During its 7th Meeting, the WCO Working Group on Performance Measurement (WGPM) accomplished its mandate to establish the WCO Performance Measurement Mechanism (WCO PMM) thanks to the steady commitment and collective actions of its members.
The Meeting’s success was demonstrated by the high number of participants and the lively discussions, confirming WGPM members’ keen interest in continuing to contribute actively to the establishment and implementation of the WCO PMM, which is already generating benefits for Customs administrations.
Mr. Ricardo Treviño Chapa, Deputy Secretary General of the WCO, welcomed the delegates to the Meeting and commended them for the outstanding work carried out to prepare for the release of the first version of the WCO Performance Measurement Mechanism (PMM V.1). He highlighted the evolutionary and inclusive nature of the PMM, involving a step-by-step approach in developing a comprehensive measurement mechanism to respond to the need for evidence-based decision making.
The goal of the WCO PMM is to provide a politically recognized, evidence-based, scored assessment that can be used to improve Customs performance while making an impact on economic development and the business environment at national and international level. While promoting the role of the WCO as the leading organization in assessing and measuring Customs performance, the overall objective of the WCO PMM is to assist national economies in the process of revenue mobilization and the safe and smooth movement of people and goods.
The WCO PMM outlines the methodology for assessing the efficiency and effectiveness of all Customs competences, which are structured around four performance dimensions (Trade Facilitation and Economic Competitiveness; Revenue Collection; Enforcement, Security and Protection of Society; and Organizational Development) and are further broken down into specific expected outcomes. Corresponding Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) have been elaborated with flexible arrangements for making the PMM applicable to different national contexts.
The mapping of the PMM dimensions and their relevant expected outcomes in relation to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations (UN) ensures that the PMM is positioned with respect to the global impact, beyond the outcome level.
The PMM also aims at measuring the application of the main WCO instruments and tools that have a major impact on the correlated expected outcome under the PMM.
The PMM assessment is voluntary and is to be conducted in two consecutive phases (self-assessment and peer review), in order to ensure the credibility of the assessment process and to provide evidence-based technical assistance and capacity building support.
During the 7th Meeting, WGPM members were also updated on ongoing work concerning the development of the PMM data collection platform, which is designed to enable better evidence-based strategic decision making, as well as targeted capacity building interventions, allowing for electronic data collection, data storage, and analytical capabilities as regards performance gaps, benchmarks and capability gaps.
The WGPM agreed on the need to ensure the relevance, quality, transparency and stability of the PMM to improve the performance of the Customs of the future, and finalized the guidance for the maintenance of the PMM, to potentially be undertaken by a specialized new WCO body, such as a specific Performance Measurement Mechanism Project Team (PMMPT).