RESTRICTED  
  
WT/BFA/W/491  
 
10 September  2019 
(19-5425) Page: 1/4 
Committee on Budget, Finance and Administration   
 
 
WTO SECRETARIAT'S LE ARNING AND DEVELOPME NT PROGRAMME 2017 AND 2018  
1  ON-THE-JOB LEARNING  
1.1.  In 2017  and 2018 the Learning and Development Service continued to promote an on -the job 
approach to learning , with emphasis on knowledge transfer across the Secretariat , via peer coaching 
and learning networks. Of particular note was the network for junior professionals which provided a 
forum for these staff members to share best practice and determine how best t hey might contribute 
collectively to the organization's goals , as well as progress their careers in the Secretariat.  
1.2.  As part of the Director -General's commitment as an International Gender Champion another 
network was also established for female directors  from the UN and the WTO. The aim of this network 
was to provide senior female executives with an opportunity to address work -related challenges and 
to engage renowned guest speakers on discussions pertaining to gender and leadership. Guest 
speakers includ ed the Director -General UNOG; the Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights ; 
and the Director, Swiss Federal Office for Gender Equality.  
1.3.  On-the-job learning also took the form of bespoke training interventions for homogenous teams 
on topics such as Busines s Partnership Skills. This workshop, conducted for central divisions, such 
as the Languages, Documentation and Information Management Division and the Human Resources 
Division was aimed at providing participants with the internal consultancy skills necessa ry to guide 
client divisions to address any work -related challenges.  
1.4.  Tailored, sustained learning which includes 1:1 executive coaching and mentoring continue to 
be one of the most effective methods of ensuring that staff members retain and ultimately tran sfer 
their newfound knowledge and skills to the workplace. A few years ago, the mentoring programme 
in the Secretariat was positioned as a means of assisting new employees to settle quickly into the 
organization. Mentoring has now expanded and is currently  viewed as a means of providing peer 
support to experienced staff members on matters pertaining to career development, performance 
management and leadership.  
2  DEVELOPMENT OF HR PR ACTITIONERS  
2.1.  Particular emphasis was placed in 2018 on ensuring that HR pract itioners possess the requisite 
coaching skills to support staff on a range of matters pertaining to career development, performance 
management and fostering sound interpersonal interactions in the workplace. To this end, ten staff 
members, six of whom are HR practitioners , undertook a year -long professional International 
Coaching Federation -accredited coaching programme. This coaching initiative introduced 
participants to a variety of coaching tools and techniques to ultimately assist colleagues in the 
workplace to address any personal challenges they may be experiencing and to take responsibility 
for arriving at a solution and committing to a certain course of action.  
2.2.  There continues to be on -going development for HR practitioners on various aspects of cur rent 
HR practice. These include revisiting specific HR adult learning theories and learning methodologies 
for staff in the HR Learning Service and reviewing various recruitment and selection methods and 
techniques for staff in the HR Recruitment Service. S taff in the HR Recruitment Service currently 
conduct training workshops for staff members who form part of interview panels. The aim of these 
workshops is to enhance the ability of those on the selection panel to rigorously question and solicit 
specific ex ample s of past experience from candidates. Emphasis is placed on not just determining 
the technical competencies of potential employees but also behavioural competencies in areas such WT/BFA/W/491  
 
