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Expert Group Meeting to Review the United Nations Demographic Yearbook System10-14 November 2003New York

The Demographic Yearbook System in Review:The Demographic Yearbook System in Review:Towards an effective Collection and Dissemination Towards an effective Collection and Dissemination

of Demographic Statistics Worldwideof Demographic Statistics Worldwide    

A Work Plan for 2004-2014A Work Plan for 2004-2014

Demographic and Social Statistics BranchUnited Nations Statistics Division

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Outcome of the ReviewOutcome of the Review (Collection of data)(Collection of data)

Key areas for change and intervention include:Key areas for change and intervention include:

• Content and format of the questionnairesContent and format of the questionnaires

• Data collection procedures, including timing, Data collection procedures, including timing, medium, and follow-up mechanismsmedium, and follow-up mechanisms

• Motivating and keeping countries (and other data Motivating and keeping countries (and other data providers) engaged providers) engaged

• Extending the coverage of the system, with Extending the coverage of the system, with respect to country involvementrespect to country involvement

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Outcome of the Review (cont.)Outcome of the Review (cont.)(Service and Outreach to client)(Service and Outreach to client)

• Broadening the range and variety of Broadening the range and variety of services provided services provided

• Enlarging the circle of audience, in terms of Enlarging the circle of audience, in terms of both diversity and number of users and their both diversity and number of users and their uses of the statisticsuses of the statistics

• Strengthening feedback mechanisms and Strengthening feedback mechanisms and relationship with data providersrelationship with data providers

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Experts views and suggestionsExperts views and suggestions

The meeting has over these couple of days:The meeting has over these couple of days:

• Stated concerns Stated concerns

• Clarified the constraints and barriers to data Clarified the constraints and barriers to data transfer from countries to the transfer from countries to the Demographic Demographic YearbookYearbook system system

• Expressed views on what changes are Expressed views on what changes are needed to enhance the efficacy of the needed to enhance the efficacy of the system.system.

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Key messagesKey messages

Rethink the role of the Rethink the role of the Demographic YearbookDemographic Yearbook systemsystem

• Modify the mode of operation – PartnershipsModify the mode of operation – Partnerships

• Expand medium of operation – employ all media Expand medium of operation – employ all media of communication for direct interaction with of communication for direct interaction with countries and providing the required servicescountries and providing the required services

• Move from data to informationMove from data to information

• Be proactive – seek out and seek the viewsBe proactive – seek out and seek the views

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Experts views and suggestionsExperts views and suggestions

• Set up partnerships in:Set up partnerships in:

• Collection of dataCollection of data• Dissemination of statistics Dissemination of statistics • Capacity buildingCapacity building

• Maintain more consistent direct interaction Maintain more consistent direct interaction with countries and engage countries in with countries and engage countries in continuous dialogue (as both the providers continuous dialogue (as both the providers and users of statistics)and users of statistics)

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Experts views and suggestions Experts views and suggestions (cont.)(cont.)

• Adopt a flexible approach Adopt a flexible approach

• In the content, form and medium of data collection In the content, form and medium of data collection • In medium of data disseminationIn medium of data dissemination

• Work towards more comparable and Work towards more comparable and comprehensive set of basic demographic and social comprehensive set of basic demographic and social statistics (aim to reduce footnotes) statistics (aim to reduce footnotes)

• Develop a minimum set of tables which will cover most Develop a minimum set of tables which will cover most countriescountries

• Redesign questionnaires adopting a nested approachRedesign questionnaires adopting a nested approach

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Experts views and suggestions Experts views and suggestions (cont.)(cont.)

• In data dissemination – think access, with In data dissemination – think access, with respect to:respect to:• Format, content and medium (with querying possibility) Format, content and medium (with querying possibility) • Flow of continuous information – use of internetFlow of continuous information – use of internet• Flexible to meet different needs Flexible to meet different needs • Include analysis on coverage, comparability, and quality Include analysis on coverage, comparability, and quality

issuesissues

• Access to the database for national statistical Access to the database for national statistical offices) and limited access to the publicoffices) and limited access to the public

• Free access to dataFree access to data

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Goals of the ProgrammeGoals of the Programme (In the long term)(In the long term)

• Statistics that are disseminated at the international Statistics that are disseminated at the international level adequately reflect the state and availability level adequately reflect the state and availability of statistics in the respective countriesof statistics in the respective countries

• Demographic Yearbook Demographic Yearbook system acts as a portal for system acts as a portal for the dissemination of official national demographic the dissemination of official national demographic and social statistics at the international leveland social statistics at the international level

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Goals of the ProgrammeGoals of the Programme (In the long term)(In the long term)

• As a service to national statistical systems — to As a service to national statistical systems — to distribute their statistics to interested partner distribute their statistics to interested partner international agencies, regional commissions, the international agencies, regional commissions, the Population Division and other parts of the United Population Division and other parts of the United Nations system as needed Nations system as needed

• As a service to data users — to make readily As a service to data users — to make readily available at the international level, to a wide range available at the international level, to a wide range of users, national demographic and social statistics of users, national demographic and social statistics and easily accessible in formats that are acceptable and easily accessible in formats that are acceptable to a variety of usersto a variety of users

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Specific ObjectivesSpecific Objectives

• Strengthen national statistical systems to participate Strengthen national statistical systems to participate and contribute to the systemand contribute to the system

• Systematically address and cater to the statistical Systematically address and cater to the statistical needs of national agencies that provide statistics to needs of national agencies that provide statistics to the the Demographic YearbookDemographic Yearbook system system

• Ensure that statistics collected and disseminated are Ensure that statistics collected and disseminated are comprehensive with respect to the number of comprehensive with respect to the number of countries and areas covered in the system as a countries and areas covered in the system as a whole, and also in the details given by the specific whole, and also in the details given by the specific tablestables

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Specific Objectives (cont.)Specific Objectives (cont.)

