WT/COMTD/90  
13 December  2016 
(16-6808) Page: 1/20 
Committee on Trade and Development   
 
   
MANAGEMENT RESPONSE T O THE EXTERNAL EVALUAT ION OF THE  
WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION  TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE  
 
Introduction  
1. The Secretariat and the Director -General welcome the opportunity to respond to the 
external evaluation of World Trade Organization Technical Assistance (WTO TA) activities . 
Technical assistance is increasing ly prominent as a strategic objective for the WTO. The evaluation 
objective was to independently assess the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, sustainability and 
impact of all WTO Trade R elated Technical Assistance, analyse its delivery, best practices and 
lessons learned paying particular attention to progress towards the achievement of the targeted 
results outlined in the Technical Assistance Plans from 2010 to 2015.  
2. The Secretariat woul d like to congratulate the evaluation team for the in depth appraisal in a 
short time of a complex set of activities . It would also li ke to express its appreciation to all those 
who contributed to the commissioning of this independent evaluation . Their wil lingness to commit 
significant public funds to perform this evaluation is a very clear signal of the importance they 
attach to TA activities as a key WTO function . 
3. The secretariat would also like to thank wholeheartedly all those who contributed to the 
evaluation.  Without their participation and readiness to share their experience, opinion and 
experience, this evaluation would not have been possible.  
4. Like Members, t he Secretariat is committed to the implementation of successful TA.  It 
cooperated fully with the external evaluators and to give them the most comprehensive possible 
access to its data and staff.  It dedicated significant staff resources to the evaluation and did its 
best to respond to the requests from the evaluators, even if its systems had not b een designed 
and organised to provide the kind of data and analysis needed to support an external evaluation.  
5. The Secretariat viewed the external evaluation as a golden opportunity to take stock of the 
progress made in the TA domain since the previous eval uation a decade ago.  This period has seen 
very significant changes of approach, with the birth and rise of WTO e -Learning courses, the 
reorganisation of its training offer around three progressive learning levels and the introduction of 
result -based manage ment (RBM), to name only the most significant ones . This evaluation also 
offered the opportunity  to identify the areas where improvements and progress w ere still  needed.  
6. The Secretariat is pleased that the evaluation confirm s that overall there is evidence  that 
WTO TA has had a  real and tangible impact on the human and institutional capacities of the 
beneficiaries  of this assistance . The evaluation's conclusions also confirm that the TA approach 
adopted by WTO is sound since the impact measured can only res ult from  many years of work by 
the Secretariat , including prior to the period under review.  This should give confidence  to the 
entire membership  about  the very significant resources dedicated to TA since the creation of the 
WTO.  
7. This Response  is structured  into three parts . The first part clarifi es and explains further the 
operations and strategic direction of WTO TA, followed by a brief explanation  of the TA portfolio 
emphasizing those activities that do not strictly fall into the category of training activities and 
lastly the Secretariat views on the recommendations of the evaluation . The Secretariat 's specific 
responses to the recommendations are elaborated in the attached matrix  which speaks to the WT/COMTD/90  
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  actions to be implemented by the Secretariat, the time f rames and whether additional resources 
would be required . 
The Operations  of WTO TA  
8. The Secretariat finds that the evaluation is comprehensive and provides a constructive 
analysis of the operations of TA . The evaluation acknowledges the s hared responsibilit y of WTO TA 
between Members and the Secretariat whilst pointing out areas that require further attention 
including  how to improve the involvement of stakeholders in the operations and management of 
WTO TA . 
9. Moreover, o n several occasion, the evaluation unde rlines that a holistic approach involving 
all stakeholders (beneficiaries, donors and the Secretariat) is essentia l to successfully implement 
RBM. In contrast , the evaluators faced some difficulties concerning their capacity to gather a 
sufficiently repres entative sample of responses from beneficiary country representatives.  The 
Secretariat itself has regularly observed a similar pattern in the past when performing ex -post 
internal evaluations or when trying to perform country reviews.  Hence, the Secretaria t would 
welcome Members' suggestions on the best way to address th is, since the engagement of the 
beneficiary Members in the monitoring and evaluation of WTO TA is of essence.  
10. In order to improve the management and operation of WTO TA, the Secretariat roll ed out 
the R esults Based Management (RBM) approach to TA  in 2013 which led to redefine the 
Secretariat's strategic approach to and direction  of TA. The introduction of RBM provided a 
necessary impetus to the achievement of these positive changes to the man agement , relevance 
and efficiency of WTO TA . The evaluation  acknowledges the significant progress made by the 
Secretariat in initiating  a results -based management system which has brought clearer direction 
and accountability to the TA activities even thoug h this remains work in progress.  The full 
implementation of the system is a priority.  The data collections tools continue to be reviewed . The 
Secretariat recently hired a team of experts to address the aspects of the system that still require 
further fine tuning . These adjustment s will improv e the internal monitoring and evaluation of WTO 
TA and will ultimately contribute to the increased transparency of the work performed in this 
domain and of the results which can be measured . 
11. In parallel, internal monito ring and evaluations in the Secretariat are complemented by the 
work of the Office of Internal Oversight  (OIO) . Reflecting the importance attached to transparency 
and accountability, the OIO's mandate  has been reviewed to strengthen accountability, interna l 
controls, compliance, value for money and governance in the Secretariat.  
12. Another key aspect to the operations of TA is communication . Communicating regularly with 
stakeholders and creating a positive understanding is important . The evaluation identifies a few 
current challenges around communication between WTO and beneficiaries and those contributing 
financial resources to WTO TA . With beneficiaries , most communication challenges relate to  needs 
assessments and design of interventions and participa nts' selection . One of the immediate action s 
the Secretariat intends to implement  as early as next year is to review the current questionnaire  
sent to Members  to collect information on their needs and priorities during the process of 
preparing  for a TA Plan . In the context of the on-going work to improve RBM tools  and make them 
more user -friendly , the form used to collect details on TA national requests amended in 2012 will 
be re -examined . The discussions under the TA request form provide for an opportunity to 
contribute inputs into the design of each national activity.  
13. Going forward, the Secretariat will use the evaluation report to inform  and make known  the 
strategic direction of TA.  The consultations with Members, in the context of preparing the next TA 
Plan, wi ll guide and set a clear vision and goal s for TA in line with the Member -driven nature of the 
organization . The internal TA coordination structure, the TA Task Force, will focus its discussions 
more on those issues that impinge on the smooth operations and  delivery of TA.  WT/COMTD/90  
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  The WTO TA Portfolio  
14. The evaluation confirms that the WTO TA is well attuned and highly relevant to the needs of 
beneficiaries . At the same time, it points to the need to ensure that the number of courses 
provided in the three WTO officia l languages  meet the needs in all Members . In this respect, it 
should be noted that the Secretariat has always made sure that the courses provided respond to 
Members ' language preferences  and has kept this matter under close scrutiny  to ensure adherence 
to this objective . It has also report ed to Members on an annual basis.  
