A robust Quality Infrastructure (QI) system, covering metrology, standardization, accreditation, conformity assessment and market surveillance, helps countries improve product and service quality, reduce technical risks, and enable market access. In the Palestinian Territories, work on QI takes place in a fragile, conflict‑affected environment, where heightened insecurity and severe restrictions can disrupt mobility, market access and public service delivery. The appraisal therefore focused on how strengthening QI can make a tangible, near-to-medium term contribution to resilience and socio‑economic development, and how it can lay foundations for the country’s future development rather than being a purely technocratic exercise.

A central part of the assignment was to identify those sectors that are particularly critical under current conditions and where better QI services would have the highest leverage. Drawing on existing QI diagnostics and additional partner consultations, the appraisal confirmed that the energy sector, in particular photovoltaic (PV) and energy efficiency, is a structural backbone for socio‑economic development in the Palestinian Territories. High energy costs and the importance of decentralised energy supply mean that the quality, safety and performance of PV systems and energy efficiency measures directly affect households, businesses and public institutions. At the same time, metrology, testing and other QI services for the energy sector are still underdeveloped, with significant gaps in calibration and testing services and in the availability of relevant standards and technical guidance.

Ferdinand Consultants supported PTB by leading the appraisal mission and working closely with the PTB project team and Palestinian partners to update the project outline and sharpen the project focus. Our team prepared and led interviews with existing and potential partners, facilitated the discussions on how to update outputs and indicators, and translated the jointly agreed direction into an updated impact matrix and a formal change proposal for BMZ.

Our contribution combined mission delivery with concrete improvements to the project design.

“Ferdinand Consultants combined strong QI and photovoltaic sector knowledge with excellent facilitation. Niels and Michael guided a structured partner dialogue in a fragile, fast-changing context. They synthesized diverse inputs into an updated impact matrix and change proposal. Communication was smooth throughout, and their flexibility and responsiveness made a big difference to the success of the process.”
-Madeleine Martin, Project Coordinator, Palestinian Territories, PTB (Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt).

What we delivered:

Appraisal mission leadership, including preparation and facilitation of interviews with existing and potential partners.

Structured partner dialogue to agree, together with PTB and Palestinian counterparts, how to update the project outline, outputs and indicators.

Sector prioritisation to sharpen the project focus, identifying PV and energy efficiency as a priority area given its relevance for socio‑economic development and the potential contribution of QI.

An updated impact matrix, developed in close collaboration with the PTB project team, integrating the agreed changes into a coherent and measurable results logic.

A BMZ-compliant change proposal, drafted from the appraisal findings and finalised in close coordination with PTB.

What changed in the project as a result (outcome-oriented design improvements):

Strong system-wide governance focus, sharpening coordination and strategic steering of the national QI system and advancing the pathway for the National Quality Policy implementation plan.

Outcome-oriented indicators, better capturing demonstrable progress and capability gains among both providers and users of QI services.

A sectoral deepening on PV and energy efficiency as an additional component, creating a structured interface between energy-sector actors and QI institutions to align standards and services with practical sector needs. This includes targeted exchange formats between QI and energy stakeholders, the preparation of energy‑related standards for integration into the national system, and the systematic linkage of identified sector needs to metrology and other QI service development.

Building on existing QI diagnostics and partner consultation, Ferdinand Consultants led the appraisal process that enabled PTB and Palestinian counterparts to agree and formalise a revised project design for the next implementation phase – one that explicitly responds to the current fragile context while positioning QI as a critical enabler of the Palestinian Territories’ future socio‑economic development.

Our team was mandated to support PTB in developing its strategy for international cooperation with Asia. We began the process with a strategic analysis, identifying the most relevant development trends in the region. By matching these trends with national policies of Asian countries, along with the priorities of the Germany´s international cooperation and relevant areas for Quality Infrastructure development , we identified topics to be considered in PTB´s Asia strategy.

Niels Ferdinand advised the PTB team while it was internally developing and finalizing its strategy. He is currently supporting the implementation of PTB’s strategic action plan.

The strategy helps PTB´s International Cooperation group focus on the most relevant topics and sectors, build the necessary capacities and develop the partnerships required for future projects.

To overcome the existing challenges and to fulfil the requirements of international markets, quality infrastructure (QI) services are required. Quality infrastructure is the system comprising the organisations, policies and regulatory framework required to support and enhance the quality and sustainability of a value chain. The QI for organic cotton includes services such as accreditation of laboratories used for product testing, identification of standards that are fit-for-purpose and internationally recognised, and systems to ensure traceability of the final product.

Following on from a successful process in Ethiopia in 2022, in November 2023 our team facilitated a multi-stakeholder workshop in Egypt with the aim of improving the QI services in the organic cotton value chain.

To prepare the process, our team organised meetings and interviews with Quality Infrastructure organisations and our partner organisation, the Cotton Egypt Association (CEA), researched relevant background information, and mapped the value chain.

Stakeholders from public and private organisations were identified and invited to collaborate. We invited representatives from the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) to present the requirements for GOTS certification, the Egyptian National Institute of Standards (NIS) to describe the network of QI services that currently exist in Egypt, and Heinz Zeller from Hugo Boss to discuss the quality criteria required by international buyers.

Our team designed and facilitated two online, half-day workshops as part of a Calidena process, which resulted in identification of gaps, definition of cross-industry measures for improvement, and initiated a follow-up committee to guide implementation of the measures.

The pioneer process resulted in an action plan, which creates the basis for a one-year follow-up by the key stakeholders. The implemented activities will contribute to an increased competitiveness of organic Egyptian cotton on the international market.

This Calidena process was conducted on behalf of the German Metrology Institute, Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), and funded by German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

Showing that its business model cannot be separated from sustainability, the BMW Group is now embarking on a new chapter in its reporting. In this context, we accompanied the BMW Group with the integration of its Sustainable Value Report and its Annual Report. Our consultancy included several aspects: substantial inputs regarding the development of the ESG-content, support of collection of information, development of parts of the text, recommendations and advice in aligning the report with the GRI standards and UNGC principles as well as in fulfilling the requirements of the German CSR Directive Implementation Act (CSR RUG).

Our team was mandated by PTB to develop the International Cooperation group´s digitalization strategy. Our support included a strategic analysis of digitalization trends relevant for developing economies, specifically in the area of Quality Infrastructure. Our findings were presented in a workshop with the PTB team, during which we facilitated the identification of the main strategic areas and development of a concrete action plan.

The digitalization strategy outlined in this process serves PTB as internal guidance and externally, in its approach to stakeholders.