PHILIPSBURG:--- Strengthening inspection and regulation across Public Health, Social Development and Labor was the focus of a three-day Value-Based Inspection training course held from 26–28 October 2026. The Inspectorate of Public Health, Social Development and Labor (IVSA) invited its staff and policy colleagues within VSA and other ministries to the course at the Government Administration Building, with Erasmus University trainers Prof. Ian Leistikow and Einar Hovlid delivering the sessions.
The program was designed to strengthen a shared understanding of effective regulation and inspection, connecting theoretical concepts with practical challenges in Sint Maarten. It focused on how regulatory activities can contribute to quality, safety, and improvement across the participating disciplines.
The planned sessions combined concise theoretical presentations with practical exercises, cross-disciplinary group work, case discussions and plenary reflection. Topics included structure-, process-, outcome- and management-based regulation; quality systems; and the relationships between regulators and the organizations they oversee.
Local inspection cases helped participants apply these concepts to their own work. The learning objectives emphasized comparing regulatory approaches, assessing their strengths and limitations, and considering how standards, relationships, competencies, and work processes could be adapted to increase regulatory impact.
It is now for all concerned to process the acquired knowledge and determine how to implement the changes to improve the outcome of their daily work.
The evaluation form confirmed that most participants found the training very useful and relevant to their work and expressed the need for further sessions on this topic.
The Inspector General, Dr. Joe Alcala, thanked all attendees for their active participation and stressed the importance of our interdependency within government. He said, “A new foundation has been laid for all of us to build on.”