With less than a month to go until Myanmar embarks on its first census in over 30 years, preparations are in full swing to ensure that international standards are met and that all aspects of the data collection will run efficiently.\

Over two days more than 400 UNFPA staff and personnel from other UN agencies, including key implementing partners took part in special census payment verification training session held in Yangon on 25-26 February 2014. 

The training will enable these individuals to verify census entitlement payments which will be paid out to the approximately 130,000 census personnel such as trainers, enumerators, supervisors and others taking part in the data collection through a private bank, as well as to ensure that it is compliant with the Verifiers’ Standard Operation Procedures (SoP). 

“It’s important to issue the payments to the trainers, census enumerators and supervisors accordingly to UN standards. The training will enable the individuals who will act as field verifier agents to provide the service effectively and efficiently,” said Daw Colleen Cho Cho, UNFPA Census consultant. 

The field verifier agents will be assigned to approximately 370 townships and sub townships across the country prior to the start of trainings for census personnel to be held in two parts from March 6^th and 11^th and March 17^thand 22^nd. 

Dr. Aye Mya San who joined the training from Francois Xavier Bagnoud (FXB), one of UNFPA’s implementing partners, said she was very excited with being able to take part in the national census. 

“I think that it is a national duty and I’m really proud to be able to take part in the census. Before the training, I was worried that I would not do be able to do well in the field. I now have the knowledge and skills needed and I understand well the process and procedures. I feel that I can provide a good service to the census personnel enlisted in the field,” said Dr. Aye Mya San who has been assigned to verify payments in Yangon’s North Okkalapa Township. 

During the two day training the participants engaged in practical experiences through the use of role play as well as how to deal with technical problem solving procedures. “I feel very honoured to be able to take part in the census as a payment verifier. It is such an exciting event for UNFPA and all the implementing partners to collaborate on. All the arrangements and coordination are remarkable,” said Dr. Pyae Phyo Aung, UNFPA’s Reproductive Health Field Coordinator in Rakhine State. 

The Census payment verifier training took place in Mandalay on 22^nd and 23^rd February for those who will be assigned to the townships in upper Myanmar. On 25^th and 26^th February, the training was held in Yangon for the staff that will be allocated to the townships in lower Myanmar. 

VDB Loi one of Myanmar’s leading legal and tax service firms, provided the verification payment training.