Scott Pontifex Statistics and Demography/Population Programme Secretariat of the Pacific Community...

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Scott Pontifex Statistics and Demography/Population Programme Secretariat of the Pacific Community United Nations Expert Group Meeting on Contemporary Practices in Census Mapping and Use of Geographical Information Systems 29 May – 1 June 2007 United Nations, New York Mapping Census Infrastructure in Pacific Islands: Institutional and Capacity Building Issues

Transcript of Scott Pontifex Statistics and Demography/Population Programme Secretariat of the Pacific Community...

Page 1: Scott Pontifex Statistics and Demography/Population Programme Secretariat of the Pacific Community United Nations Expert Group Meeting on Contemporary.

Scott Pontifex Statistics and Demography/Population Programme

Secretariat of the Pacific Community

United Nations Expert Group Meeting onContemporary Practices in Census Mapping and Use of Geographical Information Systems29 May – 1 June 2007United Nations, New York

Mapping Census Infrastructure in Pacific Islands:

Institutional and Capacity Building Issues

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MAP LAYER

Marshall Islands

Kiribati

Tuvalu

French Polynesia

Tokelau

AmSamoa

SamoaWallis etFutuna

PitcairnIslands

CookIslands

Niue

Fiji

Vanuatu

New Caledonia

SolomonIslands

Papua New Guinea

Tonga

Nauru

Palau

Guam

CNMI

Federated States of Micronesia

Pacific Islands region

• Three main sub-areas of Micronesia, Melanesia Polynesia. • 22 member countries (15) and. territories (7) • 9,1 million people over 34 million square kilometers of

ocean

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2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

KiribatiPalau

Cook IslandsNiueSamoaTokelauTonga

Fiji Marshall IslandsSolomon IslandsVanuatu

Am. SamoaCNMIFSMGuamKiribatiPalauPNG

Cook IslandsNiueSamoaTokelau

NauruTuvalu

MAP LAYER

Marshall Islands

Kiribati

Tuvalu

French Polynesia

Tokelau

AmSamoa

SamoaWallis etFutuna

PitcairnIslands

CookIslands

Niue

Fiji

Vanuatu

New Caledonia

SolomonIslands

Papua New Guinea

Tonga

Nauru

Palau

Guam

CNMI

Federated States of Micronesia

TEXT LAYER

Population and Housing Censuses, 2010 round

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• Many Islands experienced difficulties financing their census operations in 2000 round.

• Other resource constraints such as skill shortages and limited external technical assistance lead to short cuts being made which affected quality of coverage and census outputs.

• Many countries (particularly small island states) had to start from scratch (in terms of trained personnel) and conduct the census with staff that had no previous census experience.

• The main problem is retaining experienced and trained personnel after census the operation.

Context: 2000 round of census

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Financial constraintsLack of fundsCensus and census mapping is an expensive exercise.Many island countries experienced some difficulties in financing their census operations during the last census (2000) round.  Technical assistanceLimited external technical assistance was available.

Priority in budget allocationAnother problem is that governments do not always give census a priority which results in PICs relying on donor support to adequately fund census activities

Census date Census budget $US

Govt contribution $US Donor request $US

% of donor funds

Kiribati 2005 (Nov) 316,500 192,000 124,500 39

Samoa 2006 (Nov) 342,800 177,800 165,000 48

Tonga 2006 (Nov) 311,000 101,000 210,000 68

Budgets from selected PIC Censuses (2010 Round)

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Lack of skilled personel and loss of experienced staff

– Several NSO are understaffed– Experience staff turnover – If there is continuous change of staff it impacts on the sustainability of

census activities.

Where do staff go?

– Other government agencies (associated with higher prestige)– Better pay or career advancement– Private sector– Overseas migration – Training overseas (study leave)– Voluntary redundancy due to political reform

Human resources

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1. Implement NSO staffing structure parity with that of other Government departments.

