Capacity evaluation tools

Promoting food safety, animal and plant health is vital for countries to protect health, access markets and trade, which in turn supports economic growth and livelihoods. For developing countries, this means putting in place SPS measures to meet the international standards set out in the WTO SPS Agreement. 

Evaluating SPS capacity on food safety, animal and plant health is a first step to identify and address priorities, including the development of needs-based projects. Tools developed by FAO/WHO, OIE and IPPC provide the evidence and knowledge for making informed decisions on SPS investments. 

Existing SPS-related capacity evaluation tools and their application

While the standards of Codex, WOAH and IPPC are recognized by the SPS Agreement, many more organizations are involved in SPS capacity building and have developed accompanying evaluation tools:

Briefing - Driving knowledge on food safety, animal and plant health: SPS capacity evaluation tools in action

Access the briefing here

Publication on capacity evaluation tools 

The STDF released a publication providing information on the scope and use of 12 capacity evaluation tools developed by international organizations. This publication is a useful reference for all those interested in evaluating capacity needs in the SPS area. It covers sectoral tools related to food safety, animal and plant health, as well as cross-sectoral tools and related methodologies.