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

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Revision of the Principles and Recommendations
for Population and Housing Censuses the 2020
Round United Nations Statistics Division
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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)

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International guidelines
Purpose (a) Provide methodological and
operational guidelines (b) Ensure comparability
at international and regional levels
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Part One Proposed additions

• Essential features
• Individual enumeration
• Universality within a defined territory
• Simultaneity
• Established periodicity
• Small area statistics

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Part One Proposed additions

• Census methodology
• Traditional census
• Register-based census
• Combined methodology

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Part Three 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

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Part Three Proposed additions

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

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Part Three Proposed additions

• 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

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Part Four Proposed additions

• Metadata
• Definition and content
• Uses of metadata

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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

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Expert Group Meeting

• 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

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General overview 2010 Round

• 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

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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

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Specific areas in focus

• 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

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Proposed outline

• 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

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Implementation Expert Group arrangement
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Proposed schedule and activities

• 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