Why conduct a Population and Housing Census? Margaret Mbogoni United Nations Statistics Division

1. Why conduct a Population and Housing Census? Margaret MbogoniUnited Nations Statistics Division

2. Value of Census Assess the quantity and quality of human capital for a country at small area, regional and national level Provide answers to questions like: How many are we? Who are we? Age, education, occupation, women/men, elderly, youth Where do we live? Housing and amenities Urban/rural 2

3. Nothing New….. The population census is a statistical operation of great value to every country. It is the primary source of basic national population data for administration and for many aspects of economic and social planning Source: Principles and Recommendations for National Population Censuses (1958)

4. Nothing New….. The lack of adequate information about the population of the world and of various countries and territories is a matter of considerable concern to the United Nations and affiliated international organizations, as well as to governmental agencies, research institutions and individual scientists all over the world. Such information is needed for studies of international problems such as the production and distribution of food supplies, conservation of resources, formulation of social policies and raising standards of living in the world's problem areas. Source: Population Census Methods (1949)

5. ECOSOC Resolution on 2010 World Programme Stresses that, for a country as a whole and for each administrative area therein, periodic population and housing censuses are one of the primary sources of data needed for effective development planning and for the monitoring of population issues and socio-economic and environmental trends, policies and programmes Emphasizes the importance of the 2010 World Population and Housing Census Programme for socio-economic planning

6. ECOSOC Resolution on 2010 World Programme (contd.) Urges Member States to carry out a population and housing census and to disseminate census results as an essential source of information for small-area, national, regional and international planning and development

7. “A census is not complete until the information collected is made available to potential users in a form suited to their needs” (UN Principles and Recommendations for Population and Housing Censuses, DESA/SD , par. 1.206, pp. 49)

8. Census dissemination can easily be overlooked in the chain of providing a quality outcome for the census as management attention is diverted to the costly and risky enumeration and processing operations Long delays between the end of enumeration and dissemination Limited census products possibly without taking into account requirement of users Most dissemination through print statistical tables Some analytical reports Not much exploitation of modern technological tools for data dissemination Consequently, no demonstrated benefits of the census to government, general public (respondents) Does not justify the resource spent (human and financial)… Why should government fund census and general public provide information if utility is not demonstrated? Dissemination/Utilization Still Weak 8

9. Enhancing Utilization • Supply and demand for data for evidence-based decision making • Are there gaps between users’ needs and data availability? • What approaches could enhance data utilization? • Improved accessibility  Utilization • Communication strategies for diverse audiences, including lay persons • Use of simple terminology

10. Users needs determine the Target Data (and Metadata), Budget and Human resources – are the Input Technology and methodology – are enabling factors Products and services – are the Output Analyse users' needs and build a matrix of users, by products and services that fit their needs Identify the media of dissemination and technology to use These could be done through users' surveys or by identifying categories of users, current and potential, in order to understand what they do and their needs, and to analyse how census products can help them Developing Dissemination Strategy 10

11. Refocused Role of Census for Evidence-based Decision Making Millennium Development Goals Monitoring at national level (Poverty Reduction Strategies) Marrakesh action plan for statistics Data and indicators derived from the census as inputs for result-based management and tracking of progress towards national goals (such as those set in PRSPs) and international goals such as MDGs.

12. Refocused Role of Census for Evidence-based Decision Making Post 2015 Development Agenda Leave no one behind - The Report of the High-Level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda “Data must also enable us to reach the neediest, and find out whether they are receiving essential services. This means that data gathered will need to be disaggregated by gender, geography, income, disability, and other categories, to make sure that no group is being left behind.”

14. Thank You!