Agust Jonsson, consultant agust.jonsson@anrika.se

1. Matching the supply of technical assistance with recipient needs and ensuring best practices – a donor's experience Agust Jonsson, consultant agust.jonsson@anrika.se

2. Request by WTO • As such, we would like you to make a 20 minute presentation regarding technical assistance and capacity building related to the SPS Agreement. In particular, • we would like you to present how countries may identify technical assistance needs • how to make effective technical assistance requests.  • speak briefly on the main challenges countries face in this regard and • identify a number of best practices for SPS technical assistance. 

3. Background of presentation • Observations here presented are based on the following experiences: • Participation in support programmes in developing countries covering issues related to the implementation of the SPS- and the TBT- agreements

4. Background, cont. • Managing training programmes in Sweden, in co-operation with the relevant governmental institution, funded by Sida (from 1999 – ongoing): • Quality and Regulatory Infrastructure Development for Food safety and Quality • World Trade & Conformity Assessment, Quality Infrastructure Development • Ca. 700 participants in both courses form some 45 countries (SPS 200/ TBT 500) • The programmes are implemented by: • SWEDAC (Swedish Board for Accreditation and Conformity Assessment) and the Swedish national food administration

5. Common facts found in many developing countries • Political commitment towards implementing the SPS agreement at national level is in many cases limited • Many ministries and many institutions both at central and local governmental levels are involved • The areas of responsibility of different ministries, institutions and local governments is not well defined • Limited awareness of impacts and effects of the agreements on ministries, regulatory authorities, laboratories, certification, inspection, standardisation bodies, accreditation services and the private sectors etc. • The available human resources in developing countries is often underestimated

6. Common facts found in many developing countries • Unnecessary power play between interested parties • The Codex standards are implemented through standardisation processes based on preparation and adoption of voluntary standards (ISO structures) • Private sector stakeholders are not sufficiently involved • Limited resources allocated • Ownership of the needed change processes is lacking • No, or limited harmonisation/ co-ordination takes place • Understanding of the overall process of adapting to the SPS agreement is lacking in many cases

7. Matching the needs in a developing country • Needs for change must be established, covering all areas of the food chain and all stakeholders (avoid ad hock solutions, completion for support etc.) • The needs of the country should be addressed through: • Own initiatives • Drawing learning through the experiences of others, e.g. through technical assistance, twinning • Local ownership and sufficient receiver capacity must be established Experience shows: • Without full political commitment at national level nothing happens • Copy/ Paste work is rarely work. Every country has a unique situation

8. Recommendation • Establish an overall approach to identify shortcomings in the National Regulatory and Quality Infrastructure with respect to implementing the SPS agreement (preferably including the TBT agreement) • Identify needs for changes in general • Design the change process • Plan the change process • Use the established plans for managing the change processes

9. Proposed tools • General training of key people • Development of a National Regulatory and Quality Policy • Development of an Action Plan for implementing the policy • Develop an Analyses of Consequences

10. General Training • Establish general knowledge of the whole spectrum of implementing the SPS agreement through training of key persons representing all stakeholders (ministries, institutions, private sector etc.), including: • Understanding the agreement, effects of the individual provisions of the agreement at national level. (e.g. based on international standards, risk assessment, transparency etc.) • Understanding the needs for an institutional infrastructure adapted to the needs

11. National Regulatory and Quality Policy • Establish a National Regulatory and Quality Policy. e.g. addressing the following issues • Identification of areas of responsibility for preparation and adoption of SPS-measures and technical regulations, including: • Allocation of responsibility for the different policy areas (primary production, food safety etc.) • Preparation, adoption and application of SPS measures and technical regulations. Done by whom? • Identify enforcement mechanisms, who does the actual technical monitoring (governmental institutions, accredited bodies), who reports to whom?

12. RQP, cont. 1 • Identification of the institutional infrastructure and relations between institutions. • National quality movement • Private sector involvement and initiatives • Education and training • Awareness raising amongst all stakeholders

13. RQP, cont. 2 • Establish the policy through a process of consensus • Involve all stakeholders • Give the work a high profile through media etc. • The policy and the action plan should be approved and adopted by the highest levels of the country both within government and the private sectors

14. Action Planning • Establish an Action Plan for the implementation of the NRQP, including: • List of activities needed to implement each of the policy issues • Allocation of responsibilities for the implementation of the activities • Identification of need for recourses such as funding, human recourses, facilities etc. • Timing of the activities • Anticipated results of each of the activities

15. Analyses of consequences • Establish a rough analyses of the consequences of each action proposed in the Action Plan

16. Benefits • Through the adoption of the policies at highest level renewed political commitment can be established • Through participation of all stakeholders ownership can be better established • Governmental structures related to the implementation of the SPS area are streamlined and made transparent • An overview of the common needs is established • A tool is established to manage the change process at the overall level • A tool is established to be used when addressing Donors, with clear objectives and defined activities and estimation of costs and information on the expected consequences