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Events

(Upcoming Event) Leveraging Mobile Phone Big Data for Information Society Statistics: Successes, Challenges, and Future Direction (16 May 2024)

The exponential growth of mobile phone usage globally has generated vast amounts of data that hold immense potential for informing and shaping policies aimed at advancing information societies worldwide. This webinar session will delve into the utilization of mobile phone big data for generating valuable statistics crucial for understanding and improving information societies.

The webinar will include presentations highlighting the importance of mobile phone big data for information society statistics highlighting use cases and country projects implemented so far. Countries representative that had successfully utilized mobile phone big data will share their experiences, providing insights on the methodologies and approaches used by various stakeholders, including governments and private sector entities, for harnessing mobile phone big data for statistical purposes. The presentations will also provide information on challenges encountered in leveraging mobile phone big data, such as privacy concerns, data quality issues, and technological limitations. Presenters will also offer potential solutions and best practices to address these challenges.

Future opportunities and directions for enhancing the use of mobile phone big data for information society statistics will also be presented, including information on available tools (such as the ITU Python codes), partnerships, and policy frameworks necessary to maximize the potential of mobile phone data.

This webinar aims to foster knowledge exchange, collaboration, and innovation in the area of information society statistics, ultimately contributing to evidence-based policymaking and universal and meaningful connectivity.

The audience is expected to engage with presenters and delve deeper into specific topics. Polling sessions to gauge the audience's perceptions, experiences, and expectations regarding the use of mobile phone big data for information society statistics.

Key Takeaways:

  • Understanding the transformative potential of mobile phone big data in shaping information societies.
  • Learning from successful case studies and implementation strategies.
  • Identifying and addressing challenges associated with leveraging mobile phone big data for statistical purposes.
  • Exploring collaborative avenues and future directions for advancing the field of information society statistics using mobile phone big data.

Register in advance for this meeting: Link

Moderator: Thomas Smallwood, Data Scientist, Flowminder

Welcome & Closing Remarks:  Oliver Chinganya, Director, ECA-ACS

Speakers:

  • Fredrik Eriksson, Senior Data Scientist, ITU

  • Esperanza Magpantay, Senior Statistician, ITU

  • Margus Tiru, Chief Data Officer, Positium

 

Audience: Young African statisticians, African National Statistical Offices (NSOs), Directors General (DGs), StatTalk audience, Data Science, and members of the statistical community.

(Upcoming Event) Competencies, and Capacity Development. Training tools and products available to NSOs  (May 2024)

Presenter: UN Task Team on Training, Competencies and Capacity Development

(Upcoming Event) Data Science Campus International Development  (June 2024)

Presenter: UN Task Team on Training

(Upcoming Event) Promoting the use of the UNGP  (June 2024)

Presenter: UN Global Platform Team at UNSD 

From Mobile Phone Data to Transport and Commuting Statistics (11 April 2024)

On April 11, 2024, the webinar "From Mobile Phone Data to Transport and Commuting Statistics" delved into the transformative power of mobile phone data (MPD) in reshaping how transport and commuting data are collected and analyzed. With the proliferation of mobile devices over the past four years, mobile phone operators have refined methods for gathering population density and movement data, offering invaluable insights into mobility patterns.

Transport organizations worldwide have eagerly embraced MPD to inform decision-making processes aimed at enhancing mobility and to track Key Mobility Indicators. This surge in interest was spurred by the realization, during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, that traditional statistical methods struggled to capture rapidly evolving mobility patterns. MPD emerged as a promising solution due to its real-time nature and ability to provide dynamic, granular data on transport and mobility trends.

The webinar explored practical applications of MPD in transport planning and policy formulation, highlighting its potential to revolutionize traditional data collection methods. It also addressed the challenges associated with working with MPD, including ethical and governance considerations, underscoring the need for responsible data usage.

Aligned with the UN's vision of harnessing big data for societal benefit, the webinar aimed to:

  • Introduce the concept and utility of MPD in transport statistics.
  • Share experiences, challenges, and successes from global organizations integrating MPD into their statistical frameworks.
  • Discuss methodological approaches, ethical considerations, and best practices for leveraging MPD in transport statistics.

The UN Big Data and Data Science Regional Hub for Africa, in collaboration with the UN Task Team on Mobile Phone Data, organized the event, inviting participation from young statisticians, African National Statistical Offices (NSOs), directors-general, the StatTalk audience, and the broader data science and statistical community. Distinguished speakers included:

  1. Raj Kamalanathsharma, Member of UN MPD subgroup, Road and Transport Authority Dubai, Presentation 
  2. Bijit Deb, Member of UN MPD subgroup on Transport & Commuting, Road and Transport Authority Dubai, Presentation 
  3. Sam Rose, Deputy Director Advanced Analytics, Head of Profession for OR and Data Science, Department of Transport UK, Presentation 
  4. Siim Esko, International Project Development Lead, Positium, Presentation 
  5. Reinhard Schwarzenegger, Project Manager, Asset-Management & Strategic Planning, ÖBB Infrastructure (Austrian Federal Railways), Presentation   
  6. Dr. Michael Cik, Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer, Invenium Data Insights GmbH, Presentation,
  7. Viviana Muñoz Díaz, Senior Consultant at Kapsch, Director of the Chilean Society of Transport Engineering, Presentation

Dr. Nicholas Caros, Transport Policy Analyst and Modeller at the International Transportation Forum, OECD, moderated the discussions and delivered welcome and closing

The evaluation report is accessible via the provided link. The recording of the webinar can be found here.

Dynamic Population Mapping Using Mobile Phone Data (March 21st, 2024)

The webinar on Dynamic Population Mapping, which took place on Thursday, March 21st from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM (EAT), explored the integration of mobile phone data into population data systems. During the event, speakers including Luis de la Rua, David Bessah, Thomas Smallwood, Lamin Dibba, Zachary Strain-Fajth, and Siim Esko shared insights on the practical application of mobile phone data for dynamic population mapping. The webinar, organized by the UN Big Data and Data Science Regional Hub for Africa and the UN Task Team on Mobile Phone Data, aimed to provide practical guidance on collecting statistics on population using mobile network operator data, in line with UN recommendations.

Participants, including young statisticians, African National Statistical Offices (NSOs), directors-general, the StatTalk audience, and the broader data science and statistical community, had the opportunity to learn from esteemed global experts in the field. The event emphasized the importance of dynamic population mapping in informing policy-making, program evaluation, and demographic analysis. The evaluation report is accessible via the provided link.

You can access the presentations from the event below.  

   1) Luis de la Rua, GIS and Census expert, UNFPA:  Presentation 

   2) David Bessah, Data Scientist, Ghana Statistical Services: Presentation

   3) Thomas Smallwood, Data Scientist, Flowminder: Presentation

   4) Lamin Dibba, Principal Statistician, Gambian Bureau of Statistics: Presentation

   5) Zachary Strain-Fajth, Data Analyst, Flowminder: Presentation

   6) Siim Esko, International Project Development Lead, Positium: Presentation

The recording of the webinar can be found here.

StatsTalk-Africa: Understanding the Role of the UN Regional Hub on Big Data and Data Science for Africa in advancing the work on official statistics (19, March 2024) 

The African Centre of Statistics (ACS) of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and the UN Regional Hub on Big Data and Data Science for Africa held the 13th StatsTalk-Africa webinar series titled "Understanding the Role of the UN Regional Hub on Big Data and Data Science for Africa in advancing the work on official statistics" on Tuesday, March 19, 2024, from 11:00 to 12:00 EAT via Microsoft Teams. The 13th StatsTalk-Africa webinar aimed to explore the significance of the UN Regional Hub on Big Data and Data Science for Africa in advancing the field of official statistics in Africa. The primary focus of the webinar was to delve into the collaborative efforts undertaken within the UN Regional Hub on Big Data and Data Science for Africa. This included discussions on ongoing capacity-building initiatives, projects, planned activities, and other data science endeavors at the African Centre of Statistics (ACS). Additionally, it highlighted the award-winning solution presented during the UN Datathon 2023, spearheaded by the Ghana Statistical Service, which focused on "Local Access to Information in Ghana: Localizing SDG Indicators and Computing the Novel Access to Information Index." You can access the evaluation report for the 13th StatTalk Africa webinar, which focused on the UN Regional Hub for Africa can be found here.

You can access the presentations from the event below.  

  1. UN Regional Hub for Africa  (Ms. Therese Uwimana): Presentation 
  2. Ghana Statistical Service (Mr. Simon Tichutab): Story Map
  3. African Centre of Statistics (ACS) (Mr. Issoufou Seidou): Presentation 

The recording of the webinar can be found here.

Opportunities and Challenges of Using MPD for Official Statistics (8 February 2024)

The second webinar series, exploring the Opportunities and Challenges of Using Mobile Phone Data (MPD) for Official Statistics, was conducted on 8th February 2024, from 14:00 to 16:00 (Rwanda Time). This event was hosted by the UN Big Data Regional Hub for Africa in collaboration with the UN Mobile Phone Data Task Team, operating under the umbrella of the UN Committee of Experts on Big Data and Data Science for Official Statistics (UN-CEBD). The event featured insightful presentations of findings. Participants had the opportunity to glean insights from global experts on MPD in Official Statistics, explore real-world experiences from diverse countries, and deepen their understanding of the opportunities and challenges associated with utilizing MPD. You can access the presentations from the event below.    

1) Esperanza Magpantay: Opportunities and challenges of using MPD for official statistics: National stakeholders, roles, and data access  

2) Thomas Smallwood: Using Mobile Phone Data: Benefits, Challenges and Opportunities

3) Siim Esko: Mobile Positioning Data Examples of Statistics Projects from Around the World

4) Ayumi Arai: Opportunities and Challenges Country cases: The Gambia and Tanzania

5) Carolyne Kakemu: Big Data Pilot Study in Kenya

6) David Bessah: Opportunities & Challenges using MPD for Official Statistics, Ghana Statistical Service

 

The moderation of the session was handled by Issoufou Seidu Sanda, Esperanza Magpantay, and Therese Uwimana. The audience included Young African statisticians, African National Statistical Offices (NSOs), Directors General (DGs), StatTalk audience, Data Science, and members of the statistical community. You can find the report on the webinar here. 

The recording of the webinar can be found here.

International Webinar on Earth Observations for Agricultural Statistics (EO-STAT): (18, December 2023)  

EO Data Cubes, Smart Classification Algorithms, Impacts of Disasters on Crops, and a Live Demo 

On Monday, December 18, 2023, the UN Big Data and Data Science Regional Hub for Africa conducted a webinar on Earth Observations for Agricultural Statistics (EO-STAT): EO Data Cubes, Smart Classification Algorithms, Impacts of Disasters on Crops, and a Live Demo. The presentation was delivered by experts in collaboration with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (UNFAO) and the UN Global Hub in China. The distinguished speakers and their presentations can be found here:

1) Dr Lorenzo De Simone: EO Big Data and Statistics: Relevance and Key Aspects
2) Prof. Gao Zhi: EO Data Cubes and Time Series Analysis for Enhanced Classification Performance
3) Prof. Gilberto Câmara: Utilization of EO Data Cubes in Mexico to Monitor Agricultural Frontier
4) Mr. Eduardo Vazquez Andrade: Application of EO Data for Integrated Monitoring of Agricultural Resources and Impacts from Disasters
5) Miss. Vivian Kerubo Ondieki: Live Demo of EOSTAT Crop Mapper in Senegal


The session was skillfully moderated by Therese Uwimana and Issoufou Seidu Sanda. The audience comprised Young African statisticians, African National Statistical Offices (NSOs), Directors General (DGs), StatTalk audience, Data Science, and the statistical community. The report on the Earth Observations for Agricultural Statistics  can be found here.

The recording of the webinar can be found here.

Webinar Recording

 

Use cases of Mobile Phone Data (MPD) for Official statistics (16-November-2023)

On Thursday, 16th November 2023, the UN Big Data and Data Science Regional Hub for Africa hosted a webinar on Mobile Phone Data (MPD) use cases for official statistics. The webinar took place on Thursday, 16th November at 3:00 PM, GMT+3 and showcased the work done by the Mobile Phone Data Task Team, which is part of the community of global partners operating under the auspices of the UN Committee of Experts on Big Data and Data Science for Official Statistics (UN-CEBD). The Mobile Phone Data Task Team includes speakers from the UN-CEBD, ITU, Positium, University of Tokyo, BPS Indonesia, Flowminder and Roads and Transport Authority (Dubai). The event highlighted the potential of mobile phone data to fill data gaps worldwide and contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The report on the Mobile Phone Data can be found here.

The recording and presentations can be found here. 

Webinar Recording 

Webinar Presentations

Welcome and Introduction 
Ashwell Jenneker: Acting Chair of the United Nations Committee of Experts on Big Data (UNCEBD)

Introduction of the Mobile Phone Data (MPD) Task Team 
Elena De Jesus: Task Team on Mobile Phone Big Data


Use Cases
Siim Esko: Dynamic Population and Census 
Ayumi Arai:  Displacement and Disaster
Alfatihah Reno: Tourism statistics 
Fredrik Ericsson: Information Society statistics for SDGs
Bijit Deb: Transport and Commuting Statistics
Thomas Smallwood: Awareness Raising Course 

UN Datathon 2023
UN Datathon 2023, hosted by the UN Regional Hub on Big Data and Data Science for Africa in Rwanda, Kigali, was a remarkable event. The National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR) played a pivotal role as one of the satellite locations for this prestigious competition. We hosted four teams, three of which were sponsored by the African Center for Statistics (ACS) of UNECA, and one data science team from the Ghana statistics office, which was self-sponsored. The event brought together participants from eight nations, fostering collaboration and innovation in the field of data science. The teams represented eight nationalities, including Egypt, Ethiopia, Cameroon, Comoros, Namibia, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the Netherlands. We would like to express our appreciation to the UNECA and NISR teams who made this event possible. Here, you will find a collection of images and recordings capturing the essence of the event.

Recordings

UN DATATHON 2023 Highlights Rwanda

DAY 1: 3rd Nov 2023


 

DAY 2: 4th Nov 2023

DAY 3: 5th Nov 2023

DAY 4: 6th Nov 2023

Image Collections

 

Automated Occupation Classification Coding Webinar (September 2023)

On Wednesday, 6th September 2023, the African regional hub held a webinar on Automated Occupation Classification Coding. The webinar was aimed at all African NSOs and Young African Statisticians.  The objectives of the webinar were to share the outcomes from work undertaken by the ONS Data Science Campus (ONS DSC) in partnership with the Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) to automatically classify occupation codes and support QA of NSA Census data. The webinar also provided an opportunity to feedback and discuss, gauge the extent of interest in similar work from other NSOs, and discuss potential further work. You can find the report on the Automated Occupation Classification Coding Webinar in the following link. The recordings of the webinar can be found here.

 

Outcomes and  learning from the Collaborative CPI programme (July 2023 )

In July 2023, the UN Big Data and Data Science Regional Hub for Africa hosted a webinar on CPI Web Scraping. This event was held to share the outcomes and learnings from a collaborative NSO project with Regional NSOs and introduce them to the learning materials. Three African NSOs Nigeria, Ghana, and Senegal shared the outcomes and their experience from the collaborative project. You can find the report on the Collaborative CPI programme in the following link. The recordings of the webinar can be found here. 


Web Scraping for CPI Collaborative Project  (March 2023)


CPI Web Scraping Project is an initiative of the United Nations Regional Hub for Africa, aimed at enhancing the capacity of National Statistical Offices (NSOs) in Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, Tunisia, and Rwanda. The project focuses on web scraping prices for CPI and involves experts from the Bank of Italy (Luigi Palumbo) and Statistics Poland (Dominik Dabrowski). The project comprises virtual training over four weeks, covering concepts, ethics, methodology, Python coding, and building a web scraper. It also include a one-week face-to-face training session at the NISR Training Centre in Kigali  (27 - 31, March 2023). The project outcomes include the development of skills in Python and web scraping, an understanding of methodological challenges and ethical considerations, and the identification of other applications of web scraping within NSOs such as tourism and job vacancies. The following link provided all the resources and documents pertaining to the CPI Web Scraping project (Resources).

The participating NSOs are keen to continue collaborating and sharing their knowledge with each other and with other African NSOs through webinars. They hope that the learning will spread outwards and impact evaluations will be undertaken in six months time. The project also considers the requirements and roadmap towards implementation, including getting senior level buy-in and resources. Overall, the Web Scraping for CPI Collaborative Project is a vital initiative in enhancing the capacity of NSOs in Africa to leverage data science techniques for better decision-making.

It is a pleasure to be hosting this first collaborative project here in Kigali. I did not know what to expect when I entered the room but everyone was concentrating and collaborating, it was so good to see. I am so impressed and inspired, and this is only the start. (Mr Yusuf Murangwa, DG, NISR)

                                                Web scraping Prices for CPI, face-to-face training, 27 – 31 March 2023, NISR Training Centre, Kigali