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Mapping Census Infrastructure in Pacific Islands: Institutional and Capacity Building Issues

Mapping Census Infrastructure in Pacific Islands: Institutional and Capacity Building Issues. United Nations Expert Group Meeting on Contemporary Practices in Census Mapping and Use of Geographical Information Systems 29 May – 1 June 2007 United Nations, New York.

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Mapping Census Infrastructure in Pacific Islands: Institutional and Capacity Building Issues

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  1. Mapping Census Infrastructure in Pacific Islands: Institutional and Capacity Building Issues United Nations Expert Group Meeting on Contemporary Practices in Census Mapping and Use of Geographical Information Systems 29 May – 1 June 2007 United Nations, New York Scott PontifexStatistics and Demography/Population ProgrammeSecretariat of the Pacific Community

  2. Pacific Islands region CNMI Guam Marshall Islands Federated States of Micronesia Palau Papua New Guinea Nauru Kiribati Tuvalu SolomonIslands Tokelau CookIslands Wallis etFutuna Samoa AmSamoa Fiji Vanuatu French Polynesia TEXT LAYER Niue New Caledonia Tonga MAP LAYER PitcairnIslands • Three main sub-areas of Micronesia, Melanesia Polynesia. • 22 member countries (15) and. territories (7) • 9,1 million people over 34 million square kilometers of ocean

  3. Population and Housing Censuses, 2010 round CNMI Guam Marshall Islands Federated States of Micronesia Palau Papua New Guinea Nauru Kiribati Tuvalu SolomonIslands Tokelau CookIslands Wallis etFutuna Samoa AmSamoa Fiji Vanuatu French Polynesia TEXT LAYER Niue New Caledonia Tonga MAP LAYER PitcairnIslands KiribatiPalau Cook IslandsNiueSamoaTokelauTonga Fiji Marshall IslandsSolomon IslandsVanuatu Am. SamoaCNMIFSMGuam Kiribati PalauPNG Cook IslandsNiueSamoaTokelau Nauru Tuvalu

  4. Context: 2000 round of census • Many Islands experienced difficulties financing their census operations in 2000 round. • Other resource constraints such as skill shortages and limited external technical assistance lead to short cuts being made which affected quality of coverage and census outputs. • Many countries (particularly small island states) had to start from scratch (in terms of trained personnel) and conduct the census with staff that had no previous census experience. • The main problem is retaining experienced and trained personnel after census the operation.

  5. Financial constraints Lack of funds Census and census mapping is an expensive exercise. Many island countries experienced some difficulties in financing their census operations during the last census (2000) round. Technical assistance Limited external technical assistance was available. Priority in budget allocation Another problem is that governments do not always give census a priority which results in PICs relying on donor support to adequately fund census activities Budgetsfrom selectedPIC Censuses(2010 Round)

  6. Human resources Lack of skilled personel and loss of experienced staff • Several NSO are understaffed • Experience staff turnover • If there is continuous change of staff it impacts on the sustainability of census activities. Where do staff go? • Other government agencies (associated with higher prestige) • Better pay or career advancement • Private sector • Overseas migration • Training overseas (study leave) • Voluntary redundancy due to political reform

  7. Human resources –How do NSO retain staff? 1. Implement NSO staffing structure parity with that of other Government departments.  E.g.- Government Statistician at same level (and pay) as Director of Planning Agency (otherwise people move) 2.    Set up career structure, which is conducive to people staying This allows people to see a professional future in the organization Greater need to recognize long-term benefits of developing new staff Provide ongoing training and the possibility of study leave (to promote professional development) 3.   Give staff greater responsibility and meaningful tasks Greater delegation of responsibility to younger staff is needed to provide them with variety of work and an environment to show their skills, take on challenges

  8. PICT National Statistics Office staff numbers

  9. Census mapping in the Pacific: • Pre census mapping is usually done late in the planning phase of the census cycle (often ad-hoc and too late). • Most censuses in the past were planned and collected without a clear GIS capability in mind and lack of geographic identifiers. • Traditionally census mapping is given low priority by most NSOs with several PICs lacking automated mapping systems • The most common use of GIS is the use of thematic maps to disseminate and communicate their census data (post census). • Collaboration with other government agencies has been challenging

  10. Solomon Islands 2 April Tsunami

  11. No digital maps used in EA definition Blacksands 835 Port Vila, Vanuatu Blacksands (peri-Urban) Enumeration Area In the 1999 Census this area was enumerated with : 943 Households : 4818 Population

  12. (cont) Port Vila, Vanuatu Freshwota (peri-Urban) EA 840 In the 1999 Census this area had : 492 Households : 2715 Total Population 1999 2005

  13. GIS for data dissemination and utilization • There was a need to simplify population data, and to make these data more accessible at levels of geography below simply national levels. • The SPC developed a customized software (Population GIS) for statisticians and planners, to improve the effectiveness of census (and other socio-economic) data dissemination and utilization • So far 8 national systems have been developed covering the Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Samoa, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Cook Islands, Marshall Islands and Wallis et Futuna Two distinct groups of intended users • The producers of data and statistics (NSO) • The main users of this data (Planning)

  14. Satellite Imagery and GPSCase : Republic of the Marshall Islands • 2006 the Economic Policy, Planning and Statistics Office conducted socio-economic Community Survey on six Atolls to investigate basic living conditions and economic situation. • Used small hand held mobile Global Positioning System (GPS) units and high resolution satellite imagery • The team surveyed 1,205 households across 6 Atolls with data collected on 9,491 individuals (roughly 20% of the estimated population of the RMI. Majuro Survey Team being trained in GPS

  15. Case : Republic of the Marshall IslandsPre Survey Mapping

  16. Case : Republic of the Marshall IslandsData Collection Survey map provided to Ebeye Survey Team GPS coordinates, and selected households

  17. Children living adjacent to the current public dump in Majuro. Case : Republic of the Marshall IslandsPost Survey mapping

  18. Conclusion • Censuses and surveys need to be planned and collected with a clear GIS capability in mind. • Census mapping needs to be properly planned and resourced and given higher priority by Pacific Island NSOs and become an ongoing process. • While adoption of GIS in the Pacific has been sluggish. A growing local and regional capacity is being established in the region through the use of technology and long term training attachments • Wider collaboration within countries, innovative solutions and a coordinated regional approach is needed for sustainable utilization of GIS for census mapping in the Pacific Islands

  19. Tank yu tumas Meataki ma’ata Malo aupito Ko raba Thank you Vinaka vakalevu Tangio tumas Sulang Faafetai tele lava Merci

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