Training Workshop for Media Personnel and District Census Implementation Committee Sept. 2009

1. Training Workshop for Media Personnel and District Census Implementation CommitteeSept. 2009 Dissemination of Resultsand Confidentiality of Data on Individuals

2. Outline • Section two: • Dissemination schedules • Reports to be generated • Media of dissemination • Section one: • Confidentiality • Security arrangement • Privacy of respondents

3. Introduction - Dissemination • A population census provides comprehensive demographic, social and economic data on population for a country and areas within the country. • Many users in different sectors use the census data for different purposes. • Statistical Service prepares census data products in various forms and makes them available to users.

4. Background • Until recently, the only means of offering data to users in a computer readable form was magnetic tapes, with minor exceptions of diskettes. • Advances in ICT has greatly improved the performance of personal computers. • Newer media such as CD-ROM (compact disk - read only memory), CD-R (compact disk - recordable) have appeared and become widespread, and the internet has become popular media for communication and data distribution.

5. Dissemination Schedule • The dissemination of the census results will occur over a period of time and in different modes. • As the reports become available the mode of dissemination will be determined and arrangements made.

6. Dissemination – Cont’d • Generally, the following will be disseminated • Provisional Results – Summary Results by EA • Preliminary Results – Includes some minimum tables • Final Results – Contains details of all tables

7. Reports expected The following are some reports to be produced, with sex Disaggregation where relevant: • Population distribution by administrative area (national, regional, district, metros and sub-metros, municipalities, etc) and background variables • Data sheets with indicators • Census Atlas with indicators • User defined tables for use by other stakeholders, such as the Electoral Commission, National Identification Authority and National Health Insurance Scheme • Analytical reports on various thematic topics and regions • The Gazetteer (alphabetical list of all localities in Ghana)

8. Dissemination of the Census MajorFindings • A dissemination workshop will be held shortly after the Census Major Findings report is prepared, i.e. in about one year after the completion of census fieldwork. • The dissemination workshop will be held in zones. • Participants will include representatives from government ministries and departments, non-government organizations, civil society organizations, international agencies, the religious bodies and the media.

9. Cont’d • GSS will prepare Power Point presentations and flyers on the main findings for the dissemination workshop. • The presentations will focus mainly on the count and distribution of the population at the national and district levels, and the description of the population by selected characteristics. • Information on housing characteristics will also be presented.

10. Cont’d • The media will be given opportunity to ask questions and granted interviews • We expect you to carry to the local radio and television stations, and in the newspapers the results disseminated. • Each participant at the dissemination workshop will receive a copy of the census report. • The report will also be distributed to the Archive Department, national and school libraries, the universities, Embassies and other Statistical Offices in the regions.

11. Cont’d • The results of the census will also be dissemination through the Quarterly Digest of Statistics/Ghana-In-Figures, which is published by the GSS. • The GSS website (www.statsghana.gov.gh) will also be used as a medium to disseminate the census results. • All the Reports will be placed on the GSS website. • The GSS website now has a link to the GhanaInfo and IMIS database where one can access the census database.

12. Cont’d • The NDPC website (www.ndpc.gov.gh) will also be used. • This will allow for independent researchers to access the database and generate their own tables. • Copies will also be provided to regional organisations such as, ECA, ECOWAS, the AU etc. • These organisations will use the databases to generate comparative tables for countries across the region.

13. Media of Dissemination • Apart from the internet and printing of hard paper copies CD-ROM (compact disk - read only memory), CD-R (compact disk - recordable) will be used as media for communication, distribution and dissemination of the census data.

14. Introduction - Confidentiality • The Census collects information relating to each person and household in the country. • To provide information about the country as a whole and groups within the country. • The personal information provided in the Census forms remain confidential to the Service. • No information is released in a way that would enable users of Census data to identify any particular individual or household.

15. COMMITMENT TO CONFIDENTIALITY • All personal information collected in the Census will be kept confidential. • The Statistical Service Act (1985) guarantees this protection and legally binds all GSS staff (including temporary employees working during the Census) never to release personal information to any individual or organisation outside the GSS.

16. COMMITMENT TO CONFIDENTIALITY – cont’d • Section 17, 18 &19 of the Act makes it an offence for any past or present GSS officer to divulge, either directly or indirectly, any confidential information collected under this Act. • The Act provides penalties for anybody convicted of breaching this obligation - even if they are no longer employed by the GSS.

17. Specifics of the GSS law (Section 19) • “…no person shall publish, or show to any other person not employed in the execution of duty under this Law any of the following: • an individual return or part of the purposes of this Law; • an answer given to any question put for the purposes of this Law; • a report, abstract or other document, containing particulars comprised in any such return or answer so arranged as to identify such particulars with any person or undertaking”.

18. Specifics of the GSS law (section 20) – Cont’d • Any person employed to perform any duty under this Law shall before entering upon his duties make and subscribe the Oath or affirmation set out in the Second Scheduled to this Law before a District Magistrate or a Commissioner for Oaths.

19. SECURITY ARRANGEMENTS • Completed Census forms will be transferred from collection centres to the Head Office under secure arrangements. • Enumerator → Supervisor → District Census officer → regional census officer → head office (stores for catalogue)

20. SECURITY ARRANGEMENTS – CONT’D • Comprehensive security arrangements are implemented on the GSS computer system. • These include use of regularly changed passwords, access control and audit trails. • The Computer room is generally out of bounds, except to staff working on the data.

21. Ensuring Privacy • The Statistical Service will also protect householders' privacy during collection of the Census forms • The Census forms will be administered in a way that prevents other members of the household to see the information of a household member where necessary.

22. Privacy – Cont’d • GSS has an excellent record of maintaining the privacy and confidentiality of the information provided to it. • All Census forms (including names and addresses) are pulped or destroyed under strict supervision following processing. • GSS is legally bound to protect the privacy of individuals and cannot give identifiable information to any third party

23. Privacy – cont’d • Organisations outside the GSS will not be given data about an individual person or individual household. • Not even for the purposes of: • Taxation • Court judgment • Police case • SSNIT

24. Summary • GSS is very committed to the issue of confidentiality • All GSS staff, including temporary employees are legally bound never to release personal information outside the GSS. • Have a secure arrangement to ensure this. • The process starts from data collection, transportation, storage, data processing through to dissemination • Any thing that will leave traits of individual and personal information is destroyed

25. THANK YOU