The STDF commissioned a guidance document on the use of economic analysis to inform SPS decision making (available here). This document reviews experiences with the use of economic analysis to guide priority-setting for SPS capacity building in developing countries, highlights the challenges faced in using such methods and provides general guidance to decision-makers on which economic analysis approaches are best applied in particular decision scenarios. Click here to see the Executive Summary.

The STDF organized a workshop in Geneva on 30 October 2009 to raise awareness about how economic analysis can be used to inform SPS decision-making. Speakers representing developing and developed countries, as well as international organizations, provided examples of how different methodologies have been used to estimate the costs, benefits and returns on investments in food safety, animal and plant health capacity building (ex ante and ex post). The workshop was attended by delegates of the SPS Committee, as well as some 60 experts in food safety, animal and plant health, whose participation was supported by the WTO and STDF. Find out more about this event below.

Click here to see the programme and the presentations delivered.

The STDF has developed a new decision-support tool, based on Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA), to help prioritize and make choices between competing SPS capacity building needs (investments) in the context of resource constraints. The tool provides a structured process to aid SPS decision-making, which can help to enhance the economic efficiency of SPS investment decisions, promote more transparent and accountable choices between multiple SPS capacity building options, and facilitate more inclusive decision-making processes.

The Draft Guide to Multi-Criteria Decision-Making describes the steps involved in the use of this tool, including how computer software is used to derive quantitative priorities. Click here for details about the software used (D-Sight), and the opportunity to download a free trial copy. Through applications in selected countries in 2011 and 2012, the draft MCDA Guide is being refined and improved. Information about this work is available in the STDF overview document, and via the links below.

The STDF organized a regional workshop on the Use of Multi Criteria Decision Analysis to Inform SPS Decision Making in Johannesburg, South Africa on 16-17 August 2011. The purpose of the event was to: (i) present the MCDA approach; (ii) share practical experiences from Mozambique and Zambia where the framework was applied in April and July, respectively; and (iii) equip SPS experts from other countries with knowledge to initiate application of this approach.

The workshop was attended by 41 participants representing governments departments responsible for food safety, animal health, plant health and/or trade in Africa, regional organizations (including the African Union Commission (AUC), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC), universities and selected international organizations and donors. Twenty seven participants from national governments and regional organizations in Africa were funded to participate by the STDF. Click here for the list of participants.

The workshop programme and summary report are available here, as well as the following presentations delivered:

• STDF: A joint initiative in SPS capacity building and technical cooperation, Melvin Spreij, STDF Secretariat

• Highlights from Recent STDF Thematic Work, Marlynne Hopper, STDF Secretariat

• Overview of the use of economic analysis to set priorities for SPS capacity building, Spencer Henson

• A multi-criteria decision-making framework for setting priorities in SPS capacity building, Spencer Henson

• Aflandia Country Case Study and Presentation, Spencer Henson

• Establishing Priorities for SPS Capacity Building in Mozambique Using a Multi Criteria Decision-Making Framework, Ana David Timana, Deputy Director, National Institute for Fish Inspection

• Application of the MCDA in Zambia, Doreen Malekano Chomba, Zambia Agriculture Research Institute