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

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

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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.)
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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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Approach to identify capacity building needs
Desired future improved situation
Current situation
Capacity building needs
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Analytical framework levels and dimensions of
capacity
Trade and market environment
Socio-economic and political environment
Governance
Education
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Analytical framework (2)
Level Dimensions of Capacity
System Level Policy framework Legal framework Organizational arrangements Coordination and communication
Organization Level Mandate Structure / culture / competencies Processes Human resources Financial resources Information resources Infrastructure, etc.
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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.

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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.

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Guidelines to assess capacity building needs (1)
Five Modules Food legislation Food control management Food inspection Food analysis laboratories Information, education and communications
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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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

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Quick Guide (4) Expected outputs
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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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Examples of TOT workshops

• FAO Sub-regional Workshop for East Africa -
  Strengthening National Food Control
  SystemsOrganized in collaboration with the
  Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS)48 December,
  2006, Bagamoyo, Tanzania
• FAO International Training Workshop - Assessing
  the Capacity Building Needs of National Food
  Control Systems28 November - 1 December 2006,
  Rome, Italy
• FAO/STDF/FSANZ Regional Workshop on assessing
  food safety capacity building needs
• November 2007, Beijing, China

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Examples of national 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)

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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.p
  df
• Quick guide to assess capacity building needs
• ftp//ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/010/a1142e/a1142e00.p
  df