7 th Africa Symposium on Statistical Development (7 th ASSD) 18 – 20 January 2012

1. Systemic, Institutional and Infrastructural Challenges in CRVS in the African Region: Institutional and Human Infrastructure Challenges 7th Africa Symposium on Statistical Development (7th ASSD) 18 – 20 January 2012 GeneneBizuneh African Development Bank Lagoon Beach Hotel Cape Town, South Africa

2. Content of the Presentation • Provide background to the breakout session • Share some facts from the assessment study • Highlight infrastructural challenges • Proposed strategies

3. CRVS institutional and human infrastructure • Institutional infrastructure • National and sub-national offices (national, regional/state and district level offices) • Offices and service points at local administrations (below district level) • Human infrastructure • Policy makers, coordinators and managers • Experts • Other staff

4. Guiding principles in addressing CRVS institutional and human infrastructure challenges • Universality – all areas and population groups • Permanence – legally established institutional structures • Continuity – avoid interruption • Timeliness – record and compile data immediately after the occurrence of the event

5. Basic considerations in civil registration infrastructure development – in the African context • Permanent local registration offices and/or service points • Accessible registration service to all informants • Ensuring minimum human resource and logistics requirements

6. Linkages between government administrative structure and civil registration – in the African context At the local level civil registration structures and services need to be hosted, preferably in public administration offices. In large parts of Africa it appears that there are no properly established and equipped administrative or sectoral offices below the province/region levels.

7. Linkages between government … Cont’d Establishing standalone civil registration offices may not be economical and sustainable. Various public service institutions should be available that facilitate the utilization of the records and certificates. To move to a sustainable civil registration system, availability of properly established local administrative institutions is a requirement

8. Typical Government Administrative Structures in Africa Case 1 Case 2 National National Region/state/ province Region/state/ province District or equivalent?? District or equivalent Local public administration and/or sectoral offices or service points in all urban and rural areas Urban Municipalities Rural – local public offices Sub-administrative offices or service points for medium and big cities Sub- administrative offices or service points for medium and big localities

9. Some Facts from the Assessment Study

10. Civil registration administering institutions • Out of the 32 countries, in 9 countries all the four vital event registrations are structured in the same institution; • In 14 countries birth and death registrations are structured under the public administration offices and in 4 countries under the Ministry of Health • 11 countries did not respond to the institutional arrangement for marriage and/ or divorce registrations

11. National civil registration administering offices

12. Scenarios of civil registration administering offices in Africa Case 1 – All vital event registration under the same Ministry or department Case 2 – Birth, death and marriage registration under Ministry of Interior/ Home Affairs and divorce under Ministry of Justice Case 3 – Birth and death registration under Ministry of Health, marriage and divorce under Ministry of Justice Case 4 – other arrangement

13. Case 1: All vital event registration under the same Ministry or department Ministry/ Department … National civil registration in the ministry/ department structure Region/state/ province Civil registration offices District civil registration offices?? Civil registration service points in Urban and rural areas and localities Families and communities

14. Case 2: Birth, death and marriage registration under Ministry of Interior/ Home Affairs and divorce under Ministry of Justice Ministry of Interior/ Home Affairs Ministry of Justice Divorce registration Birth, death and marriage registration Region/state/ province Region/state/ province Divorce registration Birth, death and marriage registration District interior …?? District justice offices ?? Birth, death and marriage registration Divorce registration Urban and rural administrations/ services Urban and rural administrations/ services Families and communities

15. Case 3: Birth and death registration under Ministry of Health, marriage and divorce under Ministry of Justice Ministry of Health Ministry of Justice Birth and death registration Marriage and divorce registration Region/state/ province Region/state/ province Marriage and divorce registration Birth and death registration District justice offices?? District health offices?? Marriage and divorce registration?? and/or courts Birth, and death registration Health offices and/or facilities in urban and rural areas?? Local public administration and/or sectoral offices or service points in urban and rural areas?? Families and communities

16. Vital statistics administering offices in Africa • Out of the 32 countries, in the 14 countries all the four vital event statistics are structured in the same institution; • In 13 countries all the four vital statistics are structured under the NSO; • Sudan had its four vital statistics under the civil registration department; • 7 countries did not respond about vital statistics structure for any of the vital events;

17. Vital statistics administering offices

18. Scenarios of vital statistics administering offices and their interface with civil registration structure Case 1 – All vital event statistics under the National Statistics Office Case 2 – Birth and death statistics under the Ministry of Health Case 3 – Other arrangement

19. Case 1: All vital event statistics under the National Statistics Office (NSO) interfaced with the civil registration structure Ministry responsible for civil registration Civil registration office National Statistics Office The institutional linkages between the civil registration and the NSO should be established in the civil registration law. In addition, coordination and support mechanisms need to be established. Region/state/ province civil registration offices Region/state/ province Branch of the National Statistics Office District civil registration offices District branch NSO?? In most instances NSOs do not have structure below region/state?? Local civil registration arrangements

20. Case 2: Birth and death statistics under the Ministry of Health interfaced with the National Statistics System (NSS) and civil registration structure Interface with NSS and civil registration structure Birth and Death statistics under MoH Ministry of Health Interface with the National Statistics System (NSS) Ministry / department responsible for civil registration Birth and death statistics branch The interface should be reflected in the legislations of all the respective offices Region/state/ province health offices NSO National Civil registration office Birth and death statistics branch Birth and death statistics in district health offices

21. Civil registration: Institutional infrastructure challenges • Multiple civil registration institutions • Uncoordinated operations and non-standard techniques and procedures • Lack of public institutions to host civil registration services at the local level • Lack of public institutions to use the records and certificates at the local level - disincentive for informants

22. Civil registration: Human infrastructure challenges • Lack of regular training for registration and related functionaries • Law, demography and public health trainings lack courses on CRVS • Limited expertise in CRVS at national and regional levels • No regional training institution providing CRVS courses

23. Vital statistics: Institutional infrastructure challenges • Technically and institutionally not interfaced with civil registration • Lack appropriate place and position in the NSO structure • Lack proper institutional linkage with health statistics – example, causes of death statistics

24. Vital statistics: Human infrastructure challenges • Demographic and public health trainings biased to ad-hoc methods • Statisticians in large part of Africa: Limited expertise in registration method and compilation of flow statistics • Demographers and statisticians in large part of Africa lack orientation about CRVS operations

25. Strategies for improving CRVS institutional and human infrastructure • Promoting activity integration and resource sharing • Identification and travel documents production services • Health and education services • Justice and human rights services • Statistics services

26. Strategies … Cont’d • Minimizing late and delayed registration by keeping current registration high • Generating authentic certificates and extracts • Ensuring availability of public service institutions at the local level that utilize civil registration records and certificates

27. Thank you

28. Way forward • Expected from breakout sessions