Good Practice in SPS-related Technical Cooperation Greater Mekong Sub-region: Cambodia, Lao PDR and Viet Nam

1
Good Practice in SPS-related Technical
CooperationGreater Mekong Sub-region Cambodia,
Lao PDR and Viet Nam

• Kees van der Meer
• Laura L. Ignacio
• Presentation for the SPS/STDF/OECD Workshop
• WTO, Geneva October 6, 2008

2
Objective and methodology

• To identify good practice in delivery and receipt
  of SPS-related technical cooperation in Cambodia,
  Lao PDR and Vietnam
• Ten projects were nominated
• Analysis of questionnaires, documents, etc
• Interviews with stakeholders, specialists, donors
• Limitations time and information available,
  limited SPS coverage in some projects, resource
  persons not available

3
Projects nominated (1)
Market Access and Trade Facilitation Support for Mekong Delta Countries through Strengthening Institutional and National Capacities Related to SMTQ Phase I by NORAD and UNIDO SMTQ project for Cambodia, Lao PDR and Viet Nam
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
Southeast Asia Foot and Mouth Disease (SEAFMD) by AusAID and OIE Animal health project for Southeast Asian countries
Multilateral Trade Assistance Project Viet Nam II (MUTRAP II) by EC Project on WTO Accession and SPS/TBT Agreement for Viet Nam
Fish-borne Zoonotic Parasites (FIBOZOPA) by DANIDA Food safety project for Viet Nam

4
Projects nominated (2)

Plant Quarantine IIThermal Treatment for the Disinfestation of Fruit Flies by JICA Plant health project for Viet Nam
Sanitary and Phytosanitary Capacity Building Programme (SPSCBP) by AusAID Project with plant and animal health components for ASEAN countries
Zoonotic and Animal Diseases Affecting Trade in Viet Nam by SECO Animal health and food safety project for Viet Nam
Follow up to Regional Laboratory Diagnostic Workshop by USDA Animal health project for Cambodia
Costs of Agri-food Safety and SPS Compliance by UNCTAD General SPS project for Cambodia
5
SPS-related TA

• New area of support
• Builds in part on TA for food safety, plant and
  animal health
• But SPS agreement adds special dimensions
• Little accumulated experience
• Need to exchange experience and build robust body
  of good practice
• Mainstream it in development cooperation

6
SPS and Development Cooperation

• Quality and relevance could gain from better use
  of general frameworks on goals and effectiveness
• UN Millennium Declaration and the Millennium
  Development Goals (MDGs) (2000)
• Contribution to MDGs
• Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness (2005)
• Principles of effectiveness
• OECD analysis of trade related assistance (2007)
• General findings apply to SPS

7
Absorptive capacity is main factor in explaining
different outcomes

• What works well in one country may not do well in
  another with less absorptive capacity
• Example regional projects did better in Vietnam
  than in Cambodia and Lao PDR
• Factors Size of country, human and financial
  resources, governance, level of economic
  development, etc.
• One size does not fit all
• Good practice should be understood in context of
  absorptive capacities
• Design and implementation should interactively
  consider absorptive capacities

8
Good practice in project design (1)

• Most important for cost-effective and timely
  implementation
• Thorough preparation with counterparts and
  beneficiaries
• Needs assessment beyond narrow interest of
  receiving agencies
• Relevance and need of ultimate beneficiaries to
  be included
• Ensure transparency in project preparation

9
Good practice in project design (2)

1. Incorporate log frame enhances result-based
   management and supports ME
2. Design team should include expertise in
   development assistance, project management and
   SPS
3. Size, scope and duration tailored to complexity
   of problem
4. Ensure donor coordination
5. Project to be implemented by country

10
Good practice in implementation

1. Allow for flexibility
2. Promote transparency and communication with
   stakeholders
3. Active involvement of stakeholders, especially
   private sector
4. Combine support for training, institution
   building and equipment
5. Incorporate and implement ME, based on good
   framework
6. Integrate management training into projects
7. Separate regulatory powers and service provision

11
Outcome and sustainability

• All nominated projects appeared to contribute to
  desirable higher level objectives, but impact is
  mixed
• Problems of sustainability related to weaknesses
  in design, for example
• Created skills that cannot be applied
• Service delivery capacity for which there is no
  market demand and no public funding
• Piecemeal support without follow-up
• There is much scope for increased efficiency and
  impact in SPS capacity building

12
Good practice at regional level

1. Conduct capacity building as much as possible at
   national level and focus regional approaches on
   interaction and interdependency of countries
2. More advanced countries support less developed
   countries

13
Conclusions

1. Replicable good practices are especially
   variables related to design and implementation
2. Need for SPS capacity differ much between
   countries
3. Projects in Vietnam better tailored to needs and
   absorptive capacities than in Cambodia and Lao
   PDR (fewer problems of sustainability)
4. Cross-cutting activities can have value added
5. Level of commitment contributes to success
6. Great need of good quality, well-targeted TA