Human Resources for Customs Internal Affairs Units

The Customs Internal Affairs Human Resources Guide was commissioned by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Bureau for Development, Democracy, and Innovation (DDI) Center for Economics and Market Development (EMD). This guide is intended to support the development and improvement of Internal Affairs (IA) units within Customs agencies around the world. It is built with the recognition that IA units face unique challenges with hiring, training, and retention, and it aims to provide a collection of resources and recommendations from experienced experts.

There can be no border security without workforce integrity. Unfortunately, IA units of Customs agencies are often not prioritized over the operational duties of securing borders and facilitating the efficient and legal flow of goods. When resources are scarce, IA may not seem to be an essential component of a functioning Customs agency. Although organizational integrity is a shared responsibility across all component offices within any public agency or department, implementing and maintaining a robust IA division with investigative, inspections, and training capabilities can effectively support proactive efforts to reinforce and enhance ethics and integrity throughout the agency. A robust IA division can also respond to allegations of serious administrative and criminal misconduct that undermine the agency and its reputation and that place the agency, its employees, and its operations at risk.