The Jamaica Customs Agency (JCA) has undergone a comprehensive transformation of its performance management framework, evolving from fragmented systems to a structured, outcome-oriented mechanism. The framework now embodies a holistic approach that assesses efficiency, effectiveness, relevance, impact, and sustainability, by distinguishing between areas of control internal to the Agency and areas of influence external to the Agency.

This dual perspective ensures that JCA evaluates not only its operational execution but also its contribution to the broader trade and economic environment. In an era where Customs is no longer seen simply as a gatekeeper of revenue but as a facilitator of trade, an enabler of economic growth, and a guardian of national security, the ability to measure performance is indispensable. Without it, reforms risk being abstract intentions rather than tangible results. With it, administrations can demonstrate progress, build trust with stakeholders, and make evidence-based decisions about where to allocate scarce resources.

Since its creation in 2013, the JCA has established robust quality assurance mechanisms. These included monthly performance reports and statistical sheets, quarterly reviews, periodic verification assessments, structured surveys, field observations, and an annual performance assessment. Together, these mechanisms ensured both consistency and credibility in reporting.

However, the Agency system had some weaknesses, including the absence of outcome and impact measures and a lack of structured methodology for formulating performance indicators at the business unit and staff levels. Goals were often task-oriented rather than strategically linked, limiting the Agency’s ability to demonstrate transformation.

Recognizing these gaps, in 2018, the now CEO and Commissioner of Customs, Dr. Velma Ricketts Walker, mandated the development of a biennial Performance Health Check Assessment mechanism. This assessment would evaluate key thematic areas such as communication efficacy, stakeholder experience, reform and modernization progress, workload management, technological advancement, knowledge management, financial sustainability, governance and accountability, and ethical climate. This institutionalized process was to provide the JCA with a clearer, evidence-based foundation to strengthen reforms and assess organizational health beyond operational outputs.

The Agency also deepened its engagement with the World Customs Organization (WCO). Jamaica became an active participant in the development of the WCO Performance Measurement Mechanism (PMM) which contains 51 key performance indicators (KPIs) related to 23 expected outcomes.

In 2022, as the JCA started another Performance Health Check Assessment, it sought the WCO technical assistance, and a workshop was organized in January 2023 to introduce key staff members to the PMM’s four performance dimensions and familiarize them with the expected outcomes. Following the WCO’s experts’ intervention, JCA worked to integrate the PMM into its National Performance Assessment System. This exercise validated the alignment of the system regarding 9 PMM expected outcomes and 21 KPIs, while also identifying the need to include 9 expected outcomes and 9 KPIs.

The JCA also refined the system, restructuring performance indicators, reviewing all business units’ indicators against operational plans, removing metrics better suited for individual-level assessment, and standardizing outputs and indicators among units with similar functions.

As a result, a revised National Performance Assessment System was launched on 1 April 2023 with 207 outputs and 307 associated measures, as well as an additional five measures that were later implemented during the fiscal year. The revision process has become a staple practice to ensure appropriate strategic and operational alignment and categorization of performance measures and relevance to the JCA’s result-based management ecosystem.

The outcome was a restructured national framework that not only aligned with WCO standards but also reflected JCA’s operational realities. The system reflects a hybrid top-down and bottom-up approach to performance assessment, cascading across three levels:

• Strategic Level – aligned with Jamaica’s national development priorities and international commitments such as the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement and WCO standards.
• Business/Divisional Level – cascading goals and targets across divisions, ensuring that national outcomes translate into specific functional responsibilities.
• Individual Level – linking day-to-day performance to strategic objectives through staff evaluation and continuous monitoring.

This tiered approach ensures that performance measurement is not confined to reports, but becomes part of the DNA of daily operations. The performance ecosystem itself spans 10 Divisions, 37 Branches, 49 Sections, 42 Units, and 26 Sub-Units, but reporting is streamlined through 63 cross-cutting Business Units, comprising 4 Divisions, 25 Branches, 5 Sections, and 29 Units. This structure enables efficiency in reporting while maintaining comprehensive coverage of the Agency’s complex operations.

Structure alone is not enough. For measurement to drive transformation, it must be supported by tools that bring data together in a coherent way. This is where technology plays a central role.

