UNICEF supports making data available for informed decisions and actions on children
Better planning through data!
Male’, 11 December 2019 – A revised and better version of the “Maldivinfo” and the MaldivInfo Mobile app was presented in a soft launch today jointly organized by the UNICEF Maldives Country Office and the National Bureau of Statistics to about 50 technical staff of government ministries and authorities and some university students at the auditorium of the Maldives National University. Maldivinfo is a database with visualization capabilities that provides policymakers, programme managers, media practitioners, students, and the general public with up-to-date socio-economic data, situation of children, and progress of the Sustainable Development Goals.
The updated 2019 Maldivinfo software package has evolved from years of innovations in database systems from Childinfo and Devinfo that supports informed policy, planning and programming decisions and that promotes the use of data to advocate for human development, in general, and for the promotion and fulfillment of child rights, in particular. Previous versions of the Maldivinfo have already been used in streamlining and standardizing national statistics and making relevant disaggregated data readily available for policy makers and program managers.
The user-friendly features, functions, and contents of the revised version of Maldivinfo was presented today by Mr. Christopher Gejit Tongbran, of the Community Systems Foundation, a consultant of the National Bureau of Statistic (NBS). Maldivinfo offers fast open access to data on various sectors. A Quick Data Search allows users to find data they are looking for almost instantly. It also allows them to visualize their search results in a table, graph, chart, and map formats.
Considering the inputs and recommendations from the participants of the forum, the NBS assured that data in the Maldivinfo will be further harmonized and updated using 2018 data, as much as possible, drawing not only from surveys but also from routine administrative data. A policy advocacy plan will be developed and implemented to make sure that decision makers will fully appreciate Maldivinfo and access and actually use the data for policy-making, program development and adjustment, budgeting, advocacy, and reporting on the status of children and on the progress of the SDG, for which the government is obliged to periodically report on.
The UN Secretary General, in his Follow up and Review of the 2030 Agenda in 2016,
emphasized that the United Nations System “should stand ready to provide coherent support to the conduct of national reviews including for strengthening the capacity of national statistical offices, data systems and evaluation bodies”.
The Maldivinfo. Mobile App can be downloaded using the following web address:https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.communitysystemsfoundation.maldivesinfo