At the 8th Session of the WCO Capacity Building Committee, it was agreed that the WCO would reinforce its efforts to support Members in project management, considering the emergence of the new Mercator operating model, which emphasizes the importance of a multi-year, results-oriented project management approach to reform, modernization and TFA implementation. Project management is an essential implementing mechanism for change as delivered through such Customs modernization efforts. 

From 8 – 12 May, 2017, the WCO piloted a first iteration of a new Project Management training workshop which was delivered to 18 participants (8 men and 10 women), from 11 countries (Bangladesh, Belize, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Timor-Leste, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe).  The participants were funded by the WCO Norad and HMRC/UNCTAD projects as part of sustainability plans for modernization efforts in these countries.   The course material was developed with support from Sweden under the WACAM Project in response to requests from WCO members for assistance in this area, most recently reflected during the Capacity Building Committee meeting. 

The course overall was very well received with a high level of engagement from all participants. The substantive, constructive feedback that was received following the pilot will enable further improvements to the materials which will then be available for future WCO training delivery. Once the workshop material is finalized, the WCO will look into revising the project management chapters of the Capacity Building Development Compendium in line with the workshop language and approach, adapting content for use on the CLiKC! platform, and identifying future facilitators, including a possible process of accreditation.

For more information, please contact the WCO Capacity Building Directorate at capacity.building@wcoomd.org.