2010 World Population and Housing Census Programme United Nations Statistics Division

UNSD Regional Workshop on Census Data Processing for the English speaking African Countries: Contemporary technologies for data capture, methodology and practice of data editing

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, 9-13 June 2008

2010 World Population and Housing Census Programme

United Nations Statistics Division



2000 round of P&H censuses 27 countries didn’t undertake census or produced equivalent information

Political situation (conflicts...) Funding issues Technical issues:

Inadequate planning and management Lack of skilled staff...

Quality concerns for some censuses of the 2000 round Cartography coverage Coverage of enumeration Scanning, outsourcing Insufficient dissemination Untimely release of data Insufficient planning and preparations



2010 World Census Programme The three essential goals are:

to agree on international principles and recommendations to conduct a census

to facilitate countries in conducting censuses during the period 2005-2014

to assist countries to disseminate census results in a timely manner



Goal 1: International Census Recommendations Principles and

Recommendations for Population and Housing Censuses, Rev. 2 adopted by the United Nations Statistical Commission in March 2007

Published in English and available on UNSD website before translation into the other 5 UN official langages

http://unstats.un.org/unsd/census2010.htm



Workshop on Census Cartography and Management, Lusaka, Zambia, 08-12 October 2007

Principles and RecommendationsMain features of the review process

Extensive international consultative process Gradual process through regional and international

consultations• Meetings• E-mail exchanges• On-line discussion forum


Principles and Recommendations - major changes

Orientation

Emphasis on production of outputs for evidence-based decision making

Recognition of an integrated statistical system for the production of outputs

Non-prescription of data sources for outputs


Outputs/tabulations Basic/essential tabulations

Top priority Providing minimum statistics for countries in difficult circumstances Population (20) Housing (7)

Recommended tabulations Adequate for meeting essential data needs for evidence-based

planning, monitoring and implementation of national policies Population (33) Housing (19)

Optimal tabulations Meet the needs of most data users nationally and internationally


Set of recommended tabulations Number of recommended by broad topic (51 tables)

• Geographical and internal migration characteristics – 6 • International migration characteristics – 4• Household and family characteristics – 3• Demographic and social characteristics – 2• Fertility and mortality - 4• Educational characteristics - 3• Economic characteristics – 8• Disability characteristics – 3• Housing characteristics - 19

Produced at least once in the period 2005-2014


Metadata for recommended tabulations

All recommended tabulations require metadata

Metadata necessary for understanding underlying concepts and methodology

Type of metadata• Core topics represented• Source of statistics• Type of population count• Definition of urban/rural


Core topics Main variables for recommended tabulations

• Population - 31 core topics with 25 direct and 6 derived

• Housing - 21 core topics Permit national and international comparability of

data by use of common concepts and definitions Developed through international consultative process


Changes in core topics - PopulationNon-core to core Date of birth of the last child born

alive Births in the past 12 months Household deaths in the past 12

months Deaths among children born in the

past 12 months Country of birth Year or period of arrival Disability status

Core to non-core

Time worked

Alternate core topics

Place of previous residence Place of residence at a

specified date in the past


Changes in core topics – HousingNew core Fuel used for cooking Main source of drinking

water Information technology and

communication devices in the household

Core to non-core Year or period of construction Useful floor space Rental and owner-occupied

housing costsSeparate core topics –

previously one Type of toilet Sewage disposal


Principles and Recommendations - major changes Introducing definition of Place of usual residence

(a) The place at which the person has lived continuously for most of the last 12 months (that is, for at least six months and one day), not including temporary absences for holidays or work assignments, or intends to live for at least six months; OR

(b) The place at which the person has lived continuously for at least the last 12 months, not including temporary absences for holidays or work assignments, or intends to live for at least 12 months.

Impact on regional and international data comparability


Principles and Recommendations - major changes

New classification of living quarters that:

With clearer distinction between conventional and non-conventional housing units

Enlarges the taxonomy of collective living quarters


Principles and Recommendations – major changes: Previous classification of living quarters

Living quarters

Housing units

Conven.dwellings

Basicdwellings

Temp.Hous. units

MobileHous. units

MarginalHous. units

Collective living quarters

Impro-vised

Not for habit.

