Strengthening inspection and regulation across Public Health, Social Development and Labor was the focus of a three-day Value-Based Inspection training course that took place 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 named to deliver 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. Its focus included 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 were used to help 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, expressed his gratitude to 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.”
