BEST PRACTICES IN CENSUS IMPLEMENTATION: The Case of The 2009 Kenya Population and Housing Census Collins O. Opiyo Director for Population & Social Statistics.

BEST PRACTICES IN CENSUS IMPLEMENTATION:The Case of The 2009 Kenya Population and Housing Census Collins O. OpiyoDirector for Population & Social StatisticsKenya National Bureau of Statistics

Presented at the UN Regional Seminar on Census Data Dissemination and Spatial Analysis in Nairobi, Kenya: 14-17 September 2010

OUTLINE

INTRODUCTION HISTORY OF CENSUS-TAKING IN KENYA 2009 CENSUS OBJECTIVES 2009 CENSUS METHODOLOGY BEST PRACTICES CHALLENGES BASIC REPORTS CONTENTS THOUGHTS ON ANALYSIS PLANS CONCLUSIONS

INTRODUCTION

Each census is presents unique challenges Census conducted against the backdrop of:

International financial meltdown Drought / Famine Post-election violence High public awareness Fragmented and liberal media Insecurity concerns Rapid creation on new administrative

Share best practices based on the challenges

CENSUS-TAKING IN KENYA: A century of success & experience

Evolution from head-counts to complex inquiries: 1897- 2.5m 1948- 5.4m 1962- 8.6m 1969- 10.9m 1979- 15.3m 1989- 21.4m 1999- 28.7m 2009- 38.6m

OBJECTIVES OF THE 2009 CENSUS

Overall: collect demographic and socio-economic data for decision-making

Specific: Ascertain- Size, composition, spatial distribution Population dynamics Social, economic and other

characteristics Housing conditions and amenities

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UN Principles & Recommendations observed Census Night: 24th/25th August 2009 De Facto, Canvasser methods used Main questionnaire & 4 short questionnaires (extensive

user consultation) Questions - for implementing Vision 2030 & global dev’t

agenda (MDGs) Admin & political units (districts, constituencies, counties) New Technology to ensure efficiency & accuracy

(GIS, scanning using US Census Bureau supported ICADE) PES conducted External M&E of census process undertaken

OVERVIEW OF THE 2009 CENSUS METHODOLOGY

QUESTIONNAIRE HIGHLIGHTS

Administrative, political, informal units Disability Maternal deaths Employment sector (formal, informal) Livestock census (stock, variety) Use of ICT (computer/internet, mobile

phones) Emigrants (characteristics, remittances)

NUMBERS IN 2009 CENSUS Budget: Ksh. 7.4 billion, revised to Ksh. 8 billion (100

million USD); Government funding 95% Cost per capita: USD 2.5 Slightly more than half (Ksh.4.5 billion) pays recruited

personnel Field personnel

Senior Supervisors: 6,000 Supervisors: 22,000 Enumerators: 115,000 Village elders: 100,000 Security personnel: 45,000

Questionnaires: 12 million

BEST PRACTICES Strict adherence to UN Principles and

Recommendations Regularity (decennial periodicity) Simultaneity Universality

Pilot census undertaken Post Enumeration Survey (PES)

conducted External monitoring and evaluation

undertaken Risk Analysis Matrix developed

BEST PRACTICES…

EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE KNBS Board of Directors National Census Steering Committee (NCSC)

National Census Officer / PS - Planning Census Secretariat

National Census Coordinator / Director General KNBS Technical Working Committee (TWC) District Census Committees (DCCs) Sub-Committees (Logistics, Publicity & Advocacy,

Finance & Administration, Recruitment) DONOR FORUM coordinated by UNFPA-Kenya

BEST PRACTICES…

POLITICAL LEADERSHIP AND COMMITMENT AT HIGHEST LEVEL

Gov’t commitment to funding the census National Census Launch by the President and

other dignitaries Advocacy/sensitization meetings for key

opinion influencers Chaired by Minister

BEST PRACTICES…

EFFECTIVE USE OF NEW TECHNOLOGY IN CARTOGRAPHIC MAPPINGGPS (Global Positioning System)Satellite/Aerial images GIS database

Maps digitized, verified

BEST PRACTICES…

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION STRATEGY Communication strategy developed and

implemented; Census logo developed Marketed census as national exercise, linked to

national and global dev’t goals 25-day countdown to enumeration, launched by

the President Sensitized key opinion influencers – IEC materials

(FAQs, posters, brochures, docu-drama, documentary) Message focused on individual – That it is in their

best interest to be enumerated Census process divorced from politics.

