WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/GEN/872 
10 September 2008 
 (08-4247) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
   
SPS/STDF/OECD WORKSHOP ON 
GOOD PRACTICE IN SPS-RELATED TECHNICAL COOPERATION 
 
 
 Background research has been funded by the STDF for consideration at the workshop on 
good practice in SPS-related technical cooperation,  which is being organized jointly by the SPS 
Committee, Standards and Trade Development Fac ility (STDF) and Organisation for Economic Co-
operation and Development (OECD) , in Geneva on 6 October 2008. 
  The STDF research is based on replies from WTO Members and OECD Development Assistance Committee Contact Points  to the request for informati on on good practice in SPS-related 
technical cooperation, circulated to th e SPS Committee in document G/SPS/GEN/816 and 
G/SPS/GEN/816/Add.1.  In this information request , Members were asked to identify one or more 
SPS-related technical assistance projects which could be considered as examples of good practice in 
one or more of the following regions:  Central America, East Africa and the Greater Mekong Delta 
Sub-region.
1.  A total of 24 projects were nominated by 19 organizations in response to this request. 
 
 In-depth research has been undertaken on the projects nominated as examples of good 
practice in response to G/SPS/GEN/816 by a team of three consultants:  Mr Jason Hafmeister, Mr Spencer Henson and Mr Cornelis van der Meer.     Attached is the report of Mr Kees van der Meer.  This report examines the projects submitted 
as examples of good practice in the Greater Mekong Sub-region. 
  This report has been prepared under the c onsultant's own respons ibility and is without 
prejudice to the WTO Secretariat, the positions of Members or to their rights or obligations under the WTO.  
 
 
 
   
 
   
 
   
                                                
 
1 The following countries were included in the research:  Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, 
Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama for Central America;  Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda for East Africa; and Cambodia, Lao People's Democratic Republic and Viet Nam for the Greater Mekong Delta Sub-region. G/SPS/GEN/872 
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Good Practice in SPS-related  
Technical Cooperation 
Greater Mekong Sub-region: Cambodia,  
Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Viet Nam 
  
Research work for the Standards and Trade Development Facility 
 
Kees van der Meer 
Laura L. Ignacio 
 
 
  
September 2008 
   
 
  
 
  
This report was prepared for the STDF/OECD Worksh op on Good Practices in SPS-related Technical 
Cooperation, 6 October 2008, Geneva .  It reflects the views of the au thors alone and does not represent 
the views of the STDF or any of its partner agencies or donors. 
 
   G/SPS/GEN/872 
 Page iii 
 
 
   
 
Table of Contents 
 
  
 
Executive summary ....................................................................................................................... vii 
 
I. GOOD PRACTICE IN SPS-RELATED TECHNICAL COOPERATION .......................1 
Introduction ................................................................................................................... .................. 1 
SPS capacity building as part of development cooperation............................................................. 1 
 
II. OVERVIEW OF PROJECTS SURVEYED .........................................................................3 
Methodology.................................................................................................................... ................ 3 
Overview of projects ........................................................................................................... ............ 4 
Overview of questionnaire surveys (G/SPS/GEN/816)................................................................... 7 
 
III. PARAMETERS OF GOOD PRACTICE IN THE DELIVERY AND RECEIPT OF SPS-
RELATED TECHNICAL COOPERATION ...............................................................................11 
The importance of absorptive capacity.......................................................................................... 11 
Parameters of good practice in pr oject preparation and design ..................................................... 12 
Parameters of good practi ce in implementation ............................................................................ 15 
Parameters of good practi ce in regional projects........................................................................... 17 
 
IV. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ...............................................................20 
 
Annex 1:  Project information for six surveyed projects..................................................................23 Annex 2:  List of persons interviewed.......................................................................................... ....40 
 
Refere nces ..................................................................................................................... ...................42 
 
 G/SPS/GEN/872 
Page iv  
 
  Abbreviations and Acronyms 
 
ADB  Asian Development Bank 
AFTA  ASEAN Free Trade Area ASEAN Association of Southeast Asian Nations AusAID Australian Agency for International Development 
BOA  Board of Accreditation, Viet Nam 
CARD  Collaboration for Agriculture and Rural Development, Viet Nam 
CLV  Cambodia, Lao PDR, Viet Nam CLMV  Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Viet Nam CSF  Classical Swine Fever DAFF  Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry 
DANIDA Danish International Development Agency 
DISM  Department of Intellectual Property,  Standardization and Metrology, Lao PDR 
DOLF  Department of Livestock and Fisheries EC  European Commission EP  Enquiry Point 
ETV2  European Technical Assistance Programme for Viet Nam (2
nd programme) 
EU  European Union FAO  Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations FDD  Food and Drug Department FDQCC Food and Drug Quality Control Center FIBOZOPA Fishborne zoonotic parasites 
FMD  Foot and mouth disease 
FSPS  Fisheries Sector Programme Support FZP  Fishborne zoonotic parasites GAP  Good agricultural practice GHP  Good hygienic practice 
GMP Good manufacturing practice 
GMS Greater Mekong Subregion, which includes Cambodia, China (Yunnan Province and 
Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region), Lao PD R, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam 
HACCP Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points HPAI  Highly pathogenic avian influenza IF Integrated Framework for Trade-Related Technical Assistance to Least Developed 
Countries 
ISC  Department Standardization Organization ISO  International Standardization Organization JICA  Japan International Cooperation Agency Lao PDR Lao People’s Democratic Republic 
MAF  Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Lao PDR 
MARD   Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development MIME
  Ministry of Industry, Mine and Energy, Cambodia 
MOH  Ministry of Health MOST  Ministry of Science and Technology, Viet Nam  
NAHC  National Animal Health Center 
MUTRAP Multilateral trade assistance project NAFIQAD  National Agro-Forestry and Fisheries Quality Assurance Department 
NAFIQAVED National Fisherie s Quality Assurance and Veterinary Directorate 
NCD  Newcastle disease 
NORAD Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation NSTA  National Science and Technology Authority 
OECD   Organisation for Economic  Co-operation and Development 
OIE  World Organisation for Animal Health  G/SPS/GEN/872 
 Page v 
 
 
  PCB  Phytosanitary capacity building 
PPC  Plant Protection Centre, Lao PDR PQ  Plant Quarantine PQD  Plant Quarantine Division PRA  Pest risk assessment 
PRRS  Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome 
QUATEST Quality Assurance and Testing Centre RCU  Regional Coordination Unit RIA  Research Institute of Aquaculture RPS  Regional partnerships scheme 
SEAFMD Southeast Asian Foot and Mouth Disease Control Programme 
SECO  State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, Switzerland SEDP  Socio-Economic Development Plan SMTQ  Standards, metrology, testing and quality SPS  Sanitary and phytosanitary  
SPSCBP The Sanitary and Phytosanitary Capacity Building Program 
STAMEQ Directorate for Standards, Metrology and Quality STDF  Standards and Trade Development Facility TA  Technical assistance TAD  Transboundary animal disease TBT  Technical barriers to trade 
TCP  Technical Cooperation Project 
TDF  Trade Development Facility UNCTAD United Nations Committe e on Trade and Development 
UNIDO  United Nations Industria l Development Organization 
USDA  United States Department of Agriculture 
VINALIVESCO Viet Nam National Livestock Corporation 
VCCI  Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry VMI  Viet Nam Metrology Institute WB  World Bank WHO  World Health Organization WTO  World Trade Organization 
 
 G/SPS/GEN/872 
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Currencies  
 
1 US Dollar (US$) = AUS$ 1.1343      
AUS$ 1 = US$ 0.8816 
 
1 US Dollar (US$) = € 0.6793 
€ 1 = US$ 1.472 
 
1 US Dollar (US$) = ¥114  
¥ 1 = US$ 0.00877 
 
1 US Dollar (US$) = DKK 5.0753   
DKK 1 = US$ 0.197  
 
 
 
 
Note : Exchange rates as of end of 2007. 
Source : IMF International Financial Statistics  G/SPS/GEN/872 
 Page vii 
 
 
  EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 
This research work seeks to identify good practi ce in the delivery and receipt of SPS-related 
technical cooperation in the Greater Mekong Sub -region (GMS) countries of Cambodia, Lao PDR and 
Viet Nam.  The research has been funded by the Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF) 
as part of its collaboration with the Organisa tion of Economic Co-ope ration and Development 
(OECD) on the monitoring of Aid for Trade.  
SPS assistance and development cooperation     
SPS capacity building is a relatively new area of de velopment cooperation. There is a need to 
learn from experiences and move towards consensu s about what works and what constitutes good 
practice. There are as yet no specific global evaluations of SPS assistance. However, recent 
evaluations of trade-facilitation projects, as well as of technical assistance projects focused on food 
safety, and animal and plant health, have findings relevant to assistance in the area of SPS.  
The quality and relevance of technical assistance (TA) for SPS capacity building could benefit 
from better use of general frameworks on goals and effectiveness of development cooperation, 
especially the:  
• UN Millennium Declaration and the Mille nnium Development Goals (MDGs) (2000)  
• Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness (2005) and   
• OECD analysis of trade related assistance (2007)  
SPS capacity building can significantly contribute to MDGs.  By increasing capacity for plant 
and animal health and food safety, SPS assistan ce can increase income from productive employment 
thereby contributing to the reduction of povert y and hunger (MDG1).  Improved food safety in 
developing countries contributes to reduced child mo rtality (MDG4), and incidence of major diseases 
(MDG6).  Assisting developing economies to me et international SPS requirements and increase 
exports of food and agricultural products to market s in developed countries contributes to the goal of 
further developing an open trading system that  is rule-based, predictable and non-discriminatory 
(MDG8).  
Methodology  
A survey questionnaire, developed jointly by the STDF and OECD Secretariat, was 
distributed to WTO member countries and OECD Development Assistance Committee contact points 
in January 2008.  They were asked to nominate projects that they considered as examples of good 
practice and to provide information on aspects of re levance, efficiency, effectiveness, impact and 
sustainability. 
Projects  
Ten projects were nominated as examples of good practice in the Greater Mekong Sub-region 
(see Table 1 below).  The topics covered important areas of SPS, notably food safety, plant and 
animal health, SPS Enquiry Points and standards, metrology, testing and quality (SMTQ) aspects. In 
some of these projects, SPS issues were one of a number of issues addressed.  For MUTRAP II and 
the SMTQ projects, the SPS issues are smaller components of broader projects. The FIBOZOPA addresses domestic public health concerns and no t market access issues. The training course on 
thermal treatment of fruit flies nom inated by JICA was a component of a bigger technical cooperation 
project (TCP) on disinfestation techniques for fruit flies in dragon fruit and the whole TCP was 
included as well.  G/SPS/GEN/872 
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  Three of the ten projects (SPSCBP, SEAFMD and NORAD-UNIDO) are regional in 
character.   Viet Nam was a beneficiary of eight of the ten projects.  Cambodia participated in three regional projects and had two stand alone projects.   Lao PDR participated in the three regional 
projects. 
Of the ten projects nominated in response to th e survey, six were selected (Projects 1-6 in 
Table 1 below) for more in-depth research.  Furthe r information was gathered from interviews with 
donors, implementing agencies and beneficiaries in Cambodia, Lao PDR and Viet Nam.  
Table 1.  Projects nominated as examples of good practice in response  
to the WTO/OECD survey 
 
1. Market Access and Trade Facilitation Support fo r Mekong Delta Countries through Strengthening 
Institutional and National Capacities Relate d to SMTQ Phase I by NORAD and UNIDO 
SMTQ project for Cambodia, Lao PDR and Viet Nam 
2. Market Access Support for Viet Nam Through the Strengthening of Capacities Related to Metrology, 
Testing and Conformity by SECO and UNIDO 
  SMTQ project for Viet Nam  
3. Southeast Asia Foot and Mouth Disease (SEAFMD) by AusAID and OIE 
Animal health project for Southeast Asian countries 
4. Multilateral Trade Assistance Project  Viet Nam II (MUTRAP II) by EC 
Project on WTO Accession and SPS/TBT Agreement for Viet Nam 
5. Fish-borne Zoonotic Parasites (FIBOZOPA) by DANIDA 
Food safety project for Viet Nam 
6. Plant Quarantine II–Thermal Treatment for the Disinfestation of Fruit Flies by JICA 
Plant health project for Viet Nam 
7. Sanitary and Phytosanitary Capacity Building Programme (SPSCBP) by AusAID 
Project with plant health and animal health components for ASEAN countries 
8. Zoonotic and Animal Diseases A ffecting Trade in Viet Nam by SECO 
Animal health and food safety project for Viet Nam 
9. Follow up to Regional Laboratory Diagnostic Workshop by USDA 
Animal health project for Cambodia 
10. Costs of Agri-food Safety and SPS Compliance by UNCTAD 
General SPS project for Cambodia 
Source :  Responses to G/SPS/GEN/816 
 
Absorptive capacity    
The absorptive capacity of a country is a majo r factor in the successful implementation of 
SPS capacity building projects and most often expl ains the differences in outcomes among countries 
for a regional project—a project may work well for one country but may have weaker impacts on 
another country with less absorptive capacity.  Smaller countries have difficulty in mobilizing 
sufficient critical mass of financial and human r esources for specialized institutions and specialist 
tasks that are needed for SPS management.  Human resource constraints often include skills for policy 
analysis and management.  With increased economic  development some of these constraints can be 
overcome.  However, some factors affecting abso rptive capacity, such as governance and institutional 
arrangements, can only be changed in the long-term .  Thus, good practice s hould be understood in the 
context of a country’s absorptive capacity.  The main conclusion arising is that  a country’s absorptive 
capacity should be adequately considered  in project design and implementation.  G/SPS/GEN/872 
 Page ix 
 
 
  Project design       
Sufficient time should be available for thorough preparation, which includes broad 
participation, needs assessment and transparency.  Pr eparation for SPS projects requires, first of all, 
needs assessment that caters to a broader public pers pective than the interest  of government agencies 
and specific private enterprises/sectors which ma y be the immediate focus of the project.   
A good project design affects the ease with which the project is implemented.  An important 
attribute for a project is a good logical framewo rk.  This facilitates subsequent monitoring and 
evaluation given the set outputs, activities and i ndicators.  The size and time frame of the projects 
should depend on the complexity of the issues involved.  Generally, SPS capacity building in 
developing countries, particularly if it involves la boratories, legal frameworks and institutions, is a 
long-term process which requires much dialogue , policy development, legal and institutional 
adjustments, technical training and continued funding .  Finally, for most projects, implementation is 
still undertaken by donors, international agencies and consultants rather than by recipients due to 
limited management and technical skills in the r eceiving agencies, pressure to spend money quickly, 
or fear for inappropriate use of resources.  The good practice conclusions arising include: 
• Thorough preparation that includes consulta tion with beneficiaries and counterparts 
to clarify roles and responsibilities and to prepare for execution by the recipient.  
• Needs assessments should take a broade r public perspective (MDGs) than the 
interest of services and private enterprises served. 
• Assessment of relevance is an important aspect of needs assessment. 
• Beneficiaries should be involved in project design.  
• Ensure transparency in project preparation. 
• Incorporating a log frame at the proj ect design phase enhances results-based 
management in implementation of SPS cap acity building projects, and supports 
monitoring and evaluation.  
• Project design with balanced input of expertise in development assistance, project 
management and technical expertise.  
• The size, scope and duration of a project should be sufficiently tailored to the 
complexity of the problems to be solved. 
• Ensure donor coordination.   
• Projects should be implemented by national authorities, where possible, to promote 
ownership and learning. 
Project implementation       
During the implementation phase of a project, important parameters of good practice are 
flexibility, transparency, monitoring and evaluatio n, integration of training and provision of 
equipment, and the provision of training on management.  In most of the nominated projects, 
adjustments were made in either the budget or time frame to accomplish the set objectives.  For  
projects involving laboratory skills, a key parame ter is the interlinked approach of providing 
equipment together with training and institution building.  Monitoring and evaluation (M&E) is 
important for accountability, transparency, feed back on management and ongoing learning.  The 
good practice lessons arising include: 
• Allow for flexibility in project implementation. G/SPS/GEN/872 
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  • Promote transparency about important decisions and budget allocations and create 
effective mechanisms for communication with stakeholders. 
• Active involvement of stakeholders, in particular the private sector is crucial for 
project effectiveness and sustainability. 
• Combine support for training, institution building and provision of equipment in 
integrated hands-on projects. 
• Incorporating a system for M&E, based on the project log frame, and allocating 
sufficient resources for M&E activities are important for accountability, 
transparency and ongoing improvement. 
• Integrate management training into SPS capacity building projects, especially in 
countries with weak absorptive capacity.  
• Separate regulatory powers and service provision. 
Each of the nominated projects explicitly or implic itly contributes to some of the desirable higher-
level objectives of poverty reduction, improved human  health and market access, though impacts are 
mixed.  The projects are also aligned with national development strategies.  
Regional level  
A regional approach is suitable when dealin g with cross-boundary issues such as the 
management of plant and animal health hazards, an d harmonization needed for economic integration.  
There is synergy in joint action in areas of ec onomic cooperation, promoti on of trade and managing 
cross-boundary risks in plant health, animal hea lth and food safety.  The SEAFMD model has proven 
to be technically good practice and, with adjust ments, could be applied to other transboundary 
diseases if sufficient resources are available and pr ojects economically feasible.  However, such 
projects require long periods for preparation and decision making and incur relatively high costs. 
Moreover, complications arise from the differen ces in needs, potential benefits and absorptive 
capacity. Activities that address specific national needs and capacity are generally most cost-
effectively carried out in stand-alone projects given differences in capacity.  These differences may be 
eased by training provided by the more advanced countries in the region.  Therefore, the focus of 
regional projects should be selective. Th e good practice lessons arising include: 
• Conduct capacity building as much as possible at the national level, and focus 
regional approaches on particular areas of  interaction and interdependency among 
countries. 
• More advanced countries in the region o ffer training to staff from less developed 
neighbouring countries.  
 
Conclusions 
Good practices that are replicable are those i nvolved with the proper design and effective 
implementation of projects.  The needs for SPS cap acity differ much between countries, depending on 
many factors, and determining appropriate assi stance should take into account the country’s 
absorptive capacity.  Projects in Vi et Nam appeared to be better tailored to needs and absorptive 
capacity than similar ones in Cambodia and Lao PDR, which contributed to fewer problems of 
sustainability and effectiveness.   For the delivery and receipt of SPS-related technical assistance, the 
main conclusions arising are: 
• Cross-cutting activities can have significan t value added for SPS capacity building.  G/SPS/GEN/872 
 Page xi 
 
 
  • The level of commitment and involvement, including political support, of 
beneficiaries contributes to the success of the project.  
• There is great need for good quality a nd well-targeted technical assistance.  
  G/SPS/GEN/872 
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 I. GOOD PRACTICE IN SPS-RELATED TECHNICAL COOPERATION  
Introduction 
1. This study is part of research on good prac tice in the delivery and receipt of SPS-related 
technical cooperation, carried out by the Standa rds and Trade Development Facility (STDF) in 
collaboration with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).  The aim 
of this research is to examine the impact and effectiveness of SPS-related technical assistance and 
identify good practice that coul d be replicated elsewhere. 
2. This good practice research builds on previous  research work and regional consultations, 
which took place in East Africa, the Caribbean and Greater Mekong Sub-Region within the Aid for Trade Initiative to synthesize the results of existing SPS capacity evaluations, develop an inventory of 
technical assistance and identify gaps and priorities not being addressed.  It aims to identify elements 
of good practice in project design, implementation, outputs and the achievement of higher-order objectives that could be applied in future activities.  It  is to be stressed that the present study is not an 
evaluation of the projects surveyed.  
3. The second part of this Chapter looks at SPS cap acity building projects within the framework 
of development cooperation and in particular th e Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Paris 
Principles on Aid Effectiveness.  Chapter 2 expl ains the methodology of this research work and 
provides an overview of the surveyed projects.  Ch apter 3 discusses the parameters of good practice in 
the delivery and receipt of SPS-related technical a ssistance.  The final chapter provides conclusions 
and recommendations.    
SPS capacity building as part of development cooperation  
4. The purpose of SPS capacity building is to enab le countries to receive the full benefit of 
participation in the multilateral rules-based system for international trade established by the WTO.  
These benefits include job generation, increased in comes, and improved pub lic health, among others. 
5. SPS capacity building is a relatively new area of development coope ration.  SPS-related 
technical assistance builds on previous work in promo ting food safety, plant health and animal health.  
But it does more than that.  It also aims to provide tools for successful participation in trade 
opportunities opened up by the WTO, and other bila teral and regional trade agreements. Since SPS 
themes are cross-cutting and often require expertise from several professions and disciplines, there is 
a need to learn from recent experiences and work  towards consensus about what works and what 
constitutes good practice. 
6. This report considers SPS capacity building as part of official development cooperation.
2  
However, given its specialized nature, it is ofte n somewhat isolated from mainstream development 
cooperation.  It is important to increase the profile of SPS capacity building at the country level, raise 
understanding about the linkages and synergies between SPS-related activities and technical 
assistance in other areas (agriculture, trade, health , etc.) and better integrate SPS-related assistance 
into overall development policy approaches and asses s its performance within relevant frameworks 
for development cooperation (see Box 1).  
                                                 
2 Some of the providers prefer to speak about t echnical assistance and not consider themselves as 
development agencies. G/SPS/GEN/872 
Page 2  
 
  Box 1.  SPS assistance within the framework of development cooperation 
 
   
 
    
 
    
 
  
Sources :  OECD 2005; OECD 2006; and OECD 2007.    
                http://www.un.org/mille nniumgoals/index.html#  
7. There are no specific global evaluations of SPS assistance however, there are some relevant 
general evaluations of trade-facilitation projects ( OECD analysis of trade-related assistance,  see Box 
1).   Although these evaluations do not specifically refer to SPS, the analytical framework and generic 
findings provide an important input for assessment of  good practice in technical assistance in the area 
of SPS.  Most likely, there will be differences be tween SPS and other areas of trade facilitation related 
to the technical characteristics of human and agri cultural health and the specific character of the 
institutions involved, but there are also common findi ngs that need to be taken into consideration and 
that link these studies to a broader perspective. 
8. Good projects and good practices      A project can be judged by the results it produces and by 
the way the project is executed.  The criteria for good projects are that they produce desirable results 
and that they are implemented in a cost-effective wa y.  Most basic is that a project produces desirable 
results.  Good practice is about effectiveness and effi ciency in which desirable results are achieved.  
For example, a good needs assessment for training leads to outputs (skills) for which there is 
employment.  In most cases, genuine needs are targeted, yet project efficiencies are still critically 
dependent on the way the project is conducted.  Good design and management  may avoid delays in 
implementation, and provide desirable results  to recipients with high efficiency. The following are of special relevance for discussing quality and relevance of SPS assistance:  
 UN Millennium Declaration and the Mille nnium Development Goals (MDGs) (2000) 
The MDGs are measurable and time-bound goals for development cooperation. The question on 
how SPS capacity building in general can contribute to reaching these MDGs is relevant for 
discussing good practice.  
 Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness (2005)  
The Paris Principles on Aid Effectiveness:  Ownership, Harmonization, Alignment and Mutual 
Accountability  formulate the commitments of donors and recipients about the way development 
cooperation should be implemented. These co mmitments include a number of criteria and 
principles that are of direct importance for asse ssing good practice in capacity building projects: 
relevance, efficiency, effectiven ess, impact and sustainability. For the purpose of assessing good 
practice in SPS capacity building, the following criteria for good practice can be highlighted: 
• Country ownership, country implementation 
• Donor assistance integrated  in national frameworks 
• Harmonization of donor efforts 
• Result-based management 
• Mutual accountability and transparency  
 OECD analysis of trade-related assistance (2007)  
The OECD analysis of trade-related assistance us es the Paris Principles to assess the rapidly 
growing volume and value of trad e-related development support and, accordingly, identified a 
number of weaknesses. A recent review of SPS needs assessment (Van der Meer 2007) suggests 
that several of the identified weaknesses may al so apply also to SPS capacity building in 
Cambodia, Lao PDR and Vietnam. Some main points are: 
• needs assessments are generally unsatisfactory and affect the effectiveness of capacity 
building efforts; 
• SPS capacity building appears to be implemen ted in isolation from broader development 
projects; 
• the mission of aid agencies is generally to promote poverty reduction, but the link 
between trade capacity building and poverty outcomes deserves more attention; and 
• donor coordination is weak.    G/SPS/GEN/872 
 Page 3 
 
 
 9. SPS capacity building can contribute to several of the Millennium Development Goals 
(MDGs), which are the overarching goals for de velopment cooperation adopted by the United 
Nations.  The most important contribution of SPS capacity building is the eradication of extreme 
poverty and hunger (MDG1) through increased income from productive employment.  Improved food safety in developing countries can contribute to reduced child mortality (M DG4), and incidence of 
major diseases (MDG6).  SPS capacity also enabl es countries to trade in food and agricultural 
products, contributing to the further developm ent of an open trading system (MDG8).  
10. Increased SPS capacity can contribute to po verty reduction (MDG1) in several ways: 
• Through increased market access, more productive employment and income can be generated 
for farmers and those seeking jobs through participation in production for export.  
• Better control of plant and animal pest and diseases will result in an improved agricultural 
health status and reduced losses of stock and production. This will create more and cheaper 
food supply for consumers and more income fo r those engaged in agricultural production and 
export. 
• Safer food will result in improved human health  status. This contributes to net welfare 
through reduced cost for treatment of human diseases and fewer unproductive or lost work 
days. 
• Improved control of plant and animal pests and diseases and improved food safety may be 
indispensable for creating net income through participation in high-end markets and adding 
value in the supply chain. 
11. Improved SPS capacity does not emerge spontaneously.  In many cases, they have to be 
preceded by improved awareness among beneficiaries,  stakeholders, and high-level decision makers 
about the importance of SPS capacity and their pote ntial contribution to higher-level outcomes such 
as trade, employment, increased inco mes, foreign exchange earnings, etc.  Such increased awareness, 
though a necessary condition for successful capacity-build ing, is not sufficient.  There should also be 
adequate SPS management capacity: 
• to identify and prioritize areas of high return for SPS capacity building; 
• to design SPS projects;  
• to maintain SPS infrastructure; and 
• to mobilize resources for SPS capacity building. 
12. It is important to note here that SPS capac ity can rarely achieve development goals in 
isolation; many other factors contribute as well and ca n play more important roles.  Examples of such 
other factors are a good business climate, governance, infrastructure, and human skills.  The impact of 
SPS capacity building efforts can be negatively affected by ignoring these other factors.  
 
II. OVERVIEW OF PROJECTS SURVEYED 
Methodology 
13. In January 2008, STDF requested WTO Member s, as well as OECD Development Assistance 
Committee contact points, to identify and provid e information on SPS-related technical assistance G/SPS/GEN/872 
Page 4  
 
  projects that are considered as examples of good practice (G/SPS/GEN/816).  The survey 
questionnaire, developed jointly by the STDF a nd OECD, follows OECD Development Assistance 
Committee criteria:  relevance, efficiency, eff ectiveness, impact and sustainability (see Box 1). 
14. Eleven international and donor agencies nominat ed ten projects (see Table 2) in Cambodia, 
Lao PDR and Viet Nam as examples of good prac tices.  The questionnaires, thus, represent 
perspectives of the donors and international agencies.    The consultants and STDF then selected six of 
the ten nominated projects to be used as basis for a more detailed in-country field work to obtain the 
views of beneficiaries.  The field work in Cambodi a, Lao PDR and Viet Nam consisted of interviews 
with donors, implementing agencies and beneficiaries3 on the various aspects of the delivery and 
receipt of these projects similar to the topics in th e donor questionnaire, to be able to explore in 
greater detail practices that enabled effective implem entation and sustained benefits of the projects.  
15. This study is based on information derived from the interviews, r esponses to the survey 
questionnaires and other relevant documentation, including project evaluations and annual reports 
(see References). 
16.  Limitations and constraints of research work      The findings and conclusions drawn in this 
report are based on sufficient evidence, however , the detail and precision are in some cases 
constrained by the limited coverage of the nominated  projects, the time available for the research, the 
availability of documentation, and the number of inte rviews that could be conducted.  Two specific 
limitations encountered were the following: 
• Many of the interviewees for various reasons ha d only fragmented information of the project 
and could answer only a limited number of the questions.  Often they had not been involved 
throughout all stages of the project and its components.  This was, in particular, the case for 
projects with a long time span (UNIDO projects and SEAFMD), regional projects (SEAFMD, 
SPSCBP, UNIDO-NORAD) and projects with many diverse components (MUTRAP II).   
• While (mid-term) evaluation reports contain mu ch valuable information, they focus on the 
project as a whole.  Their findings about diverse project components in different countries are sometimes not sufficiently specific for the purpose of a study of this nature. Moreover, some of the evaluation reports are several years old and some of their expectations appear not to 
have materialized.  In some cases (UNIDO and MUTRAP II), SPS activities are just one 
small component of a broader project and the gene ral evaluation findings do not fully apply to 
the SPS components.  
Overview of projects 
17. There were eleven responses to the survey questionnaires nominating ten projects as 
examples of good practice.  Two respondents (OIE  and AusAID) nominated the same project 
(SEAFMD).  Table 2 provides general information for the ten nominated projects. 
18. SPS topics The ten projects nominated represent a good cross-section of SPS-related 
technical cooperation.   Four of the ten projects were on animal health:  control and management of 
disease (SEAFMD), risk assessment (SECO Zoonotic), diagnosis (USDA lab training) and integrated 
disease risk management (component of SPSCBP).  On plant health, one project was about plant 
health quarantine treatment techniques (JICA) a nd one on pest surveillance and diagnosis (another 
component of SPSCBP).  Two projects were concerne d with food safety, one on animal products in 
general (SECO Zoonotic) and one on fish products  (FIBOZOPA).  Three projects contributed to 
diagnostic capacity or standards, metrology, testing and quality (SMTQ) (NORAD-UNIDO, SECO-
                                                 
