through formal agreements at a national level. Recommendation 15: Customs should ensure that it does everything in its power to effectively manage its interactions with other airport stakeholders, in the interest of enhancing Customs ability to perform its portfolio of responsibilities as efficiently as possible. Recommendation 40: A consistent signage policy should be developed. This should address aspects such as the content, style and siting of Customs signs as well as the interaction with the signs of other stakeholders, particularly airport operators. Recommendation 41: The content and location of dynamic signs should be thoroughly reviewed as part of an overall signage strategy.
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - vii -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 SCOPE OF THE REVIEW 1 1.2 METHODOLOGY 1 1.3 CONTEXT 2 2.0 WORK PRACTICES & BUSINESS PROCESSES 4 2.1 PASSENGER MANAGEMENT 4 2.2 PASSENGER PERCEPTIONS 16 2.3 INTERACTION WITH OTHER AGENCIES 17 3.0 STAFFING 21 3.1 RESOURCE ALLOCATION & DEPLOYMENT 21 3.2 TRAINING 29 3.3 RECRUITMENT & SELECTION POLICY 31 3.4 SKILLING LEVELS AND CAREER PATHS 33 4.0 INFRASTRUCTURE & TECHNOLOGY 35 4.1 INFRASTRUCTURE CONFIGURATION 35 4.2 SIGNAGE 37 4.3 OTHER TECHNOLOGY 46 5.0 PERFORMANCE MEASURES 48 5.1 PASSENGER FACILITATION MEASURES 48 5.2 MANAGEMENT PERFORMANCE MEASURES 55 6.0 SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS 60
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - viii -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - ix -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
FIGURES FIGURE 1 TYPICAL ECP QUEUE ARRANGEMENTS 6 FIGURE 2 QUEUING FOR CUSTOMS MARSHAL POINT 10 FIGURE 3 QUEUING FOR THE SECONDARY EXAMINATION AREA (SEA) AT SYD 11 FIGURE 4 TYPICAL DISTRIBUTION OF ACTUAL AIRCRAFT ARRIVALS AGAINST SCHEDULE 22 FIGURE 5 LONG-TERM RESOURCE PLANNING METHODS 23 FIGURE 6 COMPARISON OF RESOURCE REQUIREMENT PREDICTIONS - ECP 24 FIGURE 7 RESTRICTED AREA SIGNS 39 FIGURE 8 FREE-STANDING DUTY FREE ALLOWANCE SIGNS 40 FIGURE 9 INEFFECTIVE INSTRUCTIONAL SIGNS 41 FIGURE 10 DYNAMIC SIGNAGE FOR AUTOMATED BORDER PROCESS 42 FIGURE 11 DYNAMIC SIGNAGE AT THE ECP 43 FIGURE 12 DUPLICATION OF DIRECTIONAL SIGNS 45 FIGURE 13 COMPARATIVE RESOURCE REQUIREMENTS FOR OUTWARD FACILITATION 54
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - 1 -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
1.0 INTRODUCTION This report presents the findings of a review of the Australian Customs Services Passengers Branch functions at International airports within Australia. The review was carried out by Rehbein AOS Airport Consulting, on behalf of the Australian Customs Service (Customs). 1.1 SCOPE OF THE REVIEW The full Terms of Reference for the review, defined and agreed at the outset of the study, are included as Appendix. In summary, the review considered the following four aspects within the context of Customs business objectives: the extent to which current work practices / business processes deliver, in the most efficient and effective way possible, Customs business objectives within relevant standards; the extent to which current staffing arrangements, including workforce planning, recruitment, deployment and rostering, deliver capable staff able to undertake the requisite business processes to achieve Customs business outcomes; the extent to which technology, and in particular signage, does or could further the efficient and effective delivery of Customs business outcomes; the extent to which current performance measures usefully quantify Customs business outcomes at airports. It was agreed that the review should concentrate on Customs activities in relation to passenger facilitation rather than its enforcement role. However, both functions interact and it is not therefore possible to completely exclude consideration of Customs enforcement activities.
1.2 METHODOLOGY 1.2.1 FIELD VISITS The review essentially consisted of two stages. The first stage, conducted primarily during September 2006, comprised field visits to the four representative international airports agreed in the Terms of Reference. These airports were (in order of visitation) Melbourne Tullamarine (MEL), Perth International (PER), Adelaide (ADL) and Sydney Kingsford Smith (SYD). Between two and three days was spent at each airport conducting a mixture of: observation of passenger flows and overall activity in Customs controlled areas. These observations were carried out during the busiest periods of the day for each process; a review of the extent, nature and effectiveness of Customs and other relevant signage;
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - 2 -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
discussions with Customs personnel regarding work practices / business processes and staffing issues; and consultation with the airport operator, airlines and any other relevant agencies regarding external issues affecting Customs processes. Two supplementary visits were also carried out to Brisbane International (BNE) and Cairns (CNS). The primary purpose of the visit to BNE was to assist in planning for the main field visits. In the case of CNS, members of the review team were in the area on other business following the completion of the main visits. It was agreed that a visit to the airport represented a valuable opportunity for further comparison. These supplementary visits were shorter and less extensive than the main visits only 3 - 4 hours in duration and were timed to coincide with busy periods. 1.2.2 DATA ANALYSIS AND REVIEW The second stage, carried out during October 2006, focussed on analysis and review of the findings of the field visits, consideration of the main objectives of the assignment and the preparation of this report.
1.3 CONTEXT 1.3.1 CUSTOMS STRATEGIC STATEMENT This review was carried out in the context of the corporate priorities in the Australian Customs Services Strategic Statement 2006-07. These are to: maintain the communitys confidence in the way Customs goes about performing its role; and deliver on Customs border protection, facilitation and revenue commitments to Government. One of the key improvement priorities identified in the 2006-07 Strategic Statement is the need to focus on improving the consistency and efficiency of Customs operations. With these priorities in mind, this review had three broad themes: efficiency; consistency; and the quality of the passenger experience.
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - 3 -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
1.3.2 THE AIRPORT ENVIRONMENT Every airport is subject to traffic with different characteristics, in terms of: annual passenger traffic levels; the distribution of flights throughout the day and week, and the extent to which these occur on- schedule; the proportions of passengers travelling on business or for leisure; the mix of airlines and aircraft sizes serving the airport; and the destinations served and the mix of passenger nationalities. Differences in these factors result in different demands for resources, such that two airports are unlikely to have similar resource requirements no matter how similar they appear. Nevertheless, some general characteristics of passenger flows at airports are worth highlighting. In particular, airport traffic is characterised by relatively short periods of very high demand, combined with long periods of little or no demand. Airline scheduling considerations result in passenger demand profiles that are rarely uniform across the day. Rather, passenger flows tend to be very high for parts of the day and very low for other parts. This is true for all but the very busiest airports in the world. However, the variation in flows over time tends to be more acute at airports with lower traffic levels. Such patterns make if very difficult to achieve high efficiencies in the utilisation of resources at airports. To avoid queues completely would be financially prohibitive, in terms of the quantity of resources and infrastructure required to cope with the highest demand peaks.
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - 4 -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
2.0 WORK PRACTICES & BUSINESS PROCESSES 2.1 PASSENGER MANAGEMENT Passenger flows at airports display two particular features which lead to an inevitable build-up of queues: variability in the time between successive passengers arriving for service at a particular process (such as check-in, security screening, or the inwards or outwards control points); and the fact that passengers often arrive in groups rather than individually. Processing times at each stage are also subject to variability. This variability can lead to delays (i.e. queues) even when average passenger flow rates are lower than average processing rates. A particular characteristic of airport queues is that they can develop relatively quickly, over a period of as little as a few minutes, and take a much longer time to dissipate. Since queues are unavoidable, effective management of waiting passengers is important to provide an acceptable passenger experience. Issues such as infrastructure availability and configuration (discussed in Section 4.1) affect not only the amount of queuing passengers are subjected to but also the quality of that experience. Passenger management is especially important when there are infrastructure limitations to overcome. Effective passenger management can also have flow-on efficiencies in terms of Customs processes. By removing delays caused by passengers being unprepared for forthcoming procedures, the whole process can operate more smoothly and quickly. The use of signs to inform passengers about their responsibilities in the process is discussed in Section 4.2. However, interaction with people is another method that can be equally, if not more, effective. Issues relating to the active management of passengers are discussed in the following sections. 2.1.1 ENTRY CONTROL POINT Overt interaction between Customs and passengers in the arrivals concourse prior to the entry control point (ECP) is limited, but includes some signage (discussed in Section 4.2) and the use of detector dogs. From the point of disembarkation of the aircraft passengers are guided by signs provided by the airport operator and in some cases by airline personnel. 2.1.1.1 Incoming Passenger Cards Upon entry to the ECP, passengers are directed to the appropriate primary line module by signage and in some cases by marshals. Before entering the queue for the primary line, passengers must complete an incoming passenger card (IPC). Some passengers need to do this in the ECP, either because they have not had the opportunity to do this previously or because they require a foreign- language version of the card.
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - 5 -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
The location of benches containing the IPCs is often such that they are not obvious to passengers. This is due to the need to keep these benches out of main flow and, in part, to limitations of the infrastructure in the ECP queuing areas. In many cases, passengers are required to look backwards to see the benches. Although foreign-language IPCs are available at the benches in the ECP area, it was noted that the availability of these may not be obvious to passengers unless they ask. The labelling of foreign-language IPCs was generally only in English and not visible from any distance. It was both reported and observed by the review team that a significant number of passengers present incomplete or incorrect IPCs to Customs Officers at both the ECP and later at the entry to the Secondary Examination Area. This can lead to delays in both locations whilst the documentation is adjusted. In many cases, it is likely that this results from passengers completing an IPC that is not in their first language. There may be a role for other industry organisations, such as the airlines and airport operators, in ensuring passengers are adequately prepared in terms of arrival documentation prior to reaching the ECP. Customs might also consider the extent to which mechanisms such as those used by AQIS to inform passengers on-board aircraft through the use of pre-arrival messages could be employed to this end. Recommendation 1: Methods of better communicating the availability of incoming passenger cards to passengers, including those in foreign languages, should be considered. The role of other stakeholders, and the use of pre-arrival messages, whether paid for by Customs or through changes to legislation requirements, in preparing passengers for incoming border procedures should be reviewed. 2.1.1.2 Queuing arrangements Typical queuing arrangements for the ECP are shown in Figure 1. Generally, queuing arrangements for the ECP adopted the same physical layout at all of the airports visited: that of a snake queue. Separate queues for Australian and also, in most cases, New Zealand passport holders (and their families) are provided at all of the airports visited. This arrangement is considered to be both desirable and acceptable due to the high proportion of travellers who are of these nationalities. However, it can lead to complications when there is an imbalance in the proportions of nationalities on a particular flight, or series of flights. It was noted that some airports do not encourage New Zealand passport holders to queue with Australian nationals. This is due to the relatively low volumes of New Zealand nationals passing through these airports. However, from the point of view of consistency of the arrivals experience it is recommended that the practice of including both Australian and New Zealand passport holders in a separate ECP queue be standardised.
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - 6 -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
Recommendation 2: The practice of providing separate queues for Australian and New Zealand passport holders, and for holders of other passports, at the entry control point should be standardised at all airports, in the interests of ensuring a consistent arrival experience for passengers.
Figure 1 Typical ECP Queue Arrangements A dedicated channel is also provided at all airports for the use of airline crew. This lane also provides priority processing for mobility impaired passengers being assisted through the Customs process by the airlines, domestic passengers and APEC card holders. Queues for the ECP were generally observed to be orderly and well-managed. However, a few potential issues were noted. Generally, the queuing barriers are left open initially, in order to prevent the first passengers from a flight having to snake unnecessarily (by following the dotted arrows in Figure 1). However, queues develop quickly once a flight arrives and it was observed that there is usually a very short window during which this initial arrangement is adequate. The queue quickly extends beyond the cordoned area and the barriers need adjusting to divert passengers into the snake. If the barriers are not rearranged quickly at the necessary time this situation results in congestion at the rear of the queuing despite adequate queuing space being available further forward. This appeared to be a particular problem at PER, where the ECP is fed from a downwards escalator. Such situations are not desirable from the point of view of passenger comfort or safety and lead to a negative perception of the quality of the passenger experience. At airports where a marshal was observed at the entrance to the ECP queues, this practice appeared to be well received by passengers. The marshal was able to assist passengers to join the
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - 7 -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
correct queue and was also able to adjust the queuing arrangements quickly as and when required. It was not obvious whether the marshal was specifically advising people of the need to complete an IPC, but it was observed that they were able to assist people with queries about the procedures generally. At most airports, each main snake queue feeds into shorter queues from which passengers move to individual ECP races. This process does not appear to require a marshal and none was observed during the site visits. This queuing arrangement ensures each Custom Officer receives a continuous supply of passengers. It therefore avoids the inefficiencies that can occur when passengers feed to desks from a single point and leads to the fastest ECP cycle times. It was noted that at SYD, Australian & New Zealand passport holders form individual queues for each ECP channel. This arrangement is equivalent, in terms of processing efficiency, to the snake arrangements adopted elsewhere. However there are two reasons in particular for considering changing this arrangement: There is unused space between the lines of queuing passengers. The use of a snake arrangement could help to make more efficient use of the space in the ECP area, thereby allowing more passengers to be accommodated within a guided queuing arrangement. Queues like this can be perceived as less fair than a snake queue. Although unfair situations (situations in which passengers do not get processed in the order in which they joined the collective bank of queues) are expected to be less frequent for Australian & New Zealand passengers than for other nationalities, they might still occur or be perceived to be occurring. The use of a main snake queue would avoid this. 2.1.1.3 Processing at the ECP Detailed consideration of the procedures undertaken by Customs Officers in processing passengers at the ECP desk itself was not within the scope of this review. However, some general observations were made concerning the extent to which passengers are prepared for the procedures that will be carried out there. The principal observation was that relatively long delays can result at the ECP desk due to passengers not having completed their IPCs correctly. This leads to a series of questions from the Customs Officer to establish basic facts including the passengers flight number and whether they have any items to declare. This was especially noticeable in the case of non-Australian and New Zealand passport holders. The provision of additional resources upstream of the ECP, before passengers join the queue or whilst they are waiting, to inform passengers of the need to complete their IPC and to assist them in completing it correctly could reduce these delays.
