On 24 and 26 January 2023, a team of officials from the National Service of Customs of Ecuador (SENAE) participated in a virtual training workshop on ‘’Building a Culture of Integrity’’. The workshop was developed and delivered under the WCO Anti-Corruption & Integrity Promotion (A-CIP) Programme in response to specific needs identified by SENAE.

Through change management, a supportive work environment, and staff engagement, SENAE is investing in the consolidation of its organizational culture of integrity. This initiative is structured around the WCO Revised Arusha Declaration key factor of Morale & Organizational Culture, which aims to encourage employees at all levels to be actively involved and to accept an appropriate level of responsibility for the integrity of the administration. 

WCO Member experts from the National Customs Directorate of Uruguay (DNA) and the National Federal Administration of Public Revenue of Argentina (AFIP) facilitated the event. Attendees included officials from key functions that have an impact or influence on the overall organizational culture of the SENAE, such as strategic planning, human resources, communications, operations, and internal affairs, as well as representatives from the Next Generation Network.

Constructive conversations enabled participants to reflect on key definitions such as culture, sub-culture, the culture of integrity, and culture of leadership. They also helped to outline the key components or demonstrations of the SENAE organizational culture (strengths and gaps) and consider the ten key factors of the Revised Arusha Declaration as a vehicle for culture change. The participants also discussed ways to leverage the results of the Customs Integrity Perception Survey (CIPS) from a culture perspective.

During her closing remarks, the SENAE Director of Human Talent thanked the WCO and acknowledged that this virtual workshop was the first step in a collective transformative journey and reiterated the Administration's commitment to the WCO A-CIP Programme.

The WCO A-CIP Programme currently supports more than 20 countries in five WCO regions, with funding from Norad and Canada.

For more information, please, contact capacity.building@wcoomd.org.