15. The evaluation confirms that considerable efforts are made by the Secretariat to collect and 
reflect inputs from all stakeholders on the design of the TA Plan . Although  the WTO TA instrum ents 
have evolved in response to a changing context of TRTA in general, further adjustments to 
incorporate interactive and innovative training methods  have continued to be a priority . These 
adjustments  are reflected in the current TA Plan  (2016 -17). In add ition, courses for trainers have 
been identified with a view to ensure that they become mandatory for all TA trainers and are taken 
on a regular  basis. 
16. The Secretariat  takes encouragement from the evaluation's conclusion that  most of what it 
characterised as "pure training activities " in the WTO TA portfolio have been effective . It notes, 
however , that the evaluators have not been in a position to fully assess the effectiveness of some 
of the non -training TA programmes, such as the Geneva Week s, Reference C entres, WTO Chairs 
Programme, PhD support , academic outreach and outreach activities  for MPs, journalists, civil 
society and the general public , programmes on which the evaluation is consequently raising some 
doubts . Moreover , the evaluation in some parts was limited to general critical observations about  
these programmes and abstained from formulating specific recommendation on possible 
alternatives, improvements or terminations . Considering this, w ith the support  and involvement of 
Members, t he Secretaria t will review the  relevant  programmes with a view to assess their 
continued relevance, see whether the needs to which they intend to respond still exist, and 
consider whether they need improving  and whether other means  to respond to the identified needs  
should be envisaged . 
17. For example, during  more than 15 years t he Geneva Week s have been the main vehicle 
through which the Secretariat provide s non-resident Members and Observers with the latest 
information – at the technical, legal and political level – on all current activities of the WTO, 
thereby seeking to compensate their lack of a physical presence in Geneva . To achieve this 
objective, the WTO has traditionally organize d a full week program me of briefings by different 
Secretariat Divisions, Chairpersons of various negotiating groups and committees, other 
International Organizations working on trade issues based in Geneva and the regional group 
coordinators of the countries represented (SVE, ACP and LDC groups).  Even if the number of non -
residents went pro gressively down over the years, the specificity of their needs has not changed 
much since the initiation of t he Geneva Week s. These considerations call for further analysis 
because the evaluators did not visit any non -resident as part of their review.  Moreover, since non -
residents face, almost by definition, great difficulties in presenting themselves  their views on this 
subject, it is critical that the Secretariat and Members act with great ca ution in this domain not to 
undermine the inclusiveness and tran sparency required of the MTS . 
18. Another example is the TA directed at non -governmental circles.  More than 80 % of the WTO 
TA focuses on training Government officials  and the inclusion of other beneficiaries was a direct 
request from Members . As stated in the TA Plan 2016 -17 (see § 124 in WT/COMTD/W/211), in the 
field of outreach, the WTO aims to increase the involvement of other key stakeholders such as 
MPs, journalists, civil society and academic institutions in trade policy and WTO -related issues . 
This is so ught by  supporting the development of their understanding and institutional capacities 
and promoting their contribution to trade policy making.  These other key stakeholders can 
complement and reinforce the results of the TA provided by the Secretariat dire ctly to Members 
and their officials.  
19. Consequently, it would be a mistake to assume that by simply raising the awareness of 
these non-governmental stakeholders , the WTO is making a causal claim that these activities  
make substantial contributions to countri es' more effective participation in the MTS . Thus, i n order 
to report on these activities the Secretariat is already measuring a number of elements concerning 
the results of its outreach activities, such as participants' immediate assessment  and the  number  WT/COMTD/90  
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  and origin of the persons reached.  As foreseen in the logframe attached to the TA Plan 2016 -17, 
the Secretariat will report on this in the 201 6 TA annual report . 
The Recommendations  
20. The Secretariat  concur s with most findings and recommendations in the  evaluation  report . 
In fact , a number of them are already being implemented as reflected in the 2016 -17 TA Plan and 
in the Secretariat's strategic review exercise in itiated  in 2014 . The latter  aims, inter alia , to put in 
place structures that are flexible enou gh to respond to the changing demands and priorities of the 
Members ; and that it can deliver services in a way that is efficient, responsive and dynamic.  
21. Overall, t he evaluation confirms the relevance, efficiency, effectiveness , sustainability and 
impact of the WTO TA  in contributing to the development of the capacities of developing and least -
developed Members of the organization to work with multilateral rules and participate effectively in 
negotiations.  The evaluation also validates the internal monitori ng and evaluations that have been 
conducted by the Secretariat over the last three years  of the period under review  and presented to 
Members in its Annual TA reports.  
22. The Secretariat  welcome s the evaluators' observation that the DDAGTF plays a domina nt 
role in the TA and is appreciative of the generous contributions by Members . The Secretariat finds 
the evaluation report helpful in ensuring that it continues with those areas that have worked well 
while extending attention to those areas that require further  improvements . It will use the 
preparations for the next TA Plan (2018 -19) to consult further with Members on these areas and 
introduce the necessary changes bearing in mind that some specific actions are already 
implemented in the current biennium . 
23. The Se cretariat attaches  great importance to gender issues and will continue its efforts to 
ensure that there is gender balancing in the participation in WTO TA . It concur s with the evaluation 
that more gender -sensitive content in the TA will depend on the degre e to which this matter is 
built into the Agreements in the future by Members.  Members have a key role to play in this 
regard.  
24. The Secretariat's response to the  evaluation's  specific recommendations elaborates the 
actions to be undertaken to improve areas f ound wanting.  In this regard, it should be kept in mind 
that the evaluation did not have the mandate,  time or resources to examine  the merits of each 
and every individual TA programme, or of any  one individual programme  in particular.  
Consequently, althoug h the evaluation provides an invaluable  picture of the current situation at a 
global level, it is not  always sufficiently detailed to constitute a basis on which to take concrete 
actions.  In many instances, its recommendations are not specific  enough to gu ide the Secretariat 
on the best course of action to fix the shortcomings identified.  Moreover, i n a number of cases, the 
Secretariat already took steps  during the period under review or in 2016 along the lines suggested 
by the evaluation . Understandably, these initiatives have not always been specifically assessed in 
the report.  Therefore, the evaluation report constitutes an excellent basis on which to engage in a 
dialogue with Members in order to elaborate the future TA strategy of the WTO . The Secretaria t 
looks forward to a rich and constructive interaction in this very important area of the MTS .   
