Project Manager – Nepal National Single Window
Contractor
Total years of experience :38 years, 5 Months
In this role I was the Project Manager for the Nepal National Single Window Project which is the next generation single window project unifying 43 Government Agencies that support trade into a single gateway for Government services. There are 5 types of principle stakeholders ranging from Agencies that support the trade supply chain, through to traders who import and export, those service agencies that support traders and their goods, investigative departments that use information collected for border and revenue management risk mitigation, and governance agencies that oversee fiscal, strategic, trade and revenue actions of Nepalese industries and government departments.
Responsibilities include overall mainly project management, activities of identifying and delivering project objectives, preparing and conforming with budget forecasts and statements, quality assuring the work of international and local experts, and, organizing Other Government Agencies/Customs/technical/functional training courses and undertaking in-depth analysis of current practices and procedures, and supervising the prototype building of the system. This project was based on configuring and implementing an off the shelf product.
Customs World was established as the international arm of Dubai Customs to work with offshore Customs Administrations. In this role, I was responsible for working with Governments and Customs Administrations identifying, specifying and implementing changes to their current operating models as they adjust to the new world trade environment. The work was based on designing and implementing operating models that implemented information managed operating principals aligned to international best practice and the concepts that were implemented in Dubai Customs reform program.
The work involved being actively engaged in the assessment of the needs of the various Customs World clients through an in-country gap analysis, preparing the plan and design for the future state, and, being a lead contributor in the implementation of the contracted plan.
It also involves acting as an advisor to Governments and Customs Administrations on the implementation of initiatives related to paper free trading, integrated logistics, the end to end supply chain etc, and intelligence enabled operating models.
In this role I was responsible for the conversion of Emirates SkyCargo from a paper based operating model to being the global leader in exploiting electronic, paper free business practices.
A significant part of the work was focused on Customs compliance as I was also responsible for the management of relationships with Customs Administrations in terms of meeting regulatory reporting obligations from the differing administrations around the world.
Reform and Modernization Program
In this role I was responsible for creating the future vision and then the implementation of the modernization of Dubai Customs, taking it from an interventionist paper based operating model, to an information managed risk driven ecommerce operating model.
The program was designed to reengineer Dubai Customs processes, procedures and service delivery offerings; introduce technology that removed the need for paper and minimised intervention through risk targeting; and to design and implement a new operating model based on meeting the needs of the 21st and 22nd century by structuring the organisation to support the new service delivery expectations.
This included all the aspects of the Human Resources cycle from organisational structure, to people selection and training, to the organisational change management aspects needed to implement change.
Because this is Asia/Middle East it required having the skills and personality to deal with the corporate leaders of Dubai, through to being able to execute the tasks of the front line.
As Program Director I had accountability for the management of a budget in excess of 100 million Dirhams which I was required to budget for, and manage to stay within targets.
This work involved analysing the current situation and capabilities of Dubai Customs, while at the same time drafting and promoting the vision and scope for the future. As the Program Director I was actively involved in ensuring that the vision was implemented through the implementation of useable on the ground, cost efficient, businesses processes that enable people to do their job for the benefit of their economy and the stakeholders they dealt with.
The Dubai Customs new operating model included the implementation of the ecommerce based declaration processing business system; the risk management business system; the Post Clearance Audit Business System; The Inspection Business System; the development of the Compliance Strategy; the Client services Business system; the Inspection business system and the start-up work on the Passenger, Crew and Craft Project.
I was also the Customs lead in the KMPG Project (that was working under the project sponsorship of Dubai Customs) developing the concept of Goods and Services Tax for implementation in the UAE and the GCC trade block. (This work was suspended at the time due to the influence of Saudi Arabia).
My work also extended to working with the World Bank and the IMF on across border issues and facilitation with the objective of simplifying trade. It also involved looking for, and working with other Customs administrations to help develop people capability within Dubai Customs through the establishment of relationships with entities such as HM Customs and Revenue.
At peak there were 50 projects within the Program that required a span of governance and control to ensure that integration was effective.
National Operations, Air and Marine, New Zealand Customs Service
Regional Manager Central, Air and Marine Operations, New Zealand Customs Service
In my role as National Manager, National Operations, Air and Marine I was responsible for new initiatives for the Air and Marine Programme of the New Zealand Customs Service. This role focused on investigating, initiating and implementing processes, procedures and technology that allowed for improvements in business service delivery and efficiency.
At the same time I had an operational management role. In this role I was responsible for Investigations, Intelligence, Inspection Teams, Prosecutions, Airports and Seaports in the lower half of the North Island of New Zealand.
Customs Modernisation Project, Air and Marine, New Zealand Customs Service (NZCS)
This project was part of a major modernisation of the New Zealand Customs Service which focused on implementing processes, procedures and technology to support Governments intention that NZCS became a service delivery organisation.
The project was developed as a joint venture between
Customs Modernisation Project, Air and Marine, New Zealand Customs Service
. Implemented the passenger processing business system that allowed for data collection and risk passenger identification for all inwards and outwards passengers - on time and within budget. This is the core passenger processing system used in New Zealand today
As National Manager, National Operations, Air and Marine, New Zealand Customs Service
Innovated the development of user funded regional airports for trans Tasman and pacific flights
Was a member of the Prime Ministers Commission investigating New Zealand's capability for maritime surveillance
As Lead Consultant Administration - Crown Agents Angola Project
Implemented the declaration processing business system based on re configuring the Crown Agents TRIPS system to meet Angola's needs. This involved reforming the cargo processes at Luanda airport and seaport to drive down import times from 96 days to 5 and 8 days
Implemented HR restructuring and
Introduced management by KPIs
Introduced Post Entry Audit
Implemented new processes and procedures for managing cross border transactions.
Implemented Border Intelligence capacity
As Program Director - Dubai Customs Reform and Modernization Program
Specified and Implemented the new electronic commerce based declaration processing business system including Mirsal 2
Specified and implemented the New Risk Engine which was internally built
Improved Dubai Customs ranking in the World Banks "Trading Across Borders" survey from 24th in 2007, to 13th in 2008, to 6th in 2009 to 3rd in 2010
Improved Dubai Customs ranking in the World Economic Forums "Efficiency in Customs Administrations" survey from 27th in 2008, to 19th in 2009, to 12th in 2010
As Manager Cargo Systems, Emirates Airlines
Contributed to the Implementation of the virtual airside corridor between Maktoum and Dubai International Airports
Contributed to the operational implementation of Emirates Cargo premises at Maktoum Airport
Heads of Departments
In my role as Lead Consultant, Administration was employed by Crown Agents to lead the modernisation aspects of the Customs Expansion and Modernisation project.
When I joined this project I was part of the initial inception team. My original role at that time was Head of Policies and Procedures. Due to problems that Crown Agents had with the leadership of the project I assumed responsibility for creating and implementing the methodology used to process map and design the modernisation project plan. This plan formed the Inception Report which is the basis of the work that we are doing in Angola. I wrote most of the technical content of this plan.
After the presentation of the Inception report, I became responsible for leading its implementation.
As the Deputy National Director, Administration, I had a formal role within Angolan Customs where I was responsible for Human Resources, Policies and Procedures, Information Technology, Staff Irregularities, Finance, Administration, International Affairs and Internal Audit activities.
The role also required that I actively mentored the next generation of leaders from within Angola Customs. This led the implementation of programs and procedures that gave structure and formality to the skills transfer and mentoring processes.
