Assessing the Capacity Building Needs of National Food Control Systems New FAO Tools

1. Assessing the Capacity Building Needs of National Food Control Systems New FAO Tools Dr. Maya Piñeiro, Ph.D.Senior Officer /Group leader

2. Presentation • Introduction. • General approach and concepts used in both tools. • Guidelines to assess capacity building needs. • Quick Guide to assess capacity building needs. • Examples/case studies. • Conclusions.

3. Assessing needs: an initial step in the capacity building process Negotiate resources (external / internal) Consultation and dialogue with stakeholders Capacity Building Needs Assessment Review and analyse existing food safety capacity Food safety capacity building activities Food safety capacity building strategy Define the desired future of the food safety system Consultation and dialogue with stakeholders Identify capacity gaps and needs for food safety External support (advice, resources, etc.)

4. Two new FAO tools to assess capacity building needs • Strengthening national food control systems • Guidelines to assess capacity building needs, 2006 • A Quick Guide to assess capacity building needs,2007

5. Guidelines to assess capacity building needs • Address each of the key components of a national food control system. • Contain five in-depth modules. • Modules may be used separatelyor together. • Different starting points depending on country conditions and needs.

6. Quick Guide to assess capacity building needs • Addresses the food control system as a whole. • Guidance to quickly assess needs across the entire system. • May be used alone or in association with the Guidelines.

7. Target Audience • Government agencies / officials involved in food safety: • Agriculture • Laboratories • Health • Inspectorates • Trade • Industry • Standards organizations, etc. • External agencies and consultants supporting food safety capacity building activities.

8. Approach to identify capacity building needs Desired future improved situation Current situation Capacity building needs

9. Food Safety System / Framework Level Organization Level Individual Level Analytical framework: levels and dimensions of capacity Trade and market environment Socio-economic and political environment Governance Education

10. Analytical framework (2)

11. Key features • Recognition of differences across countries. • Participatory methodology for self-assessment. • Step-by-step advice to do a capacity building needs assessment. • Templates, tools, practical examples and scenarios. • Tips and suggestions.

12. General principles of use • Openness and willingness to consult widely. • Involve stakeholders from farm-to-fork. • Transparent process. • Opportunity to learn. • Document the findings. • Different options – no one right answer.

13. Guidelines to assess capacity building needs (1)

14. Guidelines to assess capacity building needs (2) Each module: • provides a step-by-step process to assess capacity building needs; • sums up relevant internationally-accepted benchmarks; • incorporates a needs assessment matrix; • includes various surveys, templates, resources and tools that are tailored to the module in question.

15. Guidelines to assess capacity building needs (3) An example: Food Inspection Module • A guide to conduct a document review for food inspection. • Sample questions for focus group discussions with food inspectors and food enterprises. • A SWOT Analysis scenario for food inspection. • A template for a situation analysis report. • An agenda for a needs assessment workshop on food inspection.

16. Guidelines to assess capacity building needs (4) • Expected outputs: • Situation analysis of existing capacity of one or more components of the national food control system. • Medium-term vision of one or more components of an improved food control system. • Identification of capacity building needs and options to address them.

17. Quick Guide to assess capacity building needs (1) Focuses on: • food safety outcomes and performance from perspective of different stakeholders; • country context for food safety (including drivers and constraints to change); • outputs, components and characteristics of the national food control system as a whole.

18. Quick Guide to assess capacity building needs (2) Five step process: • Agree on goals, objectives, process • Review existing performance • Describe desired future improved situation • Identify capacity building needs • Define and review options to address identified needs

19. Quick Guide to assess capacity building needs (3) Each step incorporates: • Key questions to focus information collection and analysis. • Practical tips and suggestions to guide those applying the tool. More detailed guidance (surveys, checklists, etc.) are included in the annexes

20. Step 1: Agree on goals, objectives, process Terms of Reference Step 2: Review existing capacity and performance Situation Analysis Step 3: Describe desired future (improved) food control system Goals & Objectives Step 4: Identify and prioritize capacity building needs Needs & Priorities Step 5: Define and review options to address identified needs Capacity Building Action Plan Quick Guide (4): Expected outputs

21. Benefits of use • Support formulation of medium-terms goals and objectives. • Design tailored activities and programmes to strengthen capacity of the food control system. • Increase focus on food safety. • Identify areas for inter-agency cooperation and coordination. • Help to attract new sources of funding.

22. Principles that guide our work • Tailor activities to country priorities, needs and conditions. • Build on existing strengths and resources. • Integrate science and risk analysis at all levels. • Involve all relevant stakeholders from farm-to-table. • Encourage technical cooperation between developing countries. • Work with other international partners.

23. capacity building needs assessment: an essential first step • Enables capacity building activities to be tailored to diverse country conditions. • Enhances ability to plan, implement and monitor programmes in the area of food safety and quality. • Improves the use of available resources. • Increases awareness on multidimensional nature of food safety and quality, and complementarities of stakeholders’ roles. • Helps to attract additional funding and resources. • Contributes to organizational learning.

24. Capacity building needs assessment: challenges • Capacity building requires a careful identification, analysis and prioritization of needs • However, in several countries needs assessment experience is limited • Plus, needs assessment is a complex process that is often influenced by competing priorities, competition for resources, political considerations, inadequate information, etc.

25. Next steps • Continued use of both tools in projects implemented by FAO and other agencies (e.g. FAO TCPs, WTO Standards and Trade Development Facility, Norway PCA, WB). • Training users and facilitators in use of both tools • Use to develop national action plans and strategies for food safety programs

26. Examples of TOT workshops • FAO Sub-regional Workshop for East Africa - ‘Strengthening National Food Control Systems’Organized in collaboration with the Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS)4–8 December, 2006, Bagamoyo, Tanzania • FAO International Training Workshop - ‘Assessing the Capacity Building Needs of National Food Control Systems’28 November - 1 December 2006, Rome, Italy • FAO/STDF/FSANZ Regional Workshop on assessing food safety capacity building needs November 2007, Beijing, China

27. Examplesofnational action plans and strategies for food safety programs • Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda • Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Panama, El Salvador, Haiti, • Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos PDR • Benin, Cameroon, Myanmar (STDF)

28. Questions? For more information: • FAO Food Quality and Standards Service http://www.fao.org/ag/agn/agns/ • Food safety capacity building http://www.fao.org/ag/agn/agns/capacity_en.asp • Guidelines to assess capacity building needs ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/009/a0601e/a0601e00.pdf • Quick guide to assess capacity building needs ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/010/a1142e/a1142e00.pdf