  WT/COMTD/90  
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ANNEX RECOMMENDATION S 
TO WTO MEMBERS AND SENIOR MANAGEMENT  
Recommendation 1:  
Use the review and response to this Evaluation as the first opportunity in a decad e to consider and communicate the Organization 's agreed commitment, 
vision and basic approach to technical assistance, taking account of the strong base established and remaining challenges identified.  
Management Response:  
Agreed  
The commitment, vision an d approach to TA is already reflected in the 2016 -17 TA Plan , but we welcome the opportunity to place even greater focus on 
this work.  
We look forward to discussing the conclusions and recommendations of the evaluation with Members during the CTD meeting s cheduled on 
27 January  2017 and to receiving Members' contribution for the preparation of the TA Plan 2018 -19. 
Key Actions:  Timeline  Division responsible  New Resources required  
CTD dedicated meeting on the External Evaluation  27 January  2017 ITTC None 
Preparation of the TA Plan 2018 -19 Oct 2017  ITTC None 
Recommendation 2:  
If justified by the results of this deliberation, re -affirm the crucial role and need for sufficiently substantial and reliable Regular Budget allocations as the 
contribution by all Me mbers to maintaining the foundations of the TA programme and recognise voluntary support to a Global TA Trust Fund as the mos t 
essential supplementary funding for TA activities.  
Management Response:  
This is more appropriate for Members  
The Secretariat has  as of 2016 requested further flexibility on the use of the regular budget which was approved by the Members.  Each year the DDG 
responsible for TA writes to Members to remind them of the importance of supporting the Global Trust Fund.  
Further discussion wi th Members is scheduled in the context of the preparation for the regular budget 2018 -19. 
Key Actions:  Timeline  Division responsible  New Resources required  
Consult with donors to identify a coordinator on TA funding  2017 ITTC None 
Preparation of the WTO  budget 2018 -19 Nov 2017  AGSD, ITTC  None   
  WT/COMTD/90  
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Recommendation 3:  
Include a commitment to use WTO 's TA activities wherever possible to strengthen sustainable training capacities within beneficiary countries and regions, 
e.g., by engaging more local trainers, aca demic centres, and past participants in WTO training.  In consultation with delivery partners, the Secretariat 
should identify and share existing good practices and promising candidates for these roles.  
Management Response:  
Partially agreed – This will als o need to involve Members  
The Secretariat uses local experts where available, useful and relevant, in consultation with Members.  
As noted in the report, the core mandate for the WTO TA is "to enhance the human and institutional capacities to take advantage  of the MTS, deal with 
the challenges emerging from it and enforce their rights and obligations ." WTO trainers and experts, being as they are intimately familiar with the MTS, 
are in a much better position to help reach these objectives than regional and l ocal experts.  
The causal link between engaging more local trainers and the strengthening of sustainable training capacities within benefici ary countries and regions is 
only indirect.  Should Members agree that this be a new goal for the WTO TA, other – more effective and efficient – direct means targeting specifically 
local trainers (as done for several years in the domain of TRIPS) would have to be identified.  The impact of that decision on the human and financial 
resources of the Secretariat would have to be carefully weighted.  
Key Actions:  Timeline  Division responsible  New Resources required  
To be considered in the context of the preparation of the TA 
Plan 2018 -19 Oct 2017  ITTC None 
Recommendation 4:  
Use the reviews of Annual TA Reports and biennial Pla ns as more important strategic openings than in the past to take stock of progress and key issues in 
WTO's TA. 
Management Response:  
This is more appropriate for Members  
It has been repeatedly emphasised that TA is part of the organisation's core work, and  remains a strategic priority.  The Director -General's ongoing 
strategic administrative review has taken a series of steps to standardise working practices, structures and culture across t he organisation, with specific 
focus having been given to the ITTC.  
For several years, the Secretariat noted that Members' contribution to the preparation of the TA Plans and reaction to the TA Annual Reports has been 
limited.  It would welcome their greater engagement.  
Key Actions:  Timeline  Division responsible  New Resourc es required  
None      
  WT/COMTD/90  
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Recommendation 5:  
Strengthen mechanisms at Senior Management level for strategic monitoring, direction and problem -solving in this area of shared responsibility across 
the Organization.  It should be supported by a clearly -mandated int er-divisional task force chaired by ITTC and charged with identifying cross -cutting 
problems and opportunities and proposing appropriate actions.  This task force should begin with frank clarification and problem -solving around managing 
TA for results, stre amlining procedures wherever possible, and helping find agreed solutions to IT problems.  
Management Response:  
Partially agreed  
Organization -wide management of these programmes is conducted at the technical level by cooperation between divisions, and at th e strategic level by 
senior management and directors working together , under the guidance of the Director -General . The Director -General considers that as the capacity 
building work of the WTO is growing and becoming increasingly strategically important for  the organization, there may be scope to strengthen strategic 
management mechanisms, including considering how the different elements of the organization's capacity building work interact . The Secretariat  will 
reflect on this and consult with Members.  
At the working level, good cooperation already exists between relevant divisions – but, again, the Secretariat  will look at whether this could be 
strengthened.  
Progress in the area of IT can be anticipated in the not too distant future.  Two consultants are cur rently in the process of reviewing the Secretariat 
internal RBM procedures and workflows, with a view to proposing a simplified and more solid user -friendly model that could serve as a basis to develop a 
new TA database.  Whilst the completion of this work will certainly take a couple of years, the fact that, for the first time since Members requested that TA 
be managed on the basis of results, the Secretariat is eventually addressing these issues in a professional manner is clearly  a very positive signal.  The 
Secretariat is now laying the foundations of what should become a robust RBM system.  
Key Actions:  Timeline  Division responsible  New Resources required  
Completion of the current business analysis  January  2017 ITTC Already budgeted  
Development of a new  RBM TA database and new RBM Tools  End 2018  ITTC, ITSD  To fill vacant L post in TAME  
Recommendation 6:  
Ensure that adequate administrative resources (financial and human) are made available to maintain and extend the investment to date in WTO 's 
improving TA capacity.  As the key organising and coordinating centre for TA, the longstanding structures and staffing of ITTC should be reviewed and  if 
necessary revised to ensure that they can meet the needs of a transformed Programme.  
Management Response:  
Agreed  
Reviewing the allocation of resources amongst the various divisions of the Secretariat has been one of the priorities of the current management since its 
arrival in 2013.  Progress on this front is regularly reported to the CBFA.  This work is being conducte d within the context of a budget freeze and the need 
to increase urgently the Secretariat resources in a number of different areas. Meanwhile, management is committed to ensuring  that the necessary 
resources remain available to continue improving the TA ca pacity of the Secretariat. The  first part of th e recommendation will consequently remain work 
in progress for the foreseeable future.  
See recommendation 21 concerning the improvement of the Secretariat training capacity through ToT.  
The organisation and st ructure of the ITTC will be reviewed and adjustments made as necessary, with a view to making a better use of the resources 
available and to improving the capacity of the Secretariat to respond to the TA needs of Members.    
  WT/COMTD/90  
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Key Actions:  Timeline  Division re sponsible  New Resources required  
Reallocation of resources amongst divisions  On-going  DGO None 
Reorganisation of ITTC  2017 DGO - ITTC None 
RECOMMENDATIONS TO ITTC AND OTHER DIVISIONS : PARTICIPATION IN TRAINING  
Recommendation 7:  
Seek agreement and sugge stions from beneficiary Members for direct focal point contacts in capitals to expedite and follow up essential and timely 
communications with all relevant stakeholders in country while keeping Geneva missions fully informed.  
Management Response:  
Partiall y agreed – This will also need to involve Members  
This will be feasible if all the Members are on board.  In addition, the idea of having a capital -based focal point for WTO TRTA may not solve the 
information bottleneck problem, as TA is delivered to specif ic ministries depending on the topic (Ag ministry for Agreement on Agriculture ; Ministries 
dealing with health, intellectual property rights and trade for the agreement on TRIPS, etc.).  Therefore the capital -based focal points would still need to 
consult w ith those ministries, and would not be able themselves to answer many questions about specific TA events.  
If agreed, capital -based TA focal points could become a new entry in the WTO e -directory.  
Key Actions:  Timeline  Division responsible  New Resources re quired  
Request to nominate capital -based focal points  2017 ITTC None 
Create a directory of TA focal points  2017 IERD, ITSD, ITTC  Unknown  
Recommendation 8:  
Re-double efforts to produce the most user -friendly information materials possible on course offer ings and take all available steps to ensure that they 
reach all the appropriate target users in good time.  
Management Response:  
Agreed – This will also need to involve Members  
Actions taken in this domain will depend on what communication channels are agr eed to by Members under recommendation 7, and on the 
implementation of new IT tools as foreseen under recommendation 5.  
The Secretariat intends to make user -friendly information on its course offering (online and face -to-face) available on its e -Learning w ebsite and through 
other means considered appropriate to reach its target audience.  Whenever possible, this information may include details on each course's programme, 
objectives, pre -requisites, target audience and application procedure and deadline.  
Key Actions:  Timeline  Division responsible  New Resources required  
Creation of a Secretariat task force  2017 ITTC None   
  WT/COMTD/90  
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Recommendation 9:  
Consider and propose options for opening up at least some WTO training courses or topics (e.g., in e -learning) to wider a udiences in all countries, perhaps 
on a fee -paying basis.  
Management Response:  
Agreed – This will also need to involve Members  
The Secretariat already accommodates self -funded participants in several of its courses.  Further discussion will be held with Me mbers on this subject in 
the context of the preparation of the TA Plan 2018 -19. The Secretariat will analyse the alternatives available to Members and their potential effects.  
The current informal guidance in the Secretariat is to limit participation to 30  persons per face -to-face activity in total, in order to facilitate the interaction 
with the trainers and amongst participants, and increase the pedagogical quality as recommended separately by the evaluators (recommendations 21 to 
25). Even if this limit is applied rather flexibly by the Secretariat, as shown in its TA annual reports, opening up WTO training courses to other au diences 
or fee -paying participants may squeeze out non -paying traditional participants, unless new additional courses are offered.  However, and as noted in § 110 
of the Evaluation, "In terms of sheer capacity to deliver TA, the most serious constraint has not resulted from the fall in v oluntary contributions, but the 
budgetary and staffing ceilings imposed on the WTO Secretariat, in c onjunction with the increased use of the Dispute Settlement Mechanism that has 
fuelled a transfer of internal resources and staff to support this function ." Under current circumstances, an increase in the WTO face -to-face course 
offering is consequently a very unlikely proposition.  
The challenge for e -Learning courses is different : the current platform cannot accommodate fee -paying participants for technical reasons.  It does not offer 
any online payment facility and its security system would not allow its i mplementation.  Technical feasibility would have to be assessed at a later stage 
once the new e -Learning platform (LMS) is up and running.  In the meantime, a mobile application will be developed to give free access to the online 
courses training material in  all countries.  
Members would have to consider very carefully the possible consequences of this recommendation on their own access to WTO TA.  
Key Actions:  Timeline  Division responsible  New Resources required  
Develop a mobile application giving access to e-Learning 
training material  July 2017 ITTC, ITSD  None 
Present proposals to CTD and CBFA  Oct 2017  ITTC, AGSD, ITSD  None   
  WT/COMTD/90  
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Recommendation 10:  
In collaboration with Members, improve the selection process for intermediate and advanced courses to ensure the le vel of participants is more uniform.  
Management Response:  
Partially agreed – This will also need to involve Members  
This recommendation may potentially affect all activities subject to a numerus clausus  and not only intermediate and advanced courses.  
The implementation of this recommendation depends on the compliance with pre -requisites by Members when submitting applications.  At the moment, 
pre-requisites are applied with a certain degree of flexibility.  Implementing a more rigorous selection process woul d risk excluding marginal or otherwise 
special candidates and possibly reducing the number of participants in some courses to below a desirable level.  This may also make it difficult for the 
Secretariat to adhere to its systemic goals of geographical diver sity and inclusiveness.  
For these reasons, the Secretariat would welcome Members' guidance in this particular domain.  
Key Actions:  Timeline  Division responsible  New Resources required  
To be considered in the context of the preparation of the TA 
Plan 2018 -19 Oct 2017  ITTC None 
Recommendation 11:  
Continue to monitor and report on participation of women and men with a view to addressing remaining gender imbalances of par ticipation in WTO TA.  
Management Response:  
Agreed – This will also need to involve Memb ers 
The participation of women in WTO TA activities is monitored by the Secretariat since 2012 in the TA annual reports.  This will continue for the foreseeable 
future.  However, as the gender imbalances shown in the report depend on Members' own approach to  gender issues, the monitoring of women's 
participation by the Secretariat is unlikely to contribute much to addressing the gender imbalances detected by the Evaluatio n. 
Women will be targeted in the promotion of e -Learning courses through social media and  other outreach means.  Special attention will be given to 
women's participation in the Introduction course whose completion is a pre -requisite to register for most intermediate -level courses.  
Key Actions:  Timeline  Division responsible  New Resources requir ed 
Continue to pay attention to gender balance when selection 
participants  On-going  All divisions  None 
Monitor women participation in TA  annually  ITTC None 
Outreach actions targeting women for e -Learning courses  On-going  ITTC None   
  WT/COMTD/90  
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Recommendation 12:  
Study and propose ways to share good practices and otherwise help Members grapple with informing and engaging private sector ac tors in WTO -related 
issues affecting them.  One suggestion was made for a specifically designed course for the private sector which the government could request as a 
national level activity.  
Management Response:  
Agreed – This will also need to involve Members  
One of the WTO constant lines so far has been to promote a dialogue on trade issues between the various categories of interes ted parties.  Multiple 
examples testify to this : Public Forum in Geneva, Outreach programme (resisted by some Members in its early days), TFNA methodology, Accessions 
guidelines, TPRs, etc. W hilst training the private sector on the WTO can be useful for a pro perly informed dialogue, one should not lose sight of the 
ultimate goal which should be the existence of a national dialogue between the various stakeholders on trade issues.  That is, of course, unless Members 
want to change the Secretariat script in this domain.  
An online course could be designed specifically for the private sector and then offered as free self -training, as the Secretariat is unlikely to have the staff 
resources required to run it as a regular course.  
In consultation with the ITC and EIF, the Secretariat will commission a study on Members' actual needs in this domain, as part of the preparation process 
for the TA Plan 2018 -19. Increased cooperation with the ITC and EIF could then help respond to the TA needs identified.  
Key Actions:  Timeli ne Division responsible  New Resources required  
Study of Members' needs (focusing on private Sector)  Oct 2017  ITTC, IERD, AGSD  Consultancy fees  
Develop an online course for the private sector  2018 ITTC, IERD, AGSD  Consultancy fees  
RECOMMENDATIONS TO ITTC  AND OTHER DIVISIONS : TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE INSTRUMENTS  
Recommendation 13:  
Reinforce the staff capacity to service the interactive requirements of the vital e -Learning courses, including accessible service across time -zones.  
Management Response:  
Partially  agreed – Already partially implemented  
The e -Learning staff capacity has already been reinforced since the last visit of the evaluators.  Further reinforcement could be considered as part of the 
reorganisation of ITTC requested under Recommendation 6.  
The capacity of the Secretariat to service the different time -zones will nevertheless remain limited.  As this would have budgetary implications, a more 
precise assessment of the true needs of beneficiaries is required before any decision can be taken in this d omain.  
Key Actions:  Timeline  Division responsible  New Resources required  
Reinforce e -Learning staffing  2018 DGO, ITTC  None 
Assess Members' needs in terms of different time -zones 
coverage for e -Learning courses  Oct 2017  ITTC None   
  WT/COMTD/90  
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Recommendation 14:  
Exam ine and report on the pros and cons  of discontinuing the "Advanced Trade Policy Course " (ATPC) in favour of expanded advanced offerings at the 
regional level, allowing for wider participation and deeper contextualisation.  Also consider the possibility of s hort executive courses suitable for the 
ministerial or permanent secretary levels.  
Management Response:  
Partially agreed – This will also need to involve Members  
This recommendation is mixing three separate things together : the future of the ATPC, regiona lisation of training and training for high -ranking officials.  
Since no logical link can be established between these three issues, they have to be addressed separately, on the basis of th eir own merit.  
a) In the context of the preparation of the TA Plan fo r 2018 -19, the Secretariat will reassess with beneficiaries the merit of maintaining an advanced 
course for generalists and, if so, reconsider the parameters for such a course.  However, should the discontinuation of advanced courses for 
generalists be the preferred option, the Secretariat will then see with beneficiaries whether any other type of course is required to respond to  their 
identified needs and what should be the parameters for such other types of courses.  
b) Should the continuation of advanced c ourses for generalists be the preferred option (and in this case only), the best location for the courses will 
then also be considered on its own merit, according to the parameters retained for that course and to the ability of each pos sible venue to meet 
these parameters in an effective and efficient manner.  However, this recommendation seems to ignore the fact that today, the main bottleneck in 
the increase of the WTO TA offer is a lack of more staff in the Secretariat, as underlined in § 110, and that or ganising courses at regional level is 
generally more time consuming for the Secretariat than holding them in Geneva.  Furthermore, holding the activities in Geneva or in the field is 
fairly neutral in terms of wider participation of beneficiaries and costs (if anything, transaction costs are lower in Geneva, which might give it a 
small edge over other venues), except for national activities.  
c) Reaching out to ministers and permanent secretaries is not discussed anywhere else in the report.  This recommendati on is consequently 
unsubstantiated.  Setting its absence of basis aside, implementing it has already been attempted on several occasions in the past and never rea lly 
worked out.  Beyond a superficial agreement of principle from beneficiaries, actual demand f or the activities, once organised, proved very limited.  
The availability of the target audience was almost inexistent and tended to change at the last minute.  When this was tried, the Secretariat 
eventually ended up attracting its usual public of middle ra nking officials stepping in for their bosses or cancelling the activities altogether.  This 
recommendation looks highly unrealistic as a result, but the Secretariat would welcome Members' views on it.  
Key Actions:  Timeline  Division responsible  New Resource s required  
Reassess Members' need for an advanced course for 
generalists  October  2017 ITTC None 
Reconsider the parameters for advanced courses for 
generalists, if such courses are continued  October  2017 ITTC None 
Consider alternative ways of responding to Members' 
needs in case of discontinuation of the advanced courses 
for generalists  October  2017 ITTC None   
  WT/COMTD/90  
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Recommendation 15:  
Investigate and report on the possibilities for developing new training options to follow up on recommendations from Trade Po licy Reviews.  
Management Response:  
Agreed – Already partially implemented – This will also need to involve Members  
This proposal was already included in the TA Plan 2016 -17 as a strategic approach to TPR follow -ups (see section 5.3 in document WT/COMTD/W/211 ). 
Four follow -up activities were held in 2016 and more are already being planned for 2017.  However, the current tension between frozen budgets and staff 
resources on the one hand, and the continuous need to keep delivering high quality TPRs covering an ev er increasing membership at the rhythm foreseen 
in the Marrakesh Agreement on the other, does not allow the Secretariat to dedicate much more time to TPR follow -ups. Only part of Members' requests 
can currently be satisfied in this domain, knowing that fol low-ups can be fairly time -consuming to prepare to be of the level of quality required to have a 
lasting impact in the country concerned.  
Needs and their specificities will have to be identified by beneficiaries during the preparation of the TA Plan for 20 18-19. 
Depending on the results of the discussions with Members, the Secretariat will consider how best to respond to these requests . 
Key Actions:  Timeline  Division responsible  New Resources required  
Respond to the requests for TPR follow -up On-going  TPRD, ITTC  Will depend on actual TA 
increase generated  
Re-assess Members' needs for TPR follow -up Oct 2017  ITTC, TPRD  None 
Recommendation 16:  
Safeguard the credibility and usefulness of national and regional courses by ensuring sufficient advance consultati on in countries so that "off-the-shelf" 
presentations are tailored to specific contexts, and by soliciting specific questions or pertinent issues of stakeholders pri or to the training.  