3 The list of people interviewed is in Annex 2.  G/SPS/GEN/872 
 Page 5 
 
 
 UNIDO and USDA lab training) and two had a broader focus – one on WTO accession (MUTRAP II) 
and one was a SPS needs assessment study (UNCTAD). 
19. SPS scope      The projects differ with regard to SPS content.  The SMTQ projects had a 
limited scope on SPS issues.  Similarly, MUTRAP II was more on trade policy and trade promotion.  The focus of the FIBOZOPA project appeared mainly  on domestic food safety c oncerns related to raw 
fish consumption and not on market access issues.  Th e trematode problem in fish products targeted is 
a domestic human health concern;  there ar e no international requirements for fresh fish
4.  SEAFMD, 
SPSCBP and JICA were the only projects entirely about SPS issues.  Nonetheless, there are lessons that may be gleaned from the non-SPS projects or components as well, considering parallel issues in capacity building. 
20. Individual and multi-country      Viet Nam was involved with eight of the ten projects:  five 
were country projects (JICA, FIBOZOPA, SEC O Zoonotic, MUTRAP II and SECO-UNIDO) and 
three were regional projects (SPSCBP, SEAFMD and NORAD-UNIDO). Cambodia participated in the three regional projects and had two country pr ojects:  USDA lab training and UNCTAD.  Lao 
PDR was involved in the three regional projects. 
21. This distribution is consistent  with findings of earlier studies of SPS assistance in the region, 
that is that Viet Nam is the major recipient of  such assistance.  An STDF overview of supply and 
demand of SPS assistance in the Greater Mekong delta  Sub-Region estimated that US$162 million in 
assistance was received by Viet Nam over the period 2001-2006.  This amount only pertains to 
individual country assistance and does not include be nefits obtained from Viet Nam's share of the 
US$200 million in assistance at regional level for ASEAN members (Ignacio 2007). 
22. Types of assistance      With regard to the main types of SPS assistance (see Box 2), 
MUTRAP II provided information and training assistance.  Three projects (NORAD-UNIDO, SECO-UNIDO and SEAFMD) contributed to hard infrastruct ure development.  Six were soft infrastructure 
development assistance that consisted of capacity  building in risk assessment (FIBOZOPA and SECO 
Zoonotic), laboratory skills (JICA and USDA lab training), establishment of disease-free areas 
(SEAFMD) and SPS needs assessment (UNCTAD). 
 
                                                 
4 Fish products are considered safe after sufficient cooking or freezing below 18°C. G/SPS/GEN/872 
Page 6  
 
  Table 2.  Projects nominated as examples of good practice 
in SPS-related technical assistance 
1. Market Access and Trade Facilitation S upport for Mekong Delta Countries Through 
Strengthening Institutional and National Capaci ties Related to SMTQ Phase I (NORAD-UNIDO) 
Donor/Intl Agency : NORAD, UNIDO 
Countries : Cambodia, Lao PDR and Viet Nam 
SPS topic : SMTQ TBT and SPS 
Assistance : Soft and hard infrastructure Brief description : Overall support for SMTQ that 
included an initial assessment of gaps, provision of 
trainings, workshops and equipment 
2. Market Access Support for Viet Nam Throug h the Strengthening of Capacity Related to 
Metrology, Testing and Conformity (SECO-UNIDO) 
Donor/Intl Agency : SECO, UNIDO 
Country : Viet Nam 
SPS topic : SMTQ TBT and SPS 
Assistance : Soft and hard infrastructure Brief description : Overall assistance to SMTQ 
capacity that included equipment, facilities and 
support towards accreditation 
3. Southeast Asia Foot and Mouth Disease (SEAFMD)  
Donor/Intl Agency : OIE, AusAID 
Countries : Cambodia, Lao PDR, Viet Nam, 
Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, and the 
Philippines Assistance : Soft and hard infrastructure   SPS topic : Animal health 
Brief description : Coordination mechanism among 
animal health services of member countries to 
achieve progressive reduction of FMD, creation of disease-free zones and compartments 
4. Multilateral Trade Assistance Pr oject Viet Nam II (MUTRAP II)  
Donor : EC 
Country : Viet Nam 
Assistance : Information, training and hard 
infrastructure SPS topic : WTO Accession, SPS/TBT Agreement 
Brief description : Overall assistance to enable 
Viet Nam to satisfy WTO commitments with 
major support for the SPS/TBT Enquiry Points 
5. Fishborne Zoonotic Parasites (FIBOZOPA)  
Donor : DANIDA 
Country :  Viet Nam 
SPS topic : Food safety  
Assistance : Soft and hard infrastructure Brief description : 
Support for coordinated research on fish-borne zoonotic parasites (FZPs) that included fellowships 
for graduate studies, equipment and facilities 
6. Plant Quarantine II–Thermal Treatment fo r the Disinfestation of Fruit Flies (JICA)  
Donor : JICA 
Country : Viet Nam 
Assistance : Soft infrastructure SPS topic : Plant health 
Brief description :  Training course for two and a 
half months utilizing Japa nese experts and facilities 
7. Sanitary and Phytos anitary Capacity Building Programme (SPSCBP) 
Donor : AusAID 
Countries : Cambodia, Lao PDR, Viet Nam, 
Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, and the Philippines SPS topic : Plant health and animal health 
Assistance : Training, soft infrastructure   
Brief description : Capacity building in plant and 
animal health in ASEAN countries 
8. Zoonotic and Animal Diseases Affecting Trade in Viet Nam (SECO Zoonotic) 
Donor : SECO 
Country : Viet Nam 
Assistance : Soft infrastructure SPS topic : Animal health and food safety 
Brief description : Workshops on risk assessment of 
zoonotic and animal diseases 
9. Follow up to Regional Laboratory Diagnostic Workshop (USDA lab training) 
Donor : USDA 
Country : Cambodia 
Assistance : Soft infrastructure SPS topic : Animal health 
Brief description : Diagnostic capacity building to 
improve management and control of animal diseases 
10. Costs of Agri-food Safety  and SPS Complia nce (UNCTAD) 
Donor : UNCTAD 
Country : Cambodia 
Assistance : Soft infrastructure SPS topic : General 
Brief description :  Study of SPS capacity and needs 
in Cambodia 
Source: Responses to G/SPS/GEN/816. 
  G/SPS/GEN/872 
 Page 7 
 
 
 Box 2.  Type of SPS assistance 
 
   
 
   
 
Source: G/SPS/GEN/206 
 23. Supplementary project     In the course of the research wo rk, the authors learned that the 
nominated JICA project is a training course that  was one component of a larger JICA technical 
cooperation project (TCP) that aims to build capac ity on fruit fly disinfestation techniques for tropical 
fruit market access (see Box 5 of Annex 1e).  Given the significant potential of application for market access and the focus on SPS, the full proj ect was included in the research work. 
Overview of questionnaire surveys (G/SPS/GEN/816)   
24. Project design      Most of the projects (7 of 10) were initiated based on requests of 
beneficiaries;  only SPSCBP was initiated by the donor AusAID.  The beneficiaries were consulted 
with regard to the design of almost all of the projects;  UNCTAD was responsible for the SPS study.  All the projects were based on some form of needs assessment.  The UNCTAD study itself was the needs assessment.  For most of the projects, the needs assessments were focused on specific issues:  
capacity of labs, research, plant quarantine treatme nt techniques and other animal and plant health 
issues.  MUTRAP II had a broader scope of needs across different ministries and functions.  The 
UNIDO projects (NORAD and SECO) were based on needs assessment of the service provider, the 
SMTQ institutions and labs. 
Eight projects were based on previous work either  based on assistance of other donors or follow-up 
activities of earlier work of the same donor:  
• USDA lab training – follow-up of regional diagnostic workshops; 
• MUTRAP II and SEAFMD – subsequent phases of earlier projects; 
• JICA training course – part of regular JICA training programme; 
• UNCTAD study – made use of projects of other donors for its evaluation; 
• SPSCBP – based on AusAID’s and other donors’ projects; 
• SECO Zoonotic project – got the information from the Viet Nam SPS Action Plan that there 
was no project on risk assessment for animal diseases; There are four general categories of SPS-related techni cal assistance:  
• Information —assistance (conferences, seminars or workshops conducted) to improve 
awareness and general understanding of the SPS agreement either for public officials 
involved with SPS implementati on or policymaking or for the general public or media;  
• Training —assistance (seminars, workshops or trai ning courses) on specific SPS issues 
such as risk analysis, dispute settlements, and establishment of enquiry points; 
• Soft infrastructure development —assistance with more technical or scientific orientation 
such as training activities for veterinarians, plant pathologists, food chemists and microbiologists; development of SPS-related software or regulatory frameworks; 
consumer education programs; initiatives in harmonization of standards; training in 
certification, surveillance, risk assessment, laboratory practices, diagnostic techniques, 
HACCP techniques;
1 and 
• Hard infrastructure development —assistance that prov ides equipment and 
infrastructure, facilities, create databases, or establish systems (such as surveillance 
systems). G/SPS/GEN/872 
Page 8  
 
  • SECO-UNIDO project – complementary intervention to the NORAD-UNIDO work; and  
• FIBOZOPA – pilot project.      
25. Preparation      Table 3 illustrates how the donor respondents perceived the sufficiency of 
preparation time and information gathering.  
Table 3.  Preparation time and information gathering 
Level of sufficiency Projects 
80-100% SEAFMD (AusAID), JICA, SECO  zoonotic, SPSCBP, FIBOZOPA, UNCTAD 
60-80% NORAD-UNIDO, SEAFMD (OIE), USDA 
40-60% MUTRAP II, SECO-UNIDO 
20-40% None 
No response None 
Source: Responses to G/SPS/GEN/816 
 
26. In general, there was consulta tion with beneficiaries during the design phase, specifically with 
government institutions or counterparts.  For the UNIDO projects, there was consultation with the 
SMTQ institutions; for MUTRAP II, with the four ministries involved with SPS/TBT (i.e. 
Agriculture, Fisheries (formerly a ministry), Hea lth, and Trade);  and for the UNCTAD study, the SPS 
institutions or agencies.  DANIDA, USDA and SECO c onsulted with the relevant ministries, research 
institutions, laboratories, and plant and animal h ealth agencies for the FIBOZOPA, USDA lab training 
and SECO Zoonotic projects, respectively.  FIBOZO PA had two project preparatory workshops with 
stakeholders.  SEAFMD and JICA had broader cons ultations with governments:  SEAFMD consulted 
with ASEAN member countries and the ASEAN Secr etariat and JICA cons ulted with governments 
and ODA5 task members of recipient countries. 
27. Implementation      The projects were carried out either by the donor/international agency, 
independent contractor(s), the beneficiaries or a combination of parties (see Table 4). 
Table 4.  Project implementation 
Projects  Implementing offices 
JICA JICA 
UNCTAD UNCTAD 
SEAFMD OIE Regional Coordination Unit 
SECO and NORAD UNIDO (with SECO and NORAD as co-implementors) 
SECO zoonotic Independent contractor 
SPSCBP Australia’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry 
MUTRAP II Beneficiaries 
FIBOZOPA RIA1  with Danish counterpart 
USDA USDA, the trainers (independent contractors) and staff of lab 
Source: Responses to G/SPS/GEN/816 
 
28. Participation      Table 5 shows the extent of participation of beneficiaries.  For the SEAFMD, 
coordination is the main implementing activity th at is being carried out by the RCU; the OIE 
considers the beneficiaries to be more invol ved in developments in respective countries. 
                                                 
5 Official Development Assistance  G/SPS/GEN/872 
 Page 9 
 
 
 Table 5.   Participation of beneficiaries  
Level Projects 
80-100% SPSCBP, MUTRAP II, FIBOZOPA, JICA 
60-80% USDA, SEAFMD (AusAID) 
40-60% SECO-UNIDO, SECO zoonotic 
20-40% SEAFMD (OIE), UNIDO 
No response UNCTAD 
Source: Responses to G/SPS/GEN/816 
 
29. Beneficiaries provided in-kind contributions such as use of offices, venues and facilities, 
including laboratories, transportation and salarie s for government staff and, more importantly, 
contributed through the joint implementation of activities. They also provided significant inputs to needs assessment and data necessary for risk assessments. 
30. Difficulties      According to most respondents, no difficulty arose with the implementation of 
the projects.  However, MUTRAP II raised the issu e of coordination, with SPS being a concern of 
various ministries with varying capacity, but this  was resolved through regular policy networking 
sessions and workshops.  For the SEAFMD project, th e same concern was magnified given the need 
for coordination, not only across ministries in one country but across ASEAN countries with differing socio-economic circumstances.  The project, thus, assisted countries in finding bilateral donors to 
fund activities within countries and helped promote c ooperation at ministerial and department director 
level. 
31. Monitoring      For most of the projects, the dono rs and international organizations were 
involved in monitoring of projects.  For the SECO zoonotic project, an independent contractor was 
also involved.  Beneficiaries of FIBOZOPA a nd MUTRAP II were likewise involved.  For the 
SPSCBP and USDA lab training, all stakeholders (do nors, beneficiaries and independent contractors) 
were responsible for monitoring. 
32. Adjustments      Except for three projects, adjustments were made during the implementation 
of the projects either with regard to budget or timeframe.  Both donors and beneficiaries of SPSCBP 
and SEAFMD agreed to extend the time period to enab le the completion of objectives.  Adjustments 
to the budget were made for NORAD-UNIDO and MUTRAP II to allow for greater output; for 
MUTRAP II, the budget was adjusted to support training for risk assessment methodologies.  UNIDO, 
the implementing agency for the SECO-UNIDO project,  requested for an adjustment in budget and an 
extension of time period.  There were similar ad justments agreed upon by both beneficiaries and 
donors for the FIBOZOPA project. 
33. Evaluation      Almost all projects were evaluated (mid-term or final), or will shortly undergo 
evaluation (SPSCBP's evaluation was completed but no t available at the time of research); evaluations 
for the SECO zoonotic project will be completed by the end of 2008).  The USDA lab training had no formal evaluation but the USDA trainers (inde pendent contractors) provided observations. 
34. Sustainability      Donors/international agencies genera lly believe that benefits of the projects 
will continue even after funding has ceased because the beneficiaries have the capacity to sustain 
benefits (see Table 6).  One donor raised concerns about budgetary support constraints. All projects, 
except one, stated that capacity to sustain outcom es was assessed during the project's design phase.  G/SPS/GEN/872 
Page 10  
 
