<![CDATA[Introduction: This study aimed to design and assess the content validity of a risk-based self-assessment instrument for IRTPs to independently monitor their food-safety practices. Methods: A modified version of the Research and Development (R&D) process was adapted to conduct this study in three phases. Phase 1 involved identifying strategic issues for intervention based on 115 IRTPs' audit results and E. coli risk analysis. Phase 2 involved drafting the instrument, followed by focus group discussions (FGDs) with multi-stakeholder participants. Phase 3 involved assessing the content validity of the instrument across 28 items by a two-member expert panel consisting of a Food Safety Expert from the local health authority and a senior public health academic. Results: Issues identified in The problem-identification process revealed 10 critical areas of concern, including basic sanitation, storage management, and employee hygiene. An intervention module was developed, consisting of a diagnostic checklist and solution guide. The instrument demonstrated high expert-rated content validity (mean CVI = 0.95) and a high percentage agreement among experts (95%). Conclusions: This study produced a preliminary Self-Assessment Instrument with high expert-rated content validity for use as a public health intervention tool to support internal food safety monitoring and may help promote a food safety culture among informal-sector producers. Field reliability, usability among IRTP owners, and outcome validity against bacteriological contamination require further testing.]]>
