Reforming live animal exports

The project aims to streamline the administration process of approved arrangements through:

• improved business processes, guidance material and IT systems to streamline the process
• finding a balance between checking individual consignments and checking exporters’ systems
• timely, proportionate, and predictable action on non-compliance.

Some key deliverables from this project include:

• implementation of a risk-based and streamlined process for assessing notices of intention (NOIs). This has significantly reduced assessment times.
• commenced a trial to reduce NOI assessment times and reduce compliance burden on exporters. The trial aims to better accommodate the commercial realities faced by exporters where consignment details can change frequently leading up to the date of export. This trial selected exporters shipping livestock from Darwin to Indonesia. Feedback from the exporters and staff participating in the trial has been positive. The next steps will be to determine whether we can extend the trial to all exporters in that market.  
• implementation of a National Livestock Identification System tag check automation process for China cattle consignments. This has reduced the time taken for part of the process from 4 hours to 13 minutes.
• revised and published the list of core documents that livestock exporters with approved arrangements must provide to us for each consignment. 
• commenced work on a 12-month schedule of enhancements to the Tracking Animal Certification for Export (TRACE) system. These will improve its ability to:
  • automatically advise exporters on required documentation according to export market. This will streamline the management of consignment documentation by exporters and the department
  • provide a centralised location for exporter Approved Arrangement/Approved Export Program documentation. This will improve accessibility for exporters and the department
  • identify changes made to an NOI application after each variation
  • automatically verify information that we hold in different databases
  • provide exporters with automated real-time consignment status tracking and tools. This will allow exporters to advise us on the status of required information

Through the Streamlining Approved Arrangements Framework project, we identified a barrier to implementing more risk-based and targeted regulatory approaches. This barrier was our performance and compliance framework and supporting systems.

We completed 47 hours of detailed user research with:

• exporters
• registered establishment operators
• accredited veterinarians
• departmental staff.

This research allowed us to better understand the problems with the performance and compliance framework.

We are co-designing an improved live animal export compliance framework with relevant stakeholders. This framework will use digital tools that more accurately reflect exporter compliance. This will support exporters to continuously improve their performance. This will also allow us to respond to non-compliance more precisely.

It will enable us to reduce the regulatory burden on compliant exporters while maintaining the integrity of the trade.

This discovery work is now leading to the creation of a new digital capability, improving how we manage risk and compliance. This will also:

• reduce regulatory burdens and costs to exporters
• improve visibility of exporter compliance history throughout the supply chain
• improve targeting and streamlining of our assessments
• improve consistency of service delivery.

Our assurance framework refers to all the activities we do to check whether regulated entities are meeting:

• importing country requirements
• Australian Government export requirements including animal health and welfare standards.

Regulated entities include exporters, accredited veterinarians, and registered establishments.

These activities include:

• inspecting livestock
• assessing documents
• conducting audits
• the independent observer program.

We do these activities at different points in the export supply chain such as:

• at the registered premises prior to export
• on vessels
• in overseas countries through the Exporter Supply Chain Assurance System.

Together these activities provide us with assurance that exporters are meeting their requirements. We can then provide assurances to our trading partners and the community.

The project is looking at our framework to see what improvements can be made to support our assurance activities to be more efficient and effective.

The first phase of the project has focused on the independent observer program. The main aims of this part of the project are to:

• integrate the independent observer program into our assurance framework, and
• reduce the cost of the program without reducing assurance that animal health and welfare outcomes are being managed on vessels.

This program follows on from recommendations of the Moss Review and departmental feedback.

This program aims to increase clarity on the purpose, role and reporting requirements of AAVs. This will be achieved through further engagement, training and auditing of AAVs.

AAVs play an important role in the regulatory framework, including in pre-export activities and shipboard reporting. By strengthening the AAV program, the public and government can be assured that AAVs and exporters are meeting animal health and welfare standards and importing country requirements.

Some key deliverables from this project include:

• the AAV accreditation course has been updated, which now reflects changes to export legislation and livestock export standards. This ensures AAVs are provided with the most up to date information to perform their work
• providing clarity on roles and responsibilities of AAVs throughout the export process. This is being achieved through updating guidelines and providing clarity on their legislative and operational requirements
• developing a guideline to support AAVs submit and update their material interest declarations. This will ensure the department and AAVs are able to manage conflicts-of-interest in a professional and ethical manner
• developing an audit and assurance program for AAVs
• ongoing work to engage with AAVs and provide training to ensure their work is being conducted to the level that is required.

This project focuses on building a modern and reliable data reporting and analytics capability. This will support timely and efficient regulation of all live animal exports. We will achieve this through the development of a digital and integrated reporting model. This will connect live animal export data across the live export supply chain.

This will allow:

• better identification of trends and potential risks in the live export supply chain
• us to implement targeted risk-based regulation and policy measures.

Some key deliverables from this project include:

• building a single integrated reporting model for live animal exports
• improving our collection, handling and use of data captured under the regulatory framework
• replacing manual data processes with digital solutions through system enhancements and systems development
• transitioning to Power BI as a visualisation tool. This also makes data more accessible to users and supports regulatory functions and operations.
• securing access to external live animal export data systems. This includes developing an automated data transfer system to receive and store regulatory LIVEXCollect data from the Australian Livestock Export Corporation (LiveCorp). LIVEXCollect standardises data entry and reporting, allowing improved data aggregation and analysis.

By March 2022, we estimate that the initial deliverables from this project will reduce departmental costs by $120, 000 a year. This is through time saved on data cleansing, manipulation and analysis.

We are developing policies and procedures to better engage with relevant stakeholders. This will ensure that interested parties can be confident their views on policy matters will be heard. We are also working to ensure our external communications are clear and transparent, so that all stakeholders can be confident of what our requirements are and our approach to regulation.

Some key deliverables from this project include:

• updated livestock client service standards
• developing a public stakeholder and communication engagement policy
• updating information on our websites to ensure information is current and helpful
• reviewing the current list of EANs and migrating information to appropriate webpages. To date this has reduced the current list of EANs from 180 down to 55, making it easier to check which EANs still apply. This ensures information is easy to find and information is only located in one place.