1. INTERNATIONAL EXPERT GROUP MEETING ON MECHANISMS FOR ENSURING CONTINUITY OF 10-YEAR POPULATION CENSUSES: STRATEGIES FOR REDUCING CCENSUS COSTS
Conducting Census Under Adverse Conditions; Challenges and Lessons Learned
 Hasan ABU-LIBDEH
President, Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics
P.O.Box 1647, Ramallah, Palestine
Tel: /Fax: 1
26-29 November, 2001, Pretoria, South Africa
Session # 4
Hasan Abu-Libdeh, PCBS

2. Summary Country profile (the setting) Background on NSI (PCBS)
INTERNATIONAL EXPERT GROUP MEETING ON MECHANISMS FOR ENSURING CONTINUITY OF 10-YEAR POPULATION CENSUSES: STRATEGIES FOR REDUCING CCENSUS COSTS
Summary
Country profile (the setting)
Background on NSI (PCBS)
Why a census at this stage
Census planning-Implementation
Challenges In census taking
Lessons Learned 2
26-29 November, 2001, Pretoria, South Africa
Session # 4
Hasan Abu-Libdeh, PCBS

3. Country profile (the setting)
INTERNATIONAL EXPERT GROUP MEETING ON MECHANISMS FOR ENSURING CONTINUITY OF 10-YEAR POPULATION CENSUSES: STRATEGIES FOR REDUCING CCENSUS COSTS
Country profile (the setting)
Political profile of the country (land, people, politics-government)
Target population
Political realities
Statistics realities
1. West Bank and Gaza Strip represents 22% of historic Palestine, residents are 33% of total population, occupied by Israel in 1967, overwhelmed by party politics.
2. Census addressed de-facto population of West Bank and Gaza with some exceptions,
3. Government formed med 1994 on basis of Oslo agreement, country divided into different security zones, PA controls 18% of land, administers 42%, serves more than 90%. Israel annexed 7% of population
4. For 30 years, data collection within country and statistical activities were conducted by Israel, field were selective, dissemination was minimal, population was hostile to data collection activities, starting with a census which was used to determine residency rights. 3
26-29 November, 2001, Pretoria, South Africa
Session # 4
Hasan Abu-Libdeh, PCBS

4. Background on NSI (PCBS)
INTERNATIONAL EXPERT GROUP MEETING ON MECHANISMS FOR ENSURING CONTINUITY OF 10-YEAR POPULATION CENSUSES: STRATEGIES FOR REDUCING CCENSUS COSTS
Background on NSI (PCBS)
Founded in fall 1993, production in 1994
Guided by a Master Plan for development
Gained Experience in Statistical production
Crossed Milestones (voter register, mapping, household survey program, econ censuses, admin records, census)
We started in October, 1993 with one person., 9 months of preparations before first fieldwork, started with mapping, produced series of Current Status Reports, established a master sample and used as a sampling frame.
Consulted with international community, produced a master plan, laid out our course of action. followed carefully
Started a series of household surveys, censuses, and data collection from admin records. Program included LFS, DS, HS, Establishment census, census of education institutions, youth centers, MORE CSR’s
By 1997, several achievements were scored including voter register, cartographic maps, household surveys, and censuses. 4
26-29 November, 2001, Pretoria, South Africa
Session # 4
Hasan Abu-Libdeh, PCBS

5. Why a census at this Stage
INTERNATIONAL EXPERT GROUP MEETING ON MECHANISMS FOR ENSURING CONTINUITY OF 10-YEAR POPULATION CENSUSES: STRATEGIES FOR REDUCING CCENSUS COSTS
Why a census at this Stage
Never had a national census before
Great demand Demand for small area statistics
Census as an integral part of Palestinian Statistical System building
Baseline database to build upon
Required for Establishing sampling frames 5
26-29 November, 2001, Pretoria, South Africa
Session # 4
Hasan Abu-Libdeh, PCBS

6. Census planning-Implementation
INTERNATIONAL EXPERT GROUP MEETING ON MECHANISMS FOR ENSURING CONTINUITY OF 10-YEAR POPULATION CENSUSES: STRATEGIES FOR REDUCING CCENSUS COSTS
Census planning-Implementation
Planning started as of fall 1993
Building consensus among stakeholders
Financing
Fieldwork (mapping, listing, counting)
Called on USBOC only one month into operation for a planning exercise, spent most of 1994 in reviewing international experience, prepared final project document early 1995.
More than 6000 consultations took place, these consultations were designed for both education and discussing needs.
Total budget was $M 7.4 ($ 3/head). Only $ M 3.5 was available (2.2 from UNFPA, 1.3 from PA), rest had to be secured from donors.
Mapping was conducted in 1994, updated twice, latest was summer Demarcation of EA’s took place in Oct. 1997, hh listing in Nov. 1997, counting between Dec. 10 and Dec.24, PES from Jan 10-Jan24, 1998
Three shifts were involved in data capture, data were ready for tabulations in 7 months
Results were released eleven months after fieldwork, 34 tables on national and regional levels were released. During 1999, 300 more tables were released
For utilization we have developed a second stage for secondary analysis
Data processing
Release of findings and Dissemination
Utilization and national capacity building 6
26-29 November, 2001, Pretoria, South Africa
Session # 4
Hasan Abu-Libdeh, PCBS

7. Challenges In census taking (1)
INTERNATIONAL EXPERT GROUP MEETING ON MECHANISMS FOR ENSURING CONTINUITY OF 10-YEAR POPULATION CENSUSES: STRATEGIES FOR REDUCING CCENSUS COSTS
Challenges In census taking (1)
Challenges of being the first experience
Crosscutting challenges (conceptual, methodological, operational, Culture based)
Lessons all through planning-implementation
Things we could do differently 7
26-29 November, 2001, Pretoria, South Africa
Session # 4
Hasan Abu-Libdeh, PCBS

8. Challenges In census taking (2)
INTERNATIONAL EXPERT GROUP MEETING ON MECHANISMS FOR ENSURING CONTINUITY OF 10-YEAR POPULATION CENSUSES: STRATEGIES FOR REDUCING CCENSUS COSTS
Challenges In census taking (2)
Accommodating political realities
Overcoming lack of national experience
Managing stakeholders’ expectations
Data processing which meets user demands
Funding gap
Stereotyping data collection
Acceptance of census results
Absorption and Utilization of Census Results 8
26-29 November, 2001, Pretoria, South Africa
Session # 4
Hasan Abu-Libdeh, PCBS

9. Lessons Learned (1) Legal framework Census content and methodology
INTERNATIONAL EXPERT GROUP MEETING ON MECHANISMS FOR ENSURING CONTINUITY OF 10-YEAR POPULATION CENSUSES: STRATEGIES FOR REDUCING CCENSUS COSTS
Lessons Learned (1)
Legal framework
Census content and methodology
Relationship with stakeholders
Field organization
Publicity campaign
Post Enumeration Survey 9
26-29 November, 2001, Pretoria, South Africa
Session # 4
Hasan Abu-Libdeh, PCBS

10. Lessons Learned (2) Dissemination Donor coordination
INTERNATIONAL EXPERT GROUP MEETING ON MECHANISMS FOR ENSURING CONTINUITY OF 10-YEAR POPULATION CENSUSES: STRATEGIES FOR REDUCING CCENSUS COSTS
Lessons Learned (2)
Dissemination
Donor coordination
Documenting of experience
1010
26-29 November, 2001, Pretoria, South Africa
Session # 4
Hasan Abu-Libdeh, PCBS