Call for bids in Kazakhstan: respond to the COVID-19 challenges

World news story

The British Embassy in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan is now accepting project proposals for the 2020/2021 financial year that will end on 31 March 2021.

The British Embassy in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan is now accepting project proposals for the 2020/2021 financial year that will end on 31 March 2021.

This year the British Embassy in Nur-Sultan is seeking to support small projects that aim to address issues and risks that emerged as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The projects should aim at responding to the COVID-19-related challenges through provision of a knowledge and capacity building, analytical and advisory support, etc.

We are particularly interested in project proposals focused on:

combatting the potential negative impact of COVID-19 on democracy, political and economic inclusion
informing the public of the current human rights situation in the country
addressing existing issues in the country’s social protection system with a particular focus on vulnerable groups
supporting the country’s economic recovery by providing advisory support on economic issues, including fiscal policy, financial sector, etc.

The projects should incorporate online components, such as webinars, e-conferences, digital education, etc. which will be comprehensive, self-standing and easily accessible.

The British Embassy in Nur-Sultan is seeking to support Kazakhstan in its COVID-19 response plans, and work closely with the government bodies, civil society organizations, academic institutions, etc.

Bid guidance

project will be funded in the 2020/2021 financial year that will end on 31 March 2021, with no expectation of continued funding beyond this period
only projects directly related to COVID-19 will be considered
maximum budget limit: USD 12,000

Assessment

Bids will be assessed against the following criteria:

alignment with the above mentioned thematic priorities and outcomes
outcomes are achievable within the funding period
project design includes clear monitoring and evaluation procedures
sustainability demonstrating that project benefits continue after the funding ends
risk and financial accountability procedures
the organisation’s safeguarding policies that ensure protection of beneficiaries
overall value for money

Process

project proposals must be received by midnight on 17 July 2020. Late proposals will not be considered
proposals must be submitted using the attached forms only (Project Proposal and Activity Based Budget)
proposals must be submitted to ukinkz@fco.gov.uk
project proposals selected for further consideration will be notified on 31 July 2020
the British Embassy Nur-Sultan aim to sign grant agreements with successful project implementers by 14 August 2020

Contacts

Assemgul Kaliyeva, Projects Officer, Assemgul.Kaliyeva@fco.gov.uk

Alternative contact: Larissa Volkova, Political Officer, Larissa.Volkova@fco.gov.uk

Documents

Activity Based Budget Template (MS Excel Spreadsheet, 29.9KB) Project Proposal Form above £10k (MS Word Document, 87.5KB)

Published 2 July 2020

Government launches second phase of independent review into drug misuse

Professor Dame Carol Black to lead next stage of the independent review into the misuse of drugs
Second phase to consider the provision of treatment and recovery services for drug users, as well as a focus on how to prevent the misuse of drugs among adults and young people
Review findings will feed into wider government work to tackle the serious harms caused by substance misuse

Building on an initial phase commissioned by the Home Office, the next stage of the review will focus on treatment, recovery and prevention. The overarching aim will be to ensure that vulnerable people with substance misuse problems get the support they need to recover and turn their lives around in the community and in prison.

The review will consider how treatment services can enable people with a drug dependency to achieve and sustain their recovery – spanning a wide range of services they may interact with across mental health, housing, employment and the criminal justice system.

Professor Dame Carol Black has been appointed to lead the review following her initial report commissioned by the Home Office, which looked at the challenges around drug supply and demand. Her initial report found that:

drug deaths are at an all-time high
the market has become much more violent
drugs are costing society billions of pounds every year

Health Minister Jo Churchill said:

Drug misuse can have a tragic impact on people’s health, families and livelihoods, causing suffering to all those involved.

With drug deaths at an all-time high, we must tackle the root causes of substance misuse to improve health outcomes and prevent lives being lost needlessly.

The findings of Dame Carol’s first review set out the scale of the challenge. Now our focus must shift to ensuring the appropriate services are in place to support the treatment and recovery of drug users, as well as preventing drug use in our communities in the first place.

I look forward to receiving Dame Carol’s recommendations and working with others on the solutions.

The review will make policy recommendations to government, including around funding, as well how services are commissioned and local bodies are held accountable to ensure they are effective in preventing, treating and supporting recovery from drug problems.

Part one of the independent review found children and young people are now more likely to experiment with drugs after years of decline, and so the second phase will include a specific focus to make recommendations on prevention and treatment services for this age group.

Professor Dame Carol Black said:

I am delighted to be starting part 2 of the Independent Review of Drugs. In my foreword to part one I said that behind the thorough analysis of the market for illicit drugs that we had just completed lay a very tragic human story: about the effect on individuals, their families, youngsters caught up in the trade, and the economy.

