1. National CensusInfo Training, Zomba, Malawi
Welcome.
Introduction to the product CensusInfo, what it is, where it comes from, what the main
features are.
National CensusInfo Training, Zomba, Malawi
29 November–03 December 2010 1

2. What is CensusInfo?
CensusInfo is a software tool to disseminate census data on the web and CD-ROM
What is CensusInfo:
Developed by UN Statistics Division in partnership with UNFPA and UNICEF
UNITED NATIONS
Statistics Division/DESA

3. Why CensusInfo?
Need
Dissemination has been the weakest point of population and housing censuses
Importance of disseminating census data
NEED
There has been a need of helping countries in disseminating their census results.
A review of the last census rounds revealed that the dissemination was the weakest
points of population and housing censuses. Many countries faced problems
disseminating their census results widely and quickly.
Reasons for this:
- Costs not included in initial budget plans
- Main focus on enumeration process (which is a major logistic enterprise)
- Dissemination is not priority
Importance of disseminating census data
Disseminating of Census data is an integral part of the census undertaking.
A census is not complete until the information collected is made available for users
in a form suited for their needs
Census data provide quantitative information essential to governmental policymaking,
evidence-based planning and administration
Useful for various stakeholders, among them, civil society, researchers,
international organizations

4. Population and Housing Census”
Why CensusInfo?
Initiative
Census Data Dissemination as one of three main goals of the
“2010 World Programme on
Population and Housing Census”
Assist countries in their efforts to disseminate census results in a timely manner
INITIATIVE
The United Nations Statistical Commission in its 36th Session has recognized that
need. And when it approved the “2010 World Programme on Population and Housing
Census” it made the Data Dissemination to one of the three main
goals, in particular to assist countries in their efforts to disseminate results in a timely
manner.

5. Objectives Why CensusInfo?
Develop a software solution to facilitate the dissemination of census results fulfilling following minimum criteria:
OBJECTIVES
CensusInfo project aimed at implementing the CensusInfo software package to
help countries to disseminate their major census results.
Criteria:
For the NSO easy to implement and for the user easy to use
Free to use and thus available to everyone
It is recommended that census data should get disseminated for all geographical
levels until very small areas. Disseminating census results including maps (instead
of only tables) is not only carrying additional information but
maps – if well designed – also will interest users for census reports.
Software should be flexible enough to accommodate for country specific
requirements – if is special topics covered and the language used.
Dissemination should be possible on CD-Roms and the web. Advantages are the
low costs for distributing and storage of such large amount of data, the possibility
to directly process and analyze the data further, the speed with which data are
available, the – in particular relating to web dissemination, the wide distribution which
can be achieved.
Based on the analysis of the needs and products available, it was decided to develop
the package based on the latest version of DevInfo database technology, version 6.0.
Easy to implement and easy to use
Free to use
Dissemination of census data at any geographical level
Customization for country-specific requirements
Dissemination on the web and CD-ROM
Software based on the latest DevInfo databasse technology, version 6.0

6. Main features of CensusInfo
CensusInfo is user and administrator friendly software
CensusInfo is user and administrator friendly software

7. CensusInfo is user and administrator friendly software
The CensusInfo software comes in two packages (like DevInfo);
The Administration Application in which administrative task like creating of the
database, defining the data/indicator etc (metadata, mapping, data import,
language, design customization, ), are done
The User Application in which the user can query the data, produce tables,
sophisticated maps and figures and so on.
There are quite some features in both the Admin application and the User
application which differ from DevInfo. The reason is, that census data differ from
data usually for which DevInfo usually stored:
Number of data/indicator and subgroups (many data are broken down by
detailed age groups)
Amount of census data
Geographic subdivision: many more levels with up to very high geographic
resolution (enumeration area)
These special characteristics of census data made special features necessary
(for example, selection of data/indicator subgroups or the import of data)

8. Main features of CensusInfo
Disseminates census results at any geographical level
CensusInfo is user and administrator friendly software
Disseminates census results at any geographical level:
The smallest area for which census results can be disseminated are the enumeration
areas. CensusInfo allows for in principle unlimited number of geographic sub-divisions.

9. Disseminates census results at any geographical level
Example India:
(Asia)
India
States: 35
Division: 594
Districts: 5474

10. Disseminates census results at any geographical level
Mapping facilities for all levels.

11. Main features of CensusInfo
CensusInfo is user and administrator friendly software
Disseminates census results at any geographical level
Provides a suggested list of census topics, data and indicators with accompanying metadata (based on UN recommendations)
Provides a suggested list of census topics, data and indicators with accompanying metadata (based on UN recommendations):

12. Provides a suggested list of census topics, data and indicators with accompanying metadata (based on UN recommendations):
List of suggested data/indicator organized according to thematic areas and within
these areas according to topics.
For example:
Educational characteristics > topics Educational Attainment, Literacy, School attendance
When we chose the topic literacy we see the following possible data/indicators:
Adult literacy rate
Literacy rate by age group
Literate population
Literate population by age group
Each of these data/indicator is accompinied by metada which always includes at
least a definition and if necessary also the method of compuation. Metadata may be
rather short like here or more detailed like here for the data/indicator
“Employed population by industry” – depending on necessities.
The reason for including a list of suggested data/indicator is two fold:
For one this helps countries creating their database, they do not have to …
But another reason is even more improtant: providing a list of data/indicators
helps the harmonization of the indicators and thus serves the comparability of CensusInfo
databases over time, i.e. between different censuses of the same countries
and between countries. By keeping names of indicators identical we make it easier to find
identical type of data in other dataset and facilitates the direct comparison.
Assist NSO in creating data/indicator, but also – an maybe – in particular serves to
ensure Comparability and Harmonization between countries and between censuses.

