Towards strengthening coordination among entities responsible for the Sanitary and Phytosanitary regime, a Leadership and Management Development Course was developed and executed during September and October of 2021.

The course comprised of eight modules and was conducted by Quincetree Limited, a regulatory firm based in the United Kingdom. The course content was developed using the outcomes from a comprehensive Training Needs Analysis (TNA) and the AHFS Institutional Arrangements and Competences Self-Assessment.

Topics covered were: Introduction to leadership and management for AHFS managers in CARIFORUM Countries; Managing the effective delivery of AHFS services; Leading the effective delivery of AHFS services; Engagement with AHFS partners and stakeholders and team working; Information and data management; The practical application of collaborative working; Achieving outcomes effectively and sustainably within AHFS services; and Personal qualities and development – taking the next steps.

Thirty-three participants from eleven countries completed the course and, in an evaluation conducted at the end of the course, 75% of participants rated the Programme as “excellent” in terms of content with 25% rating it as “good”. In relation to the delivery, 50% rated the course as “excellent” and 50% “good”. One hundred percent (100%) of participants stated that the programme “met their expectations” and that they would utilise the learning in their AHFS role. The most important output from the Programme was the drafting by each participant of a Personal Development Plan (PDP). These plans will assist participants in building their competencies in key areas of leadership and management and enable them to improve their contribution to strengthening national and regional AHFS systems

A second monitoring and evaluation survey took place in March 2022, three months after the conclusion of the programme. It proved that participants engaged with the leadership and management programme and there was strong evidence that they intended to utilise the knowledge gained. In addition to skills development, this project has armed participants with practical tools that can be used in the future including the TNA, PDP and National AHFS Self-Assessment Tool.