The BVI is among three other territories in the region selected to participate in the preliminary testing phase of the Country Assessment of Living Conditions.

The assessment will be done in collaboration with the Organisation of Eastern States (OECS) Commission and the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) scheduled for completion in 2018.

Consultants will visit the Territory from May 15 to 19 to field test the Institutional Assessment and Participatory Poverty Assessment tools. The CDB model of the assessment involves the use of a triangulated approach that includes a Survey of Living Conditions/Household Budgetary Survey; Participatory Poverty Assessment; Macro Social and Economic Assessment; and an Institutional Assessment.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Social Development, Mrs. Petrona Davies said this opportunity allows for the voice of the people to be heard and will help the Government to better tailor policies and programmes to meet the needs of said people.

Some information will be gathered via a series of community meetings the public is encouraged to attend. This information will be fed into the final design of the Country Assessment to be completed in 2018.

The first meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 16 at the Gertrude and Christina Warner Community Centre in Purcell Estate and Wednesday, May 17 at the Althea Scattliffe Primary School. Both meetings will begin at 6:00 p.m.

Additional meetings will be held in other communities in subsequent phases of the exercise.

For more information, contact the Ministry of Health and Social Development at 468-2282.

The Ministry of Health and Social Development aspires to provide a caring and integrated system of health and social services that facilitates human development and improves the quality of life in the Virgin Islands.