Emerging Trends in Data Dissemination: A New Dawn Of Data Dissemination in Zambia

1. Emerging Trends in Data Dissemination:A New Dawn Of Data Dissemination in Zambia Presentation by Etambuyu Lukonga Head of Dissemination Data Dissemination and Communication Workshop: by United Nation Statistics Division (UNSD) 9th -12th September 2013 Amman, Jordan

2. Introduction • The Central Statistical Office’s (CSO) mission statement is “To coordinate and provide timely, quality and credible official statistics for use by Stakeholders and clients for Sustainable Development”. Goals • To achieve an effective, efficient and coordinated National Statistical System (NSS) that will ensure sustainable production and disseminating of demand driven official statistics for national development

3. Introduction Cont’d • In order to do this. CSO conducts Censuses and Surveys in order to respond to the statistical needs of the nation. • In the collection and compilation of all statistics (i.e. population, labour, agriculture, economic etc. ) CSO complies with internationally accepted standards.

4. Importance of Statistics • Statistics are a common good for every nation and its citizens • For any nation to prosper, development has to be sustainable i.e. it should be manageable and interdependent. • For every sound decision that is made, facts of what is obtaining on the ground should be availed. • Hence the reason statistics play a role in Development.

5. Presentation of Statistics • It is very cardinal that statistics are presented in such a manner that the findings are understood by everyone without the expert knowhow of statistics. • The CSO provides statistics to its users in a more effective, coherent and accessible way.

6. “The New Dawn” • The CSO’s dissemination of data has evolved overtime • Previously, the CSO used to disseminate data through printed publications only. • Currently, the CSO has a number of ways in which it disseminates its data. • Firstly, the CSO has a dissemination office which is open during the working hours from Monday to Friday and accessible by the public.

7. Cont’d • Within this office, materials of all hard copies of available reports are displayed and also has a database of all data available. • Data users are given data either in soft or hard copy upon request depending on the availability and sometimes preference. • Datasets are provided after authorization by the Director of the CSO and these are anonymized to ensure confidentiality. • The Dissemination office also has library unit with a capacity of 20 people open to members of the public.

8. Cont’d • Secondly, every month the office disseminates a bulletin of statistics called “ The Monthly” e.g. inflation rate and trade statistics data are produed etc. • The 'Monthly’ is, but one of the many ways that the office has employed to inform and serve user needs better. • As the name implies it is produced monthly and circulated free, in order to provide information to our users of statistics on the current and up-coming activities and products available at the CSO. • This bulletin can be accessed from our website

9. Cont’d • For this information to flow to the public fully, the CSO holds Press briefing and invites media personnel from different Print medias, radio and TV stations for coverage. • The media helps to raise a high degree of public awareness and interest.

10. The monthly on the website

11. Cont’d • Thirdly, When results of a survey/census are produced, dissemination workshops are held and the media is engaged to cover the presentations • Different stakeholders and users are invited to attend • Reports are distributed to users and stakeholders • Posters and brochures showing results are distributed and also put in strategic places where users can easily access them. • CDs are produced and distributed to the users

12. Cont’d • The media is invited to cover this • The media are instrumental to the office especially that the office wants to build confidence and trust in the statistics it produces. • Fourth, the office has a Data Portal which provides many advanced features for analyzing, visualizing, and reporting statistical data for Zambia, its provinces as well as districts. • Users can produce individual tailored statistical trends

13. Cont’d • Fifth, the office has the NATIONAL DATA ARCHIVE (NADA) a web-based cataloguing system that serves as a portal for researchers • Users are able to browse, search, and apply for access as well as downloading the relevant survey information such as questionnaires, manuals, reports and datasets. • Fifth, redatam is also being used to disseminate microdata (REtrievalof census DATa for small Areas by Microcomputers)

14. Cont’d • It’s a database management tool that administrates large volumes of census microdata with hierarchical (geographical) structure down to the smallest area of the census exercise (city blocks) • Facilitates the data processing for small areas

15. Country Province Constituency Ward CSA EnumerationArea Household Person Hierarchical Database Structure

16. Cont’d • The public is able to access statistics using the CSO website • Both the Zambia Data Portal and National Data Archive (NADA) can be accessed through the website • CSO Website- this is an official website which can be accessed by going to: www.zamstats.gov.zm.

17. Yet to be Done! • Currently, the office is working on another mode of data dissemination which is the Table Retrieval System (TRS) on the census data. • The office is also planning to open a Facebook page where results of all sorts of statistics will be posted and allow for opinion polls that will enable us see how people perceive the statistics we produce. • The CSO is yet to implement a dissemination policy which is currently in draft form.

18. The 2010 Census Atlas has been finalized and yet to be disseminated

19. The End Thank you for Listening