Background
Burkina Faso is one of the poorest countries in Africa, ranks 182 out of 189 countries in the human development index. Additionally, it ranks below average compared to countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Action10 is now aiming to raise funds to provide lab equipment to the laboratories in Burkina Faso that currently experience a lack of resources. This will enable the laboratory to bring the research, on water quality among other things, forward and improve the standard of living.
Project update
In this project update we will describe the "FAST Operation and Financial plans", which are both central when establishing laboratory operations and procuring new advanced scientific equipment:
The FAST Operational and Financial plans (O&F plans) are necessary and complementary procedures for ensuring performance during the expected life time when procuring new pieces of advanced scientific equipment and ensuring sustainable economies and institutional capacity when establishing new central laboratories. The O&F plans offer the advanced laboratory a strategy on how to i) prepare prior to procuring new pieces of equipment and, ii) operate after procurement procedures.
The Operational plan Guidelines have been developed to support scientific institutions with the procurement and use of advanced scientific equipment.
The purpose with the Financial plan is to prepare a strategy for the Institution to cover all the expenses that come with the running, maintenance, and servicing of new or repaired pieces of equipment. The financial plan compiles estimated costs as well as sources of funding. The cost recovery plan shows how costs related to procured or repaired equipment can be covered, and proposes options of funding sources.
The Partner Institutions are responsible for the development and implementation of the Operational and Financial plans (O&F plan). The plans should be reviewed annually, lessons learned be compiled and, informed decisions taken. The Partner is eligible for training and coaching on the O&F plans by HR&S.
The intention is thus that an operation plan shall be developed prior to procuring a new piece of advanced equipment. Thereby, each piece of equipment shall benefit from its own operational plan. The plan shall be filled in jointly by the institutional management, the researchers, and the technologists/technicians together. A separate document is generated for each piece of equipment.
Moreover, the FAST Concept is based on the principle of a sustainable economy. Thus the operational costs for starting up a new piece of equipment necessarily have to be covered by investment capital, but after about two years the piece of equipment is expected to cover its own running costs as well as, whenever possible, generate a profit which can strengthen the laboratory or the research in general. A FAST Financial plan Guideline has thus been developed to be complementary to the FAST Operational plan Guideline.
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Background
Burkina Faso is one of the poorest countries in Africa, ranks 182 out of 189 countries in the human development index. Additionally, it ranks below average compared to countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Action10 is now aiming to raise funds to provide lab equipment to the laboratories in Burkina Faso that currently experience a lack of resources. This will enable the laboratory to bring the research, on water quality among other things, forward and improve the standard of living.
Project update
A key to success in laboratory management is the establishment and maintenance of Stakeholder Committees. The stakeholder committees involve the laboratory management, researchers, the technicians and representatives from the suppliers of the equipment. We only work with Agreed Suppliers, these represent international equipment manufacturers and are trained and overviewed by them.
We also run a network for technicians and thereby create a platform for knowledge sharing and training of technicians. If funding is available, the technicians shall visit each other's laboratories to understand the availability of services they can share and learn from each other.
Hopefully, these initiatives can contribute to the development of the laboratories and the research in the areas, which is crucial to improve the standard of living in Burkina Faso.
Links:
Background
Burkina Faso is one of the poorest countries in Africa, ranks 182 out of 189 countries in the human development index. Additionally, it ranks below average compared to countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Action10 is now aiming to raise funds to provide lab equipment to the laboratories in Burkina Faso that currently experience a lack of resources. This will enable the laboratory to bring the research, on water quality among other things, forward and improve the standard of living.
Project update
We are deepening our laboratory management services to be able to provide more support in Burkina Faso. The purpose of the Laboratory Management coaching is to support scientific institutions to have access to functioning advanced scientific equipment. The strategy is unique and has proven successful. The programme addresses: Selection, Laboratory physical requirements, Transportation, Installation, Calibration, Training, Operation, Maintenance, Servicing, Use, and Decommissioning.
Additionally, Operational and Financial plans (O&F plans) are necessary and complementary procedures. The O&F plans offers the scientific institutions to reflect over how to prepare prior to procuring new equipment and how to manage the equipment after the procurement. The scientific institutions are themselves responsible for the development and implementation of the Operational and Financial plans (O&F plan). The plans should be annually reviewed and adjusted in relation to lessons learned.
We hope that these initiatives will enhance the impact on the scientific research in the area and therefore contribute to more knowledge and improve the standard of living for the people in Burkina Faso.
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