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  as people management skills , team work and the ability to establish and maintain sound working 
relationships with a variety of stakeholders.  
3  CORPORATE INI TIATIVES : WELLB EING; STANDARDS OF CO NDUCT; IT MIGRATION.  
3.1.  The Human Resources Learning Service also promoted a number of corporate initiatives in 
2017 and 2018. An induction v ideo showcasing the role of the WTO and the functions of the various 
divisions in the Secretariat was launched in 2017 to assist  newcomers to integrate more quickly into 
the Organization. Over 30 interviews were conducted with Secretariat staff members. Th e video 
addresses the principles and functioning of the WTO; the Secretariat's mission, structure and 
processes; career opportunities and development support on offer to staff. The video also aims to 
foster a sense of corporate citizenship among all staff members.  
3.2.  In 2018, Secretariat -wide initiatives included (i) the launch of a new Wellbeing programme for 
Staff; (ii) the commencement of an E -learning Programme based on the Secretariat's policy: "Right 
to work in an Environment Free from Discrimination, Ha rassment and Abuse of Authority" and  
(iii) an IT training programme to support the migration to Windows 10 and Office 365.  
3.3.  The pilot Wellbeing programme was aimed at sensitizing staff to the importance of a healthy 
lifestyle; ensuring work -life balance an d ultimately optimising their performance in the workplace. A 
representative from the Learning Service worked in conjunction with the medical service, external 
fitness coaches and volunteer staff  to design, develop, promote and implement a multi -faceted 
Wellness Challenge Programme . The initiative which was conducted from March – December 2018 , 
for 50 staff members , included 75 medical consultations and 165 dietary counselling sessions. All 
staff who participated commented on their heightened awareness of the need for regular physical 
exercise and healthy eating. Furthermore, 50% of those staff achieved their objecti ve of weight loss 
or general improvement in their health.  
3.4.  A town hall session on "Standards of Conduct" was conducted in early November 2017. The 
session was co-facilitated by the WTO Head of Internal Oversight and the ITU and WMO Ethics 
Officer. The event addressed best practice as obtained in other international organizations. A key 
issue for the organization remains that of ensuring that the expected behaviours as highlighted in 
the Secretariat's Standards of Conduct document remain uppermost in the min ds of staff as they 
undertake their daily tasks. Additional learning programmes on "Ethics" will be launched towards 
the end of 2020.  
3.5.  In July 2018, the Learning Service commenced its design of its first e -learning programme 
entitled "RESPECT&HARMONY@WTO" b ased on the policy, "Right to Work in an Environment free 
from Discrimination, Harassment and Abuse of Authority". The purpose of the programme is to 
ensure that staff can identify the different forms of prohibited conduct and minimize , if not eliminate , 
any adverse impact on individual staff members, teams and the Organization. The Learning Service 
worked with an external leaning provider to produce a four -part, e -learning course. Part 1 provides 
the context for the programme and is underpinned by a video of the Director -General emphasising 
"zero tolerance" to prohibited conduct in the WTO. Parts 2 and 3 are targeted at all staff and 
managers , respectively, while Part 4 consists of a brief evaluation to test staff members' 
understanding of the key issues ra ised in the programme. This e -learning programme will be 
launched in September 2019.  
3.6.  In 2018, the Learning Service and the Information Services Technology Division (ITSD) 
conducted 43 courses for 410 staff members to prepare them for the IT migration to MS Office 
"Window s10" and Office 365. With the assistance of ITSD, on -line learning playlists for Windows 10 
and Office 365 were also uploaded onto the WTO Lynda platform and staff were offered this learning 
option as an alternative to the traditional classr oom training. Insofar as IT training is concerned, it 
should also be noted that an additional 100 staff members were also trained in the standard MS 
Office courses e.g. Excel and PowerPoint.  
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  4  PERFORMANCE MANAGEME NT AND LEADERSHIP DE VELOPMENT  
4.1.  A review of t he WTO's performance management process , undertaken in 2016 by a cross -
organizational Strategic Review Group, resulted in a series of modular workshops for all managers 
in 2017. Module 1 consisted of a "forum theatre" approach where managers were provided with an 
opportunity to interact with actors on matters pertaining to "Objective s Setting and Providing 
Feedback". Module 2 consisted of workshops on the "Manager's Role as Coach" while Module 3 was 
aimed at providing managers with one -to-one coaching to ho ne their performance management 
skills.  
4.2.  On-going performance management support to managers and staff in the form of executive 
coaching continued to be provided in 2018. The Learning Service also promoted a two -day 
programme entitled "The Manager as Coach", aimed at enhancing managers' questioning and 
listening and feedback skills. Indeed, proactive coaching allows managers to anticipate challenges 
and address these before they become a cause for concern.  
4.3.  In addition to performance management training , an Upward Feedback exercise was conducted 
for Secretariat directors and some managers in 2018. Secretariat management was assessed in the 
areas of Strategy; People Management; Communication; Decision -Making and Values. Findings 
revealed that while manage ment display commit ment to the job and support staff personal 
development, there is need for more strategic planning and providing clearer direction. Workshops 
to translate the WTO mission into clear Secretariat / divisional priorities are currently being 
developed to further enhance the organization's management capability.  
4.4.  Leadership development also took the form of new workshops based on the Myers -Briggs 
Personality Type Inventory, aimed at having managers review their management style and address 
the impact of said style on team performance. For the first time, senior managers also attend a new 
external "Accelerated Development Programme"(ADP) for managers in International Organizations. 
The ADP, which is conducted locally, addresses topics such as "Ma naging in International 
Organizations"; "Delivering Strategically" and "Working in a Complex and Changing Environment".  
5  TRADE -RELATED TR AINING (INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL COURSES)  
5.1.  In 2017 the Learning Service organised 9 workshops for 64 staff members in the ar ea of 
Technical Assistance Training . Participants were introduced to the ADDIE Model (Analysis, 
Development, Design, Implementation and Evaluation of Learning) and were provided with an 
opportunity to redesign and make more engaging, current training progr ammes for Members.  
5.2.  A new two-day, in-house  workshop on "Mastering Trade Policy"  was also promoted in 2017 . 
The aim of this course is to explore the economics and political economy of trade. Participants 
address the links between environmental and trade pol icies, the trading rules and economic 
development, strategies that have advanced the interests of developing countries and the future of 
the trading system.   
5.3.  In-house facilitated programmes such as "Trade Economics for Non -Economists " and "Trade 
Law for No n- Lawyers" were also conducted. The latter programme addresses "The Legal Principles 
of WTO Law" (an introduction to the basic principles reflected in the WTO agreements); "WTO 
Dispute Settlement Procedures" and "Legal Analysis in the Context of the WTO" (an understanding 
of the legal framework and analytical process underpinning the settlement of disputes at the WTO).  
5.4.  External courses and conferences  on technical subject matters , including areas such as Trade 
Economics and Trade Law , continued to account for a significant portion of the total training budget.  
6  LANGUAGE TRAINING  
6.1.  Requests for language training in the WTO's three official languages was also on the increase 
in 2017 and 2018. In 2018 Secretariat staff attended 70 French classes; 40 Spanish classes and 29 
English classes. Blended learning (combination of on -line, 1:1 and email support from tutors), was 
introduced as a more holistic learning method to acquire language skills.  WT/BFA/W/491  
 
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  6.2.  Finally, the WTO participated in a Request for Proposals (RFP) in c onjunction with ILO, WIPO, 
ITU and UNHCR to identify a single source provider (in addition to the UN) for face -to-face language 
training and to ultimately achieve economies of scale. Another aim of this RFP was to offer WTO 
Secretariat staff a more flexibl e schedule of classes to that currently offered by UNOG and to avoid 
the Secretariat engaging a multitude of private language trainers. Bell Language School was selected 
as the language provider of choice for the International Organizations that participat ed in the RFP.  
 
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