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Effective Communication of Census Data in a Digital Age: Context, Approaches and Way Forward 22 Sept 2017 Johannesburg. Quote…. “You can have brilliant ideas, but if you can’t get them across, your ideas wont get you anywhere” Lee Iacocca. …. …. With the old and the new media ….….
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Effective Communication of Census Data in a Digital Age:Context, Approaches and Way Forward22 Sept 2017Johannesburg
Quote… “You can have brilliant ideas, but if you can’t get them across, your ideas wont get you anywhere” Lee Iacocca
Welcome to the information economy world… We are living in a age of information density “Everybody” is a publisher, citizenship journalism has taken over The number of channels of communication has increased phenomenally Social media is creating a new eco-system of communication The volume of information is doubling in shorter periods than in the past. www. Makes social issues, data, and information more accessible to all All these have implications on how we communicate today – including disseminating census data
Issue communication today … There is an avalanche of social, economic and environmental issues and problems to address Many social issues compete for attention and only issues that achieve “celebrity” status get attention Level of attention is not correlated to objective reality of issues Attention today is - “turn on, retweet, turn off” Therefore framing and construction of social issues is key. If you want to communicate census data effectively, it is important to perfect the art and science of framing and issue positioning.
Next The nature of census data
Barriers of communicating science related information Too much data fields (estimate for census in COs) Technical language - jargon Errors in data generation and utilization Distribution of mutating data in society Lack of institutional channels for incorporating evidence for wider utilisation Lack of adequate communications framework Gap in understanding between data people and communicators Example – my debriefing with Sven
Next Census data utilization … Developing Dissemination Strategy We start with uses and users
Census data - A variety of uses… Population censuses are traditionally used for public and private sector policymaking, planning, and administrative and research purposes. Administrative uses of census data for the demarcation of constituencies and the allocation of representation on governing bodies. Housing censuses are used to develop benchmark housing statistics to formulate housing policy and programmes, In the private sector census data can be used to assist in site selection for industrial, retail and service facilities, as well as for the commercial development of residential housing.
A variety of uses … P+H census can make an important contribution to the overall planning process and the management of national development. Availability of information at the lowest levels of administrative units is valuable for the management and evaluation of such programmes as: education and literacy, employment and human resources, reproductive health and family planning, housing and environment, maternal and child health, rural development, transportation and highway planning, urbanization and welfare
Census data - A variety uses … P+H Censuses unique sources of data for producing relevant social indicators to monitor the impact of government policies and programmes
“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. 1.206)
Reflection Questions … Who cares about census data in our countries? Why? How do we make them care?
CENSUS DATA USERS - WHO NEEDS CENSUS DATA??? • government decision makers (executive, legislature, judiciary) • supra national governmental • non-governmental institutions • the mass media • policy communities including policy consultants and policy entrepreneurs networks • private sector institutions • non-state actors • Influential advocates • Activists • Technical professionals • Beneficiary groups Major challenge: Each audience/user has different needs from census data. Discuss.
KEY ELEMENTS OF DISSEMINATION STRATEGY • Users – User types • Uses/Needs • Technologies • Dissemination Media • Products • Dissemination Policy • Quality Assurance • Census Meta-data • Confidentiality/Privacy measures • Budget and Human resources • Users consultation
Main recommendations of previous seminars on dissemination strategy • Dissemination strategy needs to be an integral part of the overall planning process of the census • Budget and human resources need to be determined (and protected) from the beginning of the census project. • The supply of census products and services goes far beyond the first couple of years after the census • Censuses have a long shelf life, but sometimes does not go beyond the first after completion
MAIN RECOMMENDATIONS OF PREVIOUS SEMINARS … CONT’D • Diversify the means of dissemination, taking advantage of existing as well as new information and communication technologies to enhance the dissemination process to reach a wider audience, including the media and general public. • Timely release of census results - while there is no simple definition of “timeliness”, it was recognized that it is useful to develop a realistic schedule of data dissemination, and make it public.