        E.g.- Government Statistician at same level (and pay) as Director of Planning Agency (otherwise people move)

 2.    Set up career structure, which is conducive to people

staying        This allows people to see a professional future in the organization

Greater need to recognize long-term benefits of developing new staffProvide ongoing training and the possibility of study leave (to promote professional development)

       

3.    Give staff greater responsibility and meaningful tasks        Greater delegation of responsibility to younger staff is needed to

provide them with variety of work and an environment to show their skills, take on challenges

Human resources –How do NSO retain staff?

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Country Staff Country Staff Country Staff

American Samoa

7 Marshall Islands

7 Samoa 27

Cook Islands

10 Nauru 3 Solomon Islands

22

FSM 19 New Caledonia

41 Tokelau 1

Fiji 80 Niue 3 Tonga 25

French Polynesia

n.a. Northern Marianas

6 Tuvalu 5

Guam 16 Palau 5 Vanuatu 14

Kiribati 8 PNG 140 Wallis and Futuna

8

PICT National Statistics Office staff numbers

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Census mapping in the Pacific:

• Pre census mapping is usually done late in the planning phase of the census cycle (often ad-hoc and too late).

• Most censuses in the past were planned and collected without a clear GIS capability in mind and lack of geographic identifiers.

• Traditionally census mapping is given low priority by most NSOs with several PICs lacking automated mapping systems

• The most common use of GIS is the use of thematic maps to disseminate and communicate their census data (post census).

• Collaboration with other government agencies has been challenging

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Solomon Islands 2 April Tsunami

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No digital maps used in EA definition

Port Vila, VanuatuBlacksands (peri-Urban) Enumeration AreaIn the 1999 Census this area was enumerated with

: 943 Households: 4818 Population

Blacksands 835

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20051999

(cont)

Port Vila, VanuatuFreshwota (peri-Urban) EA 840In the 1999 Census this area had

: 492 Households: 2715 Total Population

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GIS for data dissemination and utilization

• There was a need to simplify population data, and to make these data more accessible at levels of geography below simply national levels.

• The SPC developed a customized software (Population GIS) for statisticians and planners, to improve the effectiveness of census (and other socio-economic) data dissemination and utilization

• So far 8 national systems have been developed covering the Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Samoa, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Cook Islands, Marshall Islands and Wallis et Futuna

Two distinct groups of intended users • The producers of data and statistics (NSO)• The main users of this data (Planning)

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Satellite Imagery and GPSCase : Republic of the Marshall Islands• 2006 the Economic Policy, Planning and Statistics Office conducted

socio-economic Community Survey on six Atolls to investigate basic living conditions and economic situation.

• Used small hand held mobile Global Positioning System (GPS) units and high resolution satellite imagery

• The team surveyed 1,205 households across 6 Atolls with data collected on 9,491 individuals (roughly 20% of the estimated population of the RMI.

Majuro Survey Team being trained in GPS

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Case : Republic of the Marshall IslandsPre Survey Mapping

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GPS coordinates, and selected households

Survey map provided to Ebeye Survey Team

Case : Republic of the Marshall IslandsData Collection

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Case : Republic of the Marshall IslandsPost Survey mapping

Children living adjacent to thecurrent public dump in Majuro.

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Conclusion

• Censuses and surveys need to be planned and collected with a clear GIS capability in mind.

• Census mapping needs to be properly planned and resourced and given higher priority by Pacific Island NSOs and become an ongoing process.

• While adoption of GIS in the Pacific has been sluggish. A growing local and regional capacity is being established in the region through the use of technology and long term training attachments

• Wider collaboration within countries, innovative solutions and a coordinated regional approach is needed for sustainable utilization of GIS for census mapping in the Pacific Islands

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• Tank yu tumas Meataki ma’ata Malo aupito Ko raba Thank you Vinaka vakalevu Tangio tumas Sulang Faafetai tele lava Merci