MCDA Final Report Malawi - Standards and Trade Development ...

Option
Number
Name
Details
15 Seed inspection and certification capacity Worldwide, seed testing is required in order to comply
with international standards. These requirements have
been codified by a SADC standard; the Harmonized Seed
Security Project (HaSSP). Challenges for seed health
testing in Malawi include inadequate facilities, lack of
experienced analysts, limited knowledge of where to find
reference materials when submitting seed health testing
methods, and limited research in seed science and seed
health testing. This option will develop internationallyrecognised
seed testing and certification services in
Malawi.
16 Animal health controls for day old chick
exports
A Malawian producer of day old chicks exports to a
number of African countries. Consignments must be
accompanied by an original veterinary import permit and
animal health certificate with additional declarations
issued by the veterinary services of the exporting
country. Capacity needs to be built in the DALD of the
MoAFS in order to meet trading partner animal health
requirements.
Stage 3: Definition of decision criteria and weights
In the second stage of the stakeholder workshop, respondents were asked to define an appropriate set
of criteria to drive the priority-setting process and to assign weights to these. First, participants were
presented with a series of potential decision criteria organised into four categories as set out in Table 5,
and asked which (if any) should be excluded and whether any potentially important criteria were
missing. Two additional decision criteria were selected, namely:
Difficulty of implementation: The level of difficulty likely to be faced in implementing the option
given current political priorities, economic constraints, need for realignment of administrative
priorities within government, need for cooperation between the public and private sectors
and/or with governments in trade partners, etc.
Trade diversification: the degree to which the option leads to the diversification of exports
whether across products and/or markets. This is a key priority of the Government of Malawi.
To define the decision weights, the workshop participants were each asked to assign 100 points
amongst the eight decision criteria. The scores of participants were then collated and an average
weighting calculated. This average weighting was reported back to the workshop participants to identify
any discrepancies. The final agreed weightings are reported in Table 5.
Stage 4: Construction of information cards
Having identified the choice set of SPS capacity-building options and the decision criteria and weights to
be applied in the priority-setting exercise, this information was assembled into a series of information
cards. The aim of these cards is not only to ensure consistency in the measurement of each decision
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