1. The 3rd IPPC Global Symposium
“ePhyto & Trade facilitation - HUB Pilot Experiences”
Peter Johnston
Ministry for Primary Industries, New Zealand

2. Overview NZ ePhyto Solution
NZ Perspective for a “Secure Electronic Distribution Facility”
NZ Experiences with the HUB for “ePhyto Issues management”!
Preparations to Connect to the HUB
Going Forward!

3. NZ ePhyto Solution: Constructed using SQLServer, IIS, .Net, Adobe.
Operational (live) in June 2011.
Users must make formal application to participate on the MPI ePhyto solution.
Application now involves iGovt for allocation of a one off user name & password.
Approved users enter consignment data on line.
Solution electronically links user’s certificate request to a MPI certificate verifier.
Solution prints authorised hard copy certificates at MPI approved locations, &
Enabled to automatically “registered participants” with a “copy certificate” to facilitate Trade communications.
This is our 2nd E-certification solution & it is now 5 years old.
We have operated G2G export XML transactions to Australia for the past 5 years.

4. Core Functionality Includes:
Online data entry
Batch (B2G) submission of cert. data
Online view/verification of certificate request data
Local language
Use of UN/CEFACT SPS XML Phyto data Map
Online clearance of certification data
XML message output
Electronic production of hard copy certificates.
Automatic electronic supply of Copy of issued certificates to NZ Exporter.
Online user manual.
Collection of business intelligence/statistical data
This functionality outlines what we in MPI needed this tool to provide to enable us to provide a simple:
electronic hard copy certificate production system; AND
an XML output of phytosanitary certificate information to facilitate electronic transactions!
Yes, this Ecert/ePhyto application is actually just a tool attached to the final stage of our overall “Export Certification System”.
It is NOT our entire certification system, just one of several components, a tool, within our system!

6. NZ Perspective for a “Secure Electronic Distribution Facility
NZNZ
NZ Perspective for a “Secure Electronic Distribution Facility
AP eCert
Wine eCert
IPPC Certificate
Hub
eCert Exports
AUSTRALIA
Exporter/Broker
Importer/Broker
Border Inspector
Manual Validation
Import Declaration
Incl. Cert #
Certificate Data
for Cert #
G2G Import
eCert Info Pathway
Cert #
eCert Imports
“Secure Electronic
Distribution Facility”
ePhyto
NEW ZEALAND
NZ Production and
Certification system,
Processes and
Infomation
TSW
JBMS
OTHER
Trade Path
Validation
Government to
Government (G2G) eCert
Export Assurance Pathway
Potential
System Validation

7. NZ Experiences with the HUB for: “ePhyto Issues Management”
Two broad areas of complexity to address:
Various Connection Protocols
Certificate Format
There are two broad areas of complexity with regard to the combinations and permutations of e-certification exchange. 
The 1st area of complexity being the “Various connection protocols”
The 2nd area of complexity being the “various versions of certificate format” currently in play during this time when we are all attempting to pilot the HUB.

8. Complexity of various connection protocols
NZ Experiences with the HUB: First Challenge “Various Connection Protocols”
Complexity of various connection protocols
Unique design of web service endpoints each country needs to negotiate
Security overhead (can be significant & expensive!)
This 1st area of complexity for G2G transactions involves addressing the various connection protocols and unique design of web service endpoints that each country must negotiate.
On top of this is the security overhead which can be significant - very expensive to implement and maintain.
The IPPC HUB approach has helped greatly with addressing this 1st area of “connection complexity”!

