Informing humanitarians worldwide 24/7 — a service provided by UN OCHA

Nepal

CBS and UNICEF sign agreement to conduct sixth round of Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys in Nepal

The agreement marks the launch of survey assessing well-being of children and women in Nepal

KATHMANDU, 20 September 2018 - The Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) and UNICEF have signed a memorandum of understanding for the implementation of Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) – Round 6, which is to be conducted at the beginning of 2019.

MICS is an international household survey programme developed and supported by UNICEF. It constitutes one of the world's largest sources of statistical information on children and women. The information gathered assists countries in filling data gaps for monitoring the status of human development generally, with a particular focus on the situation of children and women.

Over the past 20 years, MICS has evolved to respond to the changing data needs, expanding from 28 indicators of issues pertaining to children and women in the first round to 200 indicators in the current sixth round. As a major source of evidence for monitoring the situation of children and women, MICS results are used to track the progress made towards Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), national goals and global commitments aimed at promoting welfare of children and women.

“The round 6 of Nepal MICS will provide valuable information and evidence about the children and women in Nepal and its findings will be used to establish Multidimensional Poverty Index for 2019, as well as monitor progress towards achievement of Sustainable Development Goals,” said Mr. Nebin Lal Shrestha, for Director General of CBS. "To enable the country to achieve the SDGs it is necessary to track the indicators at regular intervals. MICS is the major source of data for these indicators at national and provincial levels.”

Since its inception, three survey rounds have been carried out in Nepal (in 2000, 2010-11 and 2014). The current survey will be conducted in Nepal from January to June 2019, with technical and financial support from UNICEF. The survey will generate data by each province with a rural and urban breakdown. The survey will frame the data from an equity perspective by highlighting disparities related to gender, region, geography, education, household wealth, and other characteristics.

NMICS6 will include, for the first time in Nepal, a module on the functional abilities of children. Developed jointly by UNICEF and the Washington Group, the module includes questions around the difficulties faced by children, aged between two to four and five to 17, in performing certain activities. This will support the compilation of comparable data around functional limitations experienced by the population. The key objectives for obtaining this data will be: to identify children with functional limitations and use the data to compare the levels of their participation within their education, social and family life; to measure to what extent children are socially included; and to obtain data for monitoring the situation of children with disabilities in order to address their needs. In addition, the survey will include information on water quality from sampled households and a questionnaire targeted towards men. Nepal is the second country in the world to test the quality of its drinking water for presence of fecal matter. The results provide valuable information on the steps Nepal can take to improve its water quality and thus reduce water-borne diseases like diarrhoea, typhoid and cholera.

“UNICEF is delighted to partner with CBS once again to conduct this important survey in Nepal,” said Dr Rownak Khan, UNICEF Deputy Representative. “Over the many years that this survey has been conducted, we have benefited from an enriched understanding of the situation faced by women and children in Nepal, and a stronger ability to identify the pockets of inequality that demand our prioritization. This critical data will form the foundation of our work, from the creation of policies to documenting progress, thus supporting our collective mandate to improve the lives of every child.”

Media Contacts

Sharmina Manandhar
Communication Officer
UNICEF Nepal
Tel: +977 9801007922
Email: smanandhar@unicef.org