In the week of September 18-23, a research team from SPRI Global carried out a mission to the Maldives to meet local stakeholders as part of a Social Sector Analysis and Sector Plan Development in support of UNICEF Maldives and the Ministry of Gender Family and Social Services (MoGFSS).
The SPRI Global research team consisted of Prof. Dr. Chris de Neubourg and two researchers, namely Patrick Llewellin and Mariam Sène. The primary purpose of the mission was to present the key findings of the Social Sector Analysis report, which presents the finding of quantitative and qualitative data analysis with prior data collection having taken place in 2021. A validation workshop of the key findings and analyses presented in the report took place in April of 2022. The validation of findings as well as additional input from key stakeholders contributed towards the finalization of the Social Sector Assessment Report, as well as the development of a Social Sector Master Plan.
The main takeaways of these final documents were presented to the Vice President of the Maldives, as well as to all Ministers responsible for the social sector, including the Ministers of Education, Health, Sports, Culture & Arts, among others. The conclusions and recommendations presented by Prof. Dr. Chris de Neubourg during this session were appreciated and well-received by the Ministers and the Vice Presidents, with fruitful discussions setting the stage for the finalization of the analysis and report by the end of 2022.