Systems Integration Specialist - Air Cargo & Logistics – Development of the Airport Community System under the Pakistan Single Window Initiative

Introduction and Background

The Revenue Mobilisation, Investment and Trade (REMIT) is a 39-month (2021 – 2025) program funded by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and is implemented by Adam Smith International (ASI). The program provides technical assistance (TA) to Pakistan with a broader objective to implement reforms for strengthening macroeconomic stability and improving conditions for high and sustained growth, mutual prosperity, job creation, and poverty reduction. The Programme works towards supporting the Government of Pakistan, its relevant ministries, institutions, and departments to strengthen revenue mobilization reforms/initiatives, address investment environment challenges, facilitate trade and drive competitiveness by reducing trade barriers, and improve the macroeconomic policy and its management.

As part of REMITs work to facilitate trade, the programme is working closely with the Pakistan Single Window (PSW). Part of PSW’s brief is to modernize and optimize air cargo operations, which they envision achieving through the development of an Airport Community System (ACS) at all major airports in Pakistan. An Airport Community System (ACS) can be defined as a neutral and open electronic platform enabling intelligent, efficient, and secure information exchange between all stakeholders of airport, either public or private. These systems are like single windows of trade.

PSW conducted a diagnostic study with technical assistance received from the International Finance Corporation (IFC) in 2022 to identify and highlight the gaps in the existing air logistics supply chain and evaluate the possibilities of developing an Airport Community System. Based on the findings of the study, PSW has initiated the design for the ACS and intends to commence the software development by January 2026. To achieve this, PSW is in the process of assembling a suitable team and is partnering with REMIT in the recruitment of international experts to guide and steer the ACS design process to ensure it is aligned with globally accepted best practices and international standards.

Overall objectives of the Assignment

The wider deliverables of this Project include end to end design, development and implementation of an Airport Community System in Pakistan that shall connect all stakeholders of air cargo supply chain including airlines, air cargo agents, ground handling agents, Customs, regulatory agencies, etc. on a single electronic platform

Pakistan Single Window (PSW) envisages successful implementation of end to end solution that integrates multiple actors in the air cargo landscape that will not only help businesses grow will also strengthen economy in the long run; this will open further avenues for foreign direct investment, importers and exporters. The real time data exchange among different actors has its own advantages that will yield considerable advantages in various terms.

One of the most important milestones would be moving towards international best practices in terms of processes and procedures and in terms of technical standards.

Therefore, for the technical area, PSW will be moving towards international best practices for the air cargo industry by following IATA Cargo-XML and other relevant industry standards; these include standardized messaging protocol, multimodal and cross-border messaging etc.

The system integration capabilities of the ACS will be designed to ensure smooth data exchange and communication among all the stakeholders including Customs (WeBOC), Civil Aviation Authorities (CAA), Ground Handling Agents (GHAs), Air Cargo Agents (ACAs), Airlines etc. This will enhance efficiency and compliance among multiple actors across the air cargo chain.

Job Summary

The assignment requires an individual possessing practical knowledge of systems integration particularly in air industry and with specialized knowledge of IATA Communication Standards (Cargo-XML, Cargo-IMP).

The expert will be expected to develop design documents as per the below deliverables, provide informed guidance and advice on all aspects of air cargo logistics operations during the design and implementation phases of Pakistan’s ACS.  The design phase entails project planning including suggested roadmap, detailed requirement analysis, and comprehensive architectural requirements. The ultimate objective of the consultancy is to provide support to the ACS design developed by PSW and develop detailed user level system integration documents aligning with global best practices and applicable standards.

Duties and Responsibilities

·        Lead the process of identification of integration points between various systems in the air cargo value chain and producing comprehensive integration documents.

·        Assist in implementing API integrations with various airlines and logistics providers, using REST and SOAP web services.

·        Support in cultivating best practices with in the design and development team in terms of design standards, coding standards, best practices, etc. so as to enable the technical and business maturity of the team.

·        Guide the ACS Project Team in managing automated data exchanges for file retrievals and submissions.

·        Support in planning the execution of integration test plans.

·        Facilitate ACS team in defining user journeys and preparation of detailed software requirements specifications.

·        Ensure incorporation of international best practices in the ACS design and review technical documentation.

·        Ensure adoption of the latest industry trends, regulations, and global standards.

·        Knowledge building of the ACS Project Team of PSW.

Deliverables

Base of Operations

This assignment will be completed remotely with occasional travel to Karachi and Islamabad as per the agreed duration and frequency on the basis of the technical proposal.