9. NZ Experiences with the HUB: Second Challenge “Certificate Format”
Various versions of the UNCEFACT Schema in play!
Variability in phyto data mapping to Schema
Some not using the ISPM12 Appendix 1. Phyto data map
Reluctance by some to update to the ISPM12 Appendix 1. data mapping.
This 2nd area of complexity for G2G transactions involves addressing the various certificate formats and versions of the UNCEFACT SPS Schema in play amongst those involved or exploring Ecert transactions. It can be and is often referred to as being “equivalent to a mine field” with some countries not using the expected Schema, and
the variability of data elements to Schema mappings. 
There also seems to be a level of lock-into a particular Schema once a country has started using a specific certificate format as all of their receiving countries have integrated with that format and it is costly for all parties to change their internal systems. Dealing with these complexities all add time and cost to G2G Ecert transactions making entry difficult.
From our NZ experiences with piloting the IPPC HUB we feel there is still some way to go in addressing this 2nd area of complexity in order to lower both the cost of entry and the ongoing maintenance of ePhyto transactions.

10. Preparations to Connect to the HUB:
Import G2G ePhyto pilot with Australia
Alignment and integration of internal systems
Created a single point of contact
Numerous communications & clarification of HUB requirements
Participation in the HUB testing
G2E electronic copy of certificates for each ePhyto transaction
Transformation engine!
Our starting point was;
Developing and trialling a bilateral “Import Exchange Transaction Process” with our NPPO neighbours Australia. Please note; 1. While we already had an “Export phytosanitary certificate exchange transaction” in place with Australia for the past 5 years we did NOT operating an import (or receiving) transaction process  Development and trialling this import receiving process and fine tuning our Export transaction process was KEY to NZ’s preparation to connect to the HUB. NZ is very grateful to our Australian colleagues for their co-operation during this time.
sorting through the number of different systems being operated within our organisation in relation to Ecert business processes and working towards integration and alignment of these internal systems to provide a single point of contact,
numerous proactive communications with our representative on the Steering Group to continually suggest and promote HUB developments and clarify operational requirements
proactive participation in the HUB testing environment
promoting the need for and suggesting options for a “HUB failover business contingency plan” – which is still a high priority for NZ in order to ensure we are all comfortable the HUB has a robust operational environment to support our role in facilitating international trade
fine tuning our internal ePhyto system to ensure exporters receive an automatic electronic COPY of every export ePhyto transaction to best facilitate their export trade pathway communications.
Developing a “Transformation Engine” which applies some logic to each country’s import certificate data set to transform slight variations in the XML data mapping into HTML to make it humanly readable!
On the broader Ecert front we are steadily minimising the number of our G2G connection points.

11. Going Forward As soon as possible the HUB:
Being fully operational as our standard method of G2G ePhyto transactions!
Having Business Rules & G2G Participation Agreement”
Having a “HUB failover business continuity plan”!
Being considered for all G2G SPS certificate transactions.
Having a fair and transparent charging model to allow for this wider G2G SPS Trade facilitation
NZ would like the IPPC HUB to become operational as soon as possible and in saying this we realise the need to:
consider ways of working together to further “iron out” and harmonise some of the complexities I identified identified earlier; In saying this I also include the need for “Capacity Building Workshops” to assist us provide consistent guidance to achieve harmonisation!
as a priority establishing a “HUB failover business contingency plan”. NZ consider this development as essential in order to give us all confidence the HUB has a robust backup operational environment to support our role in facilitating international trade;
In addition we need robust set of Business Rules, - not only NPPO to IPPC/HUB Administrators BUT ALSO there being a formal “G2G Participation Agreement” between NPPOs to ensure we are agreeing on our bilateral exchanges. We consider the latter is important to ensure all NPPO resources and facilities are aligned and operational to facilitate real time trade and minimise surprize discoveries of new HUB participant certificates!
consider all of our ePhyto transactions being progressed through the IPPC HUB “BUT” realise there will, or may be, exemptions called for by some for various technical or Trade reasons; Additionally, in saying this, I also encourage a pro-active stance be taken for the provision of “Capacity Building ePhyto Workshops” as a way of ensuring our family of NPPO members becomes familiar with and adopts true two way Ecert/ePhyto applications soonest!
explore our ability to logically extend the use of the HUB to all SPS G2G certificate transactions between countries; and
develop a fair and transparent charging model to allow for this. 

12. Thank-you, any Questions?