STRONG NATIONAL OWNERSHIP GIVES SURINAME MICS CLEAR GOVERNMENT BUY-IN

29 May 2019

Collaboration at the national level leads to a successful workshop prior to report release.

With three previous MICS surveys in Suriname, strong national ownership and involvement during the entire process, both from government bodies and academic institutions, has been a hallmark of the survey. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Housing, which led the survey process, collaborated closely with the General Bureau of Statistics (data collection, processing and reporting), the University of Suriname (data processing and reporting) and UNICEF (technical assistance.) The national government secured funding for the survey implementation, contributing upwards of half of the total budget, not including ministries’ support in terms of staff time and transportation. 

The interest and involvement of all partners continued during a recent Data Interpretation and Report Compilation (DIRC) workshop in Paramaribo from 24 to 26 April 2019. The workshop was the last phase of the MICS6 process prior to the finalization of the Survey Findings Report, statistical snapshots and district profiles. The DIRC provided key national stakeholders with the opportunity to review, discuss and give feedback on the latest data, thus ensuring buy-in on the results of the survey. 

The implementation of the sixth round of MICS gave Suriname a measurable advantage by providing baselines for monitoring the Sustainable Development Goals agenda. In addition, the survey provided opportunities to build the country’s capacity in research and monitoring, data interpretation and collection of data with tablets (CAPI). For the first time, this round also implemented survey modules to collect data on men and water quality. 

Findings are expected to be released in June 2019.