Comprehensive Traceability Principles
Build a lasting and scalable program
Generate and maintain support for the eCDT program—politically, financially, and with users—so it can expand beyond the pilot phase.
Full description
Plan for expansion from the start, informed by eCDT program pilots, transparent sharing of progress, and user feedback. Encourage the adoption of these Principles into policy, create a plan for long-term funding, and leverage political and industry champions.
APPLY THE PRINCIPLE
There are three main phases to building an electronic catch documentation and traceability (eCDT) program:
INITIATE – includes early research, goal setting, and stakeholder engagement;
DESIGN – includes identifying technology, assigning responsibilities, and creating the systems to support the program;
IMPLEMENT – includes piloting the program, adaptively managing, and scaling it.
Here you can see how this principle manifests throughout each phase.
- Identify potential challenges to longevity of the program early on
- Consider: Is the budget for the program secure? Where is political support strongest and weakest?
- Encourage the adoption of these principles into policy
- Encourage policy adoption/development to strengthen eCDT support at the governmental level
- Estimate funding needs and responsibilities to fund the program sustainably
- Develop plan for long-term funding to support all steps of program implementation
- Identify potential pilot sites
- Select supply chains that are well-understood and sites that have on the ground (industry and NGO) support
- Pilot test the eCDT program
- Formalize partnership with the users and supporters who will be the first implementers of the technology. Implement a mechanism to receive feedback from the first implementers
- Outline scope and objective for scaling
- Identify differences between the pilot and other areas for implementation
- Assess objectives and resources for scaling: are the funds, staff, infrastructure, and resource commitments still present and appropriate for the scope?