The Key Findings Report is an innovation by the MICS Programme to release official results in a timely manner. This type of report responds to the continued demand for rapid release of results and timely use of data, articulated by the recent high-level report on the Data Revolution. Through this report model, which displays national level results for all MICS indicators, many surveys produce results within six months of completion of fieldwork – now considered a benchmark for the MICS Programme.
As Attila Hancioglu, the Global MICS Coordinator, comments: “Data must be put to use as soon as they are produced. This is precisely why MICS developed tools and work processes to support faster release of results. We are continuously exploring how to deliver results faster without compromising the quality of data or the country-ownership of the survey.”
However, bottlenecks such as finalization of complete data files or political decisions on the timing of release of results are hurdles that remain challenging for MICS and indeed other major survey programmes. As the ownership of MICS is with national governments, which set targets and priorities for the surveys, further efforts are needed to stress the importance of releasing results quickly. The MICS Programme remains committed to these ends.
All surveys can be found on the Surveys page.