Hanoi and Dar Es Salaam, 27 November – 1 December 2017

Following development of new Project Management training material for members of the World Customs Organization (WCO), funded initially by Sweden’s WACAM Project, this 5-day training course was delivered on a national level during two simultaneously run but separate workshops in Vietnam and Tanzania.  Both workshop deliveries were funded by the WCO-Norad Customs Capacity Building Project which has been providing support in these two countries since 2013.

Overall, officers in both countries reported an increased understanding of project management concepts by the end of the course.  Interactive case-study exercises drew from local realities on integrity, authorized economic operator and Single Window and allowed participants to follow key steps in the project cycle, with an emphasis on problem statements, results-based management, performance measurement, governance, risks / assumptions, and the management of project issues.  Project management perspectives from the WCO were supplemented by HMRC and Japan Customs in Vietnam and South African Revenue Service (SARS) in Tanzania and were integral to the discussions in both countries.

In Vietnam, a greater level of engagement between the Reform and Modernization Board and the International Cooperation Directorate was an unexpected output.  Both of these departments deal with project management concepts, and the opportunity for them to share their perspectives should allow for more effective joint efforts in future modernization programmes.

In Tanzania, the key learning points focused on a deeper understanding of organizational project management frameworks that TRA will be utilizing as they continue to develop their new Project Management Unit, serving as a central knowledge and support resource for a fully engaged project management approach and methodology within the organization.

Participants from both countries were specifically targeted with the aim that they will employ the new skills to continue activities supported by the WCO-Norad Customs Capacity Building Project, thus contribute to the sustainability of benefits beyond the lifetime of the project itself as it comes to an end this year. 

The WCO-Norad Customs Capacity Building Project 2012-17 aims at delivering technical assistance to seven countries: Timor-Leste, Liberia, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Rwanda, Tanzania and Vietnam.  For more information, please contact the Project Manager, Ms. Andrea Hampton (Andrea.Hampton@wcoomd.org)