Other

Hotels

Insti-tutions

Camps

Other


Principles and Recommendations – major changes: Revision 2 classification of living quarters

Living quarters

Housing units

Conventionaldwellings

Has all basic facilities

Temp.Hous. units

Other housing units

Collective living quarters

MarginalHous. units

Improvised Not for habitation Other

Hotels

Institutions

Camps

Other

MobileHous. units

Does not have all basic

facilities

Hospitals

Correctional

Military

Religious

Retirement

Students

Staff quarters


Principles and Recommendations - major changes Alternative approaches Introducing elaboration of alternative

approaches• Traditional census – most countries• Register based census• Rolling surveys (with national variants)

UNSD website – national examples of alternative approaches


Principles and Recommendations – major changes Contracting out Funding for the census Quality assurance (instead of quality control) Enhanced section on census mapping including

on geo-coding and contemporary GIS Focus on hard to capture and enumerate

population groups• Homeless• Indigenous populations

Promotion of, and training on, use of data



Goal 2: Facilitate countries in conducting censuses during the 2010 round

66 countries will have undertaken a census by the end of 2008 21 countries have not yet planned a census Major problems or needs for assistance:

Funding Preparation and planning Cartography Management and quality assurance Data capture, especially scanning Data processing Dissemination and analysis Evaluation, Post enumeration surveys Others, including political problems



2010 Census Dates* by Year - Global

*As planned by countries



2010 Census Dates* - Africa

*As planned by countries



Goal 3: Assist countries in their efforts to disseminate census results Inadequate data dissemination and analysis

was generally a weakness of previous census rounds

Handbook on census data dissemination and analysis

Workshops on data dissemination and analysis

Development of a software for census data dissemination: CensusInfo



Activities of UNSD to support the 2010 World Programme on Population and Housing Censuses



Partnerships UNSD develops strong partnership with UNFPA,

UN Regional Commissions and other International or Regional Organizations: To avoid duplication To monitor and collect country needs To exchange information To train To provide technical assistance



Monitoring Monitoring country activities related to census-

taking Questionnaire sent out to NSOs Contact list of census managers Regular update Coordination with UNFPA and Regional Commissions

Disseminating information on census activities via the 2010 World Population and Housing Censuses Programme Website and Newsletter



Develop Technical Guidelines Principles and Recommendations Handbooks, Guidelines on topics pertaining to different stages

of the census: Census mapping and use of GIS (2008) Measuring International Migration Economic characteristics in population censuses Data Editing (2008) Guidelines on reporting on census activities (2008) Data Dissemination Evaluation, Post Enumeration Surveys

Document new methodologies and elaborate on preconditions and portability



Training Training workshops on topical technical issues in census-

taking, following the census process: 2006: Principles & Recommendations: WS in Mozambique,

Mali 2007: Census Cartography and Management: 4 WS in

Zambia, Thailand, Trinidad, Morocco 2008: data processing:

Data capture (internet, scanning, PAD, inc. outsourcing) Data editing Quality assurance, risk management

2009 and later: dissemination, analysis, evaluation (PES) Develop e-training materials available online Follow-up: implementation, problems faced...



Exchange of Experience & Advice Workshops always include country presentations and

permit fruitful exchanges Workshops include practical exercises Emphasis on the practical use of technology or

methodology but also on pre-requisites (Eg. Use of GIS) Exchange of methodological and practical documents

(e.g. quality plans, outsourcing contracts) Census questionnaires database:

Questionnaires Database of the text of the questions organised by topic

Support study visits Technical assistance missions (Interregional adviser)



Provide Tools CensusInfo: partnership with UNICEF and

UNFPA to provide a dissemination software based on DevInfo with new functionalities: Cross tabulation Mapping facilities Standard result sheets (tables + graphs, to

provide standard results at any geographical level) Customizable by country

Support other free tools (Redatam...)



2010 World Census Programme Resource Center





2010 World Census Programme Resource Center Provide information on census activities in the world:

Census taking in the countries Supporting activities (seminars, workshops...)

conducted by different organizations (UNSD, UNFPA, UN Regional Commissions, Eurostat...)

Resource center on methodology and best practices in censuses: P&R, Handbooks and guidelines Best practices: papers provided by countries or other

experts (seminars or others)



2010 World Census Programme Resource Center (contd.) Rationale:

Census takers are very busy and don’t have time to look at colleagues’ websites or don’t know where to look

NSOs websites are often public-oriented and offer little technical documentation

Census takers need to keep abreast of the methodological and practical improvements



2010 World Census Programme Resource Center (contd.) Success factors:

Build a network to work in collaboration with all the partners (International and Regional Organizations and NSOs) Create a mailing list of participants

Pro-active participation of census managers to provide information and documentation













Thank you.

2010 World Population and Housing Census Programme United Nations Statistics Division

Documents

data capture

census data processing

african countries

census cartography

census results

contemporary technologies

htmunsd regional workshop

world census programmethe