• Respond to emerging statistical needs of users, by Respond to emerging statistical needs of users, by providing timely and reliable data that reflect providing timely and reliable data that reflect national statistical capacities for an increasing national statistical capacities for an increasing number of countries and areasnumber of countries and areas

• Effectively reach out to current and potential users Effectively reach out to current and potential users to inform and provide feedback on data to inform and provide feedback on data availability, their uses and limitationsavailability, their uses and limitations

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Objective 1: Greater and consistent participation of Objective 1: Greater and consistent participation of countriescountries

• Establish a schedule for administering the set of Establish a schedule for administering the set of Demographic Yearbook Demographic Yearbook questionnairesquestionnaires

• Circulate to countries/areas, information about the activities of Circulate to countries/areas, information about the activities of Demographic Yearbook Demographic Yearbook system and the services that are availablesystem and the services that are available

• Review and reconcile differences and inconsistencies in the Review and reconcile differences and inconsistencies in the Principles Principles and Recommendationsand Recommendations

• Review and revise the Review and revise the Demographic Yearbook Demographic Yearbook questionnaires and questionnaires and produced them in all six official languages of the United Nationsproduced them in all six official languages of the United Nations

• Make the Make the Demographic Yearbook Demographic Yearbook questionnaires available to countries questionnaires available to countries and areas in the most accessible format of their choice (i.e., in print, on and areas in the most accessible format of their choice (i.e., in print, on diskettes, by e-mail, through internet)diskettes, by e-mail, through internet)

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Objective 2: Assess and systematically address the Objective 2: Assess and systematically address the statistical needs of national agencies as well as other statistical needs of national agencies as well as other

international officesinternational offices

• Get informed about the preferences of countries and areas with Get informed about the preferences of countries and areas with respect to:- language and medium of the questionnaires to be respect to:- language and medium of the questionnaires to be administered; preferred form of transfer of their data, the minimum administered; preferred form of transfer of their data, the minimum set of data that are available and/or can be provided, and major set of data that are available and/or can be provided, and major constraints constraints

• Determine ways of addressing specific needs and constraints of Determine ways of addressing specific needs and constraints of countries countries

• Update information on how changes in the system are addressing Update information on how changes in the system are addressing the concerns and needs of the countries and areasthe concerns and needs of the countries and areas

• Establish coordination arrangements in data collection/data Establish coordination arrangements in data collection/data sharing, and extended existing ones, with relevant international and sharing, and extended existing ones, with relevant international and regional organizationsregional organizations

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Objective 3: Collect and disseminate comprehensive Objective 3: Collect and disseminate comprehensive

statisticsstatistics

• Assess the degree of completeness of the coverage of the Assess the degree of completeness of the coverage of the available data and data gaps available data and data gaps

• Produce and circulate to countries and areas, country Produce and circulate to countries and areas, country sheets reflecting data availability, receipt of completed sheets reflecting data availability, receipt of completed questionnaires and responses to data requestsquestionnaires and responses to data requests

• Launch a campaign for receiving national statistics Launch a campaign for receiving national statistics publications, including census reports and related publications, including census reports and related information, and where applicable, electronic files on information, and where applicable, electronic files on tables published in these reports tables published in these reports

• Institute a system for extracting statistics from published Institute a system for extracting statistics from published sources to supplement data provided by countriessources to supplement data provided by countries

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Objective 4: DevelopObjective 4: Develop a flexible system that responds a flexible system that responds to current, as well as emerging statistical needsto current, as well as emerging statistical needs

• Assess the needs of a cross-section of current and potential users of Assess the needs of a cross-section of current and potential users of the the Demographic Yearbook Demographic Yearbook system, including data requirements and system, including data requirements and specification of format and media of dissemination specification of format and media of dissemination

• Produce the variety of products that would respond to different user Produce the variety of products that would respond to different user needs and purposesneeds and purposes

• Have a cleaned-up and functioning database system that is accessible Have a cleaned-up and functioning database system that is accessible to usersto users

• Published a special issue on each of the topics on which Published a special issue on each of the topics on which Demographic Demographic Yearbook Yearbook system collects datasystem collects data

  

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Objective 5: Increase utilization of data through an Objective 5: Increase utilization of data through an effective outreach to current and potential userseffective outreach to current and potential users

• Ascertain the characteristics of current Ascertain the characteristics of current users, and ways in which they are being users, and ways in which they are being and/or can be reached and/or can be reached

• Institute mechanism for providing feedback Institute mechanism for providing feedback to countries and areas on a continuous basis to countries and areas on a continuous basis on their inputs on their inputs

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Objective 5: Increase utilization of data through an Objective 5: Increase utilization of data through an effective outreach to current and potential userseffective outreach to current and potential users

(cont.)(cont.)

• Exploit the opportunity presented by the Exploit the opportunity presented by the different professional meetings/conferences different professional meetings/conferences to interact with users and provide updated to interact with users and provide updated information on the information on the Demographic Yearbook Demographic Yearbook system system

• Make greater use of the Internet to publicise Make greater use of the Internet to publicise the the Demographic Yearbook Demographic Yearbook system, as well system, as well as serve the statistical needs of usersas serve the statistical needs of users

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Thank youThank you