In recent years the World Customs Organization (WCO) has attached great importance to the reform and modernization of Customs administrations worldwide. This importance is reflected in the investments made, and in the development assistance provided to Customs administrations, to enable them to respond to the challenges facing Customs in the 21st Century.

Efforts to respond to these challenges are hampered by a lack of strong management by Customs managers with the latest management skills, particularly in areas such as leadership, strategic management, people management and change management.

With this in mind, the WCO has developed an innovative programme aimed at building the leadership and management capacity of Customs administrations’ managers, through training.

In the framework of this programme the WCO, with the support of the Netherlands Fund for the West and Central Africa Region, organized a Leadership and Management Development Workshop for middle and senior managers in the Senegalese Customs Administration. The Canada Border Services Agency and the Moroccan Administration of Customs and Indirect Taxation contributed by making managers available to deliver the training.

The Leadership and Management Development Workshop, held in Dakar, Senegal, from 10 to 20 December 2012, brought together 17 middle and senior managers from the Senegalese Customs Administration and one senior manager from Gabonese Customs, giving a total of 18 participants.

This interactive Workshop allowed participants to learn and exchange on a wide range of topics related to leadership and strategic management, including visioning, communication, negotiations, management styles, the promotion of integrity in the workplace, people management and change management. During the Workshop, managers were given opportunities to learn about their management style through a number of interactive role plays and exercises. They were invited to focus on their individual approach and values as managers, leading them to identify their development needs and draw up a development plan.