Organizational structure of the Food Safety Risk and Testing Management Department in Vietnam

Organizational structure of the Food Safety Risk and Testing Management Department in Vietnam (Internet image)

Regarding this issue, LawNet would like to answer as follows:

1. Organizational structure of the Food Safety Risk and Testing Management Department in Vietnam

- Department leaders:

The Department's leadership includes a Head and Deputy Heads appointed and dismissed by the Director according to the personnel management hierarchy of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the provisions of law.

The Head of the Department directs and manages the activities of the Department and is responsible to the Director and the law for the activities of the Department.

The Deputy Head of Department assists the Head of Department in monitoring and directing a number of work areas as assigned by the Head of Department and is responsible to the Head of Department for assigned tasks.

- Professional groups:

+ Testing management team;

+ Food safety risk assessment team.

According to actual needs, the Head of Department proposes to assign tasks to Team Leader; Specify the tasks of the specialized group; and arrange staff in accordance with titles, standards, job position descriptions, and assigned tasks.

(Article 3 of Decision 240/QD-QLCL 2014)

2. Duties and powers of the Food Safety Risk and Testing Management Department

Duties and powers of the Food Safety Risk and Testing Management Department are specified in Article 2 of Decision 240/QD-QLCL 2014 as follows:

- Propose, develop, or participate in the development of: legal documents according to the Ministry's annual legal development program and plan; strategies, planning, plans, programs, projects, schemes, and technical regulations documents in the fields in charge of the Department as assigned by the Director.

- Propose and organize the development of documents guiding implementation, and inspect and supervise the implementation of legal documents, project programs, schemes, planning strategies, and plans related to testing and food safety risk assessment.

- Regarding management of testing and verification activities:

+ Participate in planning the network of testing laboratories and verification laboratories in the Agriculture and Rural Development sector as assigned by the Ministry;

+ Propose and develop investment programs and projects in testing equipment and infrastructure to serve testing activities; Participate in appraising and supervising the implementation of investment programs and projects to upgrade testing laboratories within the Department's management;

+ Propose, develop plans, and evaluate standard analysis processes applied throughout the system to meet the requirements of Vietnam, international and regional organizations, and import markets;

+ Organize assessment and appraisal and submit them to the Director of the Department to designate or revoke the decision to designate testing laboratories; inspect and supervise testing laboratories under the Department's management;

+ Instruct agricultural, forestry, and fishery product quality management agencies to develop plans and organize periodic and unscheduled assessments of testing laboratories according to the Department's hierarchy;

+ Proposal to build a testing laboratory to verify food quality and safety in the field of management of the Department; Deploy inspection and evaluation and submit them to the Director of the Department to report to the competent authority to designate testing laboratories for verification according to the Ministry's decentralization;

+ Appraise rapid field inspection methods to serve the quality control of agricultural, forestry and fishery products. Appraisal of norms, technical standards, processes, and regulations on quality testing of agricultural, forestry, fishery, food, and non-food products;

+ Instruct testing laboratories to comply with testing laboratory quality management; Propose plans and coordinate participation in domestic and international inter-laboratory testing programs;

+ Inspect and supervise the implementation of regulations and technical standards on ensuring the quality of testing results and managing the quality of testing laboratories under the Department's management.

- Regarding management of food safety risk assessment activities.

+ Advise on building a network on food safety risk assessment and a working group on food safety risk assessment;

+ Develop plans and programs to assess food safety risks; Coordinate with relevant units to propose measures to manage food safety risks; provide information for communication about food safety risks;

+ Organize appraisal and acceptance of food safety risk assessment results; inspect and supervise the implementation of food safety risk assessment as assigned by the Director.

- Perform other tasks:

+ Assess needs, develop a plan to submit to the Director of the Department on organizing conferences, seminars, and training courses, and foster capacity for testing staff of affiliated units and officials performing food safety risk assessment;

+ Organize and carry out investigations, statistics, and management of databases and scientific and technological information in testing and verification activities according to regulations;

+ Carry out international cooperation in the fields of quality testing, food safety of agriculture, forestry, and fisheries, and food safety risk assessment;

+ Propose scientific research topics, organizing the application of technological and technical advances in the field of testing and verification; Organize an appraisal of outlines, research topics, research results, and the application of technological and technical advances in the field of testing;

+ Carry out administrative reform tasks in the field of testing;

+ Advise on state management of public services in the fields of quality testing and food safety in agriculture, forestry, and fisheries.

- Manage officials, civil servants, records, assets, and other assigned resources according to regulations.

- Perform other tasks as assigned by the Director.

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