Recognising the role of preparation of trainers for the effectiveness of educational processes, as well as in raising the capacities of agencies to ensure timely and qualified expertise for successful transfer of knowledge and skills, this workshop aimed to develop a methodology to support national agencies along this path.

To this end, the expert team from the State Border Guard College of Latvia and the OSCE Border Management Staff College paid special attention to the training system in the border management agencies and the role of ToT methodological principles in educational process. The ToT methodology, developed as a result of this activity, addresses multiple sections and shall support trainers in the planning of the educational courses, development of curricula as well as selection and successful use of the relevant teaching methods. The methodology will be piloted during ToTs panned by the BOMCA Programme.

The Border Management Programme in Central Asia (BOMCA), funded by the European Union (EU), aims to enhance security, stability and sustainable growth in the region, while supporting cross-border cooperation and improving living conditions for people in the border areas of Central Asia. Since its implementation in 2003, BOMCA has played a leading role in strengthening cooperation between border control authorities through the application of the concept of integrated border management, as well as in bringing border control in line with international and EU standards.

BOMCA’s tenth phase, launched in April 2021, covers four areas: institutional development of border management agencies, improvement of detection capacities, trade facilitation, and improvement of cross-border cooperation. With a budget of EUR 21.65 million and an implementation period of 4.5 years, BOMCA 10 is the largest regional initiative in the field. It is implemented by a consortium of border management institutions of selected EU member states and the International Centre for Migration Policy Development led by the State Border Guard for the Republic of Latvia.