Human Resources Management and Development (HRMD) is a strategic priority for the Customs Authority of Serbia (CAS) and of high importance to the top level of the country’s leadership. During a meeting with the WCO Secretary General, Dr. Kunio Mikuriya, in Belgrade  in April 2023, the Prime Minister of Serbia, H.E. Ms. Ana Brnabić, pointed out human resource management and organizational aspects as the top priorities of the Customs Authority of Serbia. (WCO web article: WCO Secretary General visits Serbia to enhance cooperation, 20 April 2022).

In response, from 15 to 19 May 2023, a WCO People Management and Development Diagnostic (PMDD) mission was undertaken by two WCO HRMD experts at the Customs Authority of Serbia, with the financial support of the WCO Customs Cooperation Fund (CCF) of Germany. 

This mission aimed, first, to conduct a complete diagnostic of the current HRM system (parts A and B of the WCO People Development Diagnostic Tool), including HRM roles and processes, gender and diversity, integrity, knowledge management, health, safety and security and, second, providing the CAS with the main findings and recommendations to build a modern, competency-based HRM system complying with recognized international best practices - leveraging the WCO guide to implementing Competency-Based HRM system in the Customs environment.

Through a series of engagements with multiple stakeholders of the HRM department during the five-day mission, the WCO experts and the CAS HRM team highlighted the CAS’s leadership and organizational structure, the HR roles, competency-based HRM, performance management, rotation and career development, and staff training and development, pay and benefit, integrity, HR digital transformation, as  the key components of the HRMD modernization programme and are instrumental in the successful implementation of the current CAS Strategic Plan. The WCO team of experts provided CAS with tailor-made recommendations that will feed into a comprehensive work plan for future implementation.

CAS senior management and the HRM Modernization team expressed their appreciation for the successful and constructive mission, welcomed and affirmed their commitment to the proposed recommendations, and expressed their readiness to cooperate with the WCO in modernizing HRMD for Customs. The WCO looks forward to continuing working with the CAS on designing and implementing a modern, transparent and competency-based HRM system.

For more information on this mission and the WCO’s people development agenda, please contact: capacity.building@wcoomd.org.