Revision of the Principles and Recommendations for Population and Housing Censuses: the 2020 Round

1. Revision of the Principles and Recommendations for Population and Housing Censuses: the 2020 Round United Nations Statistics Division

2. International guidelines • Population Census Methods (1949) • Principles and Recommendations for National Population Censuses (1958) • General Principles for a Housing Census (1958) • Principles and Recommendations for the 1970 Population Censuses (1969) • Principles and Recommendations for the 1970 Housing Censuses (1969) • Principles and Recommendations for Population and Housing Censuses (1980) • Principles and Recommendations for Population and Housing Censuses, Revision 1 (1998) • Principles and Recommendations for Population and Housing Censuses, Revision 2 (2008)

3. International guidelines Purpose: (a) Provide methodological and operational guidelines (b) Ensure comparability at international and regional levels

4. Current round – few of the lessons learned -Most countries used the traditional approach – asking each household to provide information - More extensive use of population and administrative registers - Extensive use of contemporary technologies - Use of internet

5. Current version of Principles and Recommendations Focus on traditional census, three main parts - Operational aspects of population and housing census - Topics for population and housing censuses - Census products and utilization

6. Issues to consider in the process of revision - Elaboration on register-based censuses - Adding the essential feature: generating statistics for small areas - Use of micro-data - Archiving of census records - Quality assurance - Updating relevant international classifications

7. Proposed structure Four parts (a) Definitions, essential features and uses of population and housing census (b) Topics for population and housing census (c) Census operations: Preparation, organization and administration (d) Census products and data utilization

8. Part One – Proposed additions • Essential features • Individual enumeration • Universality within a defined territory • Simultaneity • Established periodicity • Small area statistics

9. Part One – Proposed additions • Census methodology • Traditional census • Register-based census • Combined methodology

10. Part Three – Proposed additions • Enumeration • Method of enumeration • Timing and length of the enumeration period • Supervision • Monitoring the enumeration • Use of technologies in the enumeration • Use of sampling in the enumeration

11. Part Three – Proposed additions • Archiving • Purposes of archiving census databases • Procedures for archiving and confidentiality • Data storage, maintenance and security

12. Part Three – Proposed additions • Operational aspects for register-based census • A. Essential features • Definition of registers • Pre-conditions • B. Administration of register-based census • Legal framework • List of registers • Matching procedures • Editing • Master file • Quality • Meta data and documentation • Coordination

13. Part Four – Proposed additions • Metadata • Definition and content • Uses of metadata

14. Part Four – Proposed additions • Uses of micro-data • Definition of micro data • Making micro data anonymous • Protocols for dissemination • Use of archived census records • Process of archiving census records • Protocols for retrieval of archived records

15. Expert Group Meeting • Conducted in New York, 29 October – 2 November 2013 • Total of 54 participants • Representatives from 27 countries and 25 international organizations • Agenda • General overview of the 2010 census round • Proposed outline for the next revision of the Principles and Recommendations • Setting the framework for the reviewing process

16. General overview – 2010 Round • Methodological innovations • Although 85% of the countries used traditional census • Ten per cent used administrative sources • Five per cent used a combination of methods • Multiple modes of data collection • Face to face – paper questionnaire • Face to face – electronic devices • Self-enumeration – paper • Self-enumeration - internet

17. General overview – 2010 Round • New technologies • GIS • Smart phones • Dissemination tools • In summary, • More successful than 2000 Round • More and more combining sources and techniques • Extensive use of contemporary technology

18. Specific areas in focus • Innovations in census-taking methods • Alternatives to traditional censuses • Innovations in data methods for data collection • Use of technology in census operations • Planning and organizational aspects • Contracting out • Maintaining confidentiality of personal information • Quality setting and management • Census publicity strategy – social media • Estimating census costs • Evaluation, dissemination and utilization of census data • Census evaluation • Dissemination strategies • Acces to micro-data

19. Proposed outline • In addition to the proposed outline • Part II on Census Operations and Management should come first • Elaboration on census methodologies should be elaborated at the beginning of the document • A separate sub-chapter on census technology should be developed to cover all phases of the census • The issue on validation of census results prior to the release needs elaboration • Recommended tabulations will not be physically part of the publication but will be available in electronic format only on the appropriate website

20. Implementation – Expert Group arrangement

21. Proposed schedule and activities • Submissions by all groups – 31 March 2014 • Second EGM – 29 April – 2 May 2014, New York • Consolidation of the draft – end of July 2014 • Final round of review – end of August 2014 • Editing, cross-referencing … November 2014 • Submission – in electronic form – for adoption by the United Nations Statistics Commission – February 2015