FSA 3-year Corporate Plan: Our objectives

As well as establishing our ambition, this plan sets out how we will turn the mission and vision of our strategy into concrete action. It sets clear objectives for the next 3 years. These objectives provide a framework for more detailed activities (see appendix 1) which inform our annual business planning. In delivering these objectives we will apply the guiding principles that we described in detail in our strategy. 

Our strategy sets out 5 roles the FSA has in delivering food you can trust. These are evidence generator, policy maker, regulator, watchdog and convenor and collaborator. This plan builds on these 5 roles with objectives attached to each role.

Our strategy will be delivered by continuing to do our core work well, whilst also delivering some significant changes. We need to strike the right balance and so have both core and change objectives under our 3 established roles – evidence generator, policy maker and regulator. The 2 remaining roles – watchdog and convenor and collaborator - are less established and areas we want to grow.

We have also added an additional role called enabler. Under this role we have set out the important, but primarily internal, work that helps us to deliver all the other objectives.

Evidence generator, policy maker and regulator

The first 3 FSA roles represent the more established part of our work, and our statutory responsibilities. They will continue to be where the majority of our resources are. 

Our evidence generator, policy maker and regulator roles are largely focussed on food that is safe and is what is says it is, with a select number of activities contributing to food that is healthier and more sustainable (including our nutrition policy remit in Northern Ireland and working in line with the Wellbeing of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015).

Evidence generator

As an evidence generator, we produce robust scientific evidence and analysis and take input, scrutiny and challenge from experts and other stakeholders. 

Evidence generator core objective: Ensure that our decisions are based on science and evidence, and share this evidence to inform and influence others (consumers, businesses and policy makers).

Evidence generator change objective: Build evidence, including through science and research, so we can anticipate opportunities and risks across the UK food system.

In our evidence generator role we will:

• provide robust science and evidence that informs our decisions and advice, helping to manage risk around food safety and authenticity and to help make food healthier and more sustainable.
• make sure that our evidence and analysis is available for further use by the science community, other government departments and wider stakeholders to support their own decision making
• understand changes in food technology, business models and consumer attitudes so we can assess changing risks effectively
• grow our contribution to food that is healthier and more sustainable

Through our evidence we improve regulatory decision making, reducing risk in the food system so that consumers can have assurance and be confident that the food system maintains food safety and authenticity.

Policy maker

As a policy maker we ensure that the body of guidance, rules and regulations that exist nationally, internationally and at a devolved level deliver food you can trust.

Policy maker core objective: Make robust recommendations and support decision makers to take informed decisions on rules relating to food and feed, based on evidence and independent assessment.

Policy maker change objective: Create a proportionate, effective, efficient and future focused approach to regulation through the risk analysis process and regulated products service, that protects consumers and removes barriers to innovation.

Our areas of responsibility:

Our policy remit across England, Wales and Northern Ireland is shown above. We have policy responsibility for food and feed safety and hygiene, which includes food hypersensitivity across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Additionally, we have policy responsibility for compositional standards and labelling in Wales and Northern Ireland, and for nutritional standards, labelling, and dietary health and surveillance in Northern Ireland only.

In our policy maker role we will:

• advise ministers about risks concerning food and feed safety and standards and about consumers’ interests in relation to food based on the best available scientific evidence
• act as a transparent, independent and evidence-based policy maker, meaning that our advice is based on a body of guidance, rules and regulations nationally, internationally and at a devolved level 

This means that consumers can be confident that the rules governing the food system ensure that food is safe and is what it says it is. 

Regulator

We regulate some parts of the food system directly, with our staff and contractors delivering controls in meat, primary dairy and wine production. We regulate other parts of the industry indirectly, working with local authorities who inspect local businesses selling food. We set the inspection framework, provide advice and guidance and monitoring performance. We do the same for port health authorities who inspect food imports. We also provide guidance to food businesses.

Regulator core objective: Deliver our regulatory responsibilities to enable food and feed businesses to comply with the rules so that food is safe and what it says it is. 

Regulator change objective: Reform the food safety regulatory framework to deliver more proportionate and risk-based assurance. 

In our regulator role we will:

• monitor and ensure there is compliance with the rules, directly or working through other enforcement authorities
• respond effectively when something goes wrong and prepare for and prevent this as far as possible
• ensure we understand how the food system is working against the standards we have set
• make it easier for businesses to meet their obligations and do the right thing

This means consumers can be confident that food businesses follow the rules that are there to ensure that food is safe and is what it says it is. 

Watchdog, convenor and collaborator

The strategy’s fourth and fifth roles – watchdog and convenor and collaborator - represent areas where we want to grow our role and do more.

This will include work in support of achieving all 3 elements of our vision, food is safe, food is what is says it is, and food is healthier and more sustainable. 

Watchdog, convenor and collaborator

Watchdog objective: Speak out publicly about areas of consumer interest to encourage high food standards in the UK.

In our watchdog role we will:

• monitor trends across the food system and help to spot emerging opportunities, issues and potential risks to consumers, which will allow the FSA, and others across government, industry and civil society to take action where appropriate
• use our independence, our voice and our evidence to inform and persuade others in line with our principle to be the trusted voice on food standards, protecting consumer interests. 

This means consumers can be confident that the FSA speaks up for their interests and encourages others to work with us to address issues that could affect whether food is safe and is what it says it is. It also lets us identify opportunities to contribute to food that is healthier and more sustainable.

Convenor and collaborator objective: Work in partnerships across the food system to address issues affecting consumers and businesses. 

The FSA is just one of the actors in the food system.

In our convenor and collaborator role we will:

• work in partnership with other parts of government (including the UK Government, Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive, Food Standards Scotland and local authorities), our delivery partners, industry and consumer associations to combine our capabilities, resources and insights. 
• convene food system stakeholders to consider and respond to system issues or concerns. 

This means consumers can be confident we’re working with a wide range of partners to achieve more than we could alone to deliver food that is safe and is what it says it is. It also helps us identify opportunities to contribute with others to achieving food that is healthier and more sustainable.

Enabler

The roles described in our strategy focus on our outward facing work to ensure that there is food you can trust. However, this could not happen without the significant contributions by our enabling functions that allow our organisation to operate.

Therefore, this plan has an additional role of enabler, reflecting the work we need to deliver in this space over the next 3 years.

Enabler objective: Provide the people, resources and processes needed to deliver our corporate objectives and priorities. 

In our enabler role we will:

• deliver and improve supporting functions such as finance, human resources and culture, commercial and technology, as well as specialist skills in communications, legal, project and programme management and strategy, which are required for our organisation to run effectively
• make the best use of digital and data services to meet the needs of internal and public users

This ensures that all the parts of our organisation are equipped to deliver our objectives and ensure food is safe, is what it says it is, and is healthier and more sustainable.

See appendix 1 for more detailed specific activities to deliver each objective, by year.