A performance monitoring platform called CASCADE was implemented to enable real-time tracking of indicators across divisions, supports data visualization, and reduces silos in reporting. CASCADE represents more than a software solution; it is a cultural shift toward a single source of truth for performance data.

Through the platform, business units input their monthly, quarterly and yearly results directly against defined Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). These results are then aggregated into Agency-wide dashboards that allow senior management to quickly identify trends, anticipate risks, and make informed decisions. This digitalization has improved both timeliness and transparency. CASCADE has mitigated chasing spreadsheets to seeing the Agency’s performance in one place. It not only encourages accountability but also helps to celebrate progress.

Moreover, embedding CASCADE has required significant cultural change. Officers who were long accustomed to Excel-based reporting initially viewed the system with skepticism, concerned that it would add to their workload. Over time, however, resistance gave way to acceptance as staff experienced the benefits: reduced duplication, simplified reporting, and clearer visibility of achievements. Importantly, CASCADE also empowered managers by showing not just outputs, but how each unit’s results are connected to strategic goals.

The journey is ongoing. Staff are still being trained to fully utilize the platform’s advanced features. Simultaneously, the Agency continues to work with the platform’s developers for customization. These updates are transforming CASCADE from a reporting tool into an enterprise performance ecosystem that captures data, performs analysis, and provides feedback in real time, leveraging artificial intelligence.

At the end of each quarter, JCA undertakes a structured review of its performance against its Operational Plan under core thematic areas, including Border Protection, Trade Facilitation, Revenue Collection, Financial Management, Resource Management, Information and Legal Services, and Quality Assurance. These reviews are not simply about reporting figures; they are opportunities to craft a narrative that captures the Agency’s progress, challenges, and impact on trade and national development.

Data provides the ‘what’ such as the number of seizures, cases resolved, and systems upgraded, or revenue collected. Storytelling provides the ‘so what’; how these achievements improve border security, strengthen the rules and regulations, enhance service delivery, ensure prudent resource use, accelerate clearance times, safeguard revenue, and reinforce quality standards. By connecting numbers to real outcomes, the JCA demonstrates not only efficiency but also the tangible value it delivers to stakeholders.

For instance, when Border Protection reports an increase in risk-based detections, the review emphasizes how this translates into greater national security and trade integrity. When Information Services highlights new digital tools, the story focuses on how these innovations reduce delays for traders and enhance transparency. Likewise, achievements in revenue collection are framed as evidence of a modernized, fair, and responsive customs administration.

This approach makes quarterly reviews more meaningful as they reveal the human and organizational dimensions behind the statistics at the JCA. They also provide a balanced perspective, celebrating milestones while acknowledging the operational hurdles that need improvement. It is a platform for learning, dialogue, and continuous improvement.

Amid the shifting dynamics of the public service environment, performance management is no longer just about compliance; it is about transformation. When applied effectively, performance management reveals not only how well staff members are meeting expectations but also how the organization itself is evolving in capability, culture, and results. At JCA, performance measurement and management is a strategic tool that empowers staff, aligns individual contributions with both strategic and national goals, and drives meaningful change.

The reflection of the journey is best told through the before-and-after changes experienced as an organization. In years gone by, the performance measurement process was largely ineffective. Employees often lacked a clear understanding of their goals, and when measured, there was little alignment between individual metrics and the Agency’s strategic objectives. Goals were not SMART, resulting in subjectivity and low staff morale. Additionally, there was no system in place to support the efficient retrieval of performance data for reporting.

Recognizing the need for change, in 2019, the JCA embarked on a transformative drive to overhaul the work of HRMD to include the performance management process, aligning with Government of Jamaica standards and mirroring international best practices. Through a revamped Performance Management and Appraisal System (PMAS), staff performance is strategically aligned by cascading Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) across three levels, Agency, Business Units, and Individuals.

SMART goals now provide clarity, foster accountability, and serve as a roadmap for growth. Performance data directly informs the Agency’s training and development plans, highlighting employees’ strengths and areas for improvement. Reward and Recognition initiatives celebrate officers who exceed expectations, while targeted coaching and the Performance Intervention Programme (PIP) support those who need improvement.

