New IPPC Online Comment System OCS) software purchased!

The IPPC Secretariat is happy to announce that FAO has purchased a software for a new Online Comment System (OCS) from PleaseTech following a thorough procurement process. The system, called PleaseReview, will enable IPPC members to share and submit comments on draft standards with the click of a button, and the IPPC Secretariat to manage consultation processes by automating notifications, compiling comments in an easy and efficient manner, and providing data for analysis.

Until 2014, the OCS has proven adequate in meeting user needs, as it provided a simple, efficient and user-friendly online platform, greatly facilitating the work of contact points and the Secretariat alike. The revision of the current OCS system has become urgent due to FAO maintenance support being discontinued, the overload of functions resulting in a drop in user-friendliness, and the evolution of technology.

In the words of Dr. Jingyuan Xia, Secretary of the IPPC: «This renewed tool will certainly revolutionise our work and improve time management and involvement in standards setting by the IPPC community. The new OCS will better ensure that we fulfil our mandate of protecting the word s plant resources from pests».

The purchase of PleaseReview is the outcome of a long-standing collaboration with the Codex Secretariat. Already in 2012, the WTO-SPS Committee welcomed the development of joint activities among its Three Sisters (Codex Alimentarius, IPPC and OIE), and noted the OCS as one possible tool for enhancing such collaboration.

Video

See an example of how PleaseReview works: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32xTq5WYq2c

Contact

Queries can be directed to the following email account: [email protected].