  Table 6.  Sustaining benefits without funding 
Level Projects 
Continuation of benefits without funding 
80-100% SECO-UNIDO, NORAD-UNIDO, FIBOZOPA, MUTRAP II, SEAFMD (OIE) 
60-80% USDA (ongoing) 
No response SECO zoonotic – forthcoming evaluation 
SPSCBP – ongoing, at that time 
SEAFMD (AusAID) – ongoing  
JICA – no data UNCTAD 
Capacity of beneficiaries to sustain benefit  
80-100% SECO-UNIDO, NORAD-UNIDO 
60-80% FIBOZOPA, MUTRAP II, SPS CBP, JICA, SEAFMD (OIE), USDA 
No response SEAFMD (AusAID), SECO zoonotic, UNCTAD 
Source: Responses to G/SPS/GEN/816 
 
35. Outputs and good practices      Most respondents to the survey stated that 80-100% of the 
project objectives/outputs were achieved.  USDA identifie d factors that affected results:  capacity of 
lab staff to absorb training and the availability of appropriate lab equipment and supplies. UNCTAD, 
SPSCBP, JICA and FIBOZOPA projec ts were considered as examples of good practice in terms of 
the project cycle.  OIE looked at SEAFMD as a good practice in terms of achieving higher-order objectives.  For respondents for USDA lab, MU TRAP II, NORAD-UNIDO and SEAFMD (AusAID) 
projects, the projects are examples of good practices both in the perspective of the project cycle and in the attainment of higher objectives.  On anothe r aspect, USDA, JICA and SECO believed the projects 
are examples of good practice because they filled a necessary gap in animal disease diagnosis, plant 
quarantine and risk assessment, respectively.  
• Following project cycle     Most respondents believed that activities and outputs were 
accomplished 80-100% according to the project cycle plan.  Two respondents (OIE and DANIDA for SEAFMD and FIBOZOPA, respectively) thought it was 60-80%.  
• Achieving higher-order objectives     Almost all of the projects indicated having impacts on 
higher-order objectives.  FIBOZOPA and two UNI DO projects were aligned with Viet Nam’s 
Five-Year Socio-Economic Development Plan .  MUTRAP II’s assistance focused on 
institutional capacity and mark et access.  SEAFMD has impa cts on veterinary services, 
market access and poverty alleviation through control of FMD, and provides an example of 
inter-country coordination. 
• Cost-effective      Nine respondents believed that their projects made an 80-100% cost-
effective contribution to address the objectives.  
36. Aspects of good practices      Respondents identified aspects of good practice exemplified by 
the projects that allowed the achievement of obj ectives and may be repeated in other projects.  
• Beneficiaries      On the part of beneficiaries, the level of commitment and involvement, 
including political support, contributes to the success of the project.  FIBOZOPA and UNIDO 
cited the involvement of beneficiaries during project design.  SECO and JICA stated that beneficiaries were cognizant of the importance of  and the benefits to be gained from the risk 
assessment and plant quarantine pr ojects.  In the SECO zoonotic project, special topics in risk 
assessment were selected by beneficiaries themselves. 
• Project design      On the part of donors and interna tional organizations, goo d preparations and 
planning, transparency and flexibility in pr oject management and the use of good quality  G/SPS/GEN/872 
 Page 11 
 
 
 technical expertise were identified as factors c ontributing to the attainment of objectives.  
SECO cited the use of a lean agency mode whic h made the project effective not only in terms 
of implementation but in costs as well.  UNIDO cited the use of an interlinked approach to strengthening SMTQ, notable by providing assist ance for both facilities and equipment, and 
training. 
• Synergies      USDA and OIE cited linkages with si milar and or related programmes of other 
donors and international organizations. 
 
III. PARAMETERS OF GOOD PRACTICE IN THE DELIVERY AND RECEIPT OF SPS-
RELATED TECHNICAL COOPERATION 
37. From a perspective of good practice in SPS cap acity building all the projects reviewed had 
strong and some weak points and something could be learned from each one.  Some good practices, 
such as good project design are generic and appl y nearly everywhere.  However, good practice 
depends much on the context.  What can be cons idered good practice in a large country may be bad 
practice in a small country and what works in a middle income country may not be feasible in a least developed country.  Some projects are regional and there are issues about what is good practice for 
regional projects.   
The importance of absorptive capacity 
38. The possibility of successful implementation of SPS capacity building projects depends much 
on the absorptive capacity of a country.  In the GM S area there are major differences in absorptive 
capacity.  Absorptive capacity in the region is best in Thailand and China, and most limited in Lao 
PDR and Cambodia, while Viet Nam is in-between.  This means that projects that can be successfully 
implemented in more advanced countries, such  as SEAFMD, can still be too complicated for 
countries with limited absorptive capacity.  Good practice should be understood in the context of a country’s absorptive capacity.  Th e absorptive capacity of a country  depends on many factors that 
change gradually over the medium and long term .  These factors include governance and cultural 
factors, country size and level of development. 
39. In terms of governance, the nature of institu tional arrangements for SPS differs considerably 
between countries.  While Viet Nam has established an effective SPS system and is making efforts to 
improve it, Lao PDR and Cambodia are establishing th e basic elements of their SPS systems.  These 
variations in institutional arrangements affect the le vel of national ownership of TA and the ability of 
countries to direct, manage and maximize the bene fits of SPS-related capacity building assistance.   
40. For larger countries it is easier to mobilize a sufficient critical mass of financial and human 
resources, including management skills, for specia lized institutions and specialist tasks to be 
performed in SPS management.  In smaller count ries, many potential activities compete for limited 
resources and capacity is spread thin ly.  Specific constraints include: 
• Available human capital within a country    The size of a country plays a major role but not 
exclusively.  In Lao PDR for example, ther e has been insufficient supply of academically 
trained specialists in food science, plant health  and animal health.  As a result the demand for 
specialists in SPS services cannot be met.   
• Access to financial resou rces within the country     Although outside financial support can be 
available, effectiveness and sustainability requi re that there is sufficient basic government 
budget for employing staff and funding operational cost.   G/SPS/GEN/872 
Page 12  
 
  41. With increased economic development some of th e constraints of being a small and resource-
poor country can be overcome; the supply of priv ate services will increase and there will be more 
competition, more diversity of inter est and more countervailing power.  
42. The importance of absorptive capacity is evid enced by the difference in success among the 
countries served by the three regional projects (SPSCBP, SEAFMD and NORAD-UNIDO). In many 
respects there was weaker performan ce in the countries with the lo west absorptive capacity.  This 
finding suggests that the outcomes of regional pr ojects could be improved by better tailoring support 
to in-country needs and conditions including ab sorptive capacity.  One size does not fit all.  
Good practice:  A country's absorptive capacity  should be adequately considered in project 
design and implementation.  
43. Good practices by projects with specific focus may be replicated successfully for similar 
products or diseases in situations where the absorptiv e capacity is sufficient and provided there is a 
similar need.  For example, the FIBOZOPA pr oject includes several good practice aspects in 
addressing risks of zoonotic parasites for consumers of  raw fish in Viet Nam.  These good practices 
could be adapted and applied to similar problems facing consumers in Cambodia and Lao PDR.  With 
the acquired skills and equipment, the JICA disinfesta tion project for fruit flies in dragon fruit in Viet 
Nam can be replicated for other fruit products .  The risk assessments performed for the SECO 
zoonotic project can be extended to other anim al diseases and the FIBOZOPA research may be 
applicable to other food-borne diseases.  With adaptation, the SEAFM D model is applicable to other 
diseases. 
Parameters of good practice in project preparation and design      
44. Good project design is crucial to enhance perfo rmance, impact and sustainability of capacity 
building projects.  Important issues related to proj ect preparation and design are discussed below, and 
good practices identified.   
45. Sufficient preparation      Good preparation is most important for capacity building processes 
that are complicated and take a long time to ma ture.  Adequate time and resources for preparation 
helps to ensure that stakeholders have a comm on understanding and expecta tions about the planned 
project and clearly understand their roles, respons ibilities and required inputs.  This contributes to 
smoother implementation, fewer delays and co mplications, and increased local ownership and 
accountability.   
Good practice:  Thorough preparation that includes consultation with beneficiaries and 
counterparts to clarify roles and responsibilities a nd to prepare for execution by the recipient.  
46. Almost all of the projects indicated that pr eparation time and information gathering was 
sufficient (80-100%).  The FIBOZOPA project did relatively well with a long and intense preparation over a three-year period.  The JICA project had a solid preparatory phase that included dialogue with 
Vietnamese counterparts.  USDA had numerous meetings  with the animal health lab officials. In 
general, there were consultati ons with government institutions or counterparts.       
47. Good needs assessment      Special interests may be very ent husiastic about proposed capacity 
building projects.  However, enthusiasm of the be neficiary is no guarantee for successful investment 
from a broader public perspective.  Service chiefs  and laboratories commonly face budget constraints, 
and external support that adds resources for e quipment and training is always welcome.  
Considerations of sustainability and cost-effectiv eness are not always a main concern for the public 
and private recipients of resources.   G/SPS/GEN/872 
 Page 13 
 
 
 Good practice:  Needs assessments should take  a broader public perspective (MDGs) than the 
interest of services and private enterprises served.  
48. Carrying out a needs assessment during project d esign is a useful way to seek the views of 
relevant public and private sector groups on the pro posed activities and identify costs and benefits.  A 
good needs assessment has to strike a balance be tween the narrow interest of institutions and 
enterprises on the one hand and broader more diffuse social and sectoral interests on the other.  A 
needs assessment is also important to provide much of the analytical informat ion needed for designing 
a log frame.  
49. Relevance      Assessment of relevance of project for the country, especially with regard to 
contribution to higher-levels of goals, should be part of needs assessment.  What is a priority for one 
country is not necessarily a priority for another c ountry and what is priority for commercial farmers 
may not be priority for smallholder farmers (see B ox 3).  ISO 17025 certification for a laboratory is 
much more relevant for a country with much export to high-end markets than for countries that hardly 
export or only export commodities to less demanding markets.  Quality management systems are crucial for enterprises exporting to developed country markets, but less economically feasible for 
small enterprises and those that serve less demanding domestic markets.  
Good practice:  Assessment of relevance is an important aspect of needs assessment. 
Box 3.  Diverging benefits from eradicating FMD  
 
FMD control is a top priority for OECD countries.  Outb reaks can cost billions of dollars of loss in trade 
and cost of culling.  The adoption of non-vaccinati on policies in OECD countrie s has made exports from 
developing countries with endemic FMD virtually impossible for the foreseeable future, and for OECD 
countries and exporting developing countries, outbreaks have become much more costly and the risks higher than they were before.  Because of the fina ncial risks related to FMD outbreaks, OECD countries 
give high priority to fighting FMD in developing countries in order to reduce risks of spill-over of 
outbreaks.  As a result, donor support for fighting FMD is more readily available than for other animal 
diseases (except for HPAI), regardless of their priority from a poverty reduction perspective.  
 For commercial farmers in Thailand and Viet Nam, FM D is a clear economic risk because of movement 
and domestic trade restrictions, and import bans by importing countries in the region in case of outbreaks. 
Disease-free zones and compartments can be established and be recognized by OIE and importing countries, but outbreaks from spill-over form permanent high risks for trade.  
Companies and commercial farmers in Thailand are exporting pork to Hong Kong (carcasses), Singapore 
(cooked meat), and Japan (processed meat, for which 25 factories have been approved).  There is a general belief among professionals that the Thai commercial sector could significantly increase export of pork 
meat, provided that they have secu re and recognized FMD-free zones or compartments.  Export interests in 
Viet Nam are also of increasing importance and aim at  consolidating and expanding FMD-free zones.  At 
present, Viet Nam exports pigs to Hong Kong, China and Malaysia.  
For the more numerous small-scale farmers and traders (who do not export) in the GMS, FMD does not 
pose a serious economic threat.  In their view FMD is not dangerous for people and the disease disappears after about four weeks.  FMD is allegedly mainly a seasonal problem at the beginning of the rainy season.  
Treatment for preventing secondary effects is normal practice in many areas. Vaccination is generally not 
practiced, even where good commercia l vaccines are available.  The im portance of draft animals in the 
region is declining through use of two-wheel tractors.  Farmers have developed ways of dealing with the 
risks of FMD and other diseases:  they know seasonality  in outbreaks, are aware of early signs and they sell 
or consume at early sign.  Diseases perceive d as more costly by these farmers include haemorrhagic 
septicaemia  for buffalo, classical swine fever (CSF) for swine and Newcastle Disease (NCD) for chicken.
  
