ACPN outdoors team known as Rapid Strategy Group
The African Customs Policy Network NPC Board of Directors recently announced the launch of the Stratégie RAPiDe – RAPiD Strategy (SR-RS) Group, a dedicated team tasked with spearheading the development of the 2023-2026 Organizational Strategy for the organization. The Group has committed to using the RAPiD Approach, which emphasizes the use of research and evidence, accountability, participatory decision-making, inclusivity, and flexibility.
The Project Sponsor for the SR-RS Group is the President of the African Customs Council of Elders (ACCE) and Commissioner of Customs Emeritus, Mr. Sydney CHIBBABBUKA from Zambia. The Project Manager is the Chairperson of the AfCPN Board of Directors, Creck Buyonge MIRITO, while the Co-Project Director is the African Customs Policy Network Finance Director, Mme Makali LEPHOLISA. The Group has been tasked with delivering their assignment within 19 days, while also ensuring that they meet the highest standards of professionalism and deliverables are submitted in a timely manner.
To ensure a commitment to quality, the Group will use an evidence-based and participatory approach and demonstrate the highest standards of professionalism. The Team Leader will ensure clarity of objectives and the process during consultations, countercheck all facts and figures with the assistance of team members, and ensure that the content and format of the draft strategy meets the expected high standards. The Team Leader will also identify all stakeholders having a direct and indirect interest in the strategy and make a comprehensive list of the people, groups, and institutions that are likely to have an impact on the work of the AfCPN. The Project Manager will be responsible for ensuring that the report submitted to the Board of Directors is free of errors in spelling and inaccuracies.
The SR-RS Group comprises a diverse group of individuals from various African countries, including Burundi, Kenya, Burkina Faso, Gambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Uganda, South Africa, Botswana, Mozambique, and Eswatini. The Group has made a deliberate effort to be inclusive, resulting in a more balanced gender and linguistic representation in the team. The members of the team will sign the Project Charter, which provides an overview of the project, expected deliverables and timelines, project values, constraints, and assumptions, responsibilities of the team members, and a Project Communication Plan.
In the coming weeks, the SR-RS Group will prepare their Inception Report for approval by a joint Board and ACCE meeting and start carrying out consultations with stakeholders across the continent for their input into the strategy. The Group has also received welcome support from Dr. Juanita MAREE, CEO of the South African Association of Freight Forwarders (SAAFF), Director of Savino del Bene, and leader of the WCO-ESA Regional Private Sector Consultative Group (RPSG), who has offered her support to the strategy development process.
The launch of the SR-RS Group is a significant step forward for the African Customs Policy Network NPC in developing a robust and inclusive organizational strategy. The Group’s commitment to using an evidence-based, participatory approach and its diverse representation will ensure that the final strategy takes into account the regional, linguistic, and gender diversity in Africa. The commitment to quality and timely delivery of deliverables also demonstrates the Group’s dedication to meeting the highest standards of professionalism.
