"The Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) is being conducted in our country in line with the State Program on the Development of Official Statistics in the Republic of Azerbaijan in 2018-2025, approved by Decree No. 3672 of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan on February 14, 2018. This important public activity, backed by UNICEF, aims to gather internationally comparable statistical data to assess the social welfare of mothers and children, evaluate human development, and measure progress towards the targets set forth as part of the Sustainable Development Goals. The survey fieldwork is set to start on May 8 of this year and is planned to be completed within 3 months. The activities to be undertaken as part of the project (drafting, approval, publication, dissemination of the survey results report, etc.) will be fully completed by June 2024.

"What is the purpose of implementing Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) in our country, and what is the benefit of the information to be obtained from it?

"To start with, it is important to note that MICS is an international household survey developed and backed by UNICEF. Primarily, this survey aims to gather statistical data that characterizes the education, health, and quality of life of mothers and children.

"The inception of MICS dates back to 1995, and to date, 353 such surveys have been conducted across 118 countries. The first round of the survey yielded data on 28 indicators. In the ensuing years, MICS has evolved to cater to changing societal needs, becoming a crucial source of data on child protection, education, health, and nutrition. Currently, MICS allows for the production of data on approximately 200 globally agreed indicators.

"MICS aligns with the most significant global agendas of recent times, namely the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Specifically, the third round, which commenced in 2006, aimed to gather information to track the progress towards the Millennium Development Goals spanning the years 2000-2015, thereby serving as a primary information source for the UN Secretary-General's Progress Report on the MDGs.

"Besides, MICS also contributes to the monitoring of progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals. This survey allows for the collection of data on a total of 33 SDG indicators. In our country, data for twelve of these indicators is already gathered through other statistical observations, resulting in the related questions being removed from the MICS questionnaires. Thus, the MICS will ensure the generation of data on 21 SDG indicators in our country, of which thirteen have been prioritized at the national level.

"Moreover, MICS serves as a data source for calculating numerous global rankings. The collection of high-quality, representative data on education, health, and living conditions of household members through this survey will facilitate the determination of our country's standing in global rankings.

"In line with global endeavors to bolster national capacity of countries to produce and analyze high-quality, detailed data, UNICEF initiated the sixth round of MICS surveys in October 2016. This round serves as a crucial instrument for directly monitoring the fulfillment of the goals set forth in "Transforming Our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development". It is well-positioned to play a central role in the data landscape, complementing data from administrative sources, censuses, and other important surveys. The MICS questionnaires have undergone rigorous methodological and validation work to broaden the scope of the tools and include new topics that reflect SDG indicators and emerging issues in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development context, including rapid water quality testing, social transfers, foundational learning skills (children aged 7-14), vital functions of children and adults, migration status, and so on.

"Beyond serving as a data collection tool on the status of children and women, MICS also offers a unique opportunity to develop national frameworks for monitoring progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and to obtain reliable, timely data.

"In our country, work within the MICS framework commenced at the beginning of 2021, and since then, a number of significant documents have been developed and actions have been implemented. Specifically, the MICS Action Plan, questionnaires, and budget were developed, and these documents were approved by the Steering Committee. The survey sample design was prepared, questionnaires were translated into English and Russian, the layouts and maps of the sampled clusters were updated, lists of households were compiled, among other tasks.

"The survey will be conducted using 4 standard questionnaires: Individual Questionnaire for Women, Questionnaire for Children Under Five, Questionnaire for Children Aged 5-17, and Questionnaire for Households. Additionally, the Water Quality Testing Questionnaire supplements the Household Questionnaire, while the Questionnaire Form for Vaccination Records at Health Facility supplements the Questionnaire for Children Under Five.

"Given the large-scale and comprehensive nature of MICS, and considering that this survey examines issues pertinent to the fields of activity of various state institutions, it's aligned with international practice to involve multiple stakeholders, including the Ministries of Economy, Health, Science and Education, Labor and Social Protection of the Population, Ecology and Natural Resources, Justice, Internal Affairs, Digital Development and Transport, Energy; the State Statistical Committee, the State Committee on Family, Women and Children's Affairs, the State Urban Planning and Architecture Committee, the Food Safety Agency, the State Agency for Mandatory Health Insurance, the "Azersu", "Azerishig", "Azeristiliktehizat" Open Joint Stock Companies, and the "Azerigas" Production Union.

"Pursuant to Decree No. 526 issued by the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan on August 17, 2022, a Steering Committee and a Technical Committee were established in relation to the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey. The Steering Committee is tasked with ensuring the timely and high-quality execution of the survey, coordinating the activities of relevant central and local executive authorities, departments, institutions, and organizations, approving the survey's budget, its action plan, and the relevant questionnaires, overseeing the preparations for the survey, and supervising the survey's conduct. Employees from the aforementioned state institutions, along with representatives from UNICEF Azerbaijan, are included in these Committees. As such, they are directly involved in conducting discussions on MICS, drafting relevant documents, and making decisions related to the tasks performed within the framework of MICS.

"Data collection for the survey will be conducted using tablets, with data entry into the electronic information system facilitated through a specialized application known as Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI). The standard version of the CAPI was developed based on the standard versions of the questionnaires.

"In our country, the MICS survey will be conducted across the entire territory, excluding the East Zangazur economic region. It will cover 12,320 households in 616 clusters. A total of fourteen teams, including two in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, will be engaged in the survey fieldwork. Each team will be composed of six members: one supervisor, four interviewers, and one measurer. This means that eighty-four team members will be involved in the fieldwork, with an additional fifteen reserve team members planned for hiring.

"Relevant training for the fieldwork staff has already been completed. As part of this training, the individuals involved were trained by experts on various aspects, including interviewing household members, filling in the questionnaires, using the CAPI application, measuring children's height and weight, testing water quality and salt iodine content, and so on.