Appoint a designated official

To register in Public Services and Procurement Canada’s Controlled Goods Program (CGP), your organization must appoint a designated official.

Who is eligible

An eligible designated official must:

• be an employee of the registered person
• be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident who lives in Canada on a regular basis
• consent to a security assessment completed by the CGP

How to appoint a designated official

When choosing a designated official, look for an employee with the authority, responsibility and integrity to perform legal responsibilities. Attention to detail and critical thinking are necessary skills for a designated official. You must submit the security assessment application for the designated official with your registration application to the CGP. The program will conduct a security assessment, and notify you of the outcome. If approved, the security assessment will be valid for up to 5 years and as long as the designated official is employed by the registered person.

Designated officials—learn more in the Controlled Goods Regulations

Responsibilities of a designated official

The designated official must ensure that employees, officers and directors are properly assessed and authorized before they can examine, possess or transfer controlled goods.

A designated official:

• works in compliance with the Defence Production Act and the Controlled Goods Regulations
• carries out duties as listed in section 13 of the Controlled Goods Regulations

The main responsibilities of a designated official include:

• completing the mandatory training for designated officials, called the Designated Official Certification Program
• conducting security assessments of employees, officers and directors
• determining the risk of transferring controlled goods to anyone who is not registered or is not exempt from registration and authorizing the extent to which they may examine, possess or transfer controlled goods
• verifying the information provided to them by temporary workers, international students and visitors for the purpose of applications for exemption submitted under section 18 of the Controlled Goods Regulations

Learn about exemptions from registration in the Controlled Goods Program

Number of designated officials

Every organization must appoint at least one designated official for every 150 employees accessing controlled goods.

However, the program recommends appointing a second designated official to ensure coverage when the primary designated official is on leave. Two designated officials per company allows for sufficient back-up for any organization with up to 300 employees. Once a company has more than 300 employees accessing controlled goods, they may add additional designated officials for every 150 employees. Companies with several sites across Canada may appoint additional designated officials.