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
2000 round of P&H censuses
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27
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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
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 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
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
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/census20
10.htm
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
Principles and Recommendations
Main features of the review process
 Extensive international consultative process
 Gradual process through regional and
international consultations
• Meetings
• E-mail exchanges
• On-line discussion forum
Workshop on Census Cartography and Management, Lusaka, Zambia, 08-12 October 2007
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
Workshop on Census Cartography and Management, Lusaka, Zambia, 08-12 October 2007
Outputs/tabulations
 Basic/essential tabulations
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Top priority
Providing minimum statistics for countries in difficult circumstances
Population (20)
Housing (7)
 Recommended tabulations
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Adequate for meeting essential data needs for evidence-based
planning, monitoring and implementation of national policies
Population (33)
Housing (19)
 Optimal tabulations
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Meet the needs of most data users nationally and internationally
Workshop on Census Cartography and Management, Lusaka, Zambia, 08-12 October 2007
Set of recommended tabulations
 Number of recommended by broad topic (51 tables)
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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
Workshop on Census Cartography and Management, Lusaka, Zambia, 08-12 October 2007
Metadata for recommended tabulations
 All recommended tabulations require metadata
 Metadata necessary for understanding underlying
concepts and methodology
 Type of metadata
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•
•
•
Core topics represented
Source of statistics
Type of population count
Definition of urban/rural
Workshop on Census Cartography and Management, Lusaka, Zambia, 08-12 October 2007
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
Workshop on Census Cartography and Management, Lusaka, Zambia, 08-12 October 2007
Changes in core topics - Population
Non-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
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Time worked
Alternate core topics
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Place of previous residence
Place of residence at a
specified date in the past
Workshop on Census Cartography and Management, Lusaka, Zambia, 08-12 October 2007
Changes in core topics – Housing
New 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 costs
Separate core topics –
previously one
 Type of toilet
 Sewage disposal
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Workshop on Census Cartography and Management, Lusaka, Zambia, 08-12 October 2007
Principles and Recommendations - major changes
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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.
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Impact on regional and international data comparability
Workshop on Census Cartography and Management, Lusaka, Zambia, 08-12 October 2007
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
Workshop on Census Cartography and Management, Lusaka, Zambia, 08-12 October 2007
Principles and Recommendations – major changes: Previous
classification of living quarters
Living quarters
Housing units
Collective living quarters
Conven.
dwellings
Hotels
Basic
dwellings
Institutions
Temp.
Hous. units
Camps
Mobile
Hous. units
Other
Marginal
Hous. units
Improvised
Not for
habit.
Other
Workshop on Census Cartography and Management, Lusaka, Zambia, 08-12 October 2007
Principles and Recommendations – major changes: Revision 2
classification of living quarters
Living quarters
Collective living quarters
Housing units
Conventional
dwellings
Has all basic
facilities
Does not
have all basic
facilities
Improvised
Other housing
units
Hotels
Mobile
Hous. units
Institutions
Camps
Temp.
Hous. units
Other
Marginal
Hous. units
Not for
habitation
Hospitals
Correctional
Military
Religious
Retirement
Students
Other
Staff quarters
Workshop on Census Cartography and Management, Lusaka, Zambia, 08-12 October 2007
Principles and Recommendations - major changes
Alternative approaches
 Introducing elaboration of alternative
approaches
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Traditional census – most countries
Register based census
Rolling surveys (with national variants)
 UNSD website – national examples of
alternative approaches
Workshop on Census Cartography and Management, Lusaka, Zambia, 08-12 October 2007
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
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Homeless
Indigenous populations
 Promotion of, and training on, use of data
Workshop on Census Cartography and Management, Lusaka, Zambia, 08-12 October 2007
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:
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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
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 Census Dates* by Year - Global
*As planned by countries
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 Census Dates* - Africa
Africa
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
9999
*As planned by countries
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
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
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
Activities of UNSD to support the
2010 World Programme on Population
and Housing Censuses
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
Partnerships
 UNSD develops strong partnership with UNFPA,
UN Regional Commissions and other
International or Regional Organizations:
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To
To
To
To
To
avoid duplication
monitor and collect country needs
exchange information
train
provide technical assistance
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
Monitoring
 Monitoring country activities related to censustaking
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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
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
Develop Technical Guidelines
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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
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
Training
 Training workshops on topical technical issues in censustaking, following the census process:
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2006: Principles & Recommendations: WS in Mozambique,
Mali
2007: Census Cartography and Management: 4 WS in
Zambia, Thailand, Trinidad, Morocco
2008: data processing:
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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...
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
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:
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Questionnaires
Database of the text of the questions organised by topic
 Support study visits
 Technical assistance missions (Interregional adviser)
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
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...)
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 Census Programme
Resource Center
http://unstats.un.org/unsd/census2010.htm
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 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)
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 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
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 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Thank you.
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