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - 8 -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
These resources could be provided by Customs or by other industry stakeholders such as the airport operators and the airlines. Even if Customs resources were used, a net reduction in ECP resources would certainly be expected at the larger airports (SYD, MEL, BNE and possibly PER). These resources could be redeployed to fulfilling Customs enforcement functions or to managing passenger congestion in the baggage hall and Secondary Examination Area (SEA). If passenger preparation could be combined with a relocation of certain enforcement activities (as discussed in Section 2.2.2) the net resource savings to Customs would be even more significant. At other airports the benefits of this strategy may be less clear, as there may be less scope to reduce cycle times. The impacts of this strategy on ECP resource requirements at smaller airports would therefore need to be reviewed on an individual basis. Recommendation 3: Measures to reduce entry control point cycle times by improving passenger readiness should be adopted at SYD, MEL and BNE. Customs should seek to secure the cooperation of airlines and airport operators to achieve this. The potential benefits of this strategy at other airports should be reviewed. 2.1.2 BAGGAGE HALL & SECONDARY EXAMINATION AREA Passenger flows in the baggage hall and queuing arrangements at the entrance to the Secondary Examination Area (SEA) were observed to be consistently problematic at all of the airports visited, with the exception of CNS. This situation is ultimately caused by a fundamental lack of capacity in the SEA for the conduct of AQIS inspections (discussed further in Section 4.1). This lack of capacity is compounded by the fact that the baggage hall and SEA infrastructure configurations are different at each airport. Nevertheless, the manner in which passengers are managed in the baggage hall, through the Customs marshal point and whilst queuing and waiting in the SEA in many cases exacerbates these problems 2.1.2.1 Baggage hall At the larger airports, the size of the baggage hall and the need for extensive queuing space in the SEA dictate that more than one entry point to the SEA queue is necessary. This has historically been achieved through the use of red and green channels. The use of the red (Goods to Declare) and green (Nothing to Declare) exit system was observed at both PER and at SYD (Pier C). This arrangement appeared to be problematic because of the large volumes of passengers using the red exit. This is more likely to be due to the large range of items that require a quarantine declaration than to large numbers of passengers declaring items of Customs interest. There was also evidence of uncertainty on the part of passengers about which exit they should use. This seemed to be due to passengers not knowing whether they need to declare certain items. Several passengers were observed asking Customs Officers whether they were in the correct queue. These officers were unable direct passengers in the red queue that they could use the green exit, because of a lack of authority to make decisions regarding AQIS
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - 9 -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
declaration requirements. At PER the situation was worsened by the fact that the queuing arrangements for the red exit prevented many passengers from seeing or reaching the green exit. The use of the red and green channel system is in accordance with World Customs Organisation (WCO) recommendations (incorporated by ICAO as Appendix 6 to Annex 9 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation). However, given the high level of intervention required by AQIS on passengers selecting the green channel, the WCO recommendations can be considered inappropriate in the case of Australia. The review team understands that the use of the red/green exist system is being discontinued but that this change is contingent on individual airport operators modifying the infrastructure accordingly. Customs should work with the necessary stakeholders to expedite these changes to ensure a consistent arrival experience for passengers. Recommendation 4: Customs should work to expedite the necessary changes to infrastructure to discontinue the use of the red and green exit system at all airports, through the passenger facilitation task force. Standardisation should be achieved as quickly as possible in the interests of consistency. In situations with multiple exits but no red/green distinction (SYD ITB, MEL and BNE), the distribution of passengers to these exits is prone to difficulties. This is mainly due to the proximity of the queuing barriers to the end of the baggage carousels. As a result of baggage carousel assignments, often situations occur where one exit naturally receives more demand than the other. The resulting congestion around the exit point blocks to cross-flow of passengers between the baggage carousels and the Secondary Examination Area (SEA) queuing area, preventing passengers from using the other exit. This results in very long queues at one exit whilst the other exit is relatively under-utilised. In many cases, when Customs or AQIS officers directed the passengers, the congestion eased considerably and the level of service in the baggage hall improved. It is the opinion of the review team that border agency personnel are, in general, not sufficiently active in managing the distribution of passengers to exits in the baggage hall. Congestion around the Customs marshal point develops quickly and can become disorderly in a matter of seconds. Personnel who are dedicated to actively managing passenger flows in the baggage hall are therefore required to anticipate and pro-actively address these situations as they develop. Passive measures such as signs are unlikely to be effective in these situations.
Recommendation 5: Sufficient resources should be provided in busy periods dedicated to the active management of passengers attempting to exit the baggage hall. Customs should use the passenger facilitation task force to investigate necessary capacity enhancements within the Secondary Examination Area (SEA).
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - 10 -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
2.1.2.2 Customs marshal point Passengers are required to show their IPC to a Customs Officer at the marshal point. It was observed at several airports that this often results in a queue forming upstream of the marshal point, even before a queue has developed downstream. An extreme case of this was observed at ADL, in which the queue for the Customs marshal extended around the baggage hall and prevented passengers from accessing the baggage reclaim carousel (Figure 2 ) it is acknowledged that this was probably not a typical situation, due to the use of Customs Trainees at the marshal point on that particular day. However, it illustrates the potential for this process to become problematic.
Figure 2 Queuing for Customs marshal point At SYD, it was acknowledged by Customs personnel that two marshals were required at each exit point to avoid this situation. However it was noted by the review team that the application of this policy was not always the case. A similar situation to that described above can be seen in Figure 3 In this case, a single flight arrival, results in a queue around and between the baggage carousels as people wait to pass through the Customs marshal point. The empty queuing races beyond can be seen.
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - 11 -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
Figure 3 Queuing for the SECONDARY EXAMINATION AREA (SEA) at SYD Recommendation 6: Sufficient marshal resources should be provided to prevent the Customs marshal point from being a limiting factor in the queuing process for the Secondary Examination Area. After passing through the Customs marshal point, passengers in which Customs have no interest then have to queue again to show their IPC to an AQIS marshal. It was noted in some cases that, despite the short distance between the Customs and AQIS marshals, passengers returned their IPC to their pocket between the two marshals. This could be avoided if the Customs marshal were to advise or remind passengers to show their card to the AQIS marshal when they direct them to the AQIS channel. Marshalling acts as a further constriction of passenger flow through the Secondary Examination Area (SEA). Therefore, anything Customs Officers can do to speed up the flow of passengers will serve to improve the queuing and waiting experience for many passengers outside of the busiest periods at the larger airports. If the Customs and AQIS marshal duties could be combined at a single point, it is expected that this would offer a substantial improvement in the flow of passengers queuing for the SEA. Streamlining the marshalling process for the SEA would also realise savings in resources that could be diverted to enforcement activities or the management of passengers in the baggage hall. Recommendation 7: The opportunity for streamlining the Customs and AQIS marshalling duties for the Secondary Examination Area should be investigated through the passenger facilitation task force.
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - 12 -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
2.1.2.3 Queuing arrangements Because of the different physical layouts of the baggage hall and Secondary Examination Area (SEA) at different airports, queuing arrangements for the SEA vary. Queues for Customs processes downstream of the marshal point were observed to be generally not problematic. Adequate space appears to be available for those passengers awaiting baggage inspections in most cases. Queues upstream of the Customs marshal point, in the baggage hall, were observed to be generally poorly managed. At the busier airports (SYD and MEL) this resulted in an undefined grouping of people waiting to pass through the Customs marshal points (the crows feet effect). During the visit to SYD (Pier B), a trial of a new queuing arrangement to provide additional queuing space for the SEA was underway. The arrangement is intended to avoid the crows feet situation. Although it does undoubtedly ensure a greater number of people are queuing in an orderly rather than haphazard fashion than would otherwise be the case, the new arrangement potentially just moves this problem further into the baggage hall, where it has greater impact on circulation in the baggage hall. It is recognised that queues upstream of the Customs marshal point cannot always be avoided. Nevertheless, some simple management of those queues to direct the direction in which they develop could minimise the impact they have on the circulation of passengers in the baggage hall (see Section 2.1.2.1). The review team notes that attempts to improve the queuing arrangements both upstream and downstream of the Customs marshal point have been made on an airport-by-airport basis. However, despite the difficulties presented by individual airport configurations, it would appear that there is room to further increase the effectiveness of these arrangements at some airports. Recommendation 8: Queuing arrangements for the Secondary Examination Area at individual airports should be further scrutinised for their effectiveness, ease of understanding by passengers, the efficiency with which they utilise the available space and the extent to which they impact on passenger flows in the baggage hall. 2.1.2.4 Express exit gate It was observed in SYD that an express exit gate (EEG) initiative was in place. The EEG is seen by AQIS as a proactive way to manage risk by preventing those that pose no threat to the border from queuing for the Secondary Examination Area (SEA). Recommendation 9: The value of the express exit gate system in relieving congestion in the Secondary Examination Area should be reviewed through the passenger facilitation task force.
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - 13 -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
2.1.3 OUTWARDS CONTROL POINT 2.1.3.1 Outgoing Passenger Cards At some airports, a security guard provided by the airlines, or a voluntary airport ambassador, is stationed at the entrance to the OCP to ensure one or all of the following: all persons entering the Customs controlled area hold a valid boarding card; passengers have the necessary documentation ready for presentation; and no trolleys are taken into the Customs controlled area. The extent to which these non-Customs resources are provided varies between airports. In some cases they are provided all the time that the OCP is open, in other cases only during the busiest periods. The most important function, from the point of view of Customs processing, is ensuring the all passengers complete (correctly) an outgoing passenger card (OPC). A significant number of passengers at SYD were observed presenting at the primary line without a completed OPC. This required them to go to the back of the queuing area to fill one out. Not only is this frustrating for the passengers, who may have already queued for a substantial period, but it reduces the efficiency of Customs processing operations. As described in Section 2.1.1.3, substantial benefits could flow to Customs as a result of even slight reductions in OCP cycle times. Ensuring all passengers have a completed OPC would help to reduce the average cycle time. Although the provision of an additional Customs resources to fulfil this function might be justified on the basis of the resource savings it would achieve for Customs, such an approach seems unnecessary given that the function could be performed adequately by the resources already available. Recommendation 10: Customs should seek to secure the cooperation of airlines and airport operators to ensure passengers have completed their OPC before entering the queue and have it ready for inspection at the desk along with their passport. This principle should be established at a national level as well as between the regions and individual airports. As with the ECP, the location and visibility of OPCs was not always optimal. At SYD (Pier B) during the peak period a large number of passengers were observed using the benches to complete OPCs. This created congestion around the entrance to the OCP queue. 2.1.3.2 Queuing arrangements Queuing arrangements for the OCP are much simpler than for the ECP, due to the fact that no distinction is made between the different nationalities of passengers. At most airports, operates in
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - 14 -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
the same way as those at the ECP (see Section 2.1.1.2). The use of marshals in the OCP queue is not generally the case at most airports. The exception is in SYD (Pier B). Given that at other airports the OCP queue manages to operate satisfactorily without a dedicated marshal, the need for one at this particular location might be reviewed. It was reported during the review that the implementation of an electronic queue management system is being considered to avoid the need for a marshal. This could have a detrimental impact on OCP processing cycle times. The potential impacts of electronic queue management systems are discussed in more detail in Section 4.3.2. 2.1.3.3 Passenger presentation behaviour One of the main difficulties for Customs with the departures process is the difficulty in predicting when passengers will proceed through the OCP. Two aspects of passenger behaviour were reported as being significant in this regard: the lack of control over passengers between the time they check-in and the time they proceed to the OCP; and the impact of large groups of passengers presenting together. Ideally, from Customs viewpoint, relocation of the security screening point immediately ahead of the OCP would assist in providing a smoother and more controlled flow of passengers. This would reduce the queuing space required and potentially offer reductions in the number of Customs Officers required in the peak period to maintain acceptable queue lengths. Customs, through the passenger facilitation task force, should press for the relocation of the security screening point immediately prior to the OCP, as has been included in the current redevelopment plans for BNE and MEL. Recommendation 11: Customs should, through the passenger facilitation task force, encourage airport operators to relocate the security screening point immediately prior to the outwards control point wherever possible. Even so, mechanisms by which variations in departing passenger flows can be better anticipated are required. There is very little that Customs can do to ensure that passengers leave adequate time to complete Customs formalities at the OCP and clear security in advance of their flight departure time. This is the joint responsibility of the airlines and the airport operators. However, Customs would be in a stronger position to avoid criticism if it developed and promoted a performance standard for queuing and processing through the OCP. The definition and use of such as standard is discussed further in Section 5.1.3.2. At PER, late presentation of passengers at the OCP appears to be particularly common due to the number of concessions landside and the quality of the waiting space airside. Here, the review team observed Customs Officers keeping track of the number of passengers on each flight processed
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - 15 -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
through the OCP by using a mechanical card counter. Simple comparison with the number of passengers booked on each flight allows any late surges of passengers to be anticipated and immediate resource requirements to be more precisely estimated. Whilst counting cards would be impractical at larger airports, information could be made accessible to the OCP supervisor at each airport to allow them to track in real time passenger flows through the OCP. Recommendation 12: The number of passengers that have passed through the OCP for each flight should be monitored and compared with the known passenger numbers in real time to assist in determining immediately forthcoming resource requirements for the OCP to enable achievement of agreed performance outcomes. The impact of tour groups was highlighted at a number of airports as negatively impacting on Customs ability to minimise queue times. The impact of tour groups on achievement of queue time standards was investigated using computer simulation modelling. The results revealed that, for data typical of MEL, the impact of including a proportion of large groups reduced the facilitation rate achieved by between 0.5 and 1.0% if processing resources remain the same. This translates to an increase in average queue time per passenger of 30 40 seconds. In order to deal effectively with large groups of passengers arriving at the same time, Customs requires two key pieces of information: advance notice of their imminent arrival; and the ability to divert resources temporarily to the OCP processing function. The former can be achieved, to a certain extent, by the use of CCTV resources to monitor the development of groups of passengers in the landside departure concourse. Such a system is being developed at SYD. However, this can only provide a relatively short period of notice about impending groups. It also relies on Customs personnel having the time to monitor the CCTV images sufficiently regularly. A superior arrangement would be to secure the cooperation of the airlines in passing on information about large groups of passengers. This information should, to a relatively reliable extent, be available to the airlines through the check-in process. Advance notice of the presence of tour groups on particular flights could be used in conjunction with CCTV monitoring to anticipate resource requirements. If Customs were to promulgate and commit to an outwards passenger facilitation standard then this should be on the understanding that its achievement can only be achieved if the airlines provide information about group check-ins to Customs. Recommendation 13: Customs should secure the cooperation of the airlines in developing and implementing a formal arrangement for advising Customs, as far in advance as possible, of the presence of large groups of passengers on flights and providing notification when these check-in.
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - 16 -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
2.2 PASSENGER PERCEPTIONS 2.2.1 CUSTOMS RESPONSIBILITIES There is a widespread but inaccurate perception amongst travellers that Customs is responsible for all of the negative experiences flowing to passengers from the time of disembarkation to clearance of the Secondary Examination Area (SEA). This situation is not helped by the fact that airport operators themselves sometimes convey the same inaccurate perception. In particular people often attribute all delays as a result of AQIS intervention in the SEA to Customs. This may be due to a combination of: a lack of understanding of the split of responsibilities between different agencies; the high visibility of Customs officers relative to those of other agencies, including AQIS; and an absence of interest in who is responsible for each part of the process. Passengers passing through an airport are subject to a sequence of processes, each of which is the responsibility of different agencies. All of these separate processes interact, either directly or indirectly. The state of flow of passengers in one process, therefore, is a function of the state of flow in all other processes. The capacity of the whole system is constrained by the activity with the lowest throughput. Ultimately, therefore, responsibility for the smooth flow of passengers through an airport must rest with the airport operator as the only stakeholder with influence over all of the processes. Customs should work, at a high level, to ensure that airport operators and other influential stakeholders clearly understand the interactions between the different processes in their airports and the extent to which each agency is responsible. 2.2.2 CUSTOMS OFFICER ACTIVITY A further widespread misconception surrounds the activity of Customs Officers during busy periods. There is a perception that many Customs officers are doing nothing when in fact they are carrying out essential enforcement duties. This is a misconception that, it seems, is an easy target for passengers and even the media to spread when criticising the arrivals process at some of Australias busiest international airports. During the field visits to airports the following situations were observed that were considered to have the potential to fuel this misconception: multiple Customs Officers allocated to marshal duties with only one checking IPCs; the presence of Customs Trainees undergoing on-the-job training with accompanying mentors.
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - 17 -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
Despite the inaccuracy of the perception it is considered important that Customs acts to adjust wherever possible any work practices that unnecessarily serve to add to this misconception. Whilst recognising the importance of Customs enforcement activities, the review team believes there is potential to make adjustments to some of these practices without reducing their effectiveness. Recommendation 14: Customs should review internally its publicly visible enforcement work practices for the potential to carry out these activities in other locations so that the officers conducting them appear more active. 2.3 INTERACTION WITH OTHER AGENCIES Customs interacts on a day-to-day basis with a number of major stakeholders in the airport environment. The activity of these stakeholders can have a significant influence on Customs ability to perform its passenger facilitation and border protection duties at airports. It is, therefore, in Customs interest to manage as far as possible these interactions. Key stakeholders with which Customs has an interest in managing interactions include: The Department of Immigration & Citizenship (DIAC) the Australian Quarantine & Inspection Service (AQIS); airport owners/operators; and airlines (and their representatives). In general, there is a requirement for closer local relationships with all of these stakeholders. A framework for cooperation that extends beyond the level of individual airports is also required, with a formal process to escalate issues which cant be resolved locally.
Recommendation 15: Customs should ensure that it does everything in its power to effectively manage its interactions with other airport stakeholders, in the interest of enhancing Customs ability to perform its portfolio of responsibilities as efficiently as possible. The nature of the interaction between Customs and each of these stakeholders is discussed in the following sub-sections. 2.3.1 DIAC The principal relationship between Customs and DIAC is the ECP/OCP processing activities performed by Customs Officers on behalf of DIAC. The Customs / DIAC interface appears to work well for both inwards and outwards processes. DIAC officers are closely positioned for Customs referrals, in most cases seated adjacent to the Customs Primary Support Officer (PSO) at the Primary Support Point (PSP). This achieves minimum disruption to the processing of other
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - 18 -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
passengers and allows DIAC to attend to any issues referred in a subtle and efficient manner. Even so, there may be potential to reduce the double-handling of passengers through even greater levels of integration between Customs and DIAC. Situations which require passengers to be referred firstly from the primary line to the Customs PSO and subsequently to DIAC can contribute negatively to the passenger experience. This situation could be prevented, and resource savings realised, by consolidating the procedures carried out at the PSP into a single organisation. Recommendation 16: Customs and DIAC should consider whether there is scope to consolidate the processes at the primary support point so that they are carried out by a single authority. A particular problem that was highlighted in discussions with Customs Officers was the need at some airports to continually refer travel documents to the PSP for a repetitive issue. Referrals to the PSP take time which contributes negatively to average processing times at the control point. Minimising the occurrence of these has the potential to realise significant resource savings (see Section 2.1.1.3). Unnecessary referrals also consume the attention of the PSO who, in some cases, has other responsibilities relating to the efficient function of the ECP or (more commonly) the OCP. By analysing information on the nature of each referral to the PSP and the associated outcome, any trends in referrals can be identified. Suitable measures to prevent further recurrences of common referrals such as document machine-readability issues, can then be agreed between Customs and DIAC. Recommendation 17: Customs and DIAC should cooperate to minimise the referral of documents to the primary support point for common issues that can be resolved quickly and effectively at the primary line.
2.3.2 AQIS Customs and AQIS share responsibility for the activity in the Secondary Examination Area (SEA), however as noted elsewhere the capacity of AQIS processing here has flow-on impact on other areas, in particular the baggage hall. Despite this, there appear to be no formal arrangements in place for the sharing of responsibilities between AQIS and Customs in relation to the management of passengers within and attempting to exit the baggage hall. The nature of the relationship between Customs and AQIS varied across the four airports visited. Given that cooperation between AQIS and Customs personnel on a day-to-day basis is vital to the effective functioning of the Secondary Examination Area (SEA), clearer responsibilities and stronger relationships between the two organisations are essential to address the problems currently experienced at many airports.
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - 19 -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
Recommendation 18: Customs must work to achieve a stronger relationship and clearer division of responsibilities between Customs and AQIS with respect to the management of passengers in the Secondary Examination Area (SEA) and baggage hall. This should be achieved through formal agreements at a national level. 2.3.3 AIRPORT OPERATORS Relationships with airport operators appear, to a large extent, to be focussed around commercial issues relating to space occupied. In certain cases, airport operators have attributed to Customs the responsibility for many issues that manifest in Customs controlled areas, regardless of whether the root cause of these problems is within Customs control. The level of understanding by airport operators of Customs and AQIS processes, and the interactions between them, is variable but generally low. Consequently, there appears to be a need for Customs (and AQIS) to educate airport operators about the requirements of the regulatory framework. It also seems that airport operators, when considering redevelopment plans, may not always involve Customs early enough in the process. Fundamental decisions affecting the amount and layout of space for Customs activities may already have been made by the time Customs has sight of the proposals. As a result, Customs may be left to deliver its objectives whilst continually endeavouring to overcome infrastructure limitations that might have been avoided through earlier consultation. On a more immediate level, arrangements for things such as baggage trolley storage and replenishment can affect activity in the baggage hall by restricting the space available for passenger circulation. Recommendation 19: Customs must educate airport operators more effectively about the impact of the decisions they take on the ability of Customs to expedite the flow of passengers through the airport. 2.3.4 AIRLINES Airlines have principal control over the flight schedules which dictate Customs resource requirements. Whilst Customs has no influence over the shape of airline schedules, the provision of more complete and accurate information by the airlines can help Customs in short-term planning to accommodate the inevitable variations from schedule that occur in practice. There are a number of areas where expanded relationships with airlines and their representatives can improve Customs ability to perform its role and streamline the passenger processing. These include airlines providing more accurate passenger numbers for both arrivals and departures.
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - 20 -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
Earlier advice on actual arrival times is essential as differences of as little as ten minutes either side of schedule can create major blockages and delays in the ECP and Secondary Examination Area (SEA). This is especially important at smaller airports. The potential for real-time access to airlines operations control software, which can provide up-to-the-minute information on computed gate arrival times and numbers of passengers, should be investigated. Recommendation 20: Customs should investigate the opportunities for access to and sharing of airline arrival time and passenger loading information in the most efficient manner. Baggage delivery arrangements were reported at many airports as affecting operations in the queuing area for the Secondary Examination Area (SEA). The assignment of baggage carousels is a function of airline handling arrangements and Customs has little opportunity to influence this, particularly at larger airports. Nevertheless, the level of Customs influence can be improved through better relationships with airlines and airport operators. This is evidenced by changes to carousel allocation made at SYD to facilitate the express exit gate trial. At PER, with only one handling agent, arrangements are in place regarding the order of assignment which appear to work well. Recommendation 21: Customs should continue to build relationships with airline representatives to facilitate beneficial baggage delivery arrangements wherever possible.
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - 21 -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
3.0 STAFFING 3.1 RESOURCE ALLOCATION & DEPLOYMENT There are three aspects to this process: roster development, primarily through biannual roster reviews to accommodate airline schedules changes usually effective in October and April each year; operational planning, to determine daily resource requirements for each function and initial allocation of tasks to Customs Officers; and dynamic redeployment of personnel throughout the day/shift of operations. Each stage is considered in more detail in the following sub-sections. 3.1.1 ROSTER DEVELOPMENT Biannual reviews are conducted once the new seasons airline schedules are published. Following this the resource requirements are calculated and the roster build process commences. This entire process is done manually and based on historical data and the forthcoming airline schedule patterns. 3.1.1.1 Primary Line Resource Requirements The process commences with the allocation of staffing to the primary ECP and OCP functions. Currently, each airport determines these resource requirements based on a simplistic formula- based method. The exact process used varies at each airport. Nevertheless, the methodology at each airport is fundamentally the same. This is as follows: 1) Passenger flow rates for each day are determined from the flight schedules and average passenger loads. 2) Each day is broken down into periods. (These might be hours or, for smaller airports, a single flight arrival might constitute one period). For each period, the number of primary officers required to process the number of passengers arriving in that period is calculated The current resource planning methodology is based on scheduled aircraft arrival and departure times, average passenger loads and average processing rates. Once the actual aircraft arrival times and passenger loads are known for a given day, this method can be expected to provide a sufficiently close approximation of the number of primary officers required throughout the day. It is therefore applicable for operational planning purposes (see Section 3.1.2). However, the current resource planning approach is not necessarily the most suitable for long-term workforce planning tasks such as roster development, because:
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - 22 -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
It ignores the uncertainty that surrounds aircraft arrival times, passenger loadings and passenger processing cycle times. It does not explicitly take into account of the need to achieve particular passenger facilitation performance targets. The importance of aircraft arrival times in particular is illustrated by Figure 4 which shows the distribution of actual arrival times relative to schedule at MEL during the 2005-06 schedule year. Only around 22% of flights arrived within 5 minutes of the scheduled time of arrival (STA), and more than 40% of flights were off schedule by more than 15 minutes. Almost 20% of flights arrived 30 minutes or more early or late. 0.0% 2.0% 4.0% 6.0% 8.0% 10.0% 12.0% - 1 2 0 - 1 0 0 - 8 0 - 6 0 - 4 0 - 2 00 2 0 4 0 6 0 8 0 1 0 0 1 2 0 1 4 0 1 6 0 Actual Arrival Time - STA (Mins) P e r c e n t a g e
o f
F l i g h t s
Figure 4 Typical distribution of actual aircraft arrivals against schedule An improved methodology would take account of these factors. The current process and a suggested enhanced long-term resource planning methodology are outlined in Figure 5
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - 23 -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
Figure 5 Long-term resource planning methods A comparison of the number of primary officers predicted by the current and enhanced planning methods was undertaken. The results are illustrated in Figure 6 Two significant conclusions can be drawn from these results: i) Firstly, the current methodology may underestimate the number of inwards primary officers required to be available during the peak period in order to meet the current inwards passenger facilitation standard. ii) Secondly, the required distribution of these resources across the day varies substantially from that which might be expected if it is assumed that flights always arrive on schedule.
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - 24 -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
R e q u i r e d Current (15 min) Current (Hourly) Enhanced
Figure 6 Comparison of resource requirement predictions - ECP Based on these conclusions, it is suggested that the current formula-based methods do not take sufficient account of this variability and therefore do not predict the potential long-term resource requirement for primary officers with sufficient accuracy. Without a rigorous baseline predicted level of resources, it is impossible to ensure efficiency in rostering practices (as discussed in Section 5.2.1). Given the quantity and quality of the data available to Customs, there is no reason why historical variations in aircraft arrival times and other factors cannot be incorporated in the long-term resource planning process more rigorously. This could be achieved through the application of computer simulation modelling specific to individual airports. Recommendation 22: In planning long-term resource requirements, adequate account must be taken of anticipated variations in passenger numbers and aircraft arrival times. Resource requirements should be planned explicitly to achieve the current specified performance targets. Adequate resources must be allocated to resource planning activities to achieve these objectives. Whilst from the above discussion it can be concluded that a more rigorous approach to resource planning will lead to an increased number of Customs Officers being required to fulfil primary line functions, it should be recognised that these officers will not be required to carry out primary processing functions for all of the time that they are available to do so. The increased resource availability will, however, afford Customs greater flexibility and confidence in deploying resources to meet actual primary processing requirements on any given shift. The increase in resources
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - 25 -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
predicted by the enhanced planning method over the current one is approximately 16% (in terms of Customs Officer-hours). Depending on the traffic levels and distribution on a particular day, some of this increased resource capacity can be devoted to other functions, such as enforcement. Furthermore, having increased resources available from rostered personnel should reduce the extent of more expensive overtime that might otherwise be used to achieve passenger processing targets. An improved long-term resource planning process will not necessarily, therefore, lead to an increase in the total Customs resource requirement. However, both an integrated approach to planning overall resource requirements and sufficient flexibility in the deployment of officers are required in order to ensure the most efficient supply of resources. 3.1.1.2 Other Resource Requirements Procedures for estimating enforcement resource requirements differ from airport to airport, according to the size and other characteristics of the operation. There would appear to be benefits in a more formalised long-term planning process for enforcement resources. The operational planning methodology used at SYD to determine resource requirements (described in Section 3.1.2) would appear to have the potential to be extended to long-term planning. This would allow a more systematic assessment of the level of enforcement resources to be included in long-term workforce planning, by taking account of the anticipated risk levels of individual flights. Recommendation 23: Long-term resource planning for Customs enforcement activities should be carried out as rigorously as possible and the results incorporated into the overall workforce planning process. It is also important when planning overall resource requirements to take due account of the extent to which the same resources will be available to carry out different functions (i.e. the extent to which resources can be flexibly deployed). Whilst there is a need to provide sufficient resources to be available for passenger facilitation activities as required, it must be recognised that these resources will not be fully utilised by these activities every day. Aggregate resource requirements for compliance and other activities must clearly be planned in conjunction. The suggested approach would be to plan for enforcement requirements first. The extent to which enforcement and other resources such as administration can realistically be made available to satisfy primary line processing requirements can then be assessed. This availability should then be subtracted from the primary officer requirement. By systematic planning of resource requirements, both for each function and holistically, predicted resource levels that more closely match those required to deliver Customs specific outcomes can be ensured. The most economical roster structure can then be determined to deliver the predicted resource requirement. By adopting a systematic, integrated, approach to long-term resource planning, Customs can have more confidence that the rosters will deliver levels of resources that
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - 26 -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
allow greater flexibility in dealing with expected day-to-day variations in demand in a more cost- effective manner. Furthermore, a systematic baseline analysis of each airport will allow the efficiency of operations to be meaningfully assessed. This matter is discussed further in Section 5.2.1. 3.1.1.3 Roster structures Roster structures vary from airport to airport but are commonly based around a team structure. Each team is scheduled to commence at different times to suit airline schedules. This is considered to be a generally appropriate concept in a high pressure environment where team members need to be familiar with the skills and capabilities of their colleagues. However, opportunities to rotate team members regularly should be considered in order to ensure consistency of work practices between teams. Recommendation 24: Team members should be rotated regularly to facilitate consistency of work practice between teams. In the larger airports core roles are covered off with full time Customs Officers, supplemented as necessary with part-time staff (management and officer initiated) and other types of employee such as Contract Officers (PER) and Customs Intermittent Employees (ADL & SYD). The extent to which each roster is comprised of each category of employee is dependent on the profile of overall resource requirement (primary officer and other resources) over the day and the week. Generally, however, the more constant the demand for resources the higher the proportion of full-time employees that can be justified. The appropriate mix will also depend on considerations regarding flexible deployment of resources outside the airport environment (see Section 4.1.2). An inconsistency was identified in rostering practices for the air border security (ABS) function. At most of the airports visited the ABS role was separated and operated under a separate roster. The exception to this practice is where ABS officers are included within the normal roster. Because the duties vary considerably from those of other officers operating in the passenger arrivals and departure areas, with little opportunity for redeployment between ABS and other roles, separate rosters are considered the most appropriate structure to use for this function. Rosters are also subject to local considerations surrounding shift lengths and attendance patterns. These are important as they could help to minimise absenteeism. The final step in the roster development process is the consultation with the Roster Committee. Once the consultation process is complete the roster receives final local approval prior to being forwarded to central office human resources for its approval. This mainly relates to ensuring the roster is compliant with various regulatory requirements such as OH&S. It is understood that Customs is currently in the early stages of procuring a new integrated Human Resources and Roster Allocation software package. However, it is expected that it will be some
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - 27 -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
time, possibly up to 2 years, before this is commissioned and functional for use in the development of airport rosters. A roster development tool is used at SYD to develop a roster structure to deliver, as closely as possible, the resource requirement produced by the resource planning process. It is suggested that this could realise benefits if applied at other airports. In particular, roster options should be comprehensively costed prior to the consultation stage to ensure that non cost-effective options are ruled out. It is understood that roster proposals can be costed on request by central office. However, it is considered beneficial for local managers to be able to approximately cost alternative roster structures during the development process. Recommendation 25: A roster development tool, similar to that used currently at SYD, should be provided to all airport managers to assist in the development of roster options to meet the planned resource requirements. The tool should include a method for estimating the cost of different roster structures, with the preferred options subject to detailed costing prior to consultation with staff. 3.1.2 OPERATIONAL PLANNING This practice varies airport to airport, in the larger airports this task is performed the day prior and then adjusted early on the day of operation. In the smaller airports it is performed weekly and, again, adjusted on the day of operation. Both systems appear to work satisfactorily in their proper context. SYD has the most rigorous system of operational planning in place. There is a comprehensive planning process which occurs the day prior to operation. This task is performed by a rostered Level 3 Operational Airport Planner (OAP). Two planning tools are used, the National Airport Planning Interface (NAPI) and People Soft: NAPI: Data includes flight details, estimated passenger numbers and levels of operational activity required. People Soft: This provides staff available as per the seasonal roster. NAPI is used to varying degrees at different airports. Apart from at SYD, where it is used as a key resource management and planning tool, NAPI is used only to a limited extent. It is considered that the use of NAPI could assist in operational resource planning at all airports. The data currently available in NAPI will adequately satisfy the resource planning activities at all airports. Recommendation 26: Customs should encourage and facilitate the application of NAPI at each airport to assist in the operational planning process.
