WCO Working Group on Performance Measurement successfully concludes its 3rd Meeting

28 abril 2021

On 22 April 2021, the WCO Working Group on Performance Measurement (WGPM) concluded the virtual phase of its 3rd Meeting, following a document-based consultation that had provided a solid basis for future decision-making. The WGPM delegates re-elected Mr. Dmitry Subochev, Russian Federation, as Chairperson and Mr. Simon Urbain Nzuka Mapengo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, as Vice-Chairperson for a further one-year term.

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 during the intersession, as well as the constructive and informed contributions made during the document-based phase of the Meeting. He observed that the high level of commitment to the work done to date was instrumental in ensuring the quality of the WCO Performance Measurement Mechanism (PMM), which was already showing great potential and was being built on strong foundations. With reference to the guidance provided by the WCO governing bodies on the development of a robust and comprehensive methodology for measuring Customs’ performance, he explained that Members’ decision to take a progressive and pragmatic approach to the establishment of the PMM underlines the importance, necessity and complexity of the comprehensive work we are undertaking. It also ensures a high quality of deliverables and appropriate consideration of national and regional perspectives.

The Meeting’s success was demonstrated by the high number of participants and the lively discussions that confirmed Members’ keen interest in actively contributing to the establishment of the WCO PMM.

The WGPM reached a common understanding on the list of expected outcomes for the approved dimensions of performance under the PMM, and acknowledged the first draft set of key performance indicators (KPIs), making further observations that demonstrated delegates’ keen interest in continuing the discussions in order to ensure their reliability and global relevance.As a result, the WGPM agreed to focus on a limited number of expected outcomes aimed at developing a set of KPIs for the pilot. Moreover, the WGPM discussed and agreed on the KPIs required to measure the awareness and use of the main WCO tools and instruments. Further guidance was provided on the prioritization and elaboration of KPIs for implementation of the main WCO tools, in consultation with other relevant WCO working bodies. A system of voluntary self-assessment was considered to be the most appropriate evaluation model for the PMM, followed by a peer review to be supervised or coordinated by the WCO Secretariat, in order to ensure the credibility of the PMM and its objectives. Further steps were announced towards the potential development of a WCO platform for the PMM. The WGPM also welcomed the consultations with and involvement of other stakeholders in the work of the WGPM, thus ensuring the protection of sensitive data.

The Progress Report of the WGPM will be presented at the upcoming Policy Commission and Council sessions for guidance and recommendations on the way forward for the WGPM.