A PVS Gap Analysis mission facilitates the definition of a country’s Veterinary Services’ objectives in terms of compliance with OIE international standards on quality of Veterinary Services, suitably adapted to national constraints and priorities. The country PVS Gap Analysis report includes an indicative annual budget and one exceptional budget (for exceptional investments), when relevant, consolidated to propose an indicative 5 year budget for the Veterinary Services. In practice, this means:

• Defining, together with the Veterinary Services, and in accordance with national priorities and constraints, the expected result (i.e. level of advancement defined in the OIE PVS tool) at the end of the five-year period for the critical competencies of the OIE PVS tool which are relevant to the national context;

• Determining the activities to be carried out in order to achieve the expected results for the critical competencies of the OIE PVS Tool which are relevant to the national context of the country

• Determining, with the help of information, data or interviews, the tasks and human, physical and financial resources required to implement these activities to enable the Veterinary Services to function appropriately

The PVS Gap Analysis must be established with the full participation and approval of the Veterinary Services. It serves as the basis for discussion with:

• The Ministry(ies) responsible for the Veterinary Services activities, the Ministry in charge of the budget, and in some cases with the Prime Minister and national Parliament, to justify the resources needed to meet the priority objectives defined by the country;

• If needed, international funding agencies, when requesting their support for all or some of the activities or investments defined in the PVS Gap Analysis.

Detailed programming following this analysis cannot be carried out until the political authorities and financial partners have endorsed the analysis and have taken all aspects into account. Its implementation does not therefore fall within the responsibility of the OIE experts. The outcome of the PVS Gap Analysis can be used by government authorities and potential funding partners to prepare specific investment programmes.

The baseline information and expected results are set out in the OIE PVS Tool (level of advancement of PVS critical competencies). They facilitate the follow-up of the implementation of the PVS Gap Analysis when conducting regular PVS Pathway follow-up missions.

The country PVS Gap Analysis objectives focus primarily on the national context of the country and its priorities. When a specific regional context exists (e.g. the country is member of a sub-regional economic community or of a regional economic integration organisation) the regional context (e.g. regional strategy/priorities, regional legislation, regional policies (e.g. border controls, etc.)) may also need to be taken into consideration when relevant.