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - 28 -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
The extent to which NAPI is used would be relative to the size and nature of the operation, however there should be a common process across all airports to determine daily resource requirements. This could include a process similar to that currently used at SYD. These processes should then remain in place until the new Human Resources and Roster Application software package is commissioned and functional. The data obtained from NAPI and PeopleSoft is then combined with estimated passenger loadings which are provided by airlines the day prior. This is then used to set up resource requirements for the following days operation. Staff availability is adjusted to include planned and unplanned leave together with training and other duties. Off-duty staff are then called in on overtime to finalise resource requirements. Use of overtime varies considerably from airport to airport. There is clearly an ongoing need for overtime, due to factors such as seasonal variations in passenger activity and high levels of legitimate Personal Leave during winter months. Whilst different levels of overtime will be appropriate at different airports, the level of overtime usage at each airport should be monitored to ensure overtime remains the most cost-effective means of providing the required resources. Recommendation 27: Overtime rates should be measured on a monthly basis at each airport. Financial comparisons should be carried out to determine if ongoing levels of overtime are the most economical means of resource provision. Daily disposition sheets are then populated with individual officers to cover off the various enforcement and compliance requirements for the following days operations. These are compiled for each shift team. 3.1.3 DAY OF OPERATIONS CHANGES Changes to resource deployment throughout the day are undertaken with varying degrees of sophistication according to the size of the airports operation. Once again SYD has the most comprehensive system. At the start of the day, the days operational plan is adjusted on the basis of additional data accumulated overnight. The plan is updated regularly throughout the day, as airline information on estimated arrival times and passenger loads is refined. A Current Day Spreadsheet estimates incoming and outgoing passenger numbers at hourly intervals for the entire day. This is used in particular, to plan for variation in primary line requirements. As mentioned in Section 3.1.1.1, a deterministic approach such as a spreadsheet is reasonable once actual arrival times and passenger numbers are known with some degree of precision. It is therefore considered that the spreadsheet model developed at SYD could have applicability to other airports, particularly the larger ones, with suitable adjustment to some of the assumptions.
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - 29 -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
Recommendation 28: The daily planning spreadsheet used at SYD should be made available to other airports, together with the necessary support, to assist in planning adjustments to resource deployment throughout each days operations. However, some minor refinements to the spreadsheet system could be considered. In particular, the current spreadsheet calculation takes no account of the need to achieve a specific passenger facilitation standard and averages resource requirements over each clock hour. There can be considerable variation in the level of resources required even over periods as short as an hour. Averaging over a 30-minute period would more closely match resources to the 30 minute queue time limit embodied in the current inwards passenger facilitation standard (see Section 5.1.1). 3.2 TRAINING Training is an expensive and time consuming element of the Customs Officers work routine. Apart from the initial training, which can take 6 months, there are also numerous other training requirements to satisfy both ongoing regulatory and Customs requirements. 3.2.1 CUSTOMS TRAINEE COURSE Current arrangements are that each region designs Customs Trainee (CT) course programs which suit local requirements and the final assignment of Customs Trainees. Course competency objectives are supplied by the Central Office. However course material is developed locally to suit local needs. There were reported cases of course content being informally shared between regions. In one case, a series of syndicate projects are undertaken by Customs Trainees during the course where project outcomes are presented to the local executive team at the completion of the CT course program. The Central Office HR Department is currently in the process of modularising the entire CT training syllabus. The outcome of this new system will be a more seamless and efficient CT training program with the ability to further reduce training time. Variations in training can lead to variations in work practices and ultimately the passenger experience, the content of the CT course modules should be standardised as far as possible.
Recommendation 29: The content of the Customs Trainee course program should be as consistent as possible throughout the different regions. Whilst the review team understands the principal focus of the Australian Customs Service is its compliance and enforcement functions, there is a need to introduce a degree of customer service or passenger relationship training into the existing CT syllabus for the benefit of the passenger experience. Recommendation 30: The Customs Trainee course program should include training in basic customer service techniques such as respect and courtesy.
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - 30 -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
In some regions, changes to upcoming CT course programs have been made in order to provide useful resources to meet particular seasonal demands. As a result, trainees complete certain elements of the CT program, spend some time as productive resources at the airport on the primary line, and then return to complete the remainder of the syllabus. This approach demonstrates the value of the flexibility that regions have to structure the initial training of Customs Officers. A separate but related benefit is that a reduction in the overall length of time spent training will also be achieved. A logical extension of this approach is the consideration of a graduated Customs Trainee program, whereby elements of training are interspersed with on-the job experience at airports. Benefits of such a scheme could be expected to include: quicker access to productive resources for the airport manager (i.e. faster return on investment); accelerated completion of the course content due to enhanced experience and knowledge on the part of the CTs; faster and deeper integration of CTs into the overall airport environment; and Some potential challenges would need to be overcome, including the need for all CTs to pass the DIAC PIO course. Possible legal issues relating to the powers of Customs Trainees also need clarification. 3.2.2 RECURRENT TRAINING There is also a need for a rigid form of recording of employees ongoing training requirements to ensure all officers remain compliant and training is delivered in as economical a manner as possible. The most efficient and effective manner to achieve this is to ensure the new Rostering and Resource Allocation Software package includes an ability to record individual training needs, both compliance and non compliance, and to roster training time as efficiently as possible. Most modern Resource Allocation Software packages record individuals training requirements and also maintain a record of what has been completed, what is compulsory and what is elective. The new modularised training program would complement this process. There should certainly be savings attached to this initiative as it would allow much more control over the entire training activity. Recommendation 31: Suitable methods for recording individual employees training history and requirements should be investigated. These should show currency dates and highlight any forthcoming recertification requirements. Training should be actively planned in advance of lapses of currency to achieve efficiencies in offline time.
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - 31 -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
It is understood that this information is currently recorded in PeopleSoft, however it may not be accessible to the necessary range of personnel such as airport operational planners for use in allocating tasks to individual employees. Officers returning to the airport from another position within Customs should undergo a refresher course in the necessary airport-specific competencies. In particular, it is considered that these officers would benefit from exposure to any customer service training modules which are developed as part of the CT course (see Section 3.2.1). Where activities require officers to hold a current certification, the number of officers required to hold that certification in each team should be reviewed. Despite the obvious benefits of multi- skilling in terms of flexibility, it is anticipated that not all officers need to be certified for every activity. Recommendation 32: The numbers of officers required to hold certifications for various functions at any given time should be critically reviewed. As a general observation, consideration should be given to providing training within a regular 0830 1651 Monday to Friday period. There would be savings associated with this initiative as a result of not having to pay shift penalty rates to employees undertaking training. 3.3 RECRUITMENT & SELECTION POLICY The recruitment process is time consuming and quite drawn out. There are four key mile stones: establishment of the need to recruit and request for approval; approval of the request; commencement of the selection process, including security checks; appointment and commencement of training; and completion of training when officers are on line fully productive. This entire process takes considerable time and during that period pressure mounts on local resources if there are excessive staff separations. This leads to higher than necessary levels of overtime and pressure on existing resources. Expected separation rates therefore need to be allowed for when planning recruitment requirements. It is not clear that this allowance is currently being made and/or approved. Recommendation 33: The planning and approval of recruitment initiatives should include an allowance for expected staff separations between the initiation of the recruitment process and the expected graduation date. Despite the existence of a national Assignment Policy, most Regional Directors appear to have differing policies on the length of airport placements. Many regions use the airport for recruitment
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - 32 -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
for the whole of the region. Whilst this may or may not be the most cost-effective employee development strategy at a regional level, it has considerable potential to lead to inefficiencies from the point of view of the airport. This is especially the case where regional policies on assignment prevents the necessary return on investment in airport-specific training from being fully realised. Recommendation 34: The length of time Customs Trainees are retained at the airport should be reviewed to ensure that the cost of airport-specific training for those employees is adequately recovered. 3.3.1 RETENTION OF EXPERIENCED OFFICERS There are major opportunities in this area to retain the services of highly trained and experienced officers who are approaching retirement or have recently retired. Over recent years there has been a large change in social attitudes towards retirement. There have also been changes to the regulations relating to superannuation entitlements and the laws relating to accessing all or part of ones superannuation. As there is no longer a legal retirement age a larger number people now approaching the traditional age for retirement are wishing to slow down but not cease work completely. Superannuation laws now allow people to work part-time and also draw a pension allocation from their superannuation. Whilst there are currently provisions to allow officers to apply for officer initiated part-time roles it is recommended that a separate arrangement be introduced for the group of officers in this category. One consideration would be that these officers have contracts negotiated annually to allow both parties to estimate duty requirement for the forthcoming year, this could also be done bi-annually to coincide with schedule changes. Appointment of officers to these roles should be based on previous performance. There would also be a requirement to ensure these officers were subject to ongoing annual performance reviews similar to those of all other officers. Recommendation 35: Suitable arrangements should be introduced to accommodate the employment of highly trained and experienced officers on a part-time contract basis.
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - 33 -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
3.4 SKILLING LEVELS AND CAREER PATHS It became clear to the review team that many of the functions of Customs Officers can only be performed effectively by those that have received training and experience in all aspects of Customs operations at airports. However, there are a number of roles which do not appear, in isolation, to require the full range of Customs Officers capabilities. An example of this approach is the use of Customs Intermittent Employees (CIEs) currently being trialled at SYD and ADL. These are trained and employed only to work the outwards primary line on an hourly rate rather than a salary. In order to improve the passenger experience and realise processing efficiencies there is a requirement to provide additional passenger management resources in both primary line queues and in the baggage hall. Apart from marshalling duties this would include answering queries, ensuring all passengers have the appropriate documents ready for inspection and other tasks associated with achieving maximum passenger movement. These functions could be fulfilled, partially or wholly, by other stakeholders such as airport operators and/or airlines as discussed in Section 2.1.1.3, or by Customs personnel. 3.4.1 PART-TIME OFFICERS Teams of part-time officers could be used to accommodate the peak period flows in highly demand-driven compliance-focussed functions such as inwards and outwards processing and marshalling duties. Full-time Customs Officers could then be utilised more efficiently in a combination of compliance and enforcement roles. The actual roles of part-time officers would need to be assessed against Customs work value principles and appropriate decisions taken regarding classification and pay structures. However, this approach could realise efficiency savings in the following ways: If suitable personnel could be engaged on an hourly rate or a salaried basis with a minimum 3 or 4 hour shift length, this would enhance managements ability to closely match resources to demand peaks. Reductions in training costs compared with the full Customs Trainee program would be achieved. The part-time officers should each have a range of skills in order to maintain flexibility and ensure maximum utilisation of these resources is possible under the constantly varying workloads that Customs experiences at airports. By offering some variety in the roles fulfilled, the part-time position would also be more attractive to potential applicants. The success of such a scheme would be dependent on the availability of suitable labour pool sufficiently close to the airport to which part-time work is attractive. Issues surrounding remuneration and pay scales would also need to be resolved.
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - 34 -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
The potential to accommodate part-time officers is greatest at (MEL and BNE, where the peaks in traffic are sufficiently long to occupy resources in a single function for an acceptable minimum length of shift. The volume and distribution of workload at SYD is such that the benefits of part-time labour are less significant than at MEL and BNE. Anecdotal evidence also suggests that the supply of suitable labour for part-time roles might be problematic there. Therefore, Customs should review the potential benefits of part-time officers at SYD in light of experience at MEL and BNE, as well as workload patterns and labour market availability. At the other airports the flexibility offered by a completely multi-skilled workforce is considered essential to their efficient operation. Here, efficiency in the use of resources is achieved through redeployment of officers as demand for each function is highly transient, in many cases lasting less than an hour at a time. The extent to which the use of part-time officers would offer efficiencies at each airport can only be determined from a systematic long-term resource planning process such as that described in Section 3.1.1. However, the potential benefits are significant enough to warrant the development of a category of part-time officers, subject to labour availability and engagement considerations, which could be utilised in the appropriate circumstances.
Recommendation 36: A job description for part-time officers should be developed. Mechanisms by which such officers could be integrated within the Customs personnel structure should be investigated. Recommendation 37: Customs should consider the use of part-time officers at MEL and BNE initially and, subject to positive results there, review the potential to engage them at SYD in light of labour market considerations. As an alternative to part-time officers, the roles discussed above could be carried out by Customs Trainees that have completed the required elements of a graduated Customs Trainee program, as described in Section 3.2.1.
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - 35 -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
4.0 INFRASTRUCTURE & TECHNOLOGY 4.1 INFRASTRUCTURE CONFIGURATION 4.1.1 AIRPORT INFRASTRUCTURE Every airport is different in terms of the size and layout of infrastructure available to Customs to perform its various functions. This is an inevitable result of the different development histories of each airport as they have evolved to serve their individual traffic profiles. Infrastructure availability has the potential to limit the capacity of Customs processes at the ECP and OCP and affects the flow of passengers in the Secondary Examination Area (SEA). Although primary line capacity at the ECP and OCP is theoretically limited by the available space and number of channels that can be accommodated, this is not considered to be the primary factor controlling throughput. It appears more likely that ECP throughput will be limited by congestion in the baggage hall and SEA. Similarly, the major constraint on OCP throughput appears to be the downstream security screening point. Where this is close to the rear of the OCP line, congestion here can prevent the passage of further passengers through the OCP. Capacity in the SEA is limited at most airports by the number of available inspection benches. This is more critical in terms of AQIS inspections than for Customs. However, congestion here can have an impact on Customs processes. The only airports visited without evidence of such limitations are those where the SEA has been developed or redeveloped following the introduction of the current AQIS intervention policy. Infrastructure configuration can also affect the efficiency of Customs operations, particularly in respect of the ease of movement of officers between the various Customs functional areas at each airport. This appeared to be a particular problem where a convoluted route between the ECP and OCP made rapid redeployment of officers between the two locations difficult. Wider airport infrastructure considerations can also impact on Customs processes by affecting passenger behaviour. The relative distribution of such things as concessions, airline lounges and general waiting areas airside and landside will affect the departures presentation behaviour of passengers. During the field visits, there was a lot of discussion at each airport about the impacts of particular infrastructure configurations on Customs operations. The fact is that individual airports will always present a series of different challenges to all stakeholders. It is neither possible nor desirable to try to account for all of the differences in infrastructure configuration and layout between airports. Such an approach would be contrary to the objective of consistency of practice across airports. A much more fruitful approach would be to try and secure the optimum size and arrangement of airport
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - 36 -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
infrastructure through close involvement with airport operators during the preparation of redevelopment proposals. Even this approach is likely to lead, ultimately, to different degrees of success at different airports. Each airport operator has its own priorities, driven by its particular business objectives and the characteristics of the traffic it serves. An important step in the process of securing optimum infrastructure arrangements at individual airports is to ensure that airport operators understand the impacts their decisions have on Customs ability to perform its functions efficiently and effectively (see Section 2.3.3). Furthermore, Customs must ensure that it is involved in airport redevelopment proposals at conceptual stage and that it gets the opportunity to independently review and comment on the options. It is suggested that the most effective way to achieve this is through the Passenger Facilitation Task Force. Recommendation 38: Customs should, through the appropriate forum, secure formal arrangements with airport operators that allow Customs sufficient opportunity to independently review redevelopment proposals in respect of the potential impacts on the efficiency and effectiveness of Customs operations. 4.1.2 OFF-AIRPORT INFRASTRUCTURE As well as airport infrastructure, the location of Customs off-airport infrastructure impacts on the efficiency of its overall operations. At SYD, it was reported that the concept of flexible deployment of resources is being extended to a whole-of-region basis. This approach is facilitated by the relative geographical locations of Customs other activities in Sydney. Customs House is located on the airport precinct and sea port is within a reasonable travel time. This allows SYD to employ full-time Customs Officers who perform airport duties during the morning peak and then redeploy to other activities within the NSW region during quieter parts of the day. It is considered that this approach has considerable merit, given the inherent inefficiencies which characterise operations at airports. It is recognised that not all regions are fortunate enough to share resources effectively between airport and maritime locations. Other elements of Customs activity, notably postal services and air cargo, are typically located on the airport precinct. It was reported at some airports that attempts to utilise personnel from these areas to cover passenger processing peak were generally unsuccessful. This is due primarily to the need for officers used at the airport remain current in specialised areas in order to be of real value. However, it is likely that this approach could be more successful if reversed. Customs officers could be used initially to cover airport operations and then redeployed to air cargo or post operations for the remainder of the shift.
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - 37 -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
Recommendation 39: Arrangements by which Customs Officers can be utilised at other Customs facilities once their airport duties have been fulfilled should be given serious consideration, on a region-by-region basis. This should include a review of the relative locations of Customs infrastructure throughout each region, in particular Customs House. 4.2 SIGNAGE Signage is an important element in directing and informing passengers as they pass through an airport. The extent and nature of the signs used can influence, to a large extent, their effectiveness. The location, style and content of various signs were therefore considered in detail at each of the four principal airports visited as part of this review. The assessment focussed on signs provided by Customs and those located within Customs controlled areas. These fall into two broad categories: static signs, where the message does not change (even though the sign itself might be movable); and dynamic signs which have a changing message. The two types of signs are considered separately here because they are generally suitable for different purposes. The review also includes consideration of signs provided by other organisations because signs provided by Customs cannot be isolated from other signs that passengers experience whilst travelling through the airport. Signs are used by Customs to convey a variety of types of information, but in general signs can be categorised as follows: directional informing passengers which way to go or which queue to join; instructional informing passengers what they should or should not do. This category can be further subdivided depending on whether the instructions are conveyed as a command, or as a request. It should be remembered that written signs are not always the appropriate medium for conveying a particular message. Where the message is complex and/or important alternative methods of communicating the required information, such as verbal, or a combination of methods might be more appropriate. 4.2.1 GENERAL Some general observations made by the review team with respect to Customs use of signage are presented below. More specific comments about the different types of signs are given in the relevant sub-sections following.
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - 38 -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
The general approach to signage appears to be haphazard. There is very little consistency in the styles of signs used at different airports. Some major variations in the application of the signs were also observed. In many cases, inconsistencies even within the same airport were evident. Frequent duplication of the same message was observed. This suggests a general view that if one sign is not effective, the solution is to provide more signs rather than address the real reason for the failure to convey the desired message. This results in a large number of signs that it is difficult for the passenger to assimilate in the time available. The design and positioning of signs should be such that they convey key information to passengers at the appropriate point. From the viewpoint of Customs, key information includes: where to go; what to do; and, where applicable what not to do. It is important that any other messages do not detract from these key points. With respect to Customs signs, it is evident that a consistent policy on signage is required. This must extend to address the relationship between Customs signs and those of other organisations, particularly those of airport operators, where applicable. Recommendation 40: A consistent signage policy should be developed. This should address aspects such as the content, style and siting of Customs signs as well as the interaction with the signs of other stakeholders, particularly airport operators. 4.2.2 STATIC SIGNAGE Two forms of static Customs signage were observed: those fixed to walls, columns or other stationary infrastructure; and free-standing signs that can be re-positioned as required. Most types of sign fitted into one or other of these categories, although some overlap was observed. 4.2.2.1 Fixed signs Restricted area signs in particular were observed to vary in style, size and prominence. Figure 7 shows some of the different styles of restricted area signs used in the ECP, baggage hall and Secondary Examination Area (SEA) at PER (top) and SYD (bottom). These signs, both inwards and outwards, were found to be extremely visible at most airports. At ADL in particular, a large proportion of the wall space was taken up with signs informing people not to use cameras, sound recorders, mobile phones or other electronic forms of communication. Whilst the need to ensure visibility of these signs is understood, from a statutory enforcement perspective, they can distract from other important messages, such as the need for passengers to present their completed IPC at
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - 39 -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
various points in the process. The prevalence of such signs should therefore be kept to the minimum necessary and a consistent approach should be adopted across all airports. Recommendation 41: The size and number of signs that are required to be provided under legislation should be limited to the minimum extent required by law.
Figure 7 Restricted area signs 4.2.2.2 Free-standing signs Free-standing signs appear to be used for a number of purposes, both directional and instructional. The form of the free-standing signs used is such that the message is at height where becomes obscured by people standing in front of them. This is a particular problem at the baggage hall exit which regularly becomes congested. Overhead signs in these situations are considered to be more effective.
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - 40 -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
Free-standing signs have the potential to be useful in situations where they are unlikely to be obscured and it is not possible to use a more permanent sign. However, because of their size and height, their visibility is always likely to be limited. In particular, the visibility of signs informing passengers of the duty free allowances was observed to be poor. In addition to the factors above, the design of the sign makes it difficult to distinguish from the background. This is particularly the case where passengers are moving quickly and the sign is competing for attention with other signs. Figure 8 shows how difficult it can be to distinguish these signs even when the concourse is empty.
Figure 8 Free-standing duty free allowance signs A good example of the use of duty free allowance signs was observed at ADL. Here, the signs are larger and positioned higher by fixing to the bulkhead walls along the ramps leading from the aerobridges. The background colour was slightly darker, assisting in the identification of the text. The signs are also positioned at an appropriate point in the passenger flow. The information is conveyed sufficiently far in advance of the ECP and duty free shop that passengers have the chance to assimilate the information and act on it without distracting them from other activities.
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - 41 -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
Free-standing signs are also regularly used within the ECP and OCP to direct passengers to the appropriate queue. In many cases these signs repeat the messages given by other signs (discussed further in Section 4.2.4). The exception to this is ADL, where a combination of a dedicated marshal and the visibility of the signs above the primary line modules appeared to operate satisfactorily without the need for free-standing signs at the entrance to the queues. The reduced number of free-standing signs here helps to create a more pleasant, less busy, environment and assists the smooth flow of passengers. Other free-standing signs are used for a variety of purposes, primarily in an attempt to keep the flow of passengers moving by telling passengers what to do. Some of those observed are illustrated in Figure 9 . Notwithstanding the lack of consistency, in general these signs are not considered to be particularly effective for the intended purpose.
Figure 9 Ineffective instructional signs Recommendation 42: The use of free-standing signs should be avoided wherever possible and should be limited to situations where they will be sufficiently visible.
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - 42 -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
4.2.3 DYNAMIC SIGNAGE Dynamic signage can be effective when passengers are stationary or moving slowly, for example in queues, so that they have adequate time to absorb all of the information being presented. They can be used to prepare passengers for the process they are about to undertake. A good example is the dynamic signage in advance of Automated Border Process at SYD (Figure 10 ).
Figure 10 Dynamic signage for Automated Border Process As with any sign, to be effective, the instructions presented must be clear and give the recipient ample opportunity to comply with them. Dynamic signage is less effective where passengers are moving too quickly to absorb the information, such as on the approach to queuing areas. Customs current use of dynamic signage appears to have two objectives: firstly, to prepare passengers by informing them of the need to complete and present the necessary documentation; and secondly, to inform passengers about the need to declare certain items. The location of the signs, however, reduces the effectiveness of these messages. When used, dynamic signs are generally located above the primary line desks, as shown in Figure 11 . The following observations apply. The content is difficult to read unless passengers are close to the desk. Therefore, messages intended to prepare passengers for the primary line process potentially lose much of their effectiveness; The constantly changing messages can serve as a distraction to passengers. This has the potential to cause delays if passengers are concentrating on the screens rather being ready when the primary officer calls them forward. It is suggested that Customs objective would be better served if passengers at this point were completely focussed on being prepared and ready to present to the primary officer.
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - 43 -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
The value of providing information to passengers about prohibited imports and what they must declare at this particular point in the process is questionable. It is considered that these messages would be more useful to passengers either: (a) before they enter the ECP queue, or (b) in the baggage hall.
Figure 11 Dynamic signage at the ECP It is therefore recommended that the content and location of this type of dynamic signage be thoroughly reviewed as part of an overall signage strategy. Consideration should be given to locating dynamic signs within the queuing areas for the ECP (and where applicable, the OCP) where the messages can be more easily absorbed by passengers. Recommendation 43: The content and location of dynamic signs should be thoroughly reviewed as part of an overall signage strategy. Subject to the considerations discussed above, dynamic signage could be used to display messages in more than one language, to suit local requirements (for example at CNS). Dynamic signage was also observed in some airports being used for directional purposes, to mixed effect. Where the directional information is the signs only message, as in SYD, the addition of an element of motion in the sign did help to attract passengers attention. However, where the directional information is cycled with other messages as at MEL, this is considered less effective because passengers are moving too quickly and can easily miss the directional part of the
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - 44 -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
message which, at this point, is the most important. In general, however, directional messages should be conveyed by airport organisation signage (see Section 4.2.4). 4.2.4 OTHER ORGANISATIONS SIGNS Of the other organisations which provide signage in airports, the signs of two in particular have a significant relationship with those of Customs: AQIS and the airport operator. 4.2.4.1 AQIS signs It was noticeable that AQIS signs in particular are highly prominent, by virtue of both their design and location. The nature of the messages within these signs means that they tend to be located in similar areas to Customs signs. This leads to a situation where passengers attention is drawn to the AQIS messages and can prevent Customs messages from being effectively communicated. It was observed that AQIS frequently uses commercial advertising space in the concourse and baggage hall to convey messages to passengers. This included the use of signs on baggage carousels. This strategy might be appropriate for certain types of Customs message also. Recommendation 44: The value of using commercial advertising space to convey appropriate messages should be considered by Customs. Given the close relationship between the messages that need to be disseminated by both AQIS and Customs, it is considered that there is considerable scope to combine these. This would reduce the overall number of signs and could considerably improve the impact of the messages. Recommendation 45: Customs should investigate the potential to develop joint signs with AQIS for certain messages. 4.2.4.2 Airport operators signs Customs has a direct interest in the effectiveness of directional signs provided by airport operators, in so far as they influence the flow of passengers through Customs controlled areas. In general, the standard of airport operators signage at the airports visited was considered to be poor. None of the airport operators signs appear to follow the recommended International Air Transport Association (IATA) colour schemes. There were also inconsistencies between airports in the words and symbols used to direct passengers to Customs areas, particularly arriving passengers. It is understood that Customs has little influence over the quality and effectiveness of airport operators signs. Nevertheless, improvements to these signs could assist Customs greatly in performing its duties effectively. The relationship between the signs of airport operators and Customs is greatest in respect of directing passengers to the ECP queue. This process starts at the arrival gate. As passengers disembark the aircraft, they are looking for airport signs telling them the way to arrivals. Once they recognise the style of these, they are scanning for similar styles of sign to obtain other directional
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - 45 -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
information. When the same information is later conveyed on signs with a different style, it is likely to be ignored because passengers do not recognise quickly enough that these signs contain the information they need. In many cases, two or even three styles of sign are used at the same location to convey the same information to passengers: where to go to reach the correct ECP queue. Examples of this duplication can be seen in Figure 12
Figure 12 Duplication of directional signs It is acknowledged that the need for additional signs is sometimes dictated by limitations of the airport layout. However, the inconsistency of styles means that passengers take longer to process the information. It also serves to distract passengers from other tasks such as ensuring they have the necessary documentation ready for inspection. In many cases, the signs provided by Customs are considered superfluous to those provided by the airport operator. Where the airport operators signs are not quite optimal, it is suggested that it would be more effective for Customs to seek the cooperation of the airport operator in relocating or otherwise adjusting its signs as necessary, rather than try to overcome any problems by providing additional signs. The use of additional marshal resources in a passenger preparation role would also reduce the need for any supplementary signs. Recommendation 46: The directing of passengers on the approach to and within the ECP and OCP should be achieved solely through the use of airport operator signage wherever possible. Where necessary, this should be supplemented by information above individual ECP/OCP modules that is clearly visible from the rear of the queuing area.