BEST PRACTICES…

COMPETITIVE RECRUITMENT & EFFECTIVE TRAINING

Field positions advertised Clear guidelines issued Transparent Interviews conducted Trainers (TOT) drawn among technical

collaborating institutions & national experts

Attractive field allowances

BEST PRACTICES…

SECURITY CONCERNS ADDRESSED Adequate security arrangements

Security Chiefs provided with lists of census personnel by village

Meeting with security councilMeeting with police Commissioner and

Operations Chiefs Meeting with other security operatives

(Police, NSIS, OP) on insecurity hotspotsSecurity operation plan for each District

BEST PRACTICES…

EXTERNAL M&E OF CENSUS PROCESS

TASKS Observe, monitor & document:

Recruitment & Training Adequacy, dispatch of materials Preparedness of District offices Enumeration Readiness of data processing center General Administration and Logistics

BEST PRACTICES…

ENUMERATION Public sensitized on importance of being

counted (public, business, research uses of data)

Census/Public holiday; limited social activity and travel

VIPs zoned and enumerated on Census Night; media coverage

Proactive media management – daily media briefings on progress

Communication Center/hotlines set up

BEST PRACTICES…

PRUDENT TRANSPORT STRATEGY Mobilized from government

Ministries / Departments / Public institutions (HQs, Districts)

Mobilised from Donors, Private Sector

Encouraged Snr. Supervisors to use own vehicles for a fee

Out-sourced material dispatch

BEST PRACTICES…

OTHERS Partnership with commercial banks facilitated

setting up of census accounts for every district Census personnel encouraged to open bank

accounts where necessary for free; Money for personnel wired directly to their accounts

Use of ICT – mobile phones, internet – increased real-time response

Printing of questionnaires based on comprehensive specs and quality-controlled by senior ICT staff

BEST PRACTICES…

OTHERS Provision of insurance cover for all census

personnel Publication of results at both administrative

and political units Splitting of census basic volumes to

accommodate more details Undertaking of preliminary validation of the

results Short message service (SMS) query system

(3151 on zain or Safaricom)

CHALLENGES / CONSTRAINTS

Competing national interests: Famine/hunger, drought, resettlement of IDPs

Insecurity concerns Post-election violence

Delays in mapping; sensitivity to certain questions Enumeration of Pastoralists and border populations Boundary Disputes Transport & Logistics Creation of new districts (from 70 in 1999 to nearly

300 currently) Increasingly fragmented (liberal) media Resource mobilization

BASIC REPORTS CONTENTS

4 Basic Volumes Volume IA Volume IB Volume IC Volume II

BASIC REPORTS …

Vol. IA :Population Distribution by Administrative Units

Vol. IB :Population Distribution by Political units (Const. & counties)

Vol. IC :Population Distribution by Age and Sex

Vol. II :Population & Household Distribution by Socio-Economic Characteristics

CONTENTS: Volume IA

5 Tables: (1, 1a, 1b, 2 and 3) Shows population distribution by sex,

number of households, land area in KM2 and population density

Table 1:Summary population at National, provincial and district level for the 158 census districts

Tables 1a &1b: Rural/Urban-By sex, HHlds, area and density

Table 2:Presents data up to Sub-Location

CONTENTS: Volume IBPolitical Units:

Four tables (1,1a, 2 and 2a) Two levels: Constituency and County Tables 1 and 1a

Present population distributed by sex, number of households, area and density at Constituency and County levels respectively

Tables 1 and 1a: Show population distribution in single years

of age by Constituency and County.

CONTENTS: Volume IC

Three tables (1,2 and 3) At National, Provincial and District

levels. Tables 1

Present population distributed by single years of age

Tables 2 and 3: Population distribution by single years of

age by Rural and Urban.

CONTENTS: Volume II

At National, Provincial and District levels.

First Tables: Education Two tables on Labour Force Nine on Housing One table each on water, sanitation,

lighting, tribe, religion, livestock and asset ownership.

[SOME] THOUGHTS ON ANALYSIS PLANS Several products can be “harvested” from census

data – thoughtful analysis plans required Collaboration with different stakeholders and

research institutions is encouraged; Adds a lot of value

Market segmentation and stakeholder involvement in analysis and dissemination helps to tone down “Jargon” and “professional arrogance” that is commonplace in technical reports, and creates ownership across board

Analysis should be guided by the principle of “distilling data for policy”.

CONCLUSIONS

CENSUS IMPLEMENTATION IS A NECESSARY EVIL

MASSIVE investment requiring mobilization of national resources

MUST guarantee CREDIBILITY of the exercise to enlist public cooperation

Requires SACRIFICE - good public service