John advises both industry and governments. He has worked on the design and implementation of national food safety frameworks in a number of African and SE Asian countries as well as training and capacity-building projects. He has also advised on UK systems, and is a current member of the UK expert advisory committee on Pesticide Residues in Food (PRiF).
Online Training, Coaching and Workshops: Case Study
We developed and delivered a bespoke coaching programme for regulatory officials in an SE Asian country to implement national controls for mycotoxins in feed and veterinary medicine residues in food. The advantage of delivering remotely was that officials from multiple government departments and stakeholders were able to participate without interrupting their busy working lives. The 3-month programme included a series of weekly webinars, Q&A and discussion sessions; remote workshops and feedback sessions; structured group working, 1-to-1 coaching sessions, and defined outputs. It also included an associated series of background webinars on food contaminants and residues control systems to wider stakeholders in the country such as students and industry groups. At the end of the programme, officials had a roadmap to strengthen their legislative framework and to introduce a structured residues surveillance and monitoring scheme.
In-Person Training and Coaching: Case Study
We developed and delivered a bespoke training programme for scientists in the national feed and food testing laboratory of an African country. This involved two separate 1-week visits plus associated remote support. Each week was split 50/50 between classroom training (e.g. method validation, laboratory accreditation and quality standards, regulatory background) and practical laboratory work (setting up and coaching through new methods of analysis, including real validation trials to put the classroom training into practice). The entire hierarchy of laboratory scientists benefited from the training and the laboratory gained new validated test methods that could be used in practice and a roadmap to apply for ISO17025 accreditation.
e-Learning: Case Study
We worked with the UK Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) to write and beta-test the content of an e-learning package to explain the fundamentals and rationale of a national system to control veterinary medicines. The package is aimed at policymakers and their advisors in countries that want to stengthen their legal frameworks. Learners can work through the package at their own pace and it includes regular prompts and refresher questions to check understanding. In many cases the e-learning has then been supported by subsequent live online Q&A sessions where we review the learning and discuss a practical way to implement the principles in their own country. This e-learning is available on-request from the VMD: international@vmd.gov.uk