Source: Interviews 
 G/SPS/GEN/872 
Page 14  
 
  50. Adequate involvement of stakeholders      Most of the projects nominated in this study are 
strongly government focused even when impact also  depends heavily on private sector involvement.  
One evaluation report consulted reiterated the importa nce of consulting proposed users of services as 
well as service providers during needs assessment.  
Good practice:  Beneficiaries should be involved in project design. 
51. Transparency      It is good practice to promote transparen cy in project preparation.  This can 
be achieved in different ways including through c onsultations with concerned groups, distribution of 
information proposed activities, organization a nd management, procedures, decision making and 
budget allocation.  FIBOZOPA had two preparatory workshops for partner institutions to clarify 
respective functions and responsibilities in the resear ch work.  MUTRAP II was a continuation of 
MUTRAP I and SPS agencies were consulted on th e scope of work.  The SECO-UNIDO intervention 
was based on the needs assessment undertaken by  NORAD-UNIDO and, thus, included important 
inputs from beneficiaries. 
Good practice: Transparency in project preparation. 
52. Log frame      Result-based  management requires close attention to the linkages between 
objectives sought, outputs and inputs.  This can be  achieved through a good log frame.  Yet, many 
projects give inadequate attention to developing a log frame.  The FIBOZOPA project and MUTRAP 
II had a log frame.  The second phase of the SECO SMTQ project incorporated a log frame.  The JICA TCP had a project design matrix outlining activities and outputs, inputs from both Japanese and Vietnamese partners, verifiable indicators and means of verification.  
Good practice:  Incorporating a log frame at the project design phase enhances results-based 
management in implementation of SPS capacity  building projects, and supports monitoring and 
evaluation. 
53. Qualification of experts involved in project design      SPS is a highly technical area that 
involves strong professional services (veterinary services, plant protection organizations and food authorities).  Just as for other technical areas in development cooperation there is a tendency for 
technical expertise to dominate in project design.  This can result in projects that have not fully 
internalized lessons from work on aid effectiven ess (see Chapter 1), lack a good log frame and 
adequate monitoring and evaluation.   
Good practice:  Project design with balanced input of expertise in development assistance, 
project management, and technical expertise.   
54. Size of project and time-frame      Projects should be of sufficient length to deal effectively 
with the complexity of the issues addressed.  SPS capacity building is complex and significant time 
and budget are required to achieve objectives.  For exam ple, the preparation of a veterinary law with 
provisions and regulations for implementation transl ated into inspection programmes can take many 
years, and building up surveillance capacity fo r plant pests and diseases involves much technical 
expertise backed up by diagnostic capacity.  Building laboratories for testing and diagnostic work also 
requires time.  Capacity building in these fields is  a long-term process which requires dialogue, policy 
development, legal and institutional adjustments, technical training and adjusted funding.  Short-term 
assistance, small-scale projects and assistance to  limited technical aspects in complex capacity 
building processes may be effective if the conditions are right, but the impact of fragmented support is 
often limited and its sustainability reduced.  A more  effective approach is generally to provide 
substantive, comprehensive, long-term project s upport as part of a comprehensive capacity building 
process focused on the SPS area.    G/SPS/GEN/872 
 Page 15 
 
 
 Good practice:  The size, scope and duration of a project should be sufficiently tailored to the 
complexity of the problems to be solved.  
55. A good example of this is the Danish support for Vietnamese fisheries sector, and the 
FIBOZOPA project.  The MUTRAP II project has such engagement in the trade policy area. SEAFMD is the clearest example of long-term engage ment.  Although designed as short-term projects 
and small in size, the UNIDO projects also have el ements of long-term engagement, especially with 
standards and metrology components.    
56. Donor coordination Encouraging and facilitating linkag es and synergies between related 
technical assistance projects, as called for in the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness, promotes a more efficient use of resources and improved outcomes.  There are a number of good practice 
examples among the projects considered during this research.  SEAFMD activities are linked with the 
AusAID-funded Programme for the Strengthening of Veterinary Services (PSVS) and SPSCBP.  
FIBOZOPA has linkages with DANIDA’s Fisherie s Sector Programme Support (FSPS) where FSPS 
support on fish production makes use of the findi ngs of FIBOZOPA.  In both cases, the two projects 
are funded by the same donors, AusAID and DANIDA, respectively.  In another example, the UNIDO 
projects with NORAD and SECO are components of UNIDO’s Integrated Programme of assistance 
for Viet Nam.  The SECO-UNIDO project itself is an  intervention arising fr om the needs assessment 
conducted by the NORAD-UNIDO project. 
Good practice:   Ensure donor coordination.  
57. Country management and implementation While the Paris Principles recommend the 
use of local expertise and systems as far as possibl e, in general, in many projects, including those 
considered in this research, donors, international ag encies and consultants continue to direct project 
design and de facto implementation.  There are many reasons for this, including limited management 
and technical skills in the national counterpart agencies, concerns about inappropriate use of 
resources, and pressure to spend budget on time.  Fac ilitating a leading role for project beneficiaries in 
project design and implementation helps to incr ease country ownership and learning.  Further 
attention is needed to encourage national-led d esign and implementation of  SPS-related projects.  
Good practice:  Projects should be implemente d by national authorities, where possible, to 
promote ownership and learning.    
Parameters of good practice in implementation      
58. The following parameters of good practice are relevant for project implementation:    
59. Flexibility While implementation should seek to follow an agreed timetable and work 
plan, flexibility is important to be able to res pond to new or unf oreseen issues and challenges, and to 
address assumptions that may have been flawed.  It is good practice to build some flexibility into 
project execution.  In most of the nominated projects,  adjustments were made either with regard to the 
budget or to the timeframe.  Stakeholders of  SPSCBP, UNIDO and SEAFMD agreed to extend the 
time period to be able to accomplish the objectives.   MUTRAP II beneficiaries requested that the 
budget be adjusted to allow for the addition of training on risk analysis. 
Good practice:  Allow for flexibility in project implementation.  
60. Transparency Regular communication with stakehol ders and the general public and 
dissemination of information about important deci sions, budget allocations and changes to proposed 
activities support implementation and enhance perform ance.  FIBOZOPA held annual status and 
planning meetings for all project institutions to review project implementation.  The SEAFMD G/SPS/GEN/872 
Page 16  
 
  programme is examined each year by national coor dinators to re-evaluate priorities. Vietnamese SPS 
agencies were involved in the implementation and provided the local experts for MUTRAP II.   
61. Transparent and effective mechanisms for communication among the stakeholders involved 
are important to provide a venue for dialogue wh ich helps to facilitate coordination and promote 
consensus on areas where there are di vergent opinions.  This is par ticularly important in the SPS area 
given the number of institutions involved.  The projects considered in this research have designed 
different types of communication and coordination mechanisms.  The approaches adopted by FIBOZOPA and MUTRAP II illustrate how effectiv e coordination can be achieved.  FIBOZOPA 
developed a data sharing agreemen t for participating research institu tions, which was signed by all 
project partners.  MUTRAP II held regular polic y networking sessions and workshops, and adopted a 
cross-sectoral approach to risk analysis activities.  
Good practice:  Promote transparency about important decisions and budget allocations and 
create effective mechanisms for communication with stakeholders.  
62. Involvement of beneficiaries An important consequence of transparency that contributes to 
the success and impacts of projects is the involvemen t, support and commitment of beneficiaries.  
Beneficiary participation builds ownership and fac ilitates coordination.  Beneficiaries may contribute 
to needs assessment, provide data for risk assessm ent, or provide human resources, facilities or 
equipment.  In the SECO zoonotic project, the bene ficiaries selected the topics for risk assessment.  
The JICA TCP underscored the dedication and commitm ent of the plant quarantine staff.  The JICA 
project also provides a good example of an effort  to involve the private sector, which enhances 
sustainable outcomes.  This project will be scaled  up to a commercial size by private companies. 
Good Practice:  Active involvement of stakehold ers, in particular the private sector is crucial 
for project effectiveness and sustainability.  
63. Combination of training, institution building and equipment  Partial support for complex 
capacity building processes can easily result in less th an optimum effectiveness.  Training provided in 
one of the projects considered could not be effec tively utilized in the workplace in some countries due 
to inadequate equipment.  In other projects, impl ementation was sometimes constrained by a lack of 
resources.  This research indicates that it is good practice to combine staff training, institutional 
development and the provision of equipment.  In  this respect, the metrology component of the 
UNIDO project was regarded as successful, by evaluators and recipients.  The JICA project on fruit flies also provided a full package of equipment, training abroad, on the job training and institutional 
development.  
Good practice:  Combine support for training, institution building and provision of equipment 
in integrated hands-on projects.  
64. M&E based on log frame  M&E is important for accountability, transparency, feedback 
on management and ongoing learning.  Unfortunately, many projects, especially projects in technical 
areas, pay inadequate attention to M&E.  In sev eral cases there is no formal M&E mechanism and 
activities are underfunded.  Activities were regularly reviewed and revised dur ing annual meetings of 
project partners in the FIBOZOPA projects.  SEAFMD RCU regularly prepared semi-annual and annual reports although there was no formal M&E.  The EC specified "systematic monitoring and 
evaluation" in the questionnaire as one of the re asons why MUTRAP II is an example of good 
practice.  The project evaluation noted that the Project Task Force monitored the many activities 
mainly through semi-annual reports but also throu gh day-to-day oversight and implementation;  but 
also noted the lack of formal M&E mechanism.  Fo r the JICA TCP, being a highly technical work, a 
delay in one component would affect the entire proj ect and monitoring and evaluation were crucial.  
The project established four working groups for monitoring:  on the fruit fly rearing component, on  G/SPS/GEN/872 
 Page 17 
 
 
 the treatment component, on reporting and on genera l support. SEAFMD plans to incorporate a built-
in M&E in its subsequent phase. 
Good practice:  Incorporating a system for M&E, based on the project log frame, and allocating 
sufficient resources for M&E activities are impo rtant for accountability, transparency and 
ongoing improvement.  
65. Quality of management   Good management is crucial not only for SPS capacity 
building projects but also for services responsible for operating the SPS system.  In the SPS services 
of most developing countries, qualified and experienced managers are scarce.  There is a temptation 
among donors and international agencies to compensate for this scarcity by direct implementation, joint management and appointment of managing consultants.  This has disadvantages as indicated 
above and does not resolve bottlenecks in management capabilities.  
Good practice:  Integrate management training into SPS capacity building projects, especially 
in countries with weak absorptive capacity. 
66. The management aspect was singled out as a factor  contributing to achievement of objectives 
for two of the projects included in this resear ch.  For the SECO-UNIDO project, the lean agency 
mode run by the UNIDO country office with involvement of the Vietnamese counterpart was 
considered effective.  For MUTRAP II, the efficien cy of the Vietnamese project director and Project 
Task Force staff was commended.   
67. Sustainability      Many of the SPS components in the nominated projects still face major 
challenges of sustainability.  In  several cases follow-up activities ar e deemed necessary to safeguard 
achievements and to implement capacity created.  Follow-up phases are being planned for the SMTQ 
projects of UNIDO.  In some cases, weak demand for services both from the market sector and from 
the government is the main challenge.  In sever al cases, regulatory powers are used to generate 
income from mandatory services, which is not good practice.  
Good practice:  Separate regulatory powers and service provision. 
Parameters of good practice in regional projects 
68. Regional projects are popular in Southeast As ia reflecting support for cooperation among 
ASEAN countries.  This research indicates that regional projects are typically more challenging to design and implement than national projects.  They require long periods for preparation and decision 
making, and are generally expens ive to manage.  Language barrier s often act as an additional 
challenge in implementation.  Needs between countri es are quite diverse and it is often challenging to 
develop activities that address the diversity of needs that exist at the regional level.  
69. Regional projects can produce important results if  the needs are well identified.  A regional 
approach is most applicable in the management of cross-boundary risks related to plant and animal 
health.  For such issues and similar topics, there is synergy in joint actions involving different donors.  G/SPS/GEN/872 
Page 18  
 
  70. Mixed results of regional training were identified in the NORAD-UNIDO and SPSCBP 
projects.  The SEAFMD was considered to have st ruck a balance between in-country and regional 
approaches.  In SEAFMD coordination, planning an d specialized support is organized centrally, and 
national strategies and implementa tion are undertaken at the national level.  The SEAFMD model is 
in principle applicable for other transboundary animal diseases, but human and financial resource 
constraints put limits on its  applicability (see Box 4). 
Good practice:  Conduct capacity building as much  as possible at the national level, and focus 
regional approaches on particular areas of in teraction and interdependency among countries. 
Good practice:  More advanced countries in the reg ion should offer training to staff from less 
developed neighbouring countries.  G/SPS/GEN/872 
 Page 19 
 
 
 Box 4.  SEAFMD model on transboundary animal diseases  
 
   
 
    
 
          
 
 
 
 
 
Source:  Project documents and interviews. SEAFMD recognizes that a single country cannot be  successful in its efforts and has established 
coordinating mechanisms among Sout heast Asian countries for this pur pose. The project helps countries 
with preparation of national plans, training and mobilization of resources from donors.  A model has 
been developed for dealing with outbreaks.  Preventiv e efforts of large-scale vaccinations are 
recommended in strategic areas.  Progressive expansion of disease-free zones can work well, as 
suggested by experiences in the Myanmar-Thailand-M alaysia region.  However, the applicability, pace 
of implementation and achievement of results depend on many critical factors, including:  
• Costs      FMD management and control is expe nsive.  It requires expensive vaccines, 
compensation for culling and large numbers of trained staff.  There are different strains of FMD 
that require different vaccines. 
• Cooperation      Cooperation of farmers and traders is necessary for successful implementation. 
Commercial farmers have an incentive and well-unde rstood self-interest in participating in FMD 
control, but that is generally not the case among traditional farmers and those who depend on 
local trade (See Box 3).  
Vietnam      Viet Nam has FMD plans and policies in place, including emergency funds for outbreaks and 
compensation for culled animals, and it has a general implementation budget of over US$30 million for a 
five-year period.  The control of FMD is difficult especially in remote areas and for free grazing animals 
in the bush areas.  Veterinary services face human and budgetary resource constraints at  all levels. 
There are in particular insufficient numbers of paravets at the commune and sub-commune levels and 
their compensation in many provinces is too low to pr ovide sufficient incentive.  The central labs have 
been upgraded, but diagnostic capacity at local levels are still very weak.  However, it is expected that 
the incidence of FMD will decline and there is scop e for the establishment and expansion of FMD-free 
zones. 
Lao PDR      In Lao PDR, there are weak legal and regulatory frameworks and no comprehensive plan 
with adequate funding for FMD.  Numbers and training of veterinarians and paravets are lower than in 
Viet Nam.  Large-scale preventive vaccination is no t practiced because of its  cost and complexity. 
Occasional culling is being practiced in case of outbreaks, but there is  no compensation.  In the absence 
of compensation, cooperation by farmers is unlikely.   So in fact the country is hardly ready for 
implementing the FMD eradication model and progress can be slow at best.  Yet, the country has reportedly benefited through workshops, help in find ing sources for vaccines in case of outbreaks, and 
assistance in the development of policy for FMD eradication.   
Cambodia      There is a draft plan and strategy but reportedly not implemented because of lack of funds. 
Vaccination is sparsely and irregularly available fr om public and international sources and mainly 
applied in case of outbreaks.  Culling is not practised for FMD and other diseases except for HPAI. 
Paravets are responsible for reporting but the insufficient funds do not provide for cost of travel and per diem. SEAFMD is still considered useful in provid ing a network, training and forum for meetings.  
Application      There is general agreement among specialis ts and interviewees in the countries that it is 
technically not very difficult to modify the FMD model for eradication to cover other transboundaryanimal diseases.  Application to other diseases ma y be facilitated by the lower cost of vaccination and 
better cooperation from farmers (dealing with diseas es more economically-relevant to them).  ASEAN 
has adopted it as the regional model for control of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI). Extension of the model to other diseases would s till require additional resources and face the same 
constraints as expanding FMD eradication.  For the more resource constrained countries, there tends to 
be competition for scarce resources.  However, more in general, lack of information about costs and 
benefits and distributional effects of implementation of the FMD model make it so far difficult to make a 
compelling case to senior decision makers in Government finance about additional allocation of 
resources, prioritizin g of transboundar y diseases, and recover y of costs amon g beneficiaries.  G/SPS/GEN/872 
Page 20  
 