Management Response:  
Agreed – This will also need to involve Members  
The Secretariat is already actively engaged in consultations with beneficiaries as far in advance as possible for most of its activities in the field.  Current 
limitations to these consultations tend to come most frequently from the beneficiaries themselves,  as different interlocutors may have different views, or 
new demands may emerge rather late in the process.  
Certain advanced activities (e.g. on SPS, TBT, etc.) require selected participants to respond in advance to a questionnaire a s a precondition for th eir 
participation to the course.  This is an efficient manner to gather pointed information which can then help tailor the content of the activity to the parti cular 
circumstances of the participants.  However, this makes the preparation for the activity heav ier and more rigid, as participants have to be identified much 
earlier.  This is also a resource intensive process.  As a consequence, such questionnaires are used for advanced activities only.  
The capacity of the Secretariat to tailor the programme and cont ent of its activities to the specificities of local contexts depends to a large extent from the 
ability of beneficiaries to identify such specificities sufficiently in advance.  In certain areas ( e.g. SPS, TBT, etc.), the freeze of the Secretariat human 
resources in face of a growing agenda limits the time otherwise available to tailor TA activities to the specificities of the lo cal contexts.  In these areas, the 
Secretariat could explore the possibility of using local experts on a case by case basis.  
Key Ac tions:  Timeline  Division responsible  New Resources required  
Continue advance consultations with beneficiaries ahead 
of any regional or national activity  On-going  All May require additional 
resources    
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Recommendation 17:  
In collaboration with the External R elations Division, examine and propose alternative approaches to reference centres to help Members provide 
information and outreach on WTO issues to key opinion -leaders in tune with current technologies.  
Management Response:  
Agreed – This will also need t o involve Members  
The Secretariat agrees that the results produced by the current Reference Centre programme are limited.  In the context of the preparation of the TA Plan 
2018-19, it stands ready, together with beneficiaries, to consider any alternative pr ogramme which they would suggest in this domain.  The Reference 
Centre programme will be reviewed based on Members' suggestions.  
Key Actions:  Timeline  Division responsible  New Resources required  
Review the Reference Centre programme  2017 ITTC None 
Consid er alternative programme, subject to the outcome 
of the review  Oct 2017  ITTC, IERD  None 
Recommendation 18:  
In light of the planned final evaluation of the WTO Chairs Programme, which should be an independent external evaluation, be prepared to explore and  
propose alternative approaches to building working and policy -oriented links with a wider range of academic centres, e.g., through involving them more 
systematically in helping deliver WTO courses wherever practicable.  
Management Response:  
Partially agre ed – This will also need to involve a Member  
The WCP is funded through an earmarked contribution of the Netherlands.  Whilst the Secretariat agrees that the final evaluation of the WTO Chairs 
Programme should be conducted by an independent external evaluato r, this will depend on the agreement from the Netherlands to fund such an external 
evaluation.  Exploring the need for building working and policy -oriented links with a wider range of academic centres, and the means to achieve this, 
should be included in th e parameters of this evaluation.  
The Secretariat will not prejudge the conclusions of the WCP final evaluation in this regard.  
Meanwhile, the Chairs and the Advisory Board have been alerted to the need to measure results more systematically, and in par ticular to the need to 
assess them from a qualitative point of view and not only in terms of volumes, and to demonstrate more thoroughly how they ca n be confidently 
attributed to the programme.  As demonstrated by the external evaluation, collecting anecdotal e vidence can play a significant role in this domain.  
Key Actions:  Timeline  Division responsible  New Resources required  
Independent external evaluation of the WCP  2018-19 ITTC, ERSD  Earmarked funding  
Measure results more thoroughly and assess them from a 
qualitative point of view  On-going  ITTC, ERSD  None   
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Recommendation 19:  
Take every opportunity to integrate issues of gender equality and the empowerment of women into TA programmes and training ma terial in the context of 
emerging initiatives on social and poverty implications of trade, including the SDGs.  
Management Response:  
Agreed – This will also need to involve Members  
The preparation for the TA Plan 2018 -19 will be an opportunity to assess Members' true needs in this domain.  The CTD may also wish to g uide the 
Secretariat's future work.  
The Secretariat will then adjust the content of its TA activities, and in particular of its activities and modules on develop ment, in order to respond to the 
identified needs.  Meanwhile, it will respond positively to any  individual or collective request presented by Members to incorporate issues of gender 
equality and empowerment of women in the programme of TA activities.  
Key Actions:  Timeline  Division responsible  New Resources required  
Incorporate gender issues in tra ining activities, according 
to Members' requests  On-going  Trade & Development, ITTC  None 
Assess Members' needs concerning training on gender 
issues  Oct 2017  Trade & Development, ITTC  None 
Recommendation 20:  
Consider including workshops to explore issues of multilateral nature for which Agreements are yet to be concluded, for example the Singapore issues.  
Management Response:  
Agreed – This will also need to involve Members  
This recommendation has no counterpart exposition in the body of the report.  A bett er formulation would be to refer to "…issues of a multilateral nature 
for which no Agreements currently exist", to avoid presupposing that any such Agreement will be concluded.  The Singapore issues date back to 1997, 
while a number of other  issues have eme rged since then.  
The Secretariat stands ready to adjust its offer in these domains if it detects an interest on the part of beneficiaries.  However, this will have to be 
demand -driven, not supply -driven as suggested at the moment.  The preparation of the TA Plan for 2018 -19 will be the next opportunity for Members to 
flag their needs in these domains.  
Meanwhile, for online courses' participants, chats and discussion fora can be organised to explore these new issues in the co ntext of the MTS framework 
currentl y in place to pre -empt any concern about the Secretariat moving ahead of Members.  A similar approach can also be adopted for face -to-face 
activities, depending on Members' requests.  
Key Actions:  Timeline  Division responsible  New Resources required  
Consul t with Members about their needs for TA on new 
issues in preparation for the TA Plan 2018 -19 Oct 2017  ITTC None 
Hold chats and discussion fora on new issues in the 
context of online courses and respond to Members' 
requests in these domains  On-going  ITTC None   
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CATEGORY 3 OF RECOMMENDATIONS TO ITTC AND OTHER DIVISION : PEDAGOGICAL QUALITY  
Recommendation 21:  
In consultation with Human Resources and delivering Divisions, ensure that a coherent system of training for trainers and tra iner-evaluation is put in 
place and applied as needed.  
Management Response:  
Agreed  
As foreseen in the TA Plan for 2016 -17, a coherent system of training of trainers (ToT) will be implemented as soon as possible.  This will require the 
involvement of outside experts on a large scale.  At the moment, it is foreseen to proceed in phases : a pilot phase should help design a training content 
that would be tailored to the Secretariat needs ; in a second phase, staff members involved in the delivery of TA would be required to follow a ToT ; 
mandatory refreshers or thematic workshops would then be regularly proposed to those concerned.  
