CEF Learning Program in Tax Matters - Scaling up What Works
Launched in 2015 with the support of the Ministry of Finance of the Netherlands, International Monetary Fund (IMF), Expertise France, and the Ministry of Finance of Slovenia, the Supporting Capacity Development of Tax Administrations in South East Europe Project concludes on a successful note. The project was delivered in two years through 14 cross-country participatory and experience-based learning and networking activities. These contributed to strengthening capacities of tax administrations to follow EU/OECD recommendations on the implementation of modern, risk-based approaches to tax compliance.
More than 300 tax officials from SEE and 40 international experts and academia representatives contributed to the overall success of the project learning events. Having expertise in participatory approach to learning, we ensured that the exchange of knowledge and experiences was facilitated through active involvement of SEE tax officials in case study problem solving, peer conversations, and participation in role play exercises that mimicked a probable real life situation where in learning environment officials got a feel for approaches that are likely to work, and for those that might be counter-productive. The emphasis was on linking theory to practice.
An important component of all learning initiatives was giving tax officials time to reflect and to engage in conversations with their peers in an environment that is relaxed and creative. This brought out different perspectives on discussed issues, opened a forum for a multi-faceted debate informed also from participants’ specific contexts, and resulted in lessons that officials could put immediately into practice. We provided an enabling learning environment with ample opportunities to develop personal ties and connections that allowed officials stay in touch well after the completion of the events to exchange advice, experience, and information. Learning events always included also an evaluation process to ensure the received input was used to inform and strengthen future learning initiatives.
The results achieved are testimony of our growing ability to bridge existing knowledge gaps, improve capacities and help develop required skills to work towards a common goal of making regional tax administrations effective and efficient in adopting modern approaches to tax compliance. We gained critical insight on specific learning priorities of our constituency, and invaluable experience on how to best support regional tax administrations’ endeavors to reach their goals.
We are committed to continue to enhance the efforts of tax officials across SEE to comprehensively deal with all aspects of modern approaches to tax compliance. This effort results in new learning solutions to be delivered also in 2017. We invite you to visit www.cef-see.org/tax to learn more about our tax related learning program and browse through our learning program for next year here.
We hope that this rich selection of learning initiatives we have designed will inspire and excite you and that you will join us in Ljubljana.