As a part of its capacity-building delivery activity, WCO organized a Leadership and Management Development (LMD) Workshop from 19 to 29 March 2018 for 20 senior managers in Banjul, The Gambia. The LMD Workshop was organized in partnership with the Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA). The overall objective of the two-week interactive workshop was to strengthen senior management capacity to lead and drive reforms within GRA.

Senior managers and managers from various departments and units of GRA participated in the workshop. A wide range of topics on personal and organizational development such as leadership, integrity, gender and equity, negotiations, people management, personal communication and change management was covered. The workshop highlighted the importance of leadership and management skills, as well as the responsibilities of individual managers, to drive modernization and change within their work and personal life.

In his opening speech the Commissioner General of GRA, Mr. Darboe, emphasized the importance of the Leadership and Management Development for GRA and for the future of the individual participants.

Throughout the workshop, many of the current and future challenges of the GRA were discussed. Participants shared their experiences and were able to underline procedures and practices to be improved in the future. They also presented and discussed significant change initiatives aiming at developing several areas within GRA.

For many of the participants, the workshop was regarded as an opportunity to assess their personal and managerial skills and approach in their work environment. As a result, many of them committed to making fundamental changes in their management and communication styles. Feedback emphasized the importance of areas like self-awareness, communications, people management and change management. Although some participants were not able to attend the workshop fully, most participants were participative and eager to enhance their own experiences and skills.

For more information on the WCO Leadership and Management Development Programme, please contact Capacity.Building@wcoomd.org.