Science strategy

Tuesday 4 July 2006

The Agency's science strategy describes the key science issues and activities that the FSA is addressing to ensure that its science supports its strategic objectives effectively, by providing a basis of robust scientific evidence for its policies and advice.

The strategy has two main sections.The first describes some of the important drivers, issues and scientific evidence-needs in each of the Agency's main areas of work. This section could be said to describe 'what the Agency will do'.

The research is organised into seven themes that flow from the Agency's strategic objectives and support their delivery. They are:

• food safety: microbiological risks
• food safety: TSEs (transmissible spongiform encephalopathies)
• food safety: chemical and radiological risks
• eating for health
• choice
• underpinning delivery
• FSA Scotland's research programme

The second section could be said to describe 'how we will do it', and covers how the Agency will identify and obtain the scientific evidence it needs and ensure that it is used properly and openly to inform the Agency's policies and advice.

This work builds on a sound base of established good practice, strengthening the Agency's processes for management and governance of science, making them more transparent, and developing and sharing good practice. These processes cover five key areas. They are:

• identifying evidence needs (including horizon scanning)
• obtaining scientific evidence
• interpreting scientific evidence
• using scientific evidence
• communicating scientific evidence and how the Agency has used it

The Agency's core principle of openness provides the ethical framework for the whole of the science strategy. The Agency aims to follow this principle in its own science work and in working with others.

This means being open about scientific evidence and analysis, and how it has been used by the Agency in making decisions and being honest about risks and uncertainties.

The strategy highlights a number of areas in which the Agency intends to develop and improve its science, including governance, horizon-scanning, communication, collaborative working, and improving access to, and use of, the social sciences to support delivery of its aims across all activities.

It sets indicators of success that the Agency will use to monitor and evaluate progress, linked to the review of the Strategic Plan.

This will help ensure that the science strategy is effective in supporting the Agency's strategic objectives and wider activities, and will continue to be so.

Anyone wishing to comment on the strategy should contact:

Dr Patrick Miller
Research Co-ordination Unit
Room 203C
Food Standards Agency
Aviation House
125 Kingsway
London WC2B 6NH

Tel: 020 7276 8277
Email: patrick.miller@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk