CBP Reports to Congress on ACE (Screening & Targeting, Etc.)

This is Part II of a multi-part series of summaries on this report, and highlights CBP's assessment of ACE Screening and Targeting (S&T) capabilities and upcoming related ACE milestones.

(ACE S&T capabilities are being integrated with the Automated Targeting System, and have been developed in close collaboration with the National Targeting Center to provide accelerated functional support for its operations.)

ACE Screening and Targeting

ACE Screening and Targeting accomplishments include the deployment of the following capabilities (partial list):

Advanced Targeting. CBP deployed Advanced Targeting (S3) mission critical enhancements to the access hierarchy, historical data capture, weight-set enhancements, impact assessment enhancements, and workflow management on October 13, 2007. CBP states that it will continue introducing specific S3 user capabilities and enhancements on a quarterly basis.

(S3 combines the Screening Foundation (S1) and ATS targeting capabilities into a single platform.)

CBP continues to modernize cargo targeting through S3. There are three key cargo-targeting components that provide mission critical functionality and enhancements for modernizing targeting: User Defined Rules (UDR), Impact Assessment, and the Unified Screening Response (USR). CBP notes that these components as a whole will allow CBP to conduct better targeting through S3.

Targeting Framework. On October 27, 2007, CBP completed an extension of the TF Super Query, which allows users to query multiple data sources simultaneously across different modules within the ATS (ATS-Land, ATS-Inbound, and ATS-Outbound) data sources. This enhancement allows an NTC targeting analyst to conduct better targeting through a more efficient and precise process. Previously, the analyst would have to manually log into each module and query multiple data sources.

CBP will continue introducing specific TF user capabilities and enhancements on a quarterly basis.

ACE Screening and Targeting "on Schedule"

According to the report, CBP was preparing for the following milestones in the January-February 2008 period: January 2008 quarterly drop (Increment 7.0) for TF, and February 2008 Advanced Targeting Drop.

CBP notes that based on the status of these preparations as of the date of the report, the ACE Screening and Targeting releases continue on schedule with no potential risk for a delay.

¹In October 2006, the TF was utilized for container screening and targeting at the National Targeting Center (NTC). Subsequently, the NTC was expanded into two operational targeting units: the NTC-Cargo and NTC-Passenger. CBP has made an executive decision to use the TF at both operational targeting units; NTC targeting analysts at both operational targeting units have the ability to access the TF from the same database in order to screen and target containers in real-time and coordinate efforts between the two operational targeting units.

(See ITT's Online Archives or 05/01/08 news, 08050105, for Part I of BP's summary on this ACE report, with information on cargo, ESAR, Edit Modification, etc.)

CBP's ACE quarterly report (including Appendices A-F) available at http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/trade/automated/modernization/ace/quarterly_reports/ace_rpt_dec_07/report_2008_q1.ctt/report_2008_q1.pdf.

Appendix G of quarterly report available at http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/trade/automated/modernization/ace/quarterly_reports/ace_rpt_dec_07/appendix_g.ctt/appendix_g.pdf.