Freight being loaded at KLIA Security Declaration (replacing the
paper declaration), to ensure that the cargo has been secured and handed over by a Secure Freight operator. In the event a State continues to demand a paper security declaration, this will still be accepted.
In the specific case of the Malaysia pilot, the full chain was not able to communicate
was considerable trial and error. The complexity of the project called for a hefty dose of flexibility in the time allocated for its implementation and in the size of the tasks being chosen at the onset to keep the team’s morale and motivation at high levels. Monitoring the team closely was very important, but so too was the necessity of leaving sufficient
“...on-going pilot implementations include Kenya and Mexico, whilst the kick-offs in Chile and the United Arab Emirates are being planned to take place before the end of this year...”
and transmit the data from the shipments from the beginning as challenges included lack of inter-connectivity between all the stakeholders in the chain and different IT and reporting systems. Nevertheless, a solution combining a provision of electronic and paper data supporting each shipment was accomplished by March 2011 and continued to the end of the pilot testing period. When we speak of lessons learned, I want to focus on four areas that could be most beneficial to anyone embarking in changing the regulatory status quo in cargo security: methodology, communications, resources and regulatory aspects.
Methodology
Even simple document templates, the format for minutes from meetings, email distribution lists, action tracker’s related to project tasks, success criteria discussions, and other basic project management tools, can add to the burden of performing the proper management of a project. Yet the primary challenge we faced was that of implementing an air cargo security programme from scratch without a documented version, nor the tools or proper time estimations, having previously been undertaken. So, there
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room during the initial phases for the team to get to know each other and trust being established. Once team members were comfortable with each other, a more structured approach needed to be implemented in order to make the observations and findings more objective and the closure of the gaps more precise. It became clear that in any new Secure
Freight pilot implementation it would be necessary to provide clear objectives to all stakeholders from the very beginning. This in fact is related to the next challenge we faced, that of communications. One key element to make any
project advance according to plan is the communication between the members of the team. Good communication not only includes using appropriate language and ensuring a common understanding of terms and concepts, but also the etiquette when addressing people of different backgrounds and cultures. Certainly the frequency of our contacts counted, but actually learning to read between the lines and pay attention to the various mindsets, values and cultures of the participating parties was a fascinating challenge to experience; and other aspects came into play with team members being from a wide range of nationalities –
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Malaysians (of differing ethnicities), British, Singaporean and, myself, a Venezuelan/ Canadian! We all had different career backgrounds, represented diverse religions, had varied family situations and represented a broad range of age brackets. If there is something the team learned very quickly it was the importance of being able to read each other; the tone of our voices, our accents and the way we negotiated our terms. We had to recognise that interpretation may differ over the telephone and email, with the deprivation of facial expression, otherwise present at face-to- face meetings. Air cargo may seem to be devoid of human involvement but, whilst we ship produce rather than passengers, those who orchestrate the processes are human beings and, in that vein, successful programmes depend upon understanding the strengths, fallibilities and peculiarities of the human race.
Resources
When I think of resources, what struck me most during our time in Malaysia was not the staff turnover rate, which is a constant challenge in workforces around the world, and in the air cargo domain in particular, or the funding constraints that are a harsh reality in developing nations; nor was it the inability to meet deadlines or the lack of interconnectivity between trading partners via their IT systems. For me, what can make or break such a complex undertaking, is the level of commitment and engagement of every single member of the team, during the time in which they participate in implementing the Secure Freight pilot, and our ability to maintain their enthusiasm. An important fact was established at the very start. The Secure Freight pilot had support from higher management in all the organisations that took part. This support translated into the availability of resources, funding, travel budgets, and participation at events around the world by all stakeholders. Understandably, the Malaysian parties were keen to promote Malaysia’s efforts in this area of security. But even if you have this input at the onset, we knew that internal changes in any of the organisations could derail the project. Indeed, we experienced changes within
higher level management in all of the organisations during the three years the pilot took to complete. So, perhaps the ability to keep the team together, and management engaged, was the most important accomplishment of all. Without it, the project could have easily disintegrated. The Malaysian Department of Civil Aviation was also key, not only because it believed in the project but also because it had the intention, from the very beginning, to make the necessary changes in the regulatory framework to enhance its own air cargo security programme after the pilot was over. And it is this point on
August 2012 Aviationsecurityinternational
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