The First Meeting of the
Working Party on the Application of New Technology
to Population Data
Bangkok, 24-26 September
1997
STAT/WPA.1/5
29 August 1997
ENGLISH ONLY
ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMISSION FOR ASIA AND THE
PACIFIC
Working Party on Application of New Technology
to Population Data
First Meeting
24-26 September 1997
Bangkok
Work Plan of the Working
Party
Note by the secretariat
Work plan
The activities of the project
on "Application of New Technology in Population
Data Collection, Processing, Dissemination and
Presentation" consist of:
formulation of a working
party, consisting of eight experts from selected
countries of the region, to identify priorities
and provide guidance in the application of
computer technology in producing population
statistics;
commissioning of specific
national activities in three developing countries,
leading to the establishment or adaptation
of IT applications in population statistics;
and
sharing of country experiences
in the development of information technology
in the population field through a regional
newsletter.
The work plan as related
to each objective of the project is given below.
Objective 1:
To formulate recommendations
and guidelines on the application of modern information
technology in the field of population statistics,
such as data capture, geographic information systems
(GIS) and development of population databases,
and to disseminate them to the countries in the
region.
Activity
Schedule
Output
1.1 Establishment
of a Working Party on the application
of new technology in population data collection,
processing, presentation and dissemination
April 1997
Working Party
consisting of eight selected experts from
the Asian and Pacific region.
1.2 Organization
of 4 meetings of the Working Party in
1997, 1998 and 1999.
First meeting
in 1997 fourth meeting in 1999 and others
in between to be decided by the Working
Party;
Four meetings
and meeting reports; outlines and reviews
of guidelines.
1.3 Development
of guidelines on the application of computer
technology.
To be scheduled
by the Working Party in the first meeting.
At least
three sets of guidelines, for example,
on data capture and processing, data analysis
and presentation, and data dissemination.
1.4 Publication
and dissemination of the above guidelines
as three (or more) separate reports.
To be scheduled
by the Working Party in the first meeting.
Average of
one set of guidelines per year to be published
and disseminated.
Objective 2:
To develop modern technology-based
application systems in the field of population
statistics in three pilot countries.
Activity
Schedule
Output
2.1 Contact
countries to find out their interest and
needs. Selection of countries for
different applications.
September 1997
to February 1998.
Assessment
of the stages of country development in
computerization, infrastructure, interest
and needs. Assistance from CST advisers
is needed in selection of the countries.
2.2 Engagement
of suitable institutions for undertaking
country le vel activities.
December 1997
to February 1998.
Three institutions
ready to develop/adapt applications identified
by the Working Party.
2.3 Implementation
of various applications and their dissemination.
To be determined
in consultation with the institutions concerned.
Newly developed,
refined or adapted applications (GIS, database,
data capture, etc.) in three countries.
2.4 Preparation
of reports on the experience and progress
by countries.
To be discussed.
Reports of
the country experiences.
2.5 Review
of the progress reports by the Working Party.
At the meetings
of the Working Party.
Finalized reports
of the experiences in three pilot countries.
2.6 Dissemination
of reports on country activities to national
statistical offices (NSOs).
From 1998 to
1999.
Increased knowledge
of NSOs with IT applications in population
statistics in three pilot countries.
Objective 3:
To promote effective use of
information technology for the production and
dissemination of population data.
Activity
Schedule
Output
3.1 Issuing
newsletter twice a year.
Throughout
the duration of project, 1997-1999
About four
issues of a newsletter on applications of
new technology for population statistics.
3.2 Development
of a training package, in conjunction with
SIAP, on effective applications of new technology
for population data. The package may consist
of a video or a computer-based slide show
etc.
1998-1999
A widely-distributed
training package, intended to raise awareness
of technological applications for population
data among senior and middle level management.
The Work Party is invited to
discuss and make recommendations on its own work
plan in the light of the activities to be undertaken
and outputs to be produced under the project.
It is also requested to discuss the extent, nature
and various modalities of contributions to be
made by its members.
