Protect | Innovate | Elevate
Message from CATSA’s President and Chief Executive Officer
I am pleased to present CATSA’s Strategic Plan, a roadmap that will drive our key activities over the next five years. This plan provides insight into the four strategic pillars that will guide our operations – invest in our people for tomorrow; drive innovation; promote an integrated aviation ecosystem; and elevate the client experience.
We will create strategies that align with this plan, and foster an environment that upholds our core values of integrity, innovation, collaboration and inclusivity.
The development of this plan was a collaborative effort. Under the guidance of the Board of Directors, we brought together the invaluable knowledge and expertise of our workforce, partners and Transport Canada. I extend my gratitude to all who contributed to the creation of this plan.
I am thrilled for the opportunity to lead CATSA as we build upon this foundation to achieve our mission and vision, in collaboration with our industry and community partners.
Thank you.
Nada Semaan
President and Chief Executive Officer
About CATSA
Mandate
CATSA is an agent Crown corporation accountable to Parliament through the Minister of Transport. CATSA delivers the mandate of security screening at 89 designated airports across the country through a third-party screening contractor model. Playing a pivotal role in Canada’s aviation system, CATSA is responsible for the delivery of the following four mandated activities:
Pre-board screening (PBS):
The screening of all passengers and their carry-on baggage and belongings prior to their entry to the secure area of an air terminal building.
Hold baggage screening (HBS):
The screening of all passengers’ checked (“hold”) baggage for prohibited items such as explosives, prior to being loaded onto an aircraft.
Non-passenger screening (NPS):
The screening of non-passengers such as flight personnel, ground crew and service providers, and their belongings (including vehicles and their contents) entering restricted areas at the highest risk airports.
Restricted area identity card (RAIC):
The management of the system that uses iris and fingerprint biometric identifiers to allow authorized non-passengers access to the restricted areas of airports. The final authority that determines access to the restricted areas of an airport is the airport authority.
Mission
CATSA protects the travelling public by providing the highest level of aviation security screening.
Vision
The travelling public and our partners benefit from the most secure aviation security screening service and the best client experience through our leadership.
Core Values
Integrity
We are driven by a strong conviction in our mandate and mission. We are stewards of public funds, and we act ethically and transparently to foster accountability and public trust.
Innovation
We are steadfast in our commitment to implementing forward-thinking, creative solutions to evolving and emerging challenges.
Collaboration
We believe that collaboration is fundamental within the organization, across the aviation industry, and with our partners. We leverage our collective strengths and experience for the benefit of all.
Inclusivity
In all aspects of our business, respect and inclusivity are central to our approach. We are leaders in the implementation of meaningful actions, dedicated to creating a barrier-free experience for our clients, screening officers, and workforce.
Strategic Pillars
Strategic pillars provide an overview of foundational priorities that will drive corporate planning, support operational activities, guide the development of annual plans and strategies, and help to identify measurable targets across the organization to hold ourselves accountable.
Pillar 1 | Invest in Our People for Tomorrow
Continuous investment in our people is an investment in our future. A key element of our strategy is ensuring that our workforce, as well as third-party screening officers across the country, have the tools and resources to contribute to our collective success.
Priority 1: Nurture an inclusive environment that fosters excellence and engagement
- Cultivate a flexible, diverse and inclusive workplace that supports the needs and well-being of employees, while balancing organizational objectives.
- Affirm our commitment to CATSA’s workforce and to screening officers by prioritizing robust training, growth, and deliberate consultations.
Priority 2: Be an employer of choice
- Invest in the skills, procedures, processes, programs and tools our people need to tackle the challenges of tomorrow.
- Ensure CATSA’s compensation and benefits package remains competitive.
- Address capacity limitations and examine organizational requirements taking into account an evolving labour market and the fiscal environment
Pillar 2 | Drive Innovation
We believe in a culture of innovation, where idea-generation is essential to addressing emerging challenges and improving upon the status quo. We will embrace innovation through a problem-solving mindset, agility, new processes and technology. With a renewed commitment to sharing our success both internally and externally, we will create an environment where innovation, curiosity, and outside-the-box thinking is not only valued, but celebrated.
Priority 1: Enhance security effectiveness and screening efficiency
- Implement creative processes and next generation technologies to enhance efficacy and efficiency.
- Develop plans for the application of advanced analytics, artificial intelligence, and biometrics to enhance oversight, screening operations, and training programs.
- Develop a new screening technology roadmap for PBS, HBS and NPS which will chart the next ten to fifteen years in technology advancements, including accessible checkpoints and accommodations that enhance the client experience.
Priority 2: Champion forward-thinking solutions
- Promote a culture of innovation, and inspire our workforce to solve emerging challenges.
- Create opportunities for security screening innovation, including maximizing the efficient, sustainable use of airport infrastructure, in collaboration with our partners.
- Embrace continuous improvement, agility, and curiosity.
Pillar 3 | Promote an Integrated Aviation Ecosystem
Collaboration is a key component of our ability to deliver the best service to our clients. Through collaboration and information sharing, we will implement process improvements, and realize opportunities for alignment across the aviation system.
Priority 1: Maximize opportunities for collective engagement
- Leverage CATSA’s knowledge and expertise through external engagement and data sharing strategies, to encourage synergy and efficiencies across the aviation industry.
- Collaborate with screening contractors, airport authorities, airlines, industry associations, maintenance service providers, equipment manufacturers, and regulatory bodies to optimize screening capacity and performance.
- Engage with international partners on initiatives of mutual benefit.
Priority 2: Advance industry harmonization and share best practices
- Engage with domestic and international partners to identify opportunities for alignment, and advance common objectives.
- Support Transport Canada in the implementation of increased accountability, transportation security priorities, regulatory changes, data sharing and integration initiatives, and best practices.
Pillar 4 | Elevate the Client Experience
Engagement with the public and subject matter experts allows us to conduct our operations with a deeper understanding of the needs of the clients we serve. We recognize the intrinsic value of fostering positive relationships and creating a security screening experience built on a foundation of public trust. We will create a reliable, consistent, respectful, and barrier-free screening experience for all of our clients at designated airports across the country, and are committed to learning from our clients to elevate the end-to-end experience.
Priority 1: Deliver continuous improvement for our clients
- Develop and execute our Service Strategy to enhance the client experience while maintaining competitive wait-time service levels.
- Prioritize regular, comprehensive training for third-party screening officers to ensure that screening procedures respect and uphold the dignity and diversity of all travellers, including those with various accessibility-related needs.
- Foster a culture of curiosity and implement best practices that respect official languages, accessibility, and the diversity of the travelling public.
Priority 2: Engage the community
- Underscore the importance of continuous learning and prioritizing lived experiences and lessons learned from subject matter experts in order to implement enhancements to the security screening process.
- Implement a comprehensive and strategic engagement strategy to help us to better understand and respond to the diverse needs of our client base, and communicate important information to enhance the end-to-end journey.
Performance Measurement
The Strategic Plan sets the stage for the delivery of new initiatives, activities and strategies, and for continuous improvements across CATSA’s operations. We have identified key performance indicators that will allow CATSA to measure progress against the priorities set out in this plan. These indicators will be illustrated in CATSA’s annual corporate plan.