  IV. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 
71. SPS capacity building is a relatively new ar ea of development cooperation with limited 
experience to build on.  There is not yet a well-established litera ture on good practice 
recommendations.  Further work needs to be done to facilitate exchange of views and consensus 
building on what constitutes good practice in this highly technical area. 
72. There is a tendency for technical specialists to dominate SPS project design.  The quality and 
relevance of TA for SPS capacity building could benefit from better use of general frameworks on 
goals and effectiveness of developm ent cooperation, especially the:  
• UN Millennium Declaration and the M illennium Development Goals (MDGs)(2000)  
• Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness (2005); and   
• OECD analysis of trade related assistance (2007)  
73. SPS capacity can in principle significantly  contribute to achieving the Millennium 
Development Goals, especially poverty reduction (MDG1), reduction of child mortality (MDG4), 
reduction of incidence of major diseases (MDG6) a nd participation in further developing an open 
trading system (MDG8).  Identifying and qua ntifying how far SPS-related technical assistance 
projects go towards achieving these objectives is a significant challenge. 
74. SPS capacity building needs can differ greatly be tween countries, depending on many factors, 
such as country size, the pest and disease situati on, food safety status, ec onomic development, and 
product mix and markets served.  In assessing what can be developed and how it can be done, each 
country’s absorptive capacity plays a major role .  The absorptive capacity also depend on many 
factors, especially the size and level of developmen t of a country, institutions, human, managerial and 
financial resources.  What can be done in one count ry cannot be automatically repeated in another 
country.  One size does not fit all.  The sustainab ility of capacity created depends critically on the 
assessment of needs, sequenc ing, and absorptive capacity. 
75. Some of the resource constraints associated with  efforts to control plant and animal diseases 
and to improve food safety may be relieved by well-targeted donor support.  However, other 
preconditions – such as high-level buy-in, commitment  from stakeholders to be involved, adequate 
human resources, sound planning, etc. – are essentia l to ensure sustainability.   Constraints in 
absorptive capacity, especially in Cambodia and Lao PDR,  but to a lesser extent also in Viet Nam, 
require long-term commitment and attention by governments and donors. Without simultaneously 
expanding human resource and diagnostic capacity, and operational budgets, donor support is not 
likely to lead to sustainable results. The scope  for short-term assistance to produce sustainable 
improvements is limited.  
76. The findings of this research indicate that, while  these projects have produced benefits, there 
is further room to improve performance and resu lts, especially in terms of sustainability and 
contribution towards higher-level objectives, by giving attention to the Paris Principles on Aid Effectiveness, in particular with regard to owne rship, implementation by recipients, result-based 
management, donor coordination, and monitoring and evaluation.  In this respect the OECD’s findings on effectiveness of trade-related assistance app ear to apply to a significant degree to the area 
of SPS capacity building.  
  G/SPS/GEN/872 
 Page 21 
 
 
 77. The main conclusions arising from this study are as follows:   
• The design and implementation of SPS capacity  building projects have to be built on a 
thorough assessment of specific needs an d absorptive capacity of a country. 
• Projects in Viet Nam appeared to be better ta ilored to needs and absorptive capacity than 
similar ones in Cambodia and Lao PDR, wh ich contributed to fewer problems of 
sustainability and effectiveness.  
• The level of commitment and involvement, in cluding political support, of beneficiaries 
contributes to the success of the project.  
• There is great need for good quality a nd well-targeted technical assistance.  
• The SEAFMD model has proven to be technically  good practice and can with adjustments be 
applied to other transboundary diseases if suffi cient resources are available and projects are 
economically feasible. 
Recommendations 
78. Capacity building activities that address speci fic national needs and capacity are generally 
most cost-effectively carried out in stand-alone pr ojects.  However, in areas of economic cooperation, 
trade promotion and management of cross-boundary ri sks in plant health, animal health and food 
safety, there is often synergy in joint action.  Re gional projects should therefore be selective in their 
coverage.  Training provided by experts from more advanced countries in a region to officials from 
less developed neighbouring countries can be an eff ective and efficient means to transfer knowledge 
and skills in regional and national capacity building ac tivities, and this deserves further consideration. 
79. A cross-cutting approach to SPS-related tec hnical assistance has the potential to add 
significant value to capacity building activities.  For instance, MUTRAP II brought experts from 
fisheries, plant quarantine, food safety and animal health together in one project on risk analysis, 
which made participants aware of similarities in  sectoral approaches to, and methodologies, for risk 
assessment.  Further adoption and implementation of  such cross-cutting approaches and activities has 
the potential to generate significant benefits a nd increase efficiencies in resource allocation.  
80. Much of the success of projects is determined during the preparation phase.  Deficiencies at 
this stage affect implementation and outcomes.  Although SPS capacity building projects are often 
technically complex, project design requires more than technical expertise.  As such, it is beneficial to incorporate expertise in development assistance, pr oject management and technical expertise at the 
design stage.  Well-planned and executed needs asse ssments can further enhance project effectiveness 
and sustainability, and there is scope to improve the planning and delivery of needs assessments for 
SPS and trade-related technical assistance.  
81. The quality of project management of SPS capacity building activities is of critical 
importance for performance.  The same is true fo r the management of SPS services.  Since capable 
management is generally a constraint, it can be a worthwhile objective for SPS projects to improve 
management capacity.  Mitigating such constrai nts through direct management by donors and 
international agencies is generally not good pr actice and does not support aid effectiveness and 
ownership.     
82. Ongoing M&E is important for accountability, transparency, feedback on management and 
ongoing learning.  M&E systems should be well planne d and integrated in project design, and there 
should be sufficient resources available. G/SPS/GEN/872 
Page 22  
 
  83. To conclude, the main recommendations emerging from this research are as follows:  
• Conduct capacity building as much as possible at the national level and focus regional 
activities on specific areas of interaction and interdependency among countries. 
• Thorough and participatory preparation involv ing beneficiaries and counterparts is essential 
to ensure common understanding and expecta tions about projects, clarify roles and 
responsibilities, and facilitate the leading ro le for recipients in project execution. 
• Ensure a balanced input of expertise in de velopment assistance, project management and 
technical expertise at the project design stage. 
• Needs assessments should:  (i) address the relevance and cost-effectiveness of proposed 
activities and capacity;  (ii) consider the sustainability of funding for services to be provided and include a business plan;  and (iii) focus on th e broader public interest (MDGs) rather than 
at the narrow interest of public ins titutions and private enterprises served. 
• A good log frame is fundamental for result-based management of capacity building projects.  
A well-formulated log frame clarifies how goals , objectives and activities are causally related, 
shows how outputs and outcomes depend on assumptions and quantifies inputs and outputs to 
provide a framework for result-based management.  
• Stakeholders in recipient countries should play a greater role in project management and 
implementation.  Management tr aining should be integrated in SPS capacity building projects, 
especially in countries with weak capacity.  
• M&E systems should be included as integral  components of all SPS-related technical 
assistance projects and implemented without delay.   G/SPS/GEN/872 
 Page 23 
 
 
 ANNEX 1:  PROJECT INFORMATION FOR SIX SURVEYED PROJECTS 
 
1a:   Market Access and Trade Facilitati on Support for Mekong Delta Countries through 
Strengthening Institutional a nd National Capacities Related to Standards, Metrology, 
Testing and Quality Phase I (NORAD-UNIDO) 
 
1b:   Market Access Support for Viet Nam thr ough the Strengthening of Capacities Related to 
Metrology, Testing and Conformity (SECO-UNIDO) 
 1c:   Southeast Asia Foot and Mouth Disease (SEAFMD)  
 
1d:   Multilateral Trade Assistance Project Viet Nam II (MUTRAP II)  
 1e:   Plant Quarantine II–Thermal Treatment fo r the Disinfestation of Fruit Flies (JICA) 
 1f:   Fish-borne Zoonotic Parasites (FIBOZOPA)  
 
 
  G/SPS/GEN/872 
Page 24  
 
  Annex 1a: Project Information – Market Acces s and Trade Facilitation Support for Mekong 
Delta Countries through Strengthening In stitutional and National Capacities 
Related to Standards, Metrology, Test ing and Quality Phase I (NORAD-UNIDO) 
Project data sheet  
• Topic/issue SMTQ TBT and SPS 
• Type of assistance Soft and hard infrastructure 
• Countries Cambodia, Lao PDR and Viet Nam 
• Donor NORAD 
• Implementing agency UNIDO 
• Timeframe  May 2003 – July 2005 
• Budget US$ 804,000 (w/o agency support costs); US$ 908,520 (w/support costs) 
• Brief description Overall support for SMTQ that included an initial assessment of gaps, 
provision of trainings, workshops and equipment 
• Objectives Development objective : 
Facilitate industrial development an d export capabilities by reducing 
TBTs through strengthening of SMTQ infrastructures and national 
capacity 
Immediate objective 1 : 
Capacity building related to mark et access requirements and TBT and 
identifying manufacturing sub-sect ors and export market focus for 
remedial action 
Immediate objective 2 :  
Review and upgrade required technical infrastructure for standards 
development and harmonization; metrology and testing labs; standards 
for labelling, accreditation, certifi cation of labs and quality systems 
• Main activities Assessment of SMTQ infrastructure  
Technical assessment evaluating facilities and capacity on metrology, chemical 
and microbiology labs 
Bring together SMTQ institutions to harmonize standards, possibility of 
forming regional accreditation authority 
Awareness creation of SMTQ importance through group training programs on 
standards, accreditation, HACCP, ISO 9000, ISO 14000, ISO 17025 
• SPS components Assessment of diagnostic capacity for food safety, plant health and animal 
health 
• Partner institutions SMTQ institutions of each country 
Viet Nam: Directorate for Standard s, Metrology and Quality (STAMEQ) 
Cambodia: Department of Industrial Standards of Cambodia (ISC) (MIME) Lao PDR: Department of Intellectual Property, Standardization and Metrology 
(DISM) of (formerly) STEA 
• Beneficiaries Viet Nam: Directorate for Standard s, Metrology and Quality (STAMEQ) 
                 Viet Nam Metrology Institute (VMI) 
                 Quality Assurance and Testing Centre (QUATEST) 
                 Bureau of Accreditation (BOA) Cambodia: Department of Industrial Standards of Cambodia (ISC) (MIME) 
Lao PDR: Department of Intellectual Property, Standardization and Metrology 
(DISM) of (formerly) STEA  G/SPS/GEN/872 
 Page 25 
 
 
 Project data sheet  
                 Food and Drug Quality Control Center (FDQCC) under MOH 
                 Plant Protection Center (PPC) under MAF Manufacturing facilities 
Exporters 
• Outputs Detailed action plan for each country to br idge SMTQ gaps; report to be basis 
for Phase II 
Work plan and resource requirement for lab development and accreditation  
Trainings on food safety, HACCP system and auditing 
• Outcomes Greater awareness of SMTQ and SPS issues 
Increased SMTQ capacity 
• Sustainability Phase II to establish/strengthen metrology, microbiology and chemical testing 
labs in countries (US$ 1.5 million); 
UNIDO to target donor countries for funds for Phase II 
• Evaluation Post-project evaluation made by NORAD, representatives of beneficiary 
countries and UNIDO (independent consultant), July 2005 
 
Issues 
Project design  
• Relevance Relevant for WTO and AFTA 
Consistent with strategy of governments and institutions 
• How project was initiated  Project was a follow-on activity to previous UNIDO work  
• Beneficiary's role  Viet Nam’s STAMEQ, Cambodia’s ISC, and Lao DISM collaborated in 
project design with NORAD and UNIDO 
• Needs assessment  Actual interventions based on detailed needs analysis 
• Articulation of goals, 
objectives and indicators  The logical framework was not consistently applied. Some activities are 
not precisely defined and success fact ors (output, expected impact and 
outcomes) are not included. Link between inputs, including costs and outputs is weak.  
Project implementation 
• National ownership  All institutions expressed high level of ownership (except in finances) 
mainly due to high quality of interventions  
Cambodia provided US$ 100,000 to build metrology center   
• Beneficiary participation  Beneficiaries participated 20-40% th rough staff inputs, infrastructure and 
facilities, and needs assessment on technical level.  
The Cambodian government provided funding for chemical and 
microbiology lab.  
• Project management  There were a Project Manager, a Chie f Technical Adviser, an Associate 
Expert and the UNIDO National representatives.  The evaluation report 
noted a perceived lack of clarity among country counterparts and beneficiaries with regard to delin eation of responsibilities among these 
implementing officers.  
• Synergies NORAD-UNIDO needs assessment wa s supported by stand-alone 
projects in Viet Nam (funded by SECO) and Cambodia (funded by Austrian Development Agency). G/SPS/GEN/872 
Page 26  
 
  • Transparency There were joint reviews (Governm ent, UNIDO, NORAD) annually and 
a terminal review  
• Monitoring  UNIDO was responsible for monitoring.  
Impacts 
• Higher-order objectives  Development of SMTQ infrastructure in areas of policy development, 
awareness creation and knowledge enhancement 
Addressed issues for export, thus contributed to development and poverty 
alleviation 
Project contributed to protection of domestic consumers against 
substandard or hazard ous products, domestic or imported   
Key lessons for good practices 
• Project design   Participatory approach allowed for high degree of ownership and 
sustainability 
• Project implementation Long-term contract with same consultants provided continuity and 
efficiency 
Combination of hardware (equipment) and software (capacity building, 
consulting and policy advice) was effective  
UNIDO consultants—high competence, ability to adapt to environment 
of beneficiary institutions, good communication skills  
International and national experts worked together 
• Cost-effective  Combined expert missions for regional project led to cost savings 
• Lessons that could be 
replicated   Creating linkages between different interventions funded by different 
donors and implemented by UNIDO and counterparts was effective 
Sources : UNIDO Response to G/SPS/GEN/816 
Project document 
Project evaluation 
 Interviews  G/SPS/GEN/872 
 Page 27 
 