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - 46 -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
4.3 OTHER TECHNOLOGY 4.3.1 SMARTGATE Based on current passenger growth forecasts, the number of international arrivals and departures in 2008-09 will be 23 per cent greater than that recorded in 2003-04. Growth in passenger numbers has been previously managed by increasing the number of Customs Officers and reducing the time taken to process passengers. It is not possible to further reduce the time of the current manual process without substantially impacting the integrity of the border processing function. With floor space for additional primary line area unlikely to be made available it is not feasible to increase the number of Customs Officers at the Primary Line. The roll-out of SmartGate Series 1 will assist Customs in addressing the need to process increasing numbers of travellers within existing floor space and facilitation rates. Recommendation 47: Customs should ensure individual airport stakeholders are aware of the nature and extent of the impacts the implementation of SmartGate will have on passenger flows. The implementation of SmartGate Series 1 will introduce a need for Customs Officers to support the system. As the technology used in SmartGate is unique and quite new to the environment, this role will require specialist training that will cover a variety of different subject areas. 4.3.2 ELECTRONIC QUEUE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS Use of an electronic queue management system (EQMS), such as those commonly found in banks and other service-focussed locations, at the ECP or OCP could potentially offer an improved passenger experience. In cases where a marshal is currently provided to distribute passengers to processing points, the use of an electronic system could permit the marshal to be dispensed with. However, because of the changes that such a system would require to the queuing arrangements, any savings in marshalling resources are likely to be offset by increased processing requirements. Currently, Customs queuing arrangements are optimised to deliver passengers to Customs Officers for processing with the minimum gap between passengers (see Section 2.1.1.2). With an EQMS, passengers would have to wait at a single point to be called forward to the next available officer. This would have two significant impacts: additional space would be required between the queue and the primary line modules, in order to allow passengers to move freely to any desk; and there would be additional time gaps between passengers as they would on average have to walk further from the holding point to be processed.
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - 47 -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
This latter point in particular can be expected to add an average of approximately 5 seconds to cycle times, based on computer simulation modelling of the OCP process. The results of the simulation suggest that approximately 10% more resources would be required in the peak period in order to maintain the same average passenger facilitation rate at the OCP. It might be possible to reduce the impact on cycle times slightly by calling passengers forward in advance of the completion of processing of the previous passenger. However, it is unclear to the review team how this might be achieved in practice. Based on this investigation, the implementation of EQMS at primary processing points is considered to be an extremely risky proposition, in terms of its potential impact on resource requirements. It is likely that any savings in marshalling resources would be offset by additional primary officers required to maintain overall processing rates at an acceptable level, particularly in the peak periods. Recommendation 48: Customs should not proceed with the implementation of electronic queue management systems without a full and detailed consideration of the impacts such systems will have on queuing arrangements and passenger processing rates.
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - 48 -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
5.0 PERFORMANCE MEASURES Systems of performance measures at airports can be defined from a range of perspectives, such as a financial, operational or marketing viewpoint, depending on the purpose of the measure. From the point of view of this review, two broad categories of performance measure are considered: those relating to passenger facilitation; and those relating to Customs internal management. 5.1 PASSENGER FACILITATION MEASURES Passenger facilitation performance measures relate to service quality, which can be considered as the gap between perceived and expected service. Service quality relates directly to the passenger experience and can be measured using objective or subjective measures. Objective measures are precise and easy to understand and cover areas such as queue length, waiting time and space provision. Subjective measures are also needed to allow quality of service to be assessed from the passengers point of view. Standards for the objective measures can then be set in the light of passenger satisfaction surveys. Airports, more so than most service industries, suffer from difficulties in the measurement of service quality resulting from their characteristically uneven spread of demand. Not only do these wide variations in demand play a major role in influencing the passengers perception of the quality of service provided, but they also make it extremely difficult to strike a balance between service quality and the efficient use of resources. Airports have the additional problem that overall service is a result of the combined activities of various different organisations including airlines, handling agents, concessionaires and security personnel. Passengers may not always appreciate the distinctions between these organisations. Queuing and waiting processes are areas of particular concern regarding the quality of service in terms of the passenger experience. Therefore, measures relating to queue length and waiting time at each process are the most appropriate in terms of passengers expectations. Unfortunately, these quantities are often the most difficult to measure directly, Therefore, these quantities, particularly waiting time, are frequently derived from other, more readily measurable quantities. It is, however, essential that the process by which the measures of interest are derived does not distort the performance indicator. Currently, Customs has only one performance measure for passenger facilitation. This is discussed in Section 5.1.1 below. The current facilitation standard is limited to the processing of arriving passengers at the ECP. This represents only a part of Customs facilitation activity at airports and an even smaller proportion of the numerous interconnected processing activities which passengers are subjected to by the various agencies and stakeholders.
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - 49 -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
The current passenger facilitation standard should be considered within a larger framework of performance measures for all airport processes. Presently, no such integrated, whole-of-airport, performance framework exists. However, Customs, through the passenger facilitation task force, should work to establish a system of performance measurement for passenger facilitation that integrates the various procedures undertaken by the different government and industry bodies. Recommendation 49: Customs should use the passenger facilitation task force to establish an integrated framework of passenger facilitation measures covering all relevant airport processes. However, a whole-of-airport performance standard will only be of value if the relevant constituent processes can be held accountable for any failure to meet the overall facilitation standard. Therefore, there is a need for Customs to maintain and develop its own passenger facilitation standards within any integrated performance measurement system. 5.1.1 CURRENT INWARDS FACILITATION STANDARD 5.1.1.1 Definition The current facilitation standard for inwards passengers is based on the time spent queuing for the primary line. The standard is expressed as: 95% of passengers cleared through the Entry Control Point (ECP) within 30 minutes of arrival at the ECP.
Recommendation 50: The current inwards passenger facilitation standard should be retained for operations at the entry control point. 5.1.1.2 Measurement Despite its potential flaws, therefore, the current measurement method does appear to be acceptable. However, its accuracy is entirely dependent on the use of a pre-queue time that is representative of the situation at each airport. Recommendation 51: Frequent and rigorous review of the median pre-queue times appropriate to passengers at each airport should be conducted, to ensure the current method of measurement of the inwards passenger facilitation rate remains sufficiently accurate .
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - 50 -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
5.1.1.3 Application The inwards passenger facilitation standard is reportable as an annual average figure across all major international airports. The period over which facilitation rates are measured has a significant impact on the ability of Customs to achieve the target. Providing sufficient resources to accommodate extreme short-term peaks in passenger flow reduces efficiency dramatically. In the interests of achieving efficient use of resources, therefore, facilitation rates should be reported over the longest timescale acceptable. Assessment on an annual basis is the appropriate period, as this is sufficiently long to incorporate hourly, daily, monthly and seasonal variations. Recommendation 52: Achievement of passenger facilitation standards should be determined on an annual basis, with more regular monitoring of ongoing rates by airport managers as necessary. 5.1.2 ALTERNATIVE INWARDS FACILITATION STANDARDS A number of potential changes to the prevailing automatic method of calculation of the facilitation rate could be considered for implementation. These were: manually calculate the rate; link passenger facilitation to bag delivery; continue to automatically calculate the rate by: o varying the pre-queue time o make an allowance in the calculation for duty free dwell times o make an allowance for the percentage of passengers utilising duty free; present data tracking facilitation rates against capacity; and continue to note compactions affecting the facilitation rate. Each of them is reviewed briefly below, in the interests of completeness and for the purposes of informing the development of an integrated performance measurement system covering all airport processes. 5.1.2.1 Manual calculation The facilitation rate could be calculated manually, by a sampling process such as the one that has been implemented for OCP queue time surveys at selected airport. This would accurately measure the queue time of selected passengers in the ECP queue. However, there are difficulties in determining a sampling strategy that is representative as this would need to take into account the variation in passenger flows over time.
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - 51 -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
For this reason, manual calculation of the inwards facilitation rate is not considered a viable alternative. However, periodic surveying of the facilitation rate might be considered in order to confirm the measured values. 5.1.2.2 Link to baggage delivery Facilitation standard could be linked to baggage delivery. This would represent a significant redefinition of the standard to frame it in terms of the performance of the next process downstream in the passenger flow. Therein lays its major limitation: Customs is not in control of the baggage delivery process and thus is not in control of the standard it is required to achieve. Access to airline baggage delivery data would be required in order to calculate the facilitation rate achieved. Such access may not be forthcoming from the airlines on the basis of individual flights. Whilst linking facilitation rates to baggage delivery may seem attractive because it recognises the interaction between the two processes, in practice this approach is fundamentally flawed as a performance measure for Customs. 5.1.2.3 Use of national pre-queue time The use of appropriate pre-queue times is essential to minimise the discrepancy between the defined performance standard and what is actually being measured. A single pre-queue time cannot be representative of the wide variety of configurations of the airports where Customs has a passenger facilitation role. This approach is not recommended as it could result in some airports achieving very high measured facilitation rates while making it extremely difficult for other airports to meet the target. 5.1.2.4 Allowance for passengers using the duty free shop Two suggestions regarding the impact of arriving passengers using the duty free shop on Customs ability to achieve its facilitation rate targets are: make an allowance in the pre-queue times for the time passengers spend in the duty free shop; or ignore those passengers using the duty free shop from the calculation of the facilitation rate achieved. Both options are difficult to achieve without detailed historical data on passenger behaviour in the duty free concessions. It is likely that this information would be difficult to obtain from the duty-free operators as it may be commercially sensitive.
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - 52 -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
The proportion of passengers using the duty free shop can be expected to be a function of several factors. Passengers dwell times in the duty free shop will be affected by how many other passengers choose to shop and the number of staff available to serve them. The first suggestion is the more reasonable, from a passenger experience viewpoint. Use of the duty free shop should not negate passengers expectation that they be processed through the ECP within a reasonable period of time, after they have shopped. Simply ignoring a proportion of passengers is simpler to implement, but erodes the relevance of the facilitation standard from the point of view of the passenger. There are also difficulties in selecting which set of data points it is appropriate to remove from the calculation of the facilitation rate. Removal of inappropriate data points from the calculation has the potential to bias, positively or negatively, the reported facilitation rate.
5.1.2.5 The effect of capacity limitations Situations occur where the flow of arriving passengers is greater than the physical capacity of the inwards control point. These situations are called overloads. Short-term overloads are an inherent feature of passenger demand profiles at airports. Although overloads lead to delays, they do not necessarily indicate a deficiency of resources. In fact, overload periods are absolutely necessary from the point of view of the efficient utilisation of resources. Nevertheless, it is necessary to understand the point at which external capacity limitations begin to impinge on Customs ability to achieve its ECP performance target. In the case of primary line modules, Customs needs first to plan its resource requirement more analytically. When this reveals a discrepancy between the availability of physical resources against those required by Customs, Customs must work with the airport operator to ensure additional resources are provided. In any event, it is anticipated that the forthcoming introduction of SmartGate processing will mean that the focus of capacity limitations will switch to downstream processes. Even now, it seems that the level of infrastructure in the primary lines is rarely the limiting factor in achieving facilitation rates. Capacity at the ECP is limited not only by the physical number of races, but also by the capacity of downstream processes such as the baggage hall and Secondary Examination Area. (A similar situation exists at the OCP at many airports, where the capacity is limited by that of the adjacent downstream security screening point). These issues are discussed in more detail in Section 4.1. To account for these constraints, times when processing rates are limited due to downstream congestion should be recorded. The number of passengers processed between the time processing is stopped and the time at which the queue is cleared should be highlighted when reporting facilitation rates achieved. It is not, however, considered beneficial to exclude these passengers from the calculation of facilitation rates. Where the impact of downstream processes on facilitation rates can be shown to be significant, formal notification to airport operators should be
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - 53 -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
made that facilitation rates can not be guaranteed until such time as satisfactory remedial action is taken. Recommendation 53: The impact of downstream capacity limitations on facilitation rates should be recorded. Where the impact can be shown to be significant, airport operators should be advised that facilitation rates cannot be guaranteed until remedial action is taken. 5.1.3 OTHER FACILITATION STANDARDS Other processes within Customs control are not currently the subject of similar performance standards for passenger facilitation. The two most relevant of these are: queuing and waiting in the Secondary Examination Area (SEA); and queuing and waiting at the outwards control point (OCP). The potential for developing suitable performance measures for these processes is discussed below. 5.1.3.1 Secondary Examination Area The queuing processes in the Secondary Examination Area (SEA) are the result of a combination of Customs and AQIS intervention processes. Generally, the small proportion of passengers of Customs interest is separated at the earliest opportunity. This results in two separate queuing processes: those awaiting attention from Customs officers; and those awaiting examination by AQIS personnel. Whilst it might be considered that some form of facilitation measure is appropriate for those passengers awaiting Customs examination, there are two strong arguments against such a standard: Customs only intervenes with passengers which they have assessed and determined as exceeding some threshold level of risk to border security. On the reasonable assumption that Customs risk assessment processes are robust, then by definition, these passengers can no longer be considered legitimate (in the sense that they pose no risk from a community protection perspective of course, some of passengers selected by Customs for further examination will, during the course of investigation, prove to be of no such risk). ICAO (Annex 9, Chapter 3, para 3.31) only recommends the establishment of a performance standard for those passengers requiring not more than normal inspection. The length of time required to carry out Customs examinations in the Secondary Examination Area (SEA) is dependent on the individual circumstances of the case. It is neither practical, nor desirable from an enforcement viewpoint, to set limits or targets to this duration in order to achieve some facilitation standard.
