Belgian Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain

Heads of Agencies Workshop on Measuring Outcome3-4 April 2014

Feedback to the MANCP WG (May 2014)

Belgian Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain

Context

• Meeting of the Heads of Agencies or their representatives– Sharing experience– Networking between agencies– Forum to discuss management issues

• Sharing best practices: 4 workshops– Sampling programs– Smiley system and other methods to communicate

with stakeholders– Measuring outcome– Influencing behaviour of FBO

Belgian Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain

Goals of the workshop

• Exchange views• Clarify definitions• Understanding the approaches of different MS

– Presentations (plenary)– Discussion (smaller workgroups & plenary)

• To give feedback to the next meeting of Heads of Agencies

Belgian Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain

Presentations

• International context – MANCP Network Document on

Performance Objectives & Indicators (UK)– Codex Alimentarius (CCFICS) proposal for

new work on ‘monitoring performance of national food control systems’ (EC)

Belgian Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain

Presentations

• Existing tools – global – Food safety systems – Share & compare (FI)– Barometers for the safety of the food chain:

approach & methodology (BE)– Indicator systems for food chain safety

strategy (HU)

Belgian Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain

Presentations

• Existing tools – specific– Using a consumer survey to monitor delivery of

strategy (UK)– Measuring microbial food safety output and

comparing self-checking systems of FBO in BE– Evaluation & Impact Assessment by Dutch

Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA)

Belgian Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain

Outcome of the discussions

• Defining the scope– Need for further clarification and harmonized

understanding of different key terms (output, outcome, impact) finalized MANCP network document could be used as a reference tool !

– Measuring FS outcome • ‘Must’

• Improve control systems

• Communication tool

• Link with (clearly determined) FS strategic objectives

Belgian Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain

Outcome of the discussions

• Measuring outcome– Indicators vs. scope

• Performance measurement vs. FS status

• Outcome vs. impact measurement

• Improve vs. compare systems

• Communication

# of indicators and level at which we set indicators depend on what we want to measure

– Baseline & trends vs. status

– Criteria for indicators• Robustness, comparability between systems,

quantifiable/qualitative…

Belgian Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain

Outcome of the discussions

• Is a common approach possible?– Standarization or harmonization of indicators or

criteria: no consensus– Measuring systems can be set up at both national

and supra-national level– (Peer) reviewing & ranking: no consensus– Guidance for elaborating measuring tools

sharing measuring outcome vs. measuring output

Belgian Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain

Final conclusions

• Workshop was a good exercise in sharing views and practice

• Further reflection needed (CCFICS / EU / national level)

• Current state of play is encouraging to develop tools for measuring outcome

Belgian Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain

Next steps?

• Feedback to HoA (June – Athens)– Continuation?– Avoid overlap – be complementary

• Outcome of the workshop Website FASFC

WIKI MANCP