STDF Togo project: Application of R-SAT for monitoring activities

To facilitate the monitoring of the support activities organised in Togo through the STDF/PG/375 project, and to assess its impact and to establish a roadmap for the remaining efforts after the closure of the project, an inventory of the current SPS system in Togo is being carried out using the Rapid SPS Assessment Tool (R-SAT) developed by COLEACP.

R-SAT provides practical support for the assessment of a national SPS system to strengthen it in accordance with international standards and regulations. The objective being to facilitate the development or revision of a national action plan to strengthen the SPS system based on a common strategic vision agreed by all stakeholders.

A workshop to evaluate Togo’s SPS system, bringing together members of the multidisciplinary technical working group set up as part of the deployment of R-SAT, was held from 8 to 12 August 2022 in Lomé. It brought together 32 participants, including COLEACP facilitators, resource persons, representatives of public and parapublic services, universities, private structures, and civil society.

During the workshop, Togo’s current SPS system was examined in the four different areas of governance, operational processes, skills management, and communication dynamics. This led to the development of a draft priority action plan for strengthening Togo’s SPS system, which will be submitted to the various stakeholders for validation in the coming weeks.

This activity was organised within the framework of the Project for the Strengthening of the National Phytosanitary Control and Certification System for Fruits and Vegetables in Togo, funded by the Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF) and implemented by COLEACP.