 
 Annex 1b:  Project Information  – Market  Access Support for Viet Nam through the 
Strengthening of Capacities Related to Metrology, Testing and Conformity  
Project data sheet  
• Topic/issue SMTQ TBT/SPS 
• Type of assistance  Soft and hard infrastructure 
• Country Viet Nam 
• Donor SECO 
• Implementing agency UNIDO 
• Timeframe  2004-2007  
• Budget US$985,000 (excluding agency support cost)  
• Brief description Overall assistance to SMTQ capacity that included equipment, facilities and 
support towards accreditation 
• Objectives Development objective : 
Facilitate market access and export capab ilities by reducing TBTs through 
strengthening of SMTQ and conformity assessment institutional structures 
and national capacity 
Immediate objective : 
Upgrade the required technical infrastructure for metrology, textile/apparel, 
microbiology and chemical testing and calibration needs in industry, system certification capacity and strengthen SMTQ institutional service capability 
• Main activities Provision of equipment and training to strengthen metrology lab, microbiology 
and chemical testing labs 
Training of trainers courses on ISO 9000, ISO 14000, HACCP, etc. Provision of training for Bureau of Accreditation 
• SPS components Diagnostic capacity for food safety  for NAFIQAVED 1 Biological lab and 
Quality Assurance and Testing (QUATEST) Centre 3 to provide testing 
services to exporters in food processing and fisheries sectors 
Capacity for HACCP 
• Partner institutions STAMEQ 
• Beneficiaries STAMEQ, (former) NAFIQAVED, manufacturing enterprises, and exporters 
• Outputs Upgraded 5 testing and 6 metrology labs 
International accreditation for 4 metrology labs, 4 testing labs (including 
microbiology for NAFIQAD and chemical and microbiology for Quatest 3) 
More national trainers on HACCP, ISO 9000, ISO 14000 and GMP 
Establishment of National Accreditation Council 
• Outcomes Increased capacity for testing and metrology labs 
Separation of certification services (Bureau of Accreditation) from standard 
setting services for STAMEQ 
• Sustainability Follow-up phase being developed 
• Evaluations  Independent final evaluation carried ou t at end of first project cycle  
 G/SPS/GEN/872 
Page 28  
 
  Issues 
Project design 
• Relevance In line with Viet Nam’s  national strategies on SMTQ and export 
promotion 
Important for the growing export sect or of Viet Nam, especially the 
fisheries sector 
• How project was initiated  Complementary intervention to NORAD-UNIDO regional project 
• Beneficiary's role  Project design was done in cooperation with direct beneficiaries 
• Needs assessment  Needs assessment done for NORAD-UNID O project was used for project 
formulation; although needs asse ssment was conducted at service 
provider level 
• Articulation of goals, 
objectives and indicators  Outputs, outcomes and performance indicators were not clearly defined; 
no baseline data at outset of project 
Budget not linked to outputs and activities 
Project implementation  
• National ownership  Viet Nam had significant investments in infrastructure 
Detailed follow-up plan on implementing recommendations on 
governance/institutional issues 
• Beneficiary participation  Significant staff inputs 
Infrastructure and facilities (upgrading and renovation of buildings) 
Operating costs of labs to be developed Funding for supplementary training courses 
Input to needs assessment on technical level 
• Project management  Lean agency execution/implementation mode  
UNIDO country office was focal point and coordinator of technical input 
• Synergies  Component of UNIDO-Viet Nam Integrated Programme of Cooperation 
Took into account other SECO and UNIDO projects and EU’s ETV2, but 
formalized linkages were not established  
• Monitoring  Implementing agency UNIDO was responsible for monitoring 
Impacts  
• Higher-order objectives   Promotion of exports 
Increased protection of domestic consumers against substandard or 
hazardous products 
Key lessons for good practices 
• Project design  Comprehensive interlinked approach to strengthening SMTQ, combining 
upgrade of facilities with training, support to international accreditation 
and policy advice 
High level of beneficiary ownership 
• Project implementation   High quality of technical input 
Project implementation mode (agency execution, with active involvement 
of STAMEQ) 
Project management flexibility in adjusting to changed needs 
Vietnamese counterparts were proactive  G/SPS/GEN/872 
 Page 29 
 
 
 • Lessons that could be 
replicated   Project design in cooperatio n with direct beneficiaries 
Lean agency execution mode (with active day-to-day involvement of 
counterpart), where implementing agency has strong offices and 
counterparts 
Sources : SECO Response to G/SPS/GEN/816 
Project document 
Project evaluation 
  
 
 G/SPS/GEN/872 
Page 30  
 
  Annex 1c:  Project Information  – Southeas t Asia Foot and Mouth Disease (SEAFMD)  
Project data sheet  
• Topic/issue Animal health 
• Type of assistance Soft and hard infrastructure 
• Countries Cambodia, Lao PDR, Viet Nam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the 
Philippines and Thailand 
• Donor AusAID for Phase 3 
• Implementing agency OIE Regional Coordination Unit (RCU) 
• Timeframe  Phase 1 (1997-2001): Preparatory phase 
Phase 2 (2001-2005): Control phase Phase 3 (2006-2010) : Eradication and consolidation phase 
• Budget Australia’s contributions:  
Phase 1: AUS$ 600,000 (about US$530 thousand)* 
Phase 2: AUS$ 2.37 million  (about US$2 million) Phase 3: AUS$ 1.018 million  (about US$1 million) 
Total: AUS$ 3.99 million  (about US$3.5 million) 
Other donors: France, New Zealand, Japan, FAO-ADB support in training 
• Brief description Coordination mechanism among animal h ealth services of member countries 
to achieve progressive reduction of FMD, creation of disease-free zones 
• Objectives Immediate objective : 
Improve veterinary services to build info base to develop regional control 
strategy 
Intermediate objective : 
Improve productivity and increase income of livestock producers 
Long-term objective : 
Facilitate and promote international trade of animals and animal products 
among countries having FMD-free regions in Southeast Asia 
FMD freedom with vaccination among member countries 
• Main activities Among others : 
Establishment of MOUs among countries 
Monitoring of FMD among member countries through monthly reports Management of animal movement and identification of cattle zones 
• SPS component Control of FMD to allow for livestock trade 
• Partner institutions Animal health services  of member countries 
• Beneficiaries Member countries and neighboring border country (People’s Republic of 
China) 
Animal health services of member countries  
Farmers, traders and processors 
*Using AUS$1.1343 = US$1, end of 2007 market rate , IMF International Financial Statistics 
 
  G/SPS/GEN/872 
 Page 31 
 
 
 • Outputs SEAFMD 2020 – long-term strategy of progressive zoning approach to control 
and eradicate FMD 
Regional reference lab for FMD in Thailand 
SEAFMD Access database with monthly monitoring reports from member 
countries  
Establishment of FMD control zones 
Training modules for vets and para-vets 
National FMD plans  
• Outcomes FMD-free Southeast Asia, ultimately by 2020  
Better FMD monitoring and control among member countries, varying results 
Increased awareness on FMD among member countries through SEAFMD 
Communication Plan and website 
• Sustainability Project to be integrated with ASEAN,  to be funded by the ASEAN Animal 
Health Trust Fund 
• Evaluations  Reviews by experts were carried out for Phases 1 (1999) and 2 (2003). A 
review was conducted in 2008 for Phase 3 the outcome of which formed the basis of a project application to AusAID for funding up to December 2010. 
• Website http://www.seafmd-rcu.oie.int/index.php   
 
Issues 
Project design 
• Relevance Importance of FMD with regard to livestock trade in region 
• How project was initiated  Mainly donor-driven—OIE, AusAID, DAFF  
• Beneficiary's role  To some extent recipient countries were involved, though not the 
farmers and traders 
• Needs assessment  Phase 3 took into account outcomes of Phases 1 and 2; limited needs 
assessment 
• Articulation of goals, 
objectives and indicators  No good log-frame; no M&E in pl ace because of lack of budget 
Project implementation  
• National ownership  Beneficiaries are responsible in large part for driving in-country 
developments under an agreed approach. 
• Beneficiary participation  In terms of coordination activities, involvement can be 20% including 
secondments to the RCU, planning and the like. 
The beneficiaries have made and continue to make a strong in-kind 
contribution to staffing, operations and engagement of stakeholders. The 
project provides coordination and strategic advice to harmonize 
effective disease control. The member  countries provide resources from 
their own budget or through support of bilateral projects to implement 
in-country field activities. 
Thailand hosts RCU office. 
• Private sector involvement  Private Sector Consultative Committee 
• Project management  OIE Regional Coordination Unit ( RCU) implements the project G/SPS/GEN/872 
Page 32  
 
  • Synergies  FAO/ADB GMS TADs – joint activities in trainings, surveillance and 
public awareness campaigns 
OIE/AusAID Programme in Strengthening Veterinary Services 
• Transparency Programme is examined each year by  National Programme Coordinators 
to re-evaluate priorities in light of developments 
• Monitoring  Monitoring and evaluation are core components of the project. RCU 
regularly submits semi-annual and annual reports to donor and OIE 
headquarters. In the future, programme will have built-in monitoring 
and evaluation component. 
• Difficulties Given the socio-economic circumstances of countries, difficulties have 
been encountered amongst poorer co untries in conducting for example 
field activities. Powers for enforcement of implementing agencies can 
be limited through inadequate legislation. SEAFMD has sought to overcome these problems through a series of activities including 
assisting countries find bilateral donors; entering into joint projects; 
engaging at Ministerial and head of department level; improving communication, among others. 
• Funding Core funding is only for regional activities. For implementation of 
project at country level, countries have to find own resources. 
Impacts  
• Higher-order objectives   Greater productivity 
Poverty alleviation 
Key lessons for good practices 
• Project implementation   Political and high official level support in member countries and OIE 
Effective RCU staff  
Member country support and constructive engagement 
Sound planning with agreed outcomes and objectives and expert 
evaluations 
Ongoing funding and commitment Continuing review and annual meetings 
• Lessons that could be 
replicated   Approaches used for inter-country coordination 
Sources : AusAID Response to G/SPS/GEN/816 
OIE Response to G/SPS/GEN/816 
SEAFMD 2020 Project document 
Interviews 
 
  G/SPS/GEN/872 
 Page 33 
 
 
 Annex 1d:  Project Information  – Multilateral Trade Assistance Project Viet Nam II 
(MUTRAP II)  
Project data sheet  
• Topic/issue WTO Accession, SPS/TBT Agreement 
• Type of assistance Information, training, and hard infrastructure 
• Country Viet Nam 
• Donor European Union 
• Implementing agency Executing agency is Ministry of Trade 
Project management by Project Task Force 
• Timeframe  2005-2008  
• Budget €5.35 million (EC: €5.1 million; Viet Nam:  €0.25 million) OR 
US$7.88 million (EC: US$7.51 million; Viet Nam US$0.37 million)*  
• Brief description Overall assistance to enable Viet Na m to satisfy WTO commitments with 
major support for the SPS/TBT Enquiry Points  
• Objectives Overall objective : 
To improve and put in place conditions  for sustained and stable economic 
growth through stronger integration into the global trading system and 
ultimately contribute in turn to poverty alleviation 
Project purpose : 
Strengthen the capacity of Government and stakeholders for managing WTO 
accession and meet their commitm ents and challenges from other 
international and regional trade related agreements 
• Main activities Specific studies on agriculture and services 
Specific assistance for the SPS/TBT EPs such as stud y tours, provision of 
equipment, establishment of "portals and databases" and assessment of 
regulations relevant to SPS/TBT Agreements 
Various "horizontal" activities on legi slations and regulations, dispute 
settlements and negotiation techniques 
• SPS components 5 out of 27 activities were SPS-related, specifically on: 
WTO SPS Agreement and SPS Enquiry Point 
• Partner institutions Ministry of Trade (MOT), Ministry of Health (MOH), Ministry of Agriculture 
and Rural Development (MARD) and (former) Ministry of Fisheries (MOFI) 
• Beneficiaries SPS Enquiry Point 
Agencies involved in WTO accession  and implementation: MARD, MOH, 
MOST; business associations, univer sities and training institutions 
• Outputs Final reports on various activities including studies on WTO equivalence and 
mutual recognition agreements and risk assessments 
Workshops on various activities Establishment of SPS Enquiry Point 
• Outcome Greater awareness and understandi ng of WTO SPS/TBT Agreements 
Increased capacity for SPS Enquiry Point 
*Using €0.6793 = US$1, end of 2007 repr esentative exchange rate, IMF 
 G/SPS/GEN/872 
Page 34  
 
  • Sustainability Beneficiaries have 60-80% of necessary capacity to sustain benefits (survey) 
• Evaluations  Mid-term independent evaluation (February 2007) 
• Website http://www.mutrap.org.vn/    
 
Issues 
Project design 
• Relevance Implementation of WTO commitments 
• How project was initiated  Follow-up to MUTRAP I 
• Beneficiary's role  Consultation with MOT, MARD, (former) MOFI, MOH 
• Needs assessment  Follow-up of extension phase of MUTRAP I 
• Articulation of goals, 
objectives and indicators  No clear benchmarks and appropri ate technical capabilities required to 
measure activity-related impacts (from evaluation) 
Project implementation  
• National ownership  Executing agency is MOT; joint implementation of activities  
• Beneficiary participation  Provision of staff that includes Proj ect Director and Accounting Officer 
Office and venues for meetings 
Experts from SPS agenci es were consultants 
• Project management  Competent management by Project Task Force to oversee 
implementation and facilitate communication 
• Monitoring  Independent contractor and beneficiaries were responsible  
Impacts  
• Higher-order objectives   Institutional capacity for international trade 
Market access 
Key lessons for good practices 
• Project design   Strong ownership and political support 
Demand-driven project design; meeting needs of beneficiaries 
Active association with the ongoing work plan of beneficiaries 
• Project implementation   Coordination was not easy given the number of SPS agencies with 
different capacity levels. Facilitated through regular policy networking 
sessions and workshops, close involvement of relevant stakeholders, 
including WTO negotiators, in the subject studies. 
High quality of foreign experts and project staff  
• Lessons that could be 
replicated   Addressed cross-cutting issues, matching with the national agenda (WTO 
accession and implementa tion of commitments) 
Sources : EC Response to G/SPS/GEN/816 
Project document 
Project evaluation 
Interviews  G/SPS/GEN/872 
 Page 35 
 
 
 Annex 1e:  Project Information  – Plant Quarantine II – Thermal Treatment for the 
Disinfestation of Fruit Flies  
Project data sheet  
• Topic/issue Plant health 
• Type of assistance Soft infrastructure 
• Country Viet Nam 
• Donor JICA 
• Implementing agency JICA 
• Timeframe  May 2003 – September 2007 
• Budget US$ 630,000 (about ¥ 72 million*) 
• Brief description Training course for two and a half months utilizing Japanese experts and 
facilities 
• Objectives Course objective : To have understanding of principles and techniques of 
treatments and skills to carry out procedures  
• Main activities Lectures, practical training, study tour s, and preparation of country report 
• SPS component Capacity to perform quarantine tr eatments in accordance with importing 
country requirements 
• Partner institutions Plant Protection Department, MARD 
• Beneficiaries Plant protection personnel involved with plant quarantine treatments (vapour 
heat treatment, cold treatme nt, etc.) of fruit flies 
Exporters of fruits 
• Output Staff trained in plant quarantine treatments 
• Outcome Increased capacity for plant quarantine 
• Sustainability Linkage with JICA TCP "Improvement of Plant Quarantine Treatment 
Techniques against Fruit Flies on Fresh Fruits in Viet Nam" that included equipment so skills can be applied  
*Using ¥114 = US$1, end of 2007 market rate. IMF International Fi nancial Statistics 
 