We showed a decade-long erosion, under previous governments, in almost every aspect of drug addiction, prevention, treatment and recovery.

We now have the opportunity to correct this and build a better world. To do this many stakeholders and government departments must work together as never before.

As part of the next phase of the review, Dame Carol has launched a call for evidence and will engage with a wide range of stakeholders, including hearing from service users and people with lived experience of drug addiction to build a detailed picture of treatment, recovery and prevention.

Dame Carol will be provided with expert support from:

Dr Ed Day, an NHS substance misuse consultant and government drug recovery champion
Dr Keith Humphreys, a US academic and former drug policy advisor to President Obama with substantial expertise in this field and an international perspective

Dr Ed Day, NHS Consultant in Addiction Psychiatry and government drug recovery champion, said:

I look forward to working with Dame Carol Black and her team to help deliver a fully functioning recovery-orientated system of care in every community in England. This will require professionals and people with lived experience of addiction to work together to reduce the harms that drugs cause and maximise the potential of people of all ages.

Dr Keith Humphreys, Professor of Psychiatry at Stanford University and former drug policy advisor to President Barack Obama, said:

The first part of Dame Carol Black’s review showed a deteriorating situation regarding drugs throughout the UK. This second part presents the opportunity to reverse those trends. Doing so will require a review of how health and social care for people with drug problems are organised, delivered and financed.

Dame Carol is expected to submit initial recommendations in September and her final report in December this year.

The terms of reference for the review and call for evidence have also been published. The call for evidence will close on Thursday 6 August.

The government is already responding to Dame Carol’s findings with further investment to significantly increase the law enforcement response to county lines and the recruitment of 20,000 extra police officers over the next 3 years.

The government has pledged to address the complex challenges caused by drug misuse, with a cross-government addiction strategy due to be published in early 2021.

Fish speciation for food authenticity: e-seminar

News story

This e-seminar, will introduce the analytical needs associated with fish speciation for food authenticity

This e-seminar, entitled “Fish speciation for food authenticity”, will introduce the viewer to the analytical needs associated with fish speciation for food authenticity, the prevalent methods used in testing laboratories within the UK and European Union, as well as provide a summary of the scope and limitations of these methodologies.

The Labelfish project will be also be introduced, and a step-by-step guide to following the standard operating procedure produced by Labelfish provided. Those who should consider viewing this e-seminar include individuals currently working within the foods molecular testing area, particularly representatives from UK Official Control Laboratories, industry and members of organisations associated with the UK official control network.

The production of this e-seminar was funded by Defra, FSA, FSS and BEIS under the Joint Knowledge Transfer Framework for Food Standards and Food Safety Analysis.

Fish speciation for food authenticity

For more information about the work the Government Chemist does contact:

Published 1 July 2020

An introduction to digital PCR (dPCR): e-seminar

News story

This e-seminar describes the principles behind the digital PCR technique, and gives some good practice guidelines for its use

The e-seminar will equip viewers with the necessary knowledge and skills to broaden the scope of food authenticity testing currently utilised by official and industrial control laboratories. The e-seminar will be of interest to individuals currently working within the foods molecular testing area, particularly representatives from UK Official Control Laboratories, industry and members of organisations associated with the UK official control network.

Guidance and recommendations for use of digital PCR are presented. Examples of the different technical approaches available and applications to which they can be applied have been included. A detailed description of the data analysis approaches employed and guidance for the reporting of the findings are also given.

The production of this e-seminar was funded by Defra, FSA, FSS and BEIS under the Joint Knowledge Transfer Framework for Food Standards and Food Safety Analysis

An introduction to digital PCR

For more information about the work of the Government Chemist please contact:

Published 1 July 2020

Evaluation and assessment of jelly mini-cups

News story

Presentations related to workshop providing practical knowledge for assessing the conformity of confectionery items known as jelly mini-cups

The Government Chemist team run a very well received workshop providing practical knowledge for assessing the conformity of confectionery items known as jelly mini-cups on 13 March 2019.

The workshop was attended by 22 delegates representing enforcement offices (Trading Standard Officers and Environmental Health Officers), Public Analysts and traders. The workshop included talks by Selvarani Elahi, Michael Walker and Ian Axford (expert in Consumer Safety Regulation) and practical sessions in the laboratory. There was a good deal of exchange of information and opinion and the feedback was very positive.

The event helped clarify the thinking about emerging ‘borderline compliant’ products appearing on the market and enhanced significantly the consistency with which this choking hazard will be regulated in the future.

Presentation for the workshop are linked below:

For more information about this topic or the work of the Government Chemist please contact:

Published 1 July 2020