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - 54 -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
The implementation of a facilitation performance standard in relation to Customs secondary examination processes is not considered appropriate and not recommended. Nevertheless it is reasonable to expect passengers to be treated with the appropriate levels of courtesy and respect in the SEA. Performance in this regard can only be measured by active passenger surveys. The use of compliments and complaints procedures for this purpose is not recommended (see Section 5.1.4). 5.1.3.2 Outwards control point The review team is aware of an ongoing trial of a proposed passenger facilitation measure for queuing and processing at the OCP. The proposed standard (i.e. maximum queue time) and its method of measurement would appear to be reasonable. However, in order to improve its effectiveness as a performance measure, the following refinements could be made: the maximum queue time limit should be that experienced by a defined percentage of passengers. 95% may be considered too unreliable, from the point of view of potential delays to departing flights. If so the percentage could be increased. This would, of course, require a greater number of processing resources. Figure 13 gives an indication of the difference in resource availability required to meet 95% and 98% standards for queuing and processing times at the OCP, based on activity typical of MEL. 0 5 10 0 : 0 0 1 : 0 0 2 : 0 0 3 : 0 0 4 : 0 0 5 : 0 0 6 : 0 0 7 : 0 0 8 : 0 0 9 : 0 0 1 0 : 0 0 1 1 : 0 0 1 2 : 0 0 1 3 : 0 0 1 4 : 0 0 1 5 : 0 0 1 6 : 0 0 1 7 : 0 0 1 8 : 0 0 1 9 : 0 0 2 0 : 0 0 2 1 : 0 0 2 2 : 0 0 2 3 : 0 0 Time of Day P r i m a r y
O f f i c e r s
R e q u i r e d 95% Facilitation 98% Facilitation
Figure 13 Comparative resource requirements for outward facilitation As discussed in Section 2.1.3.3, the development of a performance standard for the facilitation of outwards passengers would strengthen Customs position in respect of division of responsibility for
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - 55 -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
ensuring on-time departure of flights. Such a standard would also assist in planning resource requirements. Recommendation 54: A performance standard for outwards passenger facilitation, in terms of the maximum time taken to process a defined proportion of passengers through the OCP, should be developed and agreed with airline representatives and airport operators. Measurement of performance against the standard should take account of the variation of passenger numbers at different times of the day. 5.1.4 COMPLIMENTS AND COMPLAINTS Compliments and complaints mechanisms are important for all organisations, from a customer service viewpoint. They can provide valuable feedback on certain issues. However, the use of compliments and complaints procedures to formally measure passenger satisfaction is undesirable. By their very nature, self-generated comments are not likely to come from a representative cross- section of the population and tend to be heavily biased towards reflecting negative experiences. If passenger satisfaction is to be measured, it is recommended that this be achieved through periodic surveys of a representative sample of passengers. Recommendation 55: Mechanisms for capturing compliments and complaints should be retained and supported by formal passenger satisfaction surveys.
5.2 MANAGEMENT PERFORMANCE MEASURES A wide range of key performance indicators (KPIs) can be established to determine the efficiency with which passenger facilitation standards are being achieved. In particular, it is important to have some understanding of how efficiently resources are being utilised. A suggested mechanism for this is described in Section 5.2.1. Some further measures that are required in support of the resource planning process are discussion in Sections 5.2.2 to 5.2.5. These measures should form part of a monthly airport human resource KPI report. Where possible, targets should be set at the commencement of each roster and monitored on a monthly basis. Customs is developing a performance framework for Passengers Branch activities. The early drafts of this framework were considered as part of this review. In general, the underlying approach to the framework appears sound. However, the measures themselves require further, detailed consideration. In establishing a formal KPI framework to assist management in monitoring the effectiveness and efficiency of Customs passengers operations, the following questions must be asked of each potential KPI:
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - 56 -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
How does the proposed KPI assist in identifying the current level of effectiveness or efficiency, and what value does it offer in identifying reasons for sub-optimal performance? Are there any circumstances that could distort the KPI and should these be excluded from its measurement? What quantities (inputs, outputs and outcomes) need to be measured in order to compute the KPI, and can this measurement be realistically achieved? In general terms, measures of effectiveness (such as the facilitation rate achieved) can be usefully compared across different airports. However, this is not the case with efficiency indicators. This is because the efficiency of Customs operations at an airport is affected by the profile of demand which itself is a function of the airline schedules. For example, both the number of full time equivalent (FTE) staff and the cost in dollars required to process a given number of passengers might be expected to give an approximate indication of the relative efficiency of operations at each airport. However, the number of FTE is primarily a function of the traffic profile of a given airport, in terms of the variation in numbers of passengers over the day and week and the level of enforcement risk presented. Therefore, it will vary not only between airports but at the same airport over time as flight schedules change. The cost in dollars of providing officers is dependent on the times of day those resources are required. Hence the cost per passenger processed will be even less constant between airports than FTE per passenger. Whilst these measures will indicate the variations in efficiency of operations between airports, they are of little value because these variations in efficiency are caused by factors outside the control of Customs. The impracticality of establishing any useful benchmarks means that their value for improving the efficiency of operations is extremely limited. This is not to say, however, that such KPIs are not useful for other purposes, however, simply that a different approach is required to determine how efficiently resources are utilised. 5.2.1 ROSTER EFFICIENCY Fundamentally, efficiency can be defined as the ratio between the minimum level of resources required to achieve a particular set of outcomes and the level of resources actually employed to achieve those outcomes. Determination of the efficiency of a roster therefore requires a benchmark minimum level of resources to be established. This can only be achieved through a systematic and integrated resource planning procedures of the type discussed in Section 3.1. This will result in a predicted resource requirement against which the resource levels provided by a particular roster can be compared. In the context of Customs operations at airports, for the reasons described above, the cost of resources is a more suitable measure than the level of resource itself. Therefore, the efficiency of any particular airport roster can be expressed as:
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - 57 -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
Roster efficiency = $ cost of providing predicted resource requirement $ cost of resources delivered by roster In order for such a measure to be useful, the following need to apply: The predicted resource requirement must be as close as possible to the minimum level of resources required to achieve the defined outcomes. It should assume that resources can be accessed on demand for the extent of time they are required (at, say, minimum half-hour intervals) and no more. The predicted resource requirement must include critical estimates of the time associated with all activities, including: o operational activities including compliance, enforcement, customer care & administration (based on calculated requirements); o training (based on calculated requirements); o operational absences, e.g. court attendances (estimated based on previous experience); o personal leave (based on previous 6 month actuals see Section 5.2.3); o annual leave (based on entitlements in the CA); o lost time through injuries (based on previous 6 month actuals see Section 5.2.5); and o employee separations (based on previous 6 month actuals see Section 5.2.4). The resources delivered by the roster should include the same allowances for non-operational activities as the predicted resource requirement and should also account for the extent of any overtime planned to supplement the roster; The costs of both the predicted resource requirement and the resources delivered by the roster should be determined on the same basis; Using this measure, the efficiency of different roster options can then be assessed with respect to an ideal target (100%). Of course, 100% efficiency will not be achievable due to limitations to the way in which staff can be rostered in practice. However, for each possible roster structure, an efficiency value can be determined. The optimum roster solution, the one that provides the greatest efficiency, can also be identified. Each roster will also have an optimum level of overtime associated with it. Once a roster has been selected and implemented, simply tracking the actual overtime rate against this target level should indicate whether operations are remaining efficient. In order to assess the efficiency of Customs current roster structures, therefore, it is first necessary to identify the baseline predicted resource requirement. More rigorous long-term resource planning
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - 58 -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
methods, such as those described in Section 3.1.1, would provide this baseline which will vary for each airport and flight schedule.
Recommendation 56: The baseline predicted resource requirement should be established at each airport in order to permit a meaningful assessment of the efficiency of resource delivery by rosters. The baseline resource requirement must be reviewed at each change of flight schedule and updated as necessary. 5.2.2 OVERTIME The proportion of employee hours that are provided by the use of overtime can be a valuable indicator of the cost-effectiveness of that resource. Each airport will be able to determine, for a particular flight schedule, the optimum proportion of overtime that should be used to satisfy demand, in terms of cost. Monitoring, on a monthly basis, the actual proportion of overtime hours used would then allow airport managers to ensure that the appropriate mix of resources is provided. Where the overtime rate is consistently higher than the optimum, this would indicate that it would be more economical to hire more part-time or full-time officers. Recommendation 57: The proportion of overtime hours as a percentage of total hours worked should be monitored at each airport. 5.2.3 ABSENTEEISM Rates of absenteeism can provide a useful indicator of efficiency. Expected absenteeism also needs to be planned for in determining overall resource requirements. It is therefore considered essential to monitor absenteeism thoroughly. Two measures should be used as they both serve different purposes: the average number of days of absence per employee per year the average number of absent employees per shift Distinctions should be made between planned and unplanned absence and between absence on weekdays, weekends and public holidays. Recommendation 58: Rates of absenteeism should be monitored at each airport.
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - 59 -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
5.2.4 EMPLOYEE SEPARATION Separation of employees can have an impact on the efficiency of the operation at airports, particularly of employees leave before the costs of training them have been recovered. Transfers of employees to other Customs areas (internal separations) as well as those leaving the organisation completely should be recorded. Rates of separation should be obtainable by length of service at the airport to assist in identifying the effectiveness of assignment policies. Recommendation 59: Internal and external employee separation rates should be monitored at each airport and for the Passengers branch as a whole. 5.2.5 LOST TIME INJURY RATE The lost time injury rate (LTIR) is a standard measure of proportion of working hours lost as a result of workplace OH&S issues. It is usually expressed in hours per employee per year. Historical data on the LTIR can assist in planning required resource levels to ensure the required outcomes can be achieved. Recommendation 60: The lost time injury rate should be monitored at each airport.
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - 60 -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
6.0 SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS 6.1 WORK PRACTICES/BUSINESS PROCESSES 1. Methods of better communicating the availability of incoming passenger cards to passengers, including those in foreign languages, should be considered. The role of other stakeholders, and the use of pre-arrival messages, whether paid for by Customs or through changes to legislation requirements, in preparing passengers for incoming border procedures should be reviewed. 2. The practice of providing separate queues for Australian and New Zealand passport holders, and for holders of other passports, at the entry control point should be standardised at all airports, in the interests of ensuring a consistent arrival experience for passengers. 3. Measures to reduce entry control point cycle times by improving passenger readiness should be adopted at SYD, MEL and BNE. Customs should seek to secure the cooperation of airlines and airport operators to achieve this. The potential benefits of this strategy at other airports should be reviewed. 4. Customs should work to expedite the necessary changes to infrastructure to discontinue the use of the red and green exit system at all airports, through the passenger facilitation task force. Standardisation should be achieved as quickly as possible in the interests of consistency. 5. Sufficient resources should be provided in busy periods dedicated to the active management of passengers attempting to exit the baggage hall. Customs should use the passenger facilitation task force to investigate necessary capacity enhancements within the Secondary Examination Area (SEA). 6. Sufficient marshal resources should be provided to prevent the Customs marshal point from being a limiting factor in the queuing process for the Secondary Examination Area. 7. The opportunity for streamlining the Customs and AQIS marshalling duties for the Secondary Examination Area should be investigated through the passenger facilitation task force. 8. Queuing arrangements for the Secondary Examination Area at individual airports should be further scrutinised for their effectiveness, ease of understanding by passengers, the efficiency with which they utilise the available space and the extent to which they impact on passenger flows in the baggage hall. 9. The value of the express exit gate system in relieving congestion in the Secondary Examination Area should be reviewed through the passenger facilitation task force.
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - 61 -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
10. Customs should seek to secure the cooperation of airlines and airport operators to ensure passengers have completed their OPC before entering the queue and have it ready for inspection at the desk along with their passport. This principle should be established at a national level as well as between the regions and individual airports. 11. Customs should, through the passenger facilitation task force, encourage airport operators to relocate the security screening point immediately prior to the outwards control point wherever possible. 12. The number of passengers that have passed through the OCP for each flight should be monitored and compared with the known passenger numbers in real time to assist in determining immediately forthcoming resource requirements for the OCP to enable achievement of agreed performance outcomes. 13. Customs should secure the cooperation of the airlines in developing and implementing a formal arrangement for advising Customs, as far in advance as possible, of the presence of large groups of passengers on flights and providing notification when these check-in. 14. Customs should review internally its publicly visible enforcement work practices for the potential to carry out these activities in other locations so that the officers conducting them appear more active. 15. Customs should ensure that it does everything in its power to effectively manage its interactions with other airport stakeholders, in the interest of enhancing Customs ability to perform its portfolio of responsibilities as efficiently as possible. 16. Customs and DIAC should consider whether there is scope to consolidate the processes at the primary support point so that they are carried out by a single authority. 17. Customs and DIAC should cooperate to minimise the referral of documents to the primary support point for common issues that can be resolved quickly and effectively at the primary line. 18. Customs must work to achieve a stronger relationship and clearer division of responsibilities between Customs and AQIS with respect to the management of passengers in the Secondary Examination Area (SEA) and baggage hall. This should be achieved through formal agreements at a national level. 19. Customs must educate airport operators more effectively about the impact of the decisions they take on the ability of Customs to expedite the flow of passengers through the airport. 20. Customs should investigate the opportunities for access to and sharing of airline arrival time and passenger loading information in the most efficient manner.
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - 62 -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
21. Customs should continue to build relationships with airline representatives to facilitate beneficial baggage delivery arrangements wherever possible. 6.2 STAFFING 22. In planning long-term resource requirements, adequate account must be taken of anticipated variations in passenger numbers and aircraft arrival times. Resource requirements should be planned explicitly to achieve the current specified performance targets. Adequate resources must be allocated to resource planning activities to achieve these objectives. 23. Long-term resource planning for Customs enforcement activities should be carried out as rigorously as possible and the results incorporated into the overall workforce planning process. 24. Team members should be rotated regularly to facilitate consistency of work practice between teams. 25. A roster development tool, similar to that used currently at SYD, should be provided to all airport managers to assist in the development of roster options to meet the planned resource requirements. The tool should include a method for estimating the cost of different roster structures, with the preferred options subject to detailed costing prior to consultation with staff. 26. Customs should encourage and facilitate the application of NAPI at each airport to assist in the operational planning process. 27. Overtime rates should be measured on a monthly basis at each airport. Financial comparisons should be carried out to determine if ongoing levels of overtime are the most economical means of resource provision. 28. The daily planning spreadsheet used at SYD should be made available to other airports, together with the necessary support, to assist in planning adjustments to resource deployment throughout each days operations. 29. The content of the Customs Trainee course program should be as consistent as possible throughout the different regions. 30. The Customs Trainee course program should include training in basic customer service techniques such as respect and courtesy. 31. Suitable methods for recording individual employees training history and requirements should be investigated. These should show currency dates and highlight any forthcoming recertification requirements. Training should be actively planned in advance of lapses of currency to achieve efficiencies in offline time. 32. The numbers of officers required to hold certifications for various functions at any given time should be critically reviewed.
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - 63 -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
33. The planning and approval of recruitment initiatives should include an allowance for expected staff separations between the initiation of the recruitment process and the expected graduation date. 34. The length of time Customs Trainees are retained at the airport should be reviewed to ensure that the cost of airport-specific training for those employees is adequately recovered. 35. Suitable arrangements should be introduced to accommodate the employment of highly trained and experienced officers on a part-time contract basis. 36. A job description for part-time officers should be developed. Mechanisms by which such officers could be integrated within the Customs personnel structure should be investigated. 37. Customs should consider the use of part-time officers at MEL and BNE initially and, subject to positive results there, review the potential to engage them at SYD in light of labour market considerations. 6.3 INFRASTRUCTURE & TECHNOLOGY 38. Customs should, through the appropriate forum, secure formal arrangements with airport operators that allow Customs sufficient opportunity to independently review redevelopment proposals in respect of the potential impacts on the efficiency and effectiveness of Customs operations. 39. Arrangements by which Customs Officers can be utilised at other Customs facilities once their airport duties have been fulfilled should be given serious consideration, on a region-by-region basis. This should include a review of the relative locations of Customs infrastructure throughout each region, in particular Customs House. 40. A consistent signage policy should be developed. This should address aspects such as the content, style and siting of Customs signs as well as the interaction with the signs of other stakeholders, particularly airport operators. 41. The size and number of signs that are required to be provided under legislation should be limited to the minimum extent required by law. 42. The use of free-standing signs should be avoided wherever possible and should be limited to situations where they will be sufficiently visible. 43. The content and location of dynamic signs should be thoroughly reviewed as part of an overall signage strategy. 44. The value of using commercial advertising space to convey appropriate messages should be considered by Customs.