13. Provides a suggested list of census topics, data and indicators with accompanying metadata (based on UN recommendations):
All the suggested data/indicator are based on the UN publication “Recommendations
and Principles of Population and Housing Censuses”, here in the latest revision of 2008.
In here you find a list of recommended topics to be investigated in censuses. Here for
example the topics for educational characteristics. The list includes topics which are
considered “core” (here marked with solid black diamonds) and topics which are
considered “additional” (marked with circles). The list or suggested topics provided
with CensusInfo includes only core topics.

14. Main features of CensusInfo
CensusInfo is user and administrator friendly software
Disseminates census results at any geographical level
Provides a suggested list of census topics, data and indicators with accompanying metadata (based on UN recommendations)
Easy to customize to meet country-specific needs
Easy to customize to meet country-specific needs
Content/structure: data/indicators
Although CensusInfo comes with a list of suggested data/indicator, the software
allows for accommodate for country specific needs by modifying the suggested
data/indicators and creationg new ones.
Contries can then finally design their own layout which should represent their database.

15. Easy to customize to meet country-specific needs
Here examples from the
Global CensusInfo adapation,
CensusInfo India
CensusInfo from the Occupied Palestinian Territory

16. Main features of CensusInfo
CensusInfo is user and administrator friendly software
Disseminates census results at any geographical level
Provides a suggested list of census topics, data and indicators with accompanying metadata (based on UN recommendations)
Easy to customize to meet country-specific needs
Supports to disseminate census data with multiple languages
Supports to disseminate census data with multiple languages
In order to reach the important stake holders, in government, …. it is important to
publish the data in the local language. CensusInfo, as DevInof, has the possibility
to customize the adapation in any language:

17. Supports to disseminate census data with multiple languages
Here the example of Occupied Palestinian Territories – both the database as the
interface of the software is available in Arabic.

18. Main features of CensusInfo
CensusInfo is user and administrator friendly software
Disseminates census results at any geographical level
Provides a suggested list of census topics, data and indicators with accompanying metadata (based on UN recommendations)
Easy to customize to meet country-specific needs
Supports to disseminate census data with multiple languages
Generates user-defined tables, maps, graphs and reports
Generates user-defined tables, maps, graphs and reports.

19. Generates user-defined tables, maps, graphs and reports.

20. Generates user-defined tables, maps, graphs and reports.
Graph: Age Pyramid:
A special feature of CensusInfo is the possibility to create population age pyramids, in effect indicator broken down by age get displayed by default as age pyramids which then can get modified as desired.

21. Generates user-defined tables, maps, graphs and reports: Maps
Maps are part of the outcome ….

22. Main features of CensusInfo
CensusInfo is user and administrator friendly software
Disseminates census results at any geographical level
Provides a suggested list of census topics, data and indicators with accompanying metadata (based on UN recommendations)
Easy to customize to meet country-specific needs
Supports to disseminate census data with multiple languages
Generates user-defined tables, maps, graphs and reports
Provides standard profile reports by geographic units
Provides standard profile reports by geographic units

23. Provides standard profile reports by geographic units

24. Provides standard profile reports by geographic units
Simple example for standard profile reports

25. Main features of CensusInfo
CensusInfo is user and administrator friendly software
Disseminates census results at any geographical level
Provides a suggested list of census topics, data and indicators with accompanying metadata (based on UN recommendations)
Easy to customize to meet country-specific needs
Supports to disseminate census data with multiple languages
Generates user-defined tables, maps, graphs and reports
Provides standard profile reports by geographic units
Allows importing data from other software applications such as CSPro, Redatam, SAS and SPSS
Allows importing data from other software applications such as CSPro, Redatam, SAS and SPSS

26. Allows importing data from other software applications such as CSPro, Redatam, SAS and SPSS
New feature in CensusInfo Admin

27. Allows importing data from other software applications such as CSPro,
Redatam, SAS and SPSS
Here the same file as xls file and text file
Import data in bulk by adding columns of more indicator or IUS
Advanatage CSV, comma separated value, is it can be produced by any data software.

28. UNSD activities to assist countries adapting CensusInfo
Regional workshops
National Training on site
Basic Training
Advanced Training
User Application Training
UNSD activities to assist countries
Regional workshops
One week
Invite participants of different countries
Give an introduction and overview of CensusInfo product (both user application and
administration application) – hands-on exercises
So far in 2009 for CARICOM, English Speaking African Countries,
French Speaking African Countries, in total 55 countries
For 2010 and 2011 planned for ESCAP (for Asian and Pacific) and ESCWA (Western Asia)
National CensusInfo Training
At national statistical office, onsite
Extensive Hands-on exercises
Objection: Create a database with limited set of indicators – but fully functional
Other trainings, like advanced training or user application training according to
So far Liberia, Mozambique, Egypt – and still in 2010 Malawi, Kenya, Indonesia

29. unstats.un.org/unsd/census2010.htm unstats.un.org/unsd/census2010.htm
Resource online sites: Homepage of the 2010 World Population and Housing
Programme
List activities: meetings/evens
Infos about CensusInfo with link to download site
All kind of census related information:
Census Dates
Information about current 2010 census round ( )
News
Census Knowledgebase: repository of documents on census methodology,
reports of countries on their census etc.
Guidelines and more on Census Methodology – this is also the place to find
the “Principles and Recommendations foro Population and Housing Censuses”
as free pdf copy mentioned earlier in this presentation

30. www.censusinfo.net Resource online sites: CensusInfo homepage News
Adaptations worldwide
FAQs
Software downloads
Support site

32. Thank You