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: 972-2-240 6340/Fax: 972-2-240 6343 Email: hal@pcbs.pna.org 1 26-29 November, 2001, Pretoria, South Africa Session # 4 Hasan Abu-Libdeh, PCBS

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

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

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

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

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 1997. 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

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

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

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

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