§971 C–tpat Program Management

Summary

The Secretary, through the Commissioner, must run C–TPAT with strong quality controls and recordkeeping. They must make a 5-year strategic plan with outcome goals and performance measures, an annual plan for each fiscal year that matches resources to expected work, and a standard work program for staff to carry out certifications, validations, and revalidations while tracking records and staff hours. They must keep a records system that shows decisions for each participant review. Working with the Commercial Operations Advisory Committee, they must create rules to protect confidential data collected or shared during applications and reviews. They must also make a staffing plan to hire and train staff (including formal training) and give cross‑training for post‑incident trade resumption. Each year, when the President’s budget goes to Congress, the Secretary must report progress on certifying, validating, and revalidating participants.