MAIN RECOMMENDATIONS OF PREVIOUS SEMINARS … CONT’D • Prior to the conduct of a census, NSOs should have a concrete plan to ensure effective consultation with various users to determine the form and scope of data • During user consultations, the NSO should be careful not to promise what cannot be delivered.
MAIN RECOMMENDATIONS OF PREVIOUS SEMINARS … CONT’D • Enhancing statistical literacy of the general public, media and potential users crucial for successful dissemination of census results. • UNSD and UNFPA should play a critical role, in collaboration with national governments, on developing strategies to improve statistical literacy and awareness among users, in particular policy makers and the media.
Identification of and Consultation with Census Data Users United Nations Statistics Division Demographic Statistics Section
IMPORTANCE OF USER CONSULTATIONS Consultation process is ; • essential process for improving the overall quality of the census • a major process in the development of a dissemination programme • essential to make the census as responsive as possible to user needs • carried out in the planning stage
Objectives of user consultations • to determine demand for potential census topics • new census topics • continuing census topics • to deliver relevant products and services with suitable format to data users • to adapt a range of products and services to meet current emerging needs • to consolidate and improve the product range for the next census
Identification of users • Central, provincial and local Government • Universities and other research institutions • Private sector (business and industry) • General public • Communication media • NGOs • Regional and international organizations
Identification of users • Conduct separate consultations with different types of users with common interests • Administrators, policy makers, planners • Demographers, researchers • Users in the business community
Consultation with users • Topics on which to collect data • Dissemination plans • what data to make available • when data will become available • how to make data available (services and tools)
Consideration to determine users’ needs • Mandatory products • Uses in previous censuses • 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
Consultation with users • Census agency should establish position on census content by assessing suitability of topics for inclusion in census. As a guide ask: • Is topic of major national importance? • Is there need for data on topic for small population or small geographic area? • Is topic suitable for inclusion in census? • Is it better collected through other sources? • Are there sufficient resources available to collect and process the data for that topic? • Does topic allow for regional/international comparability?
CONSULTATION WITH USERS • Possible criteria for accepting new census topic; • There is a clearly demonstrated need, • Users' requirements can not adequately meet by information from other sources • Relevant questions should be shown, in test, to have no significantly adverse affect on the census as a whole, particularly level of public response • Practicable questions can be devised to collect data that is sufficiently accurate to meet users` requirements
MANAGING CONSULTATION PROCESS • Better understand overall user reactions on the current broad direction of the dissemination phases • Understand user reactions on specific products and services • Report on the outcome of the research • The process can be carried out in two stages • On the broad directions • On specific products and services
CONSULTATION PROCESS FOR PRODUCTS AND SERVICES Stage 1: On the broad directions • Goals, strategies and dissemination phases are prepared by NSO • The questionnaire to understand user reactions on; • Current census products and services • Strategies proposed by the census agency for the next census • Willingness to be involved in later rounds of the consultative process
CONSULTATION PROCESS FOR PRODUCTS AND SERVICES • Stage 2: Consultation on specific products and services • User reaction on; • strategies for content, format, timeliness and prices of specific product and service • quality, performance, user-friendly, level of functionality, technical support and training of the software (if provided)
TOOLS USED IN CONSULTATION PROCESS • User consultation process can take place in three phases; • Qualitative studies: commonly undertaken in the form of focus groups, conferences, workshops • Quantitative studies: a variety of questionnaires may be used to learn user reaction on general questionnaire; a particular product, service, software, market segment • Detailed product design: based on the results of the qualitative and quantitative studies, decisions are taken on the appropriate product mix
TOOLS USED IN CONSULTATION PROCESS • Information can be collected by; • mail-out and mail-back • E-mail • Internet (mainly for general issues) • Combination of methods
Other issues to be addressed • Other 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 relevance • Dissemination tools to ensure accessibility, independence in use, clarity and processing ability
THE BUSINESS PLAN • After extensive consultation with users, a business plan should be created showing; • The costs • The expected number of units to be created • The expected principal users of the products and services • Even if the census results are not being sold on the open market, a plan should be developed to cover the costs of the full range dissemination activities including costs of output systems development, product development and production