Technology integration through an in-house ICT database modernized data processing, improved reporting accuracy, and ensured the timely payment of performance-based compensation (increments, incentives, and gratuity). The results have been tangible post realignment and coaching interventions. This transformation has yielded measurable results:

• Over 99% of employees consistently perform at or above a satisfactory level.
• Over 90% annual compliance in submission of workplans and performance appraisals.
• Greater objectivity in assessing employee performance, driven by an evidence-based approach.
• Increased employee receptiveness, with staff now more open and engaged in the performance measurement process.

These outcomes reflect a culture where performance is not simply measured but nurtured ensuring that employees are supported, developed, and rewarded. While metrics are important, they do not tell the whole story. At JCA, storytelling is integrated into the performance dialogue to highlight the human impact behind the numbers. Storytelling takes the form of:

• “Shout-outs” in the HR Buzz Magazine, featuring top-performing individuals and divisions.
• Reward and Recognition ceremonies at both branch and agency levels.
• Case studies are used in training sessions to turn real performance examples into learning tools.

From frontline officers intercepting contraband to teams reducing clearance times, to customer service staff going above and beyond, these stories inspire pride and reinforce a culture of recognition and continuous improvement.

While the JCA has done well in terms of strengthening its performance measurement mechanisms, several challenges were encountered during this process. These challenges have reflected the realities of a complex Agency balancing operational demands with the need for robust reporting and accountability.

Although progress has been made in building capacity, there remains a need for more human resources to be trained in performance measurement. Time constraints limit supervisors’ ability to document and share stories. Supervisors are often responsible for balancing day-to-day operational demands such as processing declarations, overseeing enforcement actions, or managing staff schedules with the additional requirement of documenting performance outcomes. In a high-volume environment like Customs, urgent operational priorities frequently take precedence over reflective tasks such as writing case studies, drafting reports, or collecting anecdotal evidence of impact. As a result, valuable performance stories (e.g., how a team successfully intercepted contraband or improved clearance times for a new trade lane) are not consistently recorded or communicated. This creates gaps in the Agency’s ability to showcase achievements and inspire staff through real-world examples, even when the data itself demonstrates strong results.

While the Agency has a formal Reward and Recognition framework, its application varies across branches and units. Some managers actively highlight staff achievements through ceremonies, commendations, or informal recognition, while others give less emphasis to these practices due to limited resources, differing management styles, or lack of structured guidance. This inconsistency can lead to staff in certain branches feeling overlooked despite meeting or surpassing their targets, which risks lowering morale and reducing motivation. Over time, it may create disparities in how performance culture is experienced across the Agency, undermining the message that performance management is fair, transparent, and universally applied.

Accurate performance measurement depends on the ability to back reported achievements with reliable evidence. In some cases, business units submit results – such as the number of stakeholder engagements, speed of cargo clearance, or number of risk-based detections – without standardized documentation to verify the claims. Without clear MOVs (e.g., signed reports, database extracts, audit trails, or independent verification checks), it becomes difficult to validate whether performance indicators truly reflect what was achieved. This weakens the credibility of reports submitted to senior management and external stakeholders, creating risks of over-reporting, under-reporting, or inconsistent interpretation of results across units. A lack of MOVs also limits the Agency’s ability to build defensible narratives when engaging oversight bodies, donors, or international partners.

To address these, the JCA continues to conduct sensitization sessions on PMAS, mandate quarterly check-ins, and explore the procurement of a modern ICT platform to further strengthen the system.

Looking ahead, JCA is committed to embedding the PMM into stakeholder engagement processes, using it as a vehicle to build confidence in the Agency’s operations. This will be complemented by the further digitization of performance management, including the expansion of CASCADE as a real-time monitoring platform and the introduction of a Performance Indicator Dictionary and Data Capture Portal to strengthen compliance and accountability. By layering international best practices with digital tools, the Agency is ensuring that its performance management system remains credible, transparent, and fit for the future.

Through this transformation journey, the Jamaica Customs Agency has moved from fragmented performance reporting to a globally aligned, evidence-based, and stakeholder-oriented performance measurement framework. This evolution underscores JCA’s determination to position performance management as both a driver of internal efficiency and a pillar of national and international credibility, strengthening Jamaica’s voice on the global trade stage. It also showcases its commitment to embrace the WCO’s new capacity building paradigm, which calls 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.

More information
Contact the Public Relations Section
www.jca.gov.jm