Revision of the Principles and Recommendations for Population and Housing Censuses: the 2020 Round

Regional Seminar on Promotion and Utilization of Census Results and on the Revision on the United Nations Principles and Recommendations for Population and Housing Censuses

Pretoria, South Africa, 24 – 26 March 2014

Revision of the Principles and Recommendations for Population and Housing

Censuses: the 2020 Round

United Nations Statistics Division



International guidelines

• Population Census Methods (1949)

• Principles and Recommendations for National Population Censuses (1958)

• General Principles for a Housing Census (1958)

• Principles and Recommendations for the 1970 Population Censuses (1969)

• Principles and Recommendations for the 1970 Housing Censuses (1969)

• Principles and Recommendations for Population and Housing Censuses (1980)

• Principles and Recommendations for Population and Housing Censuses, Revision 1 (1998)

• Principles and Recommendations for Population and Housing Censuses, Revision 2 (2008)



International guidelines

Purpose:

(a) Provide methodological and operational guidelines

(b) Ensure comparability at international and regional levels



Current round – few of the lessons learned

- Most countries used the traditional approach – asking each household to provide information

- More extensive use of population and administrative registers

- Extensive use of contemporary technologies

- Use of internet



Current version of Principles and Recommendations

Focus on traditional census, three main parts

- Operational aspects of population and housing census

- Topics for population and housing censuses

- Census products and utilization



Issues to consider in the process of revision

- Elaboration on register-based censuses

- Adding the essential feature: generating statistics for small areas

- Use of micro-data

- Archiving of census records

- Quality assurance

- Updating relevant international classifications



Proposed structure

Four parts

(a) Definitions, essential features and uses of population and housing census

(b) Topics for population and housing census

(c) Census operations: Preparation, organization and administration

(d) Census products and data utilization



• Essential features

–Individual enumeration–Universality within a defined territory–Simultaneity–Established periodicity–Small area statistics

Part One – Proposed additions



– Census methodology– Traditional census– Register-based census

– Combined methodology

Part One – Proposed additions



• Enumeration– Method of enumeration– Timing and length of the enumeration period– Supervision– Monitoring the enumeration– Use of technologies in the enumeration– Use of sampling in the enumeration

Part Three – Proposed additions



• Archiving – Purposes of archiving census databases– Procedures for archiving and confidentiality– Data storage, maintenance and security




• Operational aspects for register-based census• A. Essential features

– Definition of registers– Pre-conditions

• B. Administration of register-based census– Legal framework– List of registers– Matching procedures– Editing– Master file– Quality– Meta data and documentation– Coordination




• Metadata – Definition and content

– Uses of metadata

Part Four – Proposed additions



–Uses of micro-data

• Definition of micro data• Making micro data anonymous• Protocols for dissemination

–Use of archived census records

• Process of archiving census records• Protocols for retrieval of archived records

Part Four – Proposed additions



–Conducted in New York, 29 October – 2 November 2013

• Total of 54 participants• Representatives from 27 countries and 25 international

organizations

–Agenda• General overview of the 2010 census round• Proposed outline for the next revision of the Principles and

Recommendations• Setting the framework for the reviewing process

Expert Group Meeting



–Methodological innovations• Although 85% of the countries used traditional census• Ten per cent used administrative sources• Five per cent used a combination of methods

–Multiple modes of data collection• Face to face – paper questionnaire• Face to face – electronic devices• Self-enumeration – paper• Self-enumeration - internet

General overview – 2010 Round



–New technologies• GIS• Smart phones• Dissemination tools

–In summary,• More successful than 2000 Round• More and more combining sources and techniques• Extensive use of contemporary technology

General overview – 2010 Round



–Innovations in census-taking methods•Alternatives to traditional censuses•Innovations in data methods for data collection•Use of technology in census operations

–Planning and organizational aspects•Contracting out•Maintaining confidentiality of personal information•Quality setting and management•Census publicity strategy – social media•Estimating census costs

–Evaluation, dissemination and utilization of census data•Census evaluation•Dissemination strategies•Acces to micro-data

Specific areas in focus



–In addition to the proposed outline•Part II on Census Operations and Management should come first•Elaboration on census methodologies should be elaborated at the

beginning of the document•A separate sub-chapter on census technology should be developed to

cover all phases of the census•The issue on validation of census results prior to the release needs

elaboration•Recommended tabulations will not be physically part of the

publication but will be available in electronic format only on the appropriate website

Proposed outline



Implementation – Expert Group arrangement



–Submissions by all groups – 31 March 2014–Second EGM – 29 April – 2 May 2014, New York–Consolidation of the draft – end of July 2014–Final round of review – end of August 2014–Editing, cross-referencing … November 2014–Submission – in electronic form – for adoption by the

United Nations Statistics Commission – February 2015

Proposed schedule and activities

Revision of the Principles and Recommendations for Population and Housing Censuses: the 2020 Round

Documents

Transcript of Revision of the Principles and Recommendations for Population and Housing Censuses: the 2020 Round