Issues 
Project design and implementation 
• Relevance Important to growing and potential fruit exports of Viet Nam 
• How project was initiated  Training was component of  JICA TCP 
• Beneficiary's role  4 participants in training course 
• Needs assessment  Based on needs assessment  
• Monitoring  JICA was responsible  G/SPS/GEN/872 
Page 36  
 
   
Impacts 
• Higher-order objectives  Improved market access for fruits with  acquisition of skills towards the 
development of disinfestations procedures that comply with phyto requirements of importing countries 
Key lessons for good practices  
• Project design   Specific requirements guar antee qualification of trainee (experience in 
plant quarantine, presently working in PQ, command of English (course taught in English), educational attainment) 
• Project implementation   A required country report will indicate knowledge and understanding of 
issues and problems because it include s discussion of PQ organization, 
fruit industry, PQ system and problems, and plant pests. It allows the course to be country-specific, for the participants to see application 
within context of respective country. 
• Lessons that could be 
replicated   Training programme matches the needs of developing countries that 
wish to export tropical fruits 
Efficient and effective technology tran sfer to multiple countries utilizing 
human resources and facilities in Japan 
Sources : JICA Response to G/SPS/GEN/816 
Project document 
Interviews 
 
Box 5.  JICA’s TCP on Plant Quarantine 
 
 
    
 
    
Source :  Project evaluation, JICA website, documents provided and interviews. 
 Vietnam’s tropical fruits have considerable potential for export but a key factor to develop such 
potential is a quarantine system that meets the requi rements of the importing country.  The Vietnamese 
government requested Japanese assistance on fruit fly disinfestation techniques.  
JICA’s "Project for Improvement of Plant Quaran tine Treatment Techniques against Fruit Flies on 
Fresh Fruits" ran from March 2005 to February 2008.  The TCP provided the capacity to apply disinfestation techniques, specifically, vapour heat tr eatment, for fruit flies on dragon fruits.  The 
project included training by Japanese experts in Vietnam, training for plant quarantine staff in Japan 
and the provision of equipment for vapour heat tr eatment to the Post-Entry Quarantine Centre II 
laboratory in Ho Chi Minh City.  
Four participants attended the training course "Therm al Treatment for the Disinfestation of Fruit Flies" 
in Okinawa.  The course covered methods to perform vapour heat treatment, treatment techniques, development of a system to store diagnostic data and analyse results.  
The Vietnamese beneficiaries contributed staff time,  facilities and equipment, and financial resources. 
The technology could eventually be applied to other tropical fruits.  The likelihood of sustainability of the project is high because of the support of Plant Protection Department in terms of staff allocation 
and budget resources and the dedication and co mmitment of the plant quarantine staff.  
Key aspects of good practice in th e project include:  (i) thorough preparation with dialogue between 
Japanese and Vietnamese officials; (ii) combinatio n of training, institution building and provision of 
equipment; and (iii) consultation with the private sector which is expected to generate investments to 
scale up these techniques to a commercial size.  
  G/SPS/GEN/872 
 Page 37 
 
 
 Annex 1f:  Project Information  – Fish-borne Zoonotic Parasites (FIBOZOPA)  
Project data sheet  
• Topic/issue Food safety (mostly domestic concerns) 
• Type of assistance Soft and hard infrastructure 
• Country Viet Nam 
• Donor DANIDA 
• Implementing agency Research Institute for Aquaculture 1 is main core partner 
• Timeframe  2005-2008  
• Budget DKK 7 million or about US$ 1.4 million* 
• Brief description Support to do coordinated research on fish-borne zoonotic parasites (FZPs) 
that included fellowships for graduate studies, equipment and facilities 
• Objectives Developmental objective : 
General awareness created nationally of the occurrence, risks and preventive 
measures for FZP infections of humans,  as well as specialized knowledge of 
how to handle the problems at Central Government and provincial levels 
Immediate objective : 
Key factors leading to infection of fish and humans with FZPs described and 
preventive measures recommended and made commonly known among the 
direct stakeholders 
• Main activities 
 Fellowships for Masters and PhD students to do research on FZPs 
Trainings of scientists, technicians and st udents on detection, identification and 
epidemiology of FZPs  
Provision of lab equipment  
• SPS components** Food safety of fish products 
Risk assessment of FZPs 
• Partner institutions Faculty of Life Science, Department of Veterinary Pathology, Royal Danish 
Veterinary and Agricultural University 
Research Institute of Aquaculture No. 1 (RIA1), Bac Ninh 
Research Institute of Aquacultur e No. 2 (RIA2), Ho Chi Minh City 
(former) National Fisheries Quality A ssurance and Veterinary Directorate 
(NAFIQAVED) 
National Institute of Malariology, Parasitology and Entomology  
Institute of Biotechnology  Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources  
Institute for Health Research and Development, Denmark 
Fisheries Sector Programme Support (FSPS), Hanoi College of Aquaculture and Fisheries, Can Tho University 
Parasitology Department at National Institute of Veterinary Research, Hanoi 
*Using DKK 5.0753 = US$1, end of 2007 market rate , IMF International Financial Statistics 
**Trematode problem in fish products is more of a domestic human health concern, there being no international 
requirements for fresh fish because the product is supposed to  be safe after sufficient cooking or freezing below 18°C. 
 G/SPS/GEN/872 
Page 38  
 
  • Beneficiaries Viet Nam research institutions 
General population, reduced risks of food contamination  
• Outputs Surveys on prevalence of  FZPs in humans and in aquaculture systems 
Studies on epidemiology, occurren ce and risk factors of FZPs 
Lab manual  
• Outcomes Greater awareness about FZPs through workshops, television documentary, 
website, newspaper articles 
Increased capacity to do research 
Increased capacity to do risk assessment on FZPs Increased collaboration among institutions 
• Sustainability Findings used as bases to plan second phase to include pilot studies on control 
and prevention, dissemination of materials and regional network (collaboration 
with Laos and Cambodia).   
Follow-up activities planned in Phase II to be co-funded with Vietnamese 
government and international donors and organizations 
• Evaluations  Mid-year interim status reports done by Vietnamese partners; annual reports 
• Website www.fibozopa.ria1.org   
 
Issues 
Project design 
• Relevance Fish-borne zoonotic parasites are severe health problem in Southeast Asia; 
about 1 million people affected  in Viet Nam (WHO, 1995) 
Importance of aquaculture in exports 
• How project was 
initiated  Built on FAO risk assessment work in Viet Nam 
Consultations with (former) Ministry of Fisheries, MARD, MOH, RIA1, 
Ministry of Science and Technology, and (former) NAFIQAVED, FAO, 
WHO  
• Beneficiary's role  Experiences by MOH and local WHO office in drug treatments of infected 
humans were utilized in the design of human prevalence surveys 
• Needs assessment  Based on FAO risk assessment carried out in south of Viet Nam and other 
donor research capac ity building projects 
Project implementation  
• National ownership  Partners active in proposing, planning and implementing new activities 
Researchers from 11 institutions responsible for planning and 
implementing 33 research projects 
• Beneficiary participation  In-kind contribution: laboratory and vehicle use, Government staff 
salaries, local costs for graduate students 
All activities were implemented as joint activities 
• Project management  Implementation carried out by RIA1 and other main Vietnamese partners 
with co-management by Danish counterparts 
• Synergies  DANIDA’s FSPS II focuses on food safety of fish products at production 
taking into account findings from FIBOZOPA project  
• Transparency Adjustments in research planning and implementation done with mutual 
agreement between partner institutions  G/SPS/GEN/872 
 Page 39 
 
 
 • Monitoring  Joint monitoring by donor and beneficiary 
• Difficulties Research activities involved different institutions; resolved by formalizing 
sharing of data and publishing ri ghts among different institutions 
Impacts  
• Higher-order objectives   Reduced food-borne diseases upon implementation of findings 
Key lessons for good practices  
• Project design   Preparation: All necessary permits a nd agreements were obtained and in 
place before start of project or during the first year. 
Long planning period with full stakeholder involvement 
• Project implementation    PhD students carried out research work in Viet Nam 
Mix of higher education needs according to ability of students  
Sandwich-like educational (Masters and PhD) programs with stays in Viet 
Nam 
• Lessons that could be 
replicated   Mutual research interests 
Mutual decision and ownership of research work 
Sources : JICA Response to G/SPS/GEN/816 
Project document 
Interviews 
 
 G/SPS/GEN/872 
Page 40  
 
  ANNEX 2:  LIST OF PERSONS INTERVIEWED 
Thailand 
Dr. Ronello Abila  OIE-SEAFMD, Regional Coordination Unit 
Dr Laddawanla Ratananakorn  Depa rtment of Livestock Development 
Dr Carolyn Benigno  FAO  
Mr. Royce Escolar  AusAID  
Mr. Michael Cole  AusAID Mr. Boonpeng Sanitwattanatam  President , Swine Producers and Processors for  
    Exporting Association  Lao PDR 
Dr. Souklatsamy Vongsack Director, FDQCC 
Mr Soumana Choulamany  Direct or, Metrology Institute NAST 
Mr Phaydy Phiaxaysarakham  Director , Plant Quarantine Division, DoA, MAF 
Dr. Inthavong Phouth  Acting National Coordinator SEAFMD Lao PDR 
Mr Sounthone Vongthilath Chief, Veteri nary Legislation Division, DOLF, MAF 
Mr. And Ms. Poh   Owners, Slaughterhouse in Vientiane capital  
Viet Nam 
Mr. Nguen Nhu Tiep  Deputy Director General, NAFIQAD, MARD 
Ms. Tran Bich Nga  Deputy Director General, NAFIQAD 
Dr. Hoang Van Nam   Deputy Director Genera l, Department of Animal Health, MARD 
National Coordinator, SEAFMD  
Mr. Vu Van Minh  Deputy Director, SPS Notification Authority and Enquiry Point Mr. Pham Anh Tuan   Deputy Director, Research Institute of Aquaculture No 1 
Mme. Bui Thi Cuc  Vice Chief of Planning, International Cooperation & Science  
    Division, Department of Animal Health, MARD 
Ms. Tran Viet Nga  Director, Foreign Relation and Integration Division, MOH Ms. Nguyen The Thanh Van Senior Officer, International Cooperation Department, STAMEQ 
Mr. Dang Viet Yen  Plant Quarantine Division, Plant Protection Department, MARD Ms. Phan Thanh Hang  Plant Quarantine Division, Plant Protection Department, MARD Mr. Tujii Kensuke  Deputy Resident Representative, JICA  
Mr. Hans Farnhammer  First Secretary-Ec onomic Co-operation & Governance, EC  
Ms. Vu Thi Tuan Anh  Programme Officer, Co-operation Section, EC  Mr. Paolo Vergano  SPS Expert, MUTRAP II Mr. Nguyen Minh Tuan  Deputy General Director, VCCI Dr. Pham Ngoc Khoi  Vice Director, CMT Hanoi Joint Stock Company 
      Local consultant, MUTRAP II and MUTRAP III 
 
Cambodia 
Mr. Hou Leng   Deputy Director Genera l, Metrology, and Intellectual Property 
National UNIDO Coordinator, 
Mr. Chuon Khlauk  Deputy Director, CAMCONTROL, MOC 
Mr. Chan Sopha  Deputy Director, Department of Industrial Standards (DISC) 
Ministry of Industry, Mining and Energy (MIME) 
Mr. Saroeun Kessara  Director of T echnical Affair and Public Relation  
    Department, Camcontrol Mr. Dim Theng   Director, Laboratory Camcontrol 
Mr. Chen Seng Heang  Head, Industrial Laboratory Center of Cambodia (ILCC) 
Mr. Chheng Uddara  Chief, Product Certification Office, DISC, MIME 
Dr. Sorn San Director, National Animal  Health and Production Investigation  
    Centre, DAHP, MAFF, National Coordinator, SEAFMD  G/SPS/GEN/872 
 Page 41 
 
 
 Mr. Holl Davun Deputy Director, National Animal Health and Production 
Investigation Centre 
Mr. Sok Leng   Chief, Standards Formulation Division, DISC, MIME  Mr. Yem Narith   Chief, Information Office and TBT EP, DISC, MIME Ms. Hin Kesar   Chief, Training and Consultancy Office, DISC, MIME  
Mr. Sawai Tangtanaporn Vice President, CP Cambodia Co Ltd. 
 G/SPS/GEN/872 
Page 42  
 
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DANIDA. 2007. FIBOZOPA Project Annual Report 2007 EU. 2007. Mid-term Evaluation of Multilateral Trade Assistance project Viet Nam (MUTRAP II). 
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Ignacio, L. 2007. "Overview of SPS-related assi stance for Cambodia, Lao People's Democratic 
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JICA. 2007. Final Evaluation Report on the Project for Improvement of Plant Quarantine Treatment 
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OECD 2005. Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness:  Ownership, Harmonization, Alignment and 
Mutual Accountability. Adopted by:  High Level Forum, Paris February 28 – March 2, 2005. 
OECD 2006. Aid for trade: Making it Effective.  Paris: OECD. 
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OECD 2005. Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness:  Ownership, Harmonization, Alignment and 
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OECD 2007. Trade-Related Assistance: What Do  Recent Evaluations Tell Us? Paris: OECD. 
http://213.253.134.43/oecd /pdfs/browseit/4307051E.PDF  
OIE. 2007.  "SEAFMD 2020. A Roadmap for Foot and Mouth Disease Freedom with Vaccination by 
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UNIDO. 2007. Final Report. "Market Access Suppor t through the Strengthening Institutional and 
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Institutional and National Capacity Related to Metr ology, Testing and Conformity" Funded by SECO. 
Van der Meer, K. 2007. Overview of SPS Capac ity Building Needs Assessments and Compliance 
Studies for Cambodia, Lao PDR and Viet Nam 2001-2006. Research work for STDF. 
Van der Meer, K and Ignacio, L. 2008. SPS Bala nce Sheet for CLV: Strengthening links between 
supply and demand of SPS-related technical assistan ce in a sub-group of ASEAN countries (Stage 2). 
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WTO. 2000. Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures G/SPS/GEN/206 "Technical 
Assistance Typology" 18 October 2000. 
WTO. 2008. Committee on Sanitary and Phyto sanitary Measures G/SPS/GEN/816 "Request for 
Information on Good Practice in SPS-relate d Technical Cooperation" 18 January 2008. 
 
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