Standards and Trade Development Facility

Technical cooperation aimed at improving capacity in food safety, animal or plant health should be based on a careful identification, analysis and prioritization of needs and priorities in order to be effective and sustainable over time. As a first step, it is recommended to review existing assessments of SPS needs, both at a country and regional level and to survey previous, present and planned technical assistance in the SPS area. Many international and regional organizations, as well as donor funded programmes, have carried out needs assessments in various types and forms and at various levels, which may prove useful in the design of future projects.

The WTO/OECD Trade Capacity Building Database is a useful point of departure to review previous assistance. Data is historical, covering the past five years, with only partial data available for the current and future years. It is important to ensure that any new project does not duplicate previous, on-going or other planned interventions. Contact with donors in-country is an important step to prevent duplication and ensure synergies.

Project preparation grants (PPGs) feature prominently in the STDF work programme and try to bridge the gap between the assessment of needs and their articulation into sound and sustainable projects. The STDF particularly encourages PPGs which make use of the capacity evaluation tools developed by FAO, OIE and IPPC in the areas of food safety, animal and plant health, and biosecurity. In addition, STDF project 14 ("OIE veterinary capacity evaluation") provided funding for the development of the "Performance, Vision and Strategy (PVS)" tool by OIE (see below). Finally, the STDF supports several regional projects which aim to assist developing countries in the application of the capacity evaluation tools.

FAO has developed guidelines: Strengthening national food control systems: Guidelines to access capacity building needs to assist countries to identify their capacity building needs in the core components of a national food control system. A condensed version: Strengthening national food control systems: A quick guide to access capacity building needs is being produced for use in situations that require a faster assessment. The Guidelines include five modules to assess the needs in: i) food control management; ii) food legislation; iii) food inspection; iv) official food control laboratories; and v) food safety and quality information, education and communication. Each module sets out a step-by-step process to examine critically existing capacity and performance, consider the desired future improved situation, pinpoint capacity building needs and identify options to address them. Internationally accepted benchmarks for an effective national food control system are incorporated, as well as practical tools and suggestions to support the needs assessment process.

For more information on the tools and training opportunities, please visit FAO's Food Quality and Standards Service or e-mail: food-quality@fao.org

The World Health Organization (WHO) is working to develop a more systematic approach and broader perspective on the linkages between trade and health. Part of the response will be a diagnostic tool and companying workbook. This tool and workbook will be intended to guide policymakers in developing national policies and strategies related to trade and health and in structuring their requests for capacity building in issues related to trade and health. Work in this area is still underway but the diagnostic tool will most likely take the form of a questionnaire covering five elements, including trade in foodstuffs. For more information on this new tool please visit the following web site: www.who.int/trade/en or e-mail: dalb@who.int

The OIE has developed an evaluation tool which has evolved from a collaborative effort between the OIE, the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) and the STDF, which resulted in the creation of the Performance, Vision and Strategy (PVS). The purpose of the PVS, which incorporates all standards described in the OIE's Terrestrial Animal Health Code, is to assist national veterinary services to determine their actual level of quality, elaborate strategies with the private sector, establish priorities and plan necessary investment programmes.

The tool can be used by OIE Member Countries, preferably when assisted by certified OIE assessors, in carrying out a self-evaluation of their veterinary services and verification of their compliance with OIE quality standards. When so requested by a Member country, evaluations can also be conducted by an OIE official team of assessors through OIE's official procedure. This procedure implies that only OIE certified assessors are allowed to carry out evaluations and that assessors' reports can only be reviewed by a committee working under the auspices of the OIE. The final report is then submitted for approval by the country concerned.

For more information on the PVS, training opportunities and certification of OIE assessors, please visit the OIE website.

The Phytosanitary Capacity Evaluation tool (PCE) was developed to assist countries to undertake a needs assessment of the phytosanitary system of the National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO). The questions are based on relevant International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPMs). The primary function of PCE is to serve as a diagnostic tool for the NPPO to gauge the capacity gap between the current situation and what is needed to meet the requirements of international standards.

The results of the PCE and other assessment methods used will provide the country and its NPPO with a technically sound basis for determining strengths and weaknesses of the NPPO to function effectively in the WTO/SPS era so that well conceived development or strengthening programs can be prepared to address the capacity gaps identified. The PCE has a section for listing identified strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, and a section to assist with actions to be taken to strengthen the NPPO to meet the required standard(s).

For more information on the PCE, or to downloaded the tool, please visit the IPPC website.

The Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux (CAB) International recently conducted a study on the application of the PCE. The analysis noted the positive impacts of the PCE with respect to its intended use, in particular on national strategic planning, justification for budgetary allocation, legal frameworks, training and awareness raising. The report identified possible options for the improvement of the PCE and other tools which could address the broader objectives of the phytosanitary evaluation process. The report was discussed at the Second Session of the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (CPM-2) in March 2007. Document CPM 2007/18 provides a summary report of the analysis.

Biosecurity, as defined by FAO, offers a strategic and integrated approach to analyse and manage risks in food safety, animal and plant life and health, and biosafety. It provides a policy and regulatory framework to improve coordination and take advantage of the synergies that exist across sectors, helping to enhance protection of human, animal and plant life and health, and facilitate trade. FAO has developed a Biosecurity Toolkit, comprising a Biosecurity Principles and Components document, a Biosecurity Capacity Evaluation Tool and a Biosecurity Risk Analysis Manual, to assist countries to implement a Biosecurity approach. The Toolkit was peer reviewed at a meeting in Rome in November 2005 and subsequently pilot tested in selected countries. It is currently being used in FAO member countries and a series of training activities to promote and facilitate its adoption more widely are under development.

For more information on the Biosecurity Capacity Evaluation tool please visit the FAO website or e-mail: biosecurity@fao.org

	Home > Funding opportunities > How to evaluate your needs?