LAHORE - Member Planning and Development Board Punjab Dr Muhammad Rizwan Taqi has said that Planning and Development Department was consistently working on improved availability of quality and relevant data to support planning and decision-making in the Punjab Province. Social sectors have always been the priority of the government, he added. He was addressing one-day information of need assessment workshop, organised by Bureau of Statistics Punjab held here at Punjab Institute of Language Art and Cultural Punjabi Complex. Rizwan Taqi said that for tracking the progress towards Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for Education, Health, Water Supply & Sanitation, this third round of Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) was being conducted in the Province. Dr Muhammad Abid Bodla, Member Infrastructure P&D Board, Izhar Ahmad Sheikh Additional Secretary, Education (Schools), Dr Afshan Tahir, Deputy Secretary (Tech.) Population Welfare and UNICEF representative Ketsamay Rajphangthong, UNICEF Chief Field Office Lahore, UNDP by Qasim Shah, Manager, PRS Monitoring Cell in P&D Department, Khalid Sultan, were also present on this occasion besides others. On this occasion, Shamim Rafique Director General Bureau of Statistics while highlighting the importance of the MICS said that the Bureau of Statistics Punjab with the technical assistance of UNICEF has undertaken two round of Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) in 2003-04 and 2007-08. The first round has captured data for more than 40 indicators at district level whereas the second round has provided snapshot for more than 70 indicators. The Provincial government has approved the conduct of third round of MICS Punjab 2010-11 with the technical and financial assistance of PRS Monitoring Cell (UNDP) & UNICEF. In order to sensitize key social sector departments and other stakeholders on orientation to MICS - R 3, one day information of need assessment workshop was conducted at Punjab Institute of Language Art & Cultural Punjabi Complex, 1-Qaddafi Stadium, Ferozepur Road, Lahore. Sajid Rasul Director, Bureau of Statistics made a presentation on MICS Punjab 2010-11. He explained with the help of slides the necessity for conducting MICS - R 3 its objective special features, expected size of the survey, proposed group indicator and expectation from the line departments and district governments.