The WCO Council has endorsed a new Capacity-Building Paradigm, which aims to establish a novel way to plan, deliver and assess capacity-building delivery and implementation support. On this occasion, several experts were invited to discuss how to ensure capacity-building support leads to sustainable improvements and even transformation. The discussions highlighted the importance of a robust needs assessment and strengthened assessment mechanisms to find out whether delivered activities are producing the expected results and impact.

New Capacity-Building Paradigm

The WCO has been examining in the last couple of years its capacity-building strategy as well as the processes it relies on for identifying needs and responding to Members’ requests for assistance, securing funding, accrediting and allocating experts, and assessing the impact of its activities. The objective of the review is to make sure that strategies and processes were fully aligned with the broader efforts of the Organization to optimize resources and activities.

The exercise resulted in the drafting of the WCO Capacity-Building Paradigm. At the heart of this paradigm is a call for shared responsibility among all stakeholders - the WCO, beneficiary Members, regional entities and technical experts - to ensure that capacity-building interventions are relevant, evidence-based and timely as well as measurable and impactful.

A rigorous process of identifying, analysing, and prioritizing needs

All panelists stressed that capacity-building initiatives must be tailored to the specific needs and priorities of Members. Critical to the success of future efforts is the initial assessment, establishing where a given Member stands before the start of a capacity delivery task, as well as the clarity and quality of technical assistance requests.

Speakers reminded the audience that WCO Members have at their disposal self-assessment tools or maturity models to determine where they stand with respect to the adoption of WCO standards and recommended practices, and to monitor how the Customs clearance service is being carried out. More recently, they were invited to participate in the Performance Measurement Mechanism (WCO PMM) by submitting data via the WCO PMM online platform on some Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).

“We must transition from what I call reactive needs requests to a co-developed diagnostic framework. These must account for national and regional realities and utilize WCO assessment tools such as the Performance Measurement Mechanism or the Capacity Building Diagnostic Framework”, said Dr. Velma Ricketts Walker, Executive Commissioner of Jamaica Customs Agency (JCA).

Mr. Mupishi K. Miti, Project Manager at the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA), explained that his Administration had revised its Strategic Plan and its performance measurement system. While drafting its KPIs, it sought the guidance of the WCO and alignment with the Organization’s Performance Measurement Mechanism (PMM). “Using the PMM, you are able to identify performance gaps and the areas that need spare improvement and it helps in tailoring capacity building interventions to specific needs, ensuring more effective and targeted assistance”, he said.

Leveraging blended learning and hybrid implementation support

Methods and modes to be used to deliver training and technical support were also addressed.

Mr. Mupishi K. Miti explained that using a combination of e-learning, distance learning and in-person learning had proved to be effective to deliver training. E-learning offers flexibility and customization; officers can adapt the training to their needs and fit learning activities around their busy schedules. “It's quite a quick win. Staff are able to learn at their convenience”, he said. As for distance learning, it enabled the ZRA to reach out to a wider audience as location is no longer a constraint. “We also reduced costs significantly,” he added.

Ms. Megan Shaw, Head of International Customs and Border Engagement at His Majesty Revenue and Customs (HMRC), echoed the need to consider budget pressures, saying that capacity-building support comes under enhanced scrutiny and there is a need today to do more with less. “I would urge countries to think about what realistically can be achieved with the resources at their disposal”, she said.

Impact assessment as a compass and catalyst

Panelists also shared their views on impact assessment.

“The key is really ensuring that everyone is working in a more results-oriented way and collecting data throughout the process rather than just at the end”, commented Ms. Shaw. She explained that HRMC has some reporting mechanisms in place with the countries it partners with as a donor, but that HRMC is not only interested in numbers, but also in the story behind the implementation of a measure.

“We are not just interested in how many companies have become Authorized Economic Operators. But we are keen to learn more about what difference it has made to that company in terms of their trade efficiency in terms of the flow. Monitoring tools can be used to tell the story behind those numbers as well”.

Dr. Velma Ricketts Walker supported this view explaining that to improve impact measurement, “we must move from ‘tracking what we do’ to ‘understanding what changes because of what we do’. We must evolve from tracking activity completion to tracking institutional transformation.” She also highlighted the need to embrace dashboards and analytics that pull data from operational systems, offering real-time insights.

Overcoming challenges

If providing data for monitoring the implementation of improved practices based on capacity-building interventions is critical, panelists agreed that it is challenging. Fragmented data ecosystems make post-intervention impact assessments labour-intensive. There can also be feedback fatigue intensified by resource constraints, and providing feedback is often seen as a reporting requirement rather than a learning opportunity.

Dr. Velma Ricketts Walker mentioned several solutions to overcome these challenges. She proposed that the WCO provide Members with standardized, auto-aggregated digital feedback forms embedded into the PMM. She also advised the use of Tiered Reporting Models that allow for both high-level snapshots for smaller interventions and in-depth evaluations for strategic ones.

“We should also celebrate transparency, that is create an environment where sharing gaps or setbacks is met with support, not stigma”, she concluded.

The panel discussion was moderated by Ms. Sigfríður Gunnlaugsdóttir, Head of International Affairs at Iceland Revenue and Customs, with the following participants:

• Ms. Megan Shaw, Head of International Customs and Border Engagement, HMRC
• Dr. Velma Ricketts Walker, Executive Commissioner of Jamaica Customs Agency
• Mr. Mupishi K. Miti, Project Manager, Customs Services Division, Zambia Revenue Authority