United Nations Expert Group Meeting on Revising the Principles and Recommendations for Population...

United Nations Expert Group Meeting on Revising the Principles and Recommendations for Population and Housing Censuses

New York, 29 October – 1 November 2013

UN Principles and Recommendations for Population and Housing Censuses: Results of the Survey on Proposed

Changes for the 2020 Census Round

Session 3

United Nations Statistics Division



Background

International census guidelines provide standardized methodological guidelines to census-taking o Principles and Recommendations for Population and

Housing Censuseso Handbooks and technical reports

Developed for each census round through consultative process involving experts from countries, UN regional commissions, and other international and regional organizations



Background (contd.)

International methodological guidelines based on national best practices in census taking

Review of national experiences, therefore, precedes development of international standards

As 2010 census round ends in 2014, international community starts developing international standards for censuses of the 2020 round, using 2010 round experiences as valuable input

Based on results of an international programme review on the 2010 World Population and Housing Census Programme, UN Statistical Commission in 2012 welcomed early initiation of work for the third revision of the Principles and Recommendations for Population and Housing Censuses



Survey to Solicit Input of Countries

May 2013 UNSD conducted a world-wide survey on what should be enhanced, revised, added to, or deleted from, the next revision of United Nations Principles and Recommendations for Population and Housing Censuses

9 questions on questionnaire

Responses from 40 countries and some organizations



Structure and/or Balance of Content

Mixed suggestions, but overall no changes needed in the structure

o Satisfied with current structure and contento Satisfied with current structure, but suggest some

changes to content to take into account contemporary practices in census taking innovations in methodology and technology

Welcome revision of the United Nations Principles and Recommendations, but urge for collaboration with regional revisions



What to Change in View of 2010 Census Experiences

What to change in the current global P&R in terms of additions, expansions and deletions, also taking into account experiences of the 2010 census round

Most of the suggested changes relate to augmentation relative to: (a) emerging census methodologies, (b) methods of enumeration, (c) contracting out of census operations, (d) use of technology in censuses, (e) providing access to micro-data, (f) data confidentiality, (g) data archiving, (h) estimation of census costs, (i) data dissemination strategies, (j) quality setting and management, (k) census evaluation, and (l) census publicity strategy



Innovations in Census Taking

Use of alternatives to the traditional census

Innovative methods of data collection

Use of technology in census operations



Planning and Operational Aspects

Contracting out of census operations

Maintaining data confidentiality

Quality setting and management

Census publicity strategy

Estimation of census costs



Evaluation, Dissemination and Utilization

Census evaluation

Dissemination strategies

Providing access to micro-data

Data archiving and preservation



On the Definition of Population and Housing Census and its Key Features

Generally recommended not to change the definition

Some suggestions for change due to use of alternative methodologies



Suggested Changes on Core Population and Housing Topics

Some countries noted that determining core topics for international use is problematic due to regional and national differences, and availability of data from other sources, e.g., literacy, and household deaths

Consequently, decision on core topics carefully considered



Suggested Changes on Core Population and Housing Topics (contd.)

New topics for consideration

o Environmental and energy-related issues

o Secondary place of residence

o Reason for migration

o Daily commuting



Suggested Changes on Core Population and Housing Topics (contd.)

Topics on which difficulty experienced

o Literacy

o Fertility and mortality topics

o Disability

o Same-sex consensual unions

o Occupation

o Industry

o Income

ICT (suggested to be made non-core)

Occupancy status of housing units to distinguish between “holiday home” and “secondary residence”



Formulation Questions on Sensitive Topics

Mixed reaction on whether or not specific recommendations are needed on formulating questions

o No need for specific recommendation on formulation (sensitive topics and relevant information to be collected differ by country; national experts with local knowledge of what works are better suited to formulating the questions)

o Guidelines needed particularly for questions on disability



Release of Micro-data

Given high demand for census micro-data, countries want more guidelines emphasizing on:o Concerns about privacy, confidentiality, and

impact on public acceptance of censuso Procedures to protect confidentiality of micro-

data and avoid disclosure of individual, geo-coded and small-area data

Some countries want a separate publication of topic

As micro-data dissemination and data confidentiality are evolving topics, propose to collect and publish good national practices on UNSD census programme website



Data Archiving and Preservation Countries noted that topic is not included in current P&R

and should be in next reversion because archiving and preservationo Are important for detailed analysis by researchers

and academicianso Are key to sustainability of census products

Need standards on terms, methods of archiving and preservation of digital census micro-data and related documentations

Guidelines on archiving of historical census documents important as technologies change and countries move from paper, microfilm media to keep records of their data and documentation



Usefulness of Recommended Tabulations

Two categories of countries

o Found the tabulations very useful- Important for harmonization of census outputs

among countries- However, trend is making available detailed

census data through user-friendly databaseso Tabulations not relevant

- National tabulations- Regional tabulations

May have tabulations available on UNSD census programme website instead of as part of the publication



Recommendations

Suggest guidelines to augment or include new text relative to:

1) emerging census methodologies2) methods of enumeration3) contracting out of census operations4) use of technology in censuses5) providing access to micro-data6) data confidentiality7) data archiving



Recommendations (contd.)

Suggest guidelines to augment or include new text relative to:

8) data dissemination strategies9) quality setting and management10) census evaluation11) census publicity strategy

Discussion on core topics particularly with regard to disability and formulating questions to measure it

United Nations Expert Group Meeting on Revising the Principles and Recommendations for Population...

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