Having benefited from a People Development Diagnostic mission from the WCO in July 2016, the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) has since embarked on the implementation of an ambitious yet critical HRM modernization roadmap with the support of WCO-WACAM Project, funded by the government of Sweden.

Since July 2016, LRA was able to develop its Job Catalogue as well as Competency Framework. It is against this backdrop that the WCO delivered a capacity-building mission benefitting the Liberia Revenue Authority from 8 to 12 May 2017. The aim of the mission was to initiate the change management activities related to HRM modernization efforts and to contribute to the institutionalization of the Competency-based HRM approach within LRA. The mission impacted approximately 20% of LRA staff (including Top Management) and enabled LRA to also start with the competency assessment exercise in selected piloted sites comprising the LRA HRM division, LRA Tax Offices as well as LRA Customs Units at Freeport and Monrovia International Airport. 

With the support of the WACAM Project, LRA is now the second English-speaking administration in West Africa after the Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA) to develop the necessary HR competencies and critical tools (Job Catalogue, Job Descriptions, Competency Framework and Dictionary) to implement a competency-based HRM approach as promoted by the WCO’s Framework of Principles for Customs Professionalism.  It is worth noting that in order to foster regional cooperation and promote regional expertise, the WCO-WACAM Project has also involved the Deputy-Director Human Resource Management of the Gambia Revenue Authority in the support missions provided to Liberia Revenue Authority so far.

With the demonstrated commitment of the LRA Top Management and HRM Modernization working group, the WCO can only be very positive that LRA will soon become a regional champion in West and Central Africa in the area of Human Resource Management.

The WCO–WACAM Project is financed by the government of Sweden. For further information, please contact Mr. Richard Chopra, WCO-Sweden Programme Director (richard.chopra@wcoomd.org)