Experts from across the continent came together to share census lessons and plans.
More than 60 delegates from 16 nations took part in a four-day workshop organised by Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), ECA and the UK’s Office for National Statistics.
The event aims to shape the remaining 2020-round censuses and those for the 2030 census round.
Discussions included collaboration between countries, sourcing computer tablets or smartphones for data capturing, questionnaire design, ensuring software works across different devices, capability, online recruitment and online training.
ECA will use findings from this and similar workshops to develop guidance on good practice to support countries in planning their censuses. This guidance will form a baseline for preparations for the 2030 round of population and housing censuses.
During the event, GSS also released its latest census results. It follows Ghana’s first digital population and housing census in June last year. It is one of four countries represented at the workshop that made use of Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI) technology in its last census, enabling results to be published in record time.
GSS, Egypt’s Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics, Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, and Malawi’s National Statistical Office were able to share experiences of using this technology to support countries planning to hold their first digital censuses in the near future.
For more information about the workshop or how ECA can support an upcoming census, email ecastats@un.org.