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Workshop brings 10 Pacific Island governments together to strengthen data collection and planning to improve women and children’s lives

SUVA, 19 March 2018 – Government participants from ten countries in the Pacific region will work with experts this week from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and Pacific Community (SPC) to strengthen data collection and planning to improve the lives of the most vulnerable families and children.

The “Pacific Sustainable Development Social Indicators Survey Design Workshop” being held from March 19-27, 2018, brings together national statisticians and line ministry managers from the Cook Islands, Fiji, Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Nauru, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.

UNICEF Representative, Sheldon Yett, said “Statistically sound and internationally comparable household level data is essential for the targeting of resources to reach the Sustainable Development Goals and meet the needs of the most vulnerable. This workshop is to ensure that global best practices are in place for household surveys in the Pacific.”

The purpose of the workshop is:

  • to improve the quality and standards of household surveys in the Pacific region
  • to provide support on how to integrate the collection data related to women and children in other surveys to ensure monitoring and reporting on the sustainable development goals (SDGs)
  • to provide technical advice on how to incorporate complementary questions or modules from demographic health surveys to ensure monitoring and reporting on other key Pacific Sustainable Development Indicators; and
  • to provide a platform for technical support for survey design, undertake a substantive review and discussion with the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) team on the country survey plan, and plan survey content, sample and timelines.

“This workshop provides a unique and timely opportunity to ensure that due attention for the health and well-being of women and children will be incorporated as countries across the Pacific take on the important task of monitoring progress toward the SDGs” said. Bruce Campbell, UNFPA’s Director for the Pacific Region

During the first three days of the workshop, discussions and recommendations on larger issues related to data availability and quality in the region will be held. Following this, participants from countries conducting household surveys in 2018-19 will receive support to plan these surveys.

SPC’s Deputy Director General, Audrey Aumua, says “the immense challenge to achieve the SDGs and to support our members to realise their development aspirations will be overcome through partnership with our members and development partners. This Workshop is a necessary initiative towards generating the evidence base to form policy to improve the situation of children and women in the Pacific region.”

MICS is the largest source of household survey data on the situation of children and women worldwide. Through the collection of quality data, decision-makers are able to make positive change by identifying needs and monitoring progress in their countries.

About UNICEF

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, to build a better world for everyone. For more information about UNICEF and its work for children visit http://www.unicefpacific.org

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About UNFPA

UNFPA is the United Nations reproductive health and rights agency. Our mission is to deliver a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled. For more information about UNPFA and its work visit:

http://pacific.unfpa.org/en

About the Secretariat of the Pacific Community

The Pacific Community (SPC) is the principal scientific and technical organisation in the Pacific region, proudly supporting development since 1947. We are an international development organisation owned and governed by our 26 country and territory members. For more information about our work, visit www.spc.int

For more information, please contact:

Cate Heinrich, UNICEF Pacific, + 679 9925 606, cheinrich@unicef.org

Peter Foster, SPC, +679 720 8220, peterf@spc.int

Sandra Paredez, UNFPA +679 999 2697 paredez@unfpa.org, http://pacific.unfpa.org/