Meanwhile, ToT continues in the Secretariat on a voluntary basis.  
As part of the review of the current staff performance evaluation system initiated by management, the Secretariat will consider how to incorporate an 
assessment of the performance of trainers in the overall evaluation of the staff members concerned.  Individual efforts to acquire the required skills 
through training should be encouraged and recognised.  
Key Actions:  Timeline  Division responsible  New Resources required  
Call for tenders for a Secretariat -wide ToT programme  2017 HRD, ITTC, AGSD  Fill vacant post in TAME  
Implementation of the ToT programme  2018 onwards  HRD, ITTC  Appropriate funding  
Incorpo rate training skills assessment in PERs  2017 HRD None 
Recommendation 22:  
Continue work to apply the PLS and consider introducing pre -tests and examinations in all training courses, in addition to following up with a sample of 
trainees in appropriate cours es after 6 -12 months to establish how they are using the skills gained.  
Management Response:  
Agreed  
The possibility to use the LMS to introduce online pre -tests and examinations for face -to-face activities and to follow -up with trainees after 6 -12 months 
to establish how they are using the skills gained will be explored once it is fully operational for e -Learning.  This may not be the case before the end of 
2017.  As the recommendation refers to "training courses", it is understood that the TA activities whi ch do not constitute proper training courses or which 
fall outside of the PLS remit will not be affected.  
The Secretariat will reflect on other ways beyond tests, exams or quizzes to expand the assessment of participants' learning in training activities wh en 
useful to evaluate their progress and motivate them or their trainers.  
A pilot ex -post evaluation scheme will be designed and implemented next year for a sample of participants in order to assess the feasibi lity of the 
approach and the quality of the da ta collected.    
  WT/COMTD/90  
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Key Actions:  Timeline  Division responsible  New Resources required  
The ToT programme will include training on the PLS 
benchmarks  2018 onwards  ITTC, HRD  Fill vacant post in TAME, 
Appropriate funding for the ToT 
programme  
Introduce online pre -tests and examinations for other 
face-to-face training courses  2018 ITTC, other divisions  Unknown  
Recommendations on how to assess participants' learning 
through means others than tests, exams or quizzes  2017 ITTC, other divisions  None 
Design and implem ent a pilot ex -post evaluation scheme 
for a sample of participants  2017 ITTC Fill vacant post in TAME  
Recommendation 23:  
Regularly review and report on the availability of course -offerings in French, Spanish and other languages relative to the size of the  pools of potential 
trainees.  
Management Response:  
Agreed – Already implemented  
Since 2012, the TA annual reports include a section in which the WTO offer – face-to-face and online – is analysed by language and refer to Members' 
declared language preferen ces. The recommendation is consequently not specific enough and does not suggest a different way of doing things.  So far, 
Members did not voice either any request that the way of reporting of the Secretariat on this subject be modified.  Whilst the Secretar iat stands ready to 
improve its reporting on languages if necessary – as on any other aspect of the TA annual report – clearer guidance is needed as to the shortcomings that 
require fixing.  
On this subject, the Secretariat also notes that several non -English courses regularly struggle to attract a sufficient number of applications and frequently 
have to be run with proportionately much lower numbers of participants, when they are not cancelled altogether.  The Secretariat would welcome any 
suggestion from Me mbers to attract participation in French and Spanish courses.  
Key Actions:  Timeline  Division responsible  New Resources required  
None    
Recommendation 24:  
Share good TA practices (e.g., on Advanced SPS and new TBT courses and thematic approaches) for po ssible inspiration and adaptation by others and 
ensure that innovation is promoted within the TA procedures and systems.  
Management Response:  
Agreed – Already implemented – This will also need to involve Members  
This is an ongoing recommendation.  The Secr etariat last shared such good TA practices internally in the TACTF meeting on 1 1 June 2015 which launched 
the preparation for the TA Plan 2016 -17. In that meeting, the specificities of an approach based on Action Plans and coaching, and the results produce d 
by this approach measured in a 2013 ex -post evaluation of the Advanced SPS programme were presented.  This led to the inclusion in the TA Plan 2016 -
17 of a strategic approach focusing on the implementation of the WTO Agreements (see section 5.2 in documen t WT/COMTD/W/211).  A specific indicator 
to measure progress in this domain was even included in the WTO TRTA logframe, with a target of adding one new advanced thema tic course focusing on   
  WT/COMTD/90  
- 18 - 
 
implementation each in 2016 and 2017.  
The TBT advanced course launch ed in 2015 runs in principle only every other year, in alternation with the more traditional course on Trade & 
Environment, but may have to be missed in 2017 as a result of a lack of sufficient human resources in the Secretariat to deal  with TBT.  Other sug gestions 
(e.g. on TRIPS to stimulate the ratification of the amendment of the TRIPS Agreement in relation to the Paragraph 6 System) h ave not been 
implemented.  The extra investment required to move in this direction more systematically seems to be one brid ge too far for the Secretariat at the 
moment.  
The Secretariat will repeat in 2017 what it did in 2015.  It is hoped that during the consultations held with beneficiaries in preparation for the TA Plan 
2018-19, more specific demands for this type of courses emerge.  The Secretariat will reflect more specifically on the subjects which could best lend 
themselves to this kind of approach in the future and will then test beneficiaries' interest for them.  
Key Actions:  Timeline  Division responsible  New Resources re quired  
Continue to promote advanced thematic courses based on 
action plans and coaching in the TA Plan 2018 -19 Oct 2017  ITTC and others  Coaching fees  
Recommendations for advanced courses based on action 
plans and coaching  Oct 2017  ITTC and others  Coachin g fees  
Recommendation 25:  
Benchmark WTO courses (including e -learning) against offerings by other institutions with a view to improving the learning experience and increasing 
interaction and interest for course participants, e.g., possibly pilot courses b lending e -learning and in situ participation . Ensure that relevant training 
materials are available to participants in advance.  
Management Response:  
Partially agreed – Already partially implemented  
Blending e -Learning and in situ participation has already  been tried in the past (e.g. in the Thematic Course on Trade Negotiations in 2009).  The difficulty 
that was noted at the time was the quasi impossibility to develop a tailor -made e -Learning component (would be highly time consuming and, hence, 
totally ine fficient), which obliged the organisers to rely on existing online courses.  In turn, this reduced significantly the potential for synergies between 
the two legs of the programme.  A blended approach has been more successful in the advanced SPS courses, sinc e the face -to-face course does not focus 
on the Agreement, which participants are assumed to already know (prior completion of the SPS online course is a prerequisite ). In this case, there is a 
clear separation between the purpose of the online course (to know the Agreement) and of the face -to-face course (to prepare an action plan), which 
makes it possible to rely on the existing online course as is.  Since most TA activities still focus on the Agreements, the opportunities to replicate this 
approach are cu rrently fairly limited.  