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - 64 -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
45. Customs should investigate the potential to develop joint signs with AQIS for certain messages. 46. The directing of passengers on the approach to and within the ECP and OCP should be achieved solely through the use of airport operator signage wherever possible. Where necessary, this should be supplemented by information above individual ECP/OCP modules that is clearly visible from the rear of the queuing area. 47. Customs should ensure individual airport stakeholders are aware of the nature and extent of the impacts the implementation of SmartGate will have on passenger flows. 48. Customs should not proceed with the implementation of electronic queue management systems without a full and detailed consideration of the impacts such systems will have on queuing arrangements and passenger processing rates. 6.4 PERFORMANCE MEASURES 49. Customs should use the passenger facilitation task force to establish an integrated framework of passenger facilitation measures covering all relevant airport processes. 50. The current inwards passenger facilitation standard should be retained for operations at the entry control point. 51. Frequent and rigorous review of the median pre-queue times appropriate to passengers at each airport should be conducted, to ensure the current method of measurement of the inwards passenger facilitation rate remains sufficiently accurate. 52. Achievement of passenger facilitation standards should be determined on an annual basis, with more regular monitoring of ongoing rates by airport managers as necessary. 53. The impact of downstream capacity limitations on facilitation rates should be recorded. Where the impact can be shown to be significant, airport operators should be advised that facilitation rates cannot be guaranteed until remedial action is taken. 54. A performance standard for outwards passenger facilitation, in terms of the maximum time taken to process a defined proportion of passengers through the OCP, should be developed and agreed with airline representatives and airport operators. Measurement of performance against the standard should take account of the variation of passenger numbers at different times of the day. 55. Mechanisms for capturing compliments and complaints should be retained and supported by formal passenger satisfaction surveys. 56. The baseline predicted resource requirement should be established at each airport in order to permit a meaningful assessment of the efficiency of resource delivery by rosters. The baseline
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - 65 -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
resource requirement must be reviewed at each change of flight schedule and updated as necessary. 57. The proportion of overtime hours as a percentage of total hours worked should be monitored at each airport. 58. Rates of absenteeism should be monitored at each airport. 59. Internal and external employee separation rates should be monitored at each airport and for the Passengers branch as a whole. 60. The lost time injury rate should be monitored at each airport.
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - 66 -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
7.0 CONCLUSIONS This review has revealed a number of potential areas whereby the efficiency and consistency of practice of Customs operations and the quality of the passenger experience could be enhanced. Measures that can reduce the length of time it takes to process passengers at the ECP and OCP, even only slightly, can lead to significant efficiencies in terms of the resources required for these activities. The provision of additional resources in the ECP and OCP queues to ensure effective queue management and ensure passengers have the appropriate documents correctly completed and ready for inspection is considered worthwhile, particularly at the larger airports. If these duties could be combined with enforcement activities then even greater efficiencies could be gained. The benefits of such an approach would be threefold: a reduction in overall resource requirements for the same outcomes; enhancement of the passenger experience; and an improved public perception of Customs. Whilst congestion in the baggage hall and Secondary Examination Area ultimately stems from a fundamental lack of capacity for both Customs and quarantine inspection, there are a number of ways in which Customs can assist in smoothing the flow of passengers and overcoming these infrastructure limitations. These include more active management of passengers in the baggage hall and streamlining of the marshalling process. A stronger and more defined relationship with AQIS is essential to achieving this outcome. Potential for incremental efficiencies in passenger processing also exist from better relationships with other key airport stakeholders, particularly airport operators, airlines and DIAC. Improved co- operation from these organisations, especially with respect to more effective communication of key information, will allow more efficient deployment of Customs resources to meet the constantly changing demands of the airport environment. Through the systematic, integrated, planning of resource requirements resource levels that more closely match those required to deliver Customs specific outcomes can be predicted. This can be achieved through the incorporation of key influences such as expected airline schedule performance and Customs specific performance targets. More rigorous planning of predicted resources allows an economical roster structure to be developed and implemented with greater confidence that the twin objectives of efficiency and effectiveness are being achieved. In order to support the resource planning process, as series of basic human resources factors need to be monitored. If more rigorous planning reveals a need for an increase in total resources, then this should be accepted in the confidence that this more closely predicts the true requirement to achieve Customs
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] - 67 -
Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
defined outcomes. However, it is considered far more likely that the better understanding of the real resource requirements will actually facilitate a more efficient provision and deployment of resources. If the potential efficiency savings identified by this review can be realised, overall resource requirements should reduce at most airports. There appears to be some potential to accommodate part-time officers to accommodate peak period flows at the larger airports. However, at smaller airports the flexibility offered by a completely multi-skilled workforce is essential to efficient operations. An alternative, and potentially more fruitful approach, might be to develop a graduated Customs Trainee program which would spread training costs over a longer period and allow officers to be productive in certain functions at a much earlier stage than presently. Infrastructure limitations will continue to present challenges to Customs and other stakeholders who must conduct operations at airports. More effective education of airport operators about the impacts of their decisions, combined with earlier involvement in redevelopment proposals, is required to overcome these difficulties. The flexible deployment of Customs resources between the airport and other locations has considerable merit in achieving the most efficient utilisation of staff. From a technology perspective, Customs signage at airports needs to be comprehensively reviewed. The messages, form of delivery, location and audience need to be considered carefully. Signage is not always the most effective medium and alternative methods of delivery of key messages should be considered. The measurement of inwards passenger facilitation rates is, and should continue to be, a satisfactory indicator of performance at the entry control point. However, this represents only a part of Customs facilitation activity at airports. The current passenger facilitation standard should be considered within integrated framework of passenger facilitation measures covering all relevant airport processes, which Customs should work to establish through the passenger facilitation task force. Performance measures for facilitation by Customs in the Secondary Examination Area are not appropriate. However the development of a passenger facilitation performance measure for the outward control point would be beneficial to Customs in managing its interactions with other stakeholders.
APPENDIX TERMS OF REFERENCE
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] B-1 Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
1.0 INTRODUCTION This document forms the Terms of Reference for a review of the Australian Customs Service Passengers Functions at International Airports. It sets out the specific requirements for each element of the study, mechanisms for progress reporting of cost and program during the study, and the ultimate deliverables.
2.0 DATA COLLECTION 2.1 INFORMATION REQUIREMENTS Information that is required to fulfil the Terms of Reference of this study is as follows: airline schedules for arriving and departing international flights at each airport, representing both the northern summer and northern winter seasons; details of how current Customs staffing levels are determined from airline schedules at each airport; historical data on the variation between scheduled and actual aircraft arrival and departure times historical data on actual passenger numbers on each flight, by nationality of passport held and by size of family group historical data on processing time distributions for passengers at the Entry Control Point (ECP), and Outwards Control Point (OCP) on a flight-by-flight basis, by nationality of passport held and by size of family group statistical or raw data on actual passenger queuing time or queue lengths for the OCP and ECP (for validation purposes); historical data on the distribution of time-of-processing versus scheduled departure time of the flight for passengers at the OCP; historical data on staff absenteeism and turnover levels, by location; observational data on the nature, extent and location of signage and other information provided to passengers in advance of their arrival at Customs processes
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] B-2 Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
2.2 FIELDWORK AT AIRPORTS Fieldwork will be undertaken at the following airports by our Contract Officer and Senior Consultant (with approximate durations at each airport): Sydney (3 days) Perth (2 days) Adelaide (2 days) Melbourne (3 days) Specific activities that will be undertaken at each airport, subject to prior Customs approval, include: observation of overall activity in Customs controlled areas; identification of any critical or problem areas in terms of passenger flows; discussions with the relevant Customs personnel regarding staffing issues particular to each airport, including details of how shift requirements and rosters are developed; discussions with Customs personnel about work practices and business processes; discussions with Customs personnel regarding interactions with other agencies processes; a detailed review of the extent, nature and effectiveness of passenger wayfinding and instructional signage; consultation with the airport operator, airlines and any other relevant agencies regarding external issues affecting Customs processes. Customs will facilitate access to the required areas and discussions with the relevant internal and third-party personnel at each airport. Observations of airport operations outside normal working hours will be essential. This will include some observations at anti-social hours of the night and at weekends.
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] B-3 Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
3.0 REVIEW OF WORK PRACTICE/BUSINESS PROCESSES A review of work practices/business processes will be carried out to determine the extent to which the current work practices/business processes deliver, in the most efficient and effective way possible, the business objectives within relevant standards. A detailed assessment will be undertaken to identify any areas where potential efficiencies or improvements in effectiveness could be made. Modifications to work practices and business processes will be considered with due regard to: Customs regulatory responsibilities under the Customs Act 1901 and other Acts of parliament administered by Customs relevant to the passengers function; Customs regulatory partnerships with other border agencies; airport throughput capacities and configurations; airline schedules; regional and seasonal factors; interfaces with other stakeholders, including airport operators; and relevant human resources considerations Any improvements to business practices considered worthy of more detailed analysis will be identified. The value of these improvements to Customs, in terms of reduced resource requirements, increased efficiencies in the use of resources, reallocation of resources to detection and enforcement activities and enhancement of the passenger experience will then be assessed. Observations regarding the interactions between processes under the control of Customs and those controlled by other organisations will also be made. Where clear benefits to Customs are considered to follow from changes to other organisations work practices, similar assessment of the potential benefits may be valuable in assisting Customs in its discussions with other stakeholders. The review will include advice as to how Customs can act to immediately improve the passenger experience when leaving the baggage reclaim area.
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] B-4 Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
4.0 REVIEW OF STAFFING A review of staffing will be conducted to determine the extent to which current staffing arrangements, including workforce planning, recruitment, deployment and rostering, deliver capable staff able to undertake requisite business processes to achieve business outcomes. The assessment will have regard to: Customs Certified Agreement; Public Service Act 1999; Australian Workplace Relations Act 1996; Occupational Health and Safety principles Job design; Proximity to other Customs (non-passenger) facilities The review will comprise three steps, as follows. 1. A comparison of the extent to which current rostering practices allow Customs to achieve its business objectives. For a particular airport and flight schedule, staffing levels for the primary line function will be determined using current rostering and resource planning practices. 2. A review of rostering practice, based on the outcomes of the assessment, and propose potential improvements to rostering procedures that could be made in order to increase the degree of fit between rostered and required resource levels. These observations will be general in nature and cover the range of situations experienced by Customs as identified from the representative sample of airports considered in this study. The degree to which workplace flexibility and multi-skilling practices are, or should be, adopted will be given particular consideration. 3. A review of Customs recruitment and selection policy and its approach to training will include consideration of the relative merits of multi-skilled versus specialist officers for the carrying out of particular functions. Recommendations will be made regarding changes to any of these elements which might assist in the achievement of Customs business objectives.
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] B-5 Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
5.0 REVIEW OF TECHNOLOGY Rehbein AOS will review the extent to which technology does or could further the efficient and effective delivery of Customs business outcomes. The assessment will have regard to: dynamic and other signage, including fixed, free-standing and electronic signs; airport logistics, including airport/airline baggage delivery arrangements; and spatial configuration issues. The effectiveness of dynamic and other signage is considered particularly important and the assessment will incorporate a detailed review of the extent, nature and effectiveness of existing passenger wayfinding and instructional signage at each airport visited. From this, potential improvements to passenger flows and behaviours that might be effected through modifications or additions to the existing visual cues will be identified. The assessment will have regard to airport logistics, and will include consideration of these issues through discussions with airport operators and airline representatives as appropriate. The review of technology will also consider the extent to which real-time updates on flight progress and aircraft parking allocations might be accessed and usefully applied by Customs.
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] B-6 Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
6.0 REVIEW OF PERFORMANCE MEASURES A review of the extent to which the current performance measures usefully quantify Customs passengers business outcomes at airports, in terms of Customs management of passenger screening and processing activities, will be carried out. The assessment will have regard to: Customs current performance standard Airline schedules and scheduling arrangements Airport through-put capacities and configurations Seasonal and regional factors Customs enforcement activities such as risk management methods will not be subject to review. However, issues such as the presentation, courtesy, and professionalism of Customs officers during interventions with passengers will be considered. Rehbein AOS will use its expertise to identify suitably specific, measurable, achievable and relevant measures of performance. We will review in detail aspects such as average pre-queue times for appropriateness and their impact of measured performance. Simulation modelling will be used to assist in the assessment of suitable achievable performance targets by considering the range of performance outcomes which can be expected to occur in practice in a variety of situations. Potential performance metrics relating to issues such as efficiency and effectiveness of resource usage, consistency of management practice and the quality of the passenger experience will be considered. Any suggested performance measures will take into account and identify the impact of airport infrastructure on Customs ability to manage itself and meet its agenda, and the impact on the passenger experience.
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] B-7 Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
7.0 PROGRESS REPORTING 7.1 FORTNIGHTLY PROGRESS REPORTS Progress reports will be submitted on a fortnightly basis. The progress reports will be provided electronically to Customs. These reports will include: a copy of the current agreed project programme showing the completion status of each task; a statement comparing the cost to date against the agreed budget; identification of any issues requiring resolution, together with responsibilities for action and target dates; and proposals for rectifying any unacceptable program slippage or cost escalation.
7.2 INTERIM PROJECT PROGRESS REVIEW A detailed appraisal of progress, cost and quality issues will be carried out at Customs offices in Canberra and involve our Project Director, Contract Officer and Senior Consultant together with Customs Project Officer. The review will offer an opportunity to resolve any outstanding technical or scope issues that could affect the outcome of the project. The review will be carried out following the completion of the airport field visits.
Ref: Rehbein AOS - Review of Passenger Functions [UNCLASSIFIED] B-8 Australian Customs Service Review of Passengers Functions
8.0 DELIVERABLES 8.1 DRAFT REPORT Following the completion of the study, a draft report will be prepared detailing the investigations, assessment, options and recommendations for optimising performance in each of the four areas considered. An electronic (.pdf) copy of the draft report will be submitted to Customs. Following Customs internal review of the draft report, our Contract Officer and Senior Consultant will present the key findings of the report to Customs in Canberra and receive feedback regarding the report.
8.2 FINAL REPORT Following receipt of feedback from Customs regarding the draft report, and the conduct of any follow up investigation that might be required, a final report will be prepared incorporating all of Customs comments. An electronic (.pdf) copy and two (2) hard copies of the final report will be submitted to Customs. Following submission of the final report, Rehbein AOS will present the assessment findings and recommendations to Customs.