Tools & Resources
IHR State Party Self-Assessment Annual Report (SPAR) Tool Resource Library
This SPAR resource library provides a single source for all SPAR related documents including the guidance document and all organized by technical capacity. In addition, we’ve provided documents that are referenced in the Annex. We hope that this will be resource for National Focal Points and their multi-sectoral teams as they prepare for and submit the SPAR each year.
ERGP Self-Lab Assessment Tool (S-LAT)
Implementing a comprehensive biorisk management system is critical to reduce both the safety and security risks associated with biological agents. In order to promote biorisk management best practices at the institutional level, laboratories need to undergo biorisk assessments to identify biosafety and biosecurity gaps. While there are numerous resources available, it is not always obvious for facility-level biosafety officers or lab managers to know where to start. Additionally, there is an evident need for adapted resources with practical and field-tested methods, particularly for areas that face infrastructural challenges or periods of instability. Drawing from existing assessment methodologies and guidance documents, ERGP while hosted at Georgetown University (GU) adapted the World Health Organisation (WHO) Laboratory Assessment Tool (2012) and developed its own self-assessment approach to suit the conditions and associated challenges with traditional models of capacity strengthening. The Self Lab Assessment Tool (S-LAT) is designed for the self-assessment of biorisk management functions in a research or diagnostic laboratory and for public and veterinary health facilities. As this is a self-assessment tool, it can be completed internally by laboratory personnel and does not rely on external experts coming to the facility. The tool has been specifically tailored to address challenges observed in regional/sub-national laboratories and aims to support the systematic analysis of public health and veterinary laboratory structures and capabilities to provide insight on gaps specific to biosafety and waste management. The tool focuses on laboratory infrastructure and equipment, administration and training, biorisk management systems, specimen collection, handling, transport and referral and waste management. In addition to the assessment, the S-LAT contains an action plan that automatically generates as the tools are electronically completed. The action plan can be used to facilitate implementing any identified gaps from the self-assessment and determine short-, mid-and long-term activities that will strengthen their capacity. Assessors can identify the level of priority of a particular action (low, medium or high), a timeline for when the action should be completed and the who is person responsible for ensuring the action is completed. A link to the S-LAT, in English, and French, can be found at the link below: