1. Development of Strategies for Census Data Dissemination
United Nations Statistics Division

3. “A census is not complete until the information collected is made available to potential users in a form suited to their needs”
(UN Principles and Recommendations for Population and Housing Censuses, Revision 2, para )
Preaching to the choir? 3

4. Developing Dissemination Strategy: Key Elements
Users identification
Data uses/needs
Technologies
Dissemination media
Products and services
Dissemination policy
Quality assurance
Meta-data
Confidentiality/privacy measures
Budget and human resources
Users consultation 4

5. Users identification Central government Local government authorities
Research community
Business and industry sector
General public
Communication media
International and multinational organizations
Public or private service providers
Market researchers

6. Data Uses/Needs for policymaking, planning and administrative purposes
as (an essential) part of the statistical infrastructure
for research purposes
for business, industry and labor
for electoral boundary delimitation
as a sampling frame for surveys
for development of benchmark housing statistics
for the formulation of housing policy and programs
for the assessment of the quality of housing
in relationship with other statistical activities

7. Technologies
GIS
Internet Dissemination
Data bases

8. Dissemination Media Paper publications Digital media
Online dissemination

9. Products and Services Provisional results Tabulations
Thematic statistical or analytical reports
Procedural, evaluation and other reports
Census mapping
Interactive digital outputs
General interest products and special audience reports
Services – customized products, "on request" services

10. Tabulations Basic/essential tabulations Recommended tabulations
Additional tabulations
(UN Principles and Recommendations for Population and Housing Censuses, Revision 2)

11. What is Unique about Census Products?
Estimates for small areas and small population groups > effective decision making (identified target population)
Infrastructure statistics > effective sampling for surveys (identified strata), without crossing lines vis a vis response burden and budget
But usually infrequent (once a decade)
Census Dissemination Strategy has to address first those needs answered only by census data

12. Dissemination Policy Marketing Pricing External distributors
Confidentiality and privacy
Accessibility

13. Quality Assurance Attributes
Relevance
Completeness
Accuracy
Comparability
Coherence
Timeliness
Punctuality
Clarity
Accessibility
Metadata

14. Quality Assurance Process Should Show
Methodological soundness: adherence to professional methods and (internationally) agreed standards
Efficiency: degree to which statistics are compiled in such a way that the cost and the respondent burden are minimized relative to output

15. Quality Assurance Challenges
Census dissemination can easily be overlooked in the chain of providing a quality outcome for the census as management attention is diverted to the costly and risky enumeration and processing operations
Dissemination systems and processes need to be available, documented and tested prior to the release of data from the processing phase

16. Metadata Sources of the data Definitions Methods
Para-data (collection-process description)
International comparability

17. Confidentiality/Privacy Measures
Direct identification
Indirect identification

18. Budget and Human Resources
Proper budget allocation since the start of the project
Human resources recruitment and maintenance until the end of the census project

19. How to Determine Users’ Needs
Mandatory products
Uses in previous census
Uses in relevant surveys and expressed needs
International recommendations
Surveys, discussion groups, and other operations to elicit needs of known users and of potential users before (and after) the census
NSO insights and leading role
Future needs…
This is to create a reservoir of needs

20. Consultation with Users
Three issues to be addressed:
Data to be collected according to accepted needs, while keeping the respondents’ rights in mind
Data to be released to ensure confidentiality and yet, relevance
Dissemination tools to ensure accessibility, independence in use, clarity and processing ability

21. Consultation with Users Data to be collected
Limitations
Legal Obligations
International Recommendations
Consistency with Official Statistics
Scope and Costs of Direct Data Collection
Privacy & Response Burden
Consultation Span
Alternatives for Direct Data Collection (administrative sources)
Public vs. Private Users
Infrastructure vs. Other Statistics
Multiple vs. Single Potential Users
Many vs. Few Uses
Influenced by the reservoir of needs

22. Consultation with Users Data to be Released
Limitations
Legal Obligations
International Recommendations
Confidentiality & Individual Privacy
Data Quality
Generic vs. Tailor-made Products
Consultation Span
Aggregates vs. Micro-data
Single census vs. Several censuses data (Comparisons over-time, linked records)

23. Consultation with Users Tools
Dissemination Tools come to serve four main purposes:
Accessibility to all
Independence in use
Clarity of the data
Processing ability for further research
-Therefore-
Under the limitations of Budget, Human Resources and Technology, users are to be consulted and demonstrated needs, with regard to dissemination tools, are to be answered

24. Developing Dissemination Strategy
Users’ needs determine the Target
Data (and metadata), budget and human resources – are the Input
Technology and methodology – are enabling factors
Products and services – are the Output

25. “Tips” Based on Previous Experience
Dissemination strategy needs to be developed during the planning stage of the census
Budget and human resources need to be determined (and protected) since the beginning of the census project
The supply of census products and services goes far beyond the first couple of years after the census

26. “A census is not complete until the information collected is made available to potential users in a form suited to their needs”