This is my weblog about Customs Capacity Building. Capacity Building means modernization. It is about building sustainable institutional capacity to manage change over time.
Political will, ownership and leadership are essential key mechanisms needed for successful Capacity Building. Capacity Building is not technical assistance and training. These are important components of a capacity Building model, but real Capacity Building is more than that. It is about people.
In addition, Capacity Building is never a quick fix to solve urgent problems – it is about long-term commitment for constant change. Help to self-help. Sometimes people claim it to be difficult or complicated to initiate and implement change. It is not. Capacity Building is very concrete and it is about delivering results. It is about having a strategic approach on how to identify the real needs and the priorities of an organization and having a structured way on how to address these challenges. We know how to do it. Before we didn’t, now we do.
Capacity Building is never about experts imparting knowledge to others instead it is based on the concept of everyone learning together with input from people who have special expertise and experience. It isn’t a process where an organization external to the process can determine the final outcome.
Over the last years I have had the privilege to lead, manage and work with capacity building, Customs reform and modernization in more than 130 countries all around the world. I have visited 164 countries.
It has been a great experience and I have learned a lot. I am more convinced than ever that building real capacity on the ground is one of the most efficient ways of creating sustainable development. I have seen it happen, it works. Trade development change the world, institutional capacity building is the single most important element for trade development.
On this website you will find information, news, thoughts, analysis and ideas about Capacity Building. You will also find my own personal view on Capacity Building and many other things, there are my words and my vision, I hope you enjoy it.