GOB signs MOU to launch the seventh round of its MICS Survey

 The Government of Belize is hoping to craft data-driven policies aimed at improving the lives of children and women in Belize. Today, the Ministry of Economic Development, the Statistical Institute of Belize, and UNICEF signed a memorandum of understanding to embark on the seventh round of the Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys program (MICS). The survey is centered on collecting data relating to the living and social conditions of the country’s women and children. CEO of the Ministry of Economic Development, Dr. Osmond Martinez, explained that this venture is expected to result in the establishment of government policies that positively impact the lives of the nation’s women and youth.

The SIB has taken part in three previous MICS surveys, which is its second-largest data collection exercise. Diana Castillo-Trejo, Director General of the SIB, says that public participation in the survey has improved significantly over the years. Castillo-Trejo explained how the SIB is gearing up to poll an estimated five thousand households. 

UNICEF’s Belize Representative Allison Parker says that the partnership highlights the government’s commitment to improving the lives of its women and children.