Some specific online tools, like virtual classrooms, are already regularly used in face -to-face activities (e.g. in RTPCs, ATPCs and most other Geneva -
based courses).  The Secretariat will reflect on the possibilities to enlarge this  approach to other online tools and other face -to-face activities, whilst 
keeping Recommendation 16 in mind (i.e. one size does not fit all).  
From time to time, online courses are informally benchmarked against offerings by other institutions with a view t o improving them.  The Secretariat will 
reflect on existing possibilities in this domain, keeping in mind the conclusion reached by the evaluators in § 254 that "no programme of trade -related 
technical assistance [is] closely comparable to that of WTO" and the fact that the potential effects of the ToT programme discussed under 
Recommendation 21 will not be instantaneous.    
  WT/COMTD/90  
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Key Actions:  Timeline  Division responsible  New Resources required  
Proposals on the use of online tools in a larger number of 
face-to-face activities  Oct 2017  ITTC and others  None at this stage, but will 
probably be needed for 
implementation  
Reflect on benchmarking options of WTO courses against 
other institutions' offering  2018 ITTC Fill vacant post in TAME  
CATEGORY 4 OF RECOMMENDATIONS TO ITTC AND OTHER DIVISIONS : MONITORING, EVALUATION AND LEARNING  
Recommendation 26:  
Strengthen practical and clearly understandable measures to track and improve results, calling on facilitation and training a ttuned to WTO 's business 
model, work to get "buy-in" across the Organization for a clear and sensible logical framework and meaningful indicators to guide the Programme ; spell 
out a practicable M&E plan, including manageable and useful monitoring and frequency and levels of evaluation coverage.  
Manag ement Response:  
Agreed – Already partially implemented  
The preparation of the TA Plan 2016 -17 was the latest Secretariat attempt to engage staff on RBM through targeted individual contacts, recourse to plain 
language and concrete examples, in order to defi ne a simple and practical result framework, and identify clearly understandable indicators to track 
results.  Document WT/COMTD/W/211 incorporated the results of this internal work.  However, the recommendation does not specify what would need to 
be done dif ferently and does not identify weaknesses, limitations or defects that have to be fixed.  Nevertheless, it is hoped that the general message sent 
by the Evaluation can help the Secretariat improve further in this domain when preparing the TA Plan for 2018 -19, in consultation with Members.  
The TA Annual Report for 2015 was also the latest Secretariat attempt to track and report results.  But, beyond the very general praise about the evolution 
of reporting over the period, the Evaluation does not provide any de tailed assessment of the report and of what needs further improvement or to be done 
differently.  The TA annual report for 2016 will be prepared following the format pioneered for 2015.  
The Secretariat notes in the report that on various occasions its staff , beneficiaries  and donors make different assessments on its TA programmes, with on 
average a less positive perception by the latter.  It also notes the appetite of donors for more communication on results.  These differences of perceptions 
and dissatisfacti on with the current level of reporting have not been communicated to the Secretariat until now, making it difficult to addres s them.  It 
intends to use the opportunity offered by the discussions on the Evaluation and by the subsequent preparation of the TA Plan 2018 -19 to engage donors 
and see with them how to better respond to their expectations.  
The Secretariat believes that the current limited "buy -in" for RBM across divisions is partly due to the user -unfriendliness of the tools and processes used 
so far  to implement it.  For the first time in 2016, some resources were eventually dedicated to addressing this original sin.  A comprehensive review of all 
RBM tools and business processes is currently under way and should produce some useful recommendations at the beginning of 2017.  This will provide a 
basis for further improvements in the RBM tools and procedures (see response to recommendation 5 above).  It is hoped that the simplification and 
streamlining of the requirements that have to be respected will lowe r significantly internal RBM resistance.  
So far, results have been reported according to the WTO TA logframe only once for 2015.  It is also hoped that more and more colleagues will eventually 
see the benefit of RBM once more results are reported in this wa y. 
Since 2012, the Secretariat dedicated most of its internal M&E resources to the design and implementation of its RBM framewor k and to the coordination 
of its contribution to the external evaluation.  These have been iterative time consuming processes.  The Secretariat hopes to complete soon two 
recruitments in this area which should restore its capacity to resume the internal M&E of its TA activities.  One of the priorities of the reconstituted team   
  WT/COMTD/90  
- 20 - 
 
will be to formalise a practicable M&E plan to replace the  informal one that had existed prior to 2012.  
Key Actions:  Timeline  Division responsible  New Resources required  
Keep reporting TA results according to the WTO TA 
logframe  May 2017 ITTC and others  None 
Further improve the measurement and tracking of TA 
results in the TA Plan 2018 -19 Oct 2017  ITTC and others  None 
Develop and implement an M&E plan  2017 ITTC Fill vacant posts in TAME  
Recommendation 27:  
Further strengthen financial reporting on actual expenditure against budget by instrument and result area s and at portfolio level across all funding 
sources.  
Management Response:  
Agreed  
The Secretariat keeps looking for opportunities to strengthen the information available to stakeholders, especially when it c an contribute to effective 
resource allocation de cisions.  The WTO introduced a new output dimension to financial report for the first time in 2016.  This will provide the requisite level 
of detail to inform decision -making by stakeholders.  As the quality of data and reporting systems evolves, opportunitie s to enhance the integration of 
technical assistance budgeting and expenditure in the Secretariat reporting will be explored.  This should improve the coherence between the financial 
information and TA database.  The possibility of developing new reports lis ting TA activities by key results and outcomes and by type of funding, showing 
actual expenditures compared to initial budgets is also under consideration.  This should eventually contribute to making the activity -based accounting 
more reliable.  
Key Action s: Timeline  Division responsible  New Resources required  
Improve financial reporting by TA instrument, output and 
outcome  Ongoing  AGSD, ITSD, ITTC   
Recommendation 28:  
Monitor and follow -up on issues raised in the participant evaluation forms and back -to-office reports.  Consider introducing a requirement for internal 
briefing/training of colleagues by training participants and interns, with country authorities taking responsibility to ensur e that such sharing takes place.  
Management Response:  
Partially agr eed – This will also need to involve Members  
Concerning the first part of the recommendation, a framework for following -up on PEFs and BTORs was initially developed back in 2011, but its 
implementation has been delayed due to insufficient staff time.  The r ecruitment of an M&E officer currently under way, once completed, should allow the 
Secretariat to return to this subject.  
The second part of the recommendation, as indicated, will be the responsibility of the country authorities.  
Key Actions:  Timeline  Division responsible  New Resources required  
Follow -up on PEFs and BTORs  2018 ITTC Fill vacant post in TAME  
 
__________