Imagine a tax administration where human resources operate like precision gears - working in perfect synchronization to ensure stable growth in national revenue. This vision is becoming reality at The Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA) through a competency-based human resource management (HRM) system developed with support from the World Customs Organization (WCO).
Under the West Africa Customs Administration Modernization (WACAM) project funded by the Swedish government, WCO dispatched an expert team to The Gambia in late August 2015 to provide crucial assistance in establishing this modern HR framework.
Strengthening HR Foundations
This national support mission represents a key component of the WACAM project, assisting GRA's HR Modernization Committee and Steering Committee in implementing the competency-based HRM system across the organization. Building on the significant achievements of WACAM's first phase - particularly in recruitment and HR planning - the current mission focuses on consolidating and deepening these reforms.
The initiative has enabled the HR modernization team to finalize several essential competency-based tools according to international best practices:
- Competency Catalog: Detailed specifications of knowledge, skills, and behaviors required for each position, providing clear standards for employee development and performance evaluation.
- Position Catalog: Systematic classification and description of all GRA positions to support job analysis, compensation design, and career development.
- Service Authorization: Clear delineation of departmental and position responsibilities to ensure efficient workflows and eliminate ambiguity.
- Job Descriptions: Comprehensive outlines of duties, tasks, skill requirements, and competencies for each role to guide recruitment, training, and performance management.
The finalized versions of these tools have been submitted to GRA management for validation, marking a significant milestone in the authority's HR modernization journey.
The Competency Model Advantage
Competency-based HRM represents the modern standard for human capital management, focusing on actual job requirements rather than seniority or experience. This approach offers several advantages:
- Precision Recruitment: Clear competency requirements enable more accurate candidate screening and reduced hiring risks.
- Targeted Training: Personalized development plans based on identified competency gaps improve training effectiveness.
- Objective Performance Evaluation: Competency-based assessments provide fairer, more measurable evaluations of employee performance.
- Clear Career Pathways: Transparent competency requirements help employees understand and pursue advancement opportunities.
WACAM: Transforming West African Customs Administration
The WACAM project, funded by Sweden and implemented by WCO, represents a regional cooperation initiative to enhance customs administration across West Africa through technical assistance, capacity building, and knowledge sharing. The program focuses on five key areas:
- Modernizing human resource management systems
- Strengthening risk management capabilities
- Implementing advanced information technologies
- Facilitating trade through streamlined procedures
- Enhancing intellectual property protection
GRA's HR Transformation Roadmap
The Gambia Revenue Authority has made substantial progress in its HR modernization efforts under WACAM support, including:
- Establishing dedicated HR modernization committees
- Developing comprehensive competency models
- Implementing HR management information systems
- Enhancing staff training programs
Moving forward, GRA's HR modernization team will focus on internal communication, change management, staff training, and systematic implementation of the new framework across all HR functions.