Expert
Group on the 2000 World Population and Housing
Census Programme
The Expert Group on the 2000 World Population
and Housing Census Programme met in New York,
from 9 to 13 September 1996. The meeting was
organized by the Statistics Division of the
United Nations and attended by 23 experts and
15 representatives of various offices and specialized
agencies of the United Nations.
The meeting noted that the existing recommendations,
based on the publications Principles and
Recommendations for Population and Housing Censuses
(1980) and Supplementary Principles and Recommendations
for Population and Housing Censuses (1990),
were still largely valid as a guide for census-taking.
However, since there had been several important
developments in both census methodology and
substantive areas for the 2000 and later rounds
of population and housing censuses, the recommendations
needed to be reviewed and revised.
The Expert Group were requested to provide
the United Nations Secretariat with guidance
and advice in preparing the draft Principles
and Recommendations which would be submitted
to the Statistical Commission at its twenty-ninth
session in February 1997. The process for deciding
which aspects of the existing recommendations
in need of revision consisted of evaluating
the impact of new developments on census-taking
during the past two decades, and the changes
introduced by improved technology and use of
micro computers. Changes in Part One (on operational
aspects of population and housing censuses),
including preparatory work and the chapters
on quality control, data collection, data processing,
data dissemination, databases, and census evaluation
were proposed.
Modifications were also proposed for a number
of topics in the population and housing censuses.
In addition, two additional items were proposed
for the Expert Group's consideration. The first
item addressed the criteria used to select the
particular topics that would be included in
a given census. In the discussion of census
topics, there were clear implications for census
design, training, the allocation of resources
for censuses, and so on. Recommendations for
additions to the list of topics should therefore
take account of their cost-effectiveness in
meeting national and international needs, while
ensuring as much as possible comparability between
the 2000 round and earlier censuses. The second
item concerned greater attention to the uses
of census results, on such issues as programme
planning and policy formulation.
The need to introduce new technologies and
to transfer skills in census taking had increased
the demand for appropriate training. Many countries
were not in a position to fund such training
at overseas institutions and would therefore
require international support.
The Experts were urged to consider the proposed
changes, and, at the same time, to take the
needs of all regions of the world into account
to retain continuity with past practices while
describing social and economic conditions at
the end of the twentieth century.
The Meeting noted that for the 2000 round of
censuses, with the notable exception of the
ECE, the regional commissions had not submitted
their recommendations. Thus it raised the question
of how the global revision of the Principles
and Recommendations was to be reconciled
to the needs of the various regions.
A vigorous debate ensued on the merits of providing
a basic list of tabulations in the draft Principles
and Recommendations. Some participants felt
that the changing technological environment
and the greater user-orientation in census processing
lessened the need to recommend basic tabulations.
Other participants argued that there were strong
reasons why the basic list should be retained.
The tables provided valuable guidance to nations
with less experience in responding to users'
needs; they provided visible output to meet
national needs and justify the high cost of
census-taking; and they provided a common approach
that improved international comparability in
census definitions, basic statistics, and derived
indicators.
Other points raised during the Meeting included
questions of confidentiality and data ownership,
archives of census data, easy access to census
data, and relationship between census topics
and specific uses of the Minimum National Social
Data Set (MNSDS).
Training
The International Program Center at the United
States Department of Commerce are now planning
for the summer workshops. Following is the list
of proposed workshops:
data dissemination;planning
for the 2000 round of population and housing
censuses (introducing the new census design
system);integrated microcomputer processing
system ( in English and in French);sampling
and statistical methods;geographical information
system;improving data quality;statistical
products for a market economy;strategic planning
and management of a statistical organization;
data analysis and use
of data for decision making;analysis and evaluation
of gender statistics;population analysis with
microcomputers.
For any suggestions or questions, please contact:
International Programs Center
Bureau of the Census
Washington, D.C. 20233-8860
Fax: +301-457-3033
E-mail:
ipc@census.gov
Missions
of ESCAP Statistics Division staff during the
third quarter 1996
Mr Loh Meng Kow, Statistician,
Statistics Development Section, undertook
missions to:
Washington D.C. and
Philadelphia (6-14 July 1996): to discuss
with the World Bank officials in Washington
D.C. on processing the results of ICP for
the Reduced Information Approach and ICP related
matters, and to discuss with Professor Alan
Heston of University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia
on the proposed studies on the ICP.
China (10-26 September):
to deliver lectures at Xian Statistical Institute
and Sichuan Statistical School, and to hold
technical consultations with SSB officials
at Xian, Chongqing, Wuhan and Beijing on their
work in ICP-type data collection.
Mr M.N. Ozsever, UNFPA/CST Adviser
on Population Data Processing and Database Management,
located in Bangkok, undertook missions as follows:
Mongolia (26 August
- 4 September): training on ISSA for PTRC
of University of Mongolia.
Myanmar (29 September
- 12 October): to assist IPD finalizing the
data processing strategy for FRSH-MYA/95/P02.
Ms Luisa T. Engracia, UNFPA/CST Adviser
on Population Statistics, located in Kathmandu,
undertook a mission to
Iran (3-5 July):
to assist the Statistical Centre of Iran.
Nepal (15-26 July):
to give technical comments on questionnaire
and other data collection instruments and
study methodologies on population research.
Tentative
calendar of meetings
1996
25-29 November
Bangkok
Committee on Statistics,
10th session
*10-12 Dec
Bangkok
Third regional workshop
on gender statistics
1997
*March (4 days)
Bangkok
First meeting of Working
Party on Application of New Technology to
Population Data
**May (? days)
Bangkok
** First regional workshop
on gender statistics (ISGS Phase II)
*May (5 days)
Bangkok
Seminar on Statistics
on Services and the Informal Sector
*16-20 June
Bangkok or Beijing
Seminar on the Use of ICP Data
*Oct (4 days)
Bangkok
Second meeting of Working
Party on Application of New Technology to
Population Data
**Nov (4 days)
Bangkok
Working Group on Statistical
Experts, 10th session
1998
*Feb (? days)
Bangkok
Second regional workshop
on gender statistics (ISGS Phase II)
Note: not all seminars
and meetings are designed for participation
of all countries.
* Dates tentative
** Event uncertain
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