Sub-session 1B: General Overview of CRVS systems

General Overview of CRVS systems Concepts and definitions – Vital events, CR methods and systems, VS methods and systems Principles of CRVS systems – Universal coverage and completeness, continuity, authenticity, confidentiality/security, compulsoriness, regular dissemination of VS Basic features of CRVS systems – Legal framework, organization structure, management and operations Fundamental Role – Legal and protective, administrative, statistical and others,

What are vital events?

Vital events refer to events concerning life and death of individuals, as well as their family and civil status. – Live births – Deaths – causes of death – Foetal deaths – Marriage – Divorce – Annulment – Separation, judicial – Adoption – Legitimation – Recognitions

Civil registration system Civil registration is the continuous, permanent, compulsory and universal recording of the occurrence and characteristics of vital events. Civil registration is carried out primarily for the purpose of establishing the legal documents provided for by law. Civil registration records provide the most effective and efficient source of vital statistics for the whole population.

Registration functions Recording vital events; Storing, safe-keeping and retrieval of vital records; Protection of confidentiality, certificate issuing and other customer services; Recording and reporting information on vital events for statistical purposes; Providing reliable and timely information and data to other government agencies, such as the ministry of health; Population registers; Pension funds systems, electoral services; Personal identification services; Research institutions.

The vital statistics system The vital statistics system compiles, analyzes and dissemination the aggregated information from the individual civil registration records. The vital statistics system components are: (a) legal registration, (2) statistical reporting of, and (3) collection, compilation and dissemination of statistics pertaining to vital events.

Vital statistics system

Principles of CRVS systems Universal coverage. A vital statistics system includes all vital events occurring in every geographic area and population group of the country. Continuity. Data should reflect short-term fluctuations, including seasonal movements, as well as longer-term movements. Confidentiality. Personal information should be safeguarded insofar as consistent with the uses of the records for administrative and statistical purposes. Regular dissemination. Vital statistics are compiled to: – Provide regular counts of vital events to health and population estimation programmes, administrative uses or other needs, – Produce detailed annual tabulations of each type of vital event cross classified by its demographic and socioeconomic characteristics.

Fundamental roles of CRVS Legal and protective advantages to individuals: proving and in establishing, implementing and realizing human rights embodied in international declarations and conventions. Administrative advantages: information compiled using the registration method provides essential data for national or regional planning in health, education and other sectors; for electoral registers. Statistical advantages: generates records which are relatively free from certain types of response errors and which are not subject to sampling errors; it provides statistical data for planning, administration and research at whatever geographic or administrative level

Essential components of CRVS Legal framework Organization and management Coordination Community involvement

Legal framework

Assign the functions of establishing, operating and maintaining a national vital statistics system to governmental agency or agencies to guarantee the production of basic vital statistics and their primary analysis and dissemination. Provide clear designation of duties and responsibilities with respect to registration, recording, reporting, collection, compilation, analysis, evaluation, presentation and dissemination of data. Establish an appropriate organizational structure or structures for the efficient management, operation and maintenance of the system. Link the production of vital statistics to the civil registration system Assign a central government agency or agencies to be responsible for the maintenance of standards for the design and conduct of the various operations by which vital statistics are collected, compiled, processed, published and disseminated.

Organization and management Centralized system: single agency

Organization and management Centralized system: dual agencies

Organization and management Decentralized system with legal oversight

Coordination Coordination and integration processes must be built into CRVS systems. In centralized systems, one agency should have responsibility for directing, coordinating and monitoring nationwide civil registration in order to ensure adherence to national standards and uniform registration procedures. Where different agencies are involved, a formal communication mechanism should be established. Coordination and collaboration are essential to ensure the use of standard concepts, definitions and classifications, and to avoid duplication of responsibility. Collaboration between the office responsible for registration, the office of national statistics and the health sector is especially important. The health sector can play an important role in the notification and registration of vital events. Collaboration across multiple sectors should not be left to chance or to individual action. A proactive approach is required through a stakeholder committee with well-defined responsibilities to promote and monitor coordination. Membership of the committee should be drawn from the health department, hospitals, coroners, police, funeral agencies, religious authorities, researchers and civil society.

Community involvement Barriers and incentives Public trust A service to individuals and familities

Key issues to inform a road map Review the legal framework for CRVS. Does it cover both registration and statistical functions? Does it define roles and responsibilities of all stakeholders? Does it establish coordination mechanisms? Review which vital events are covered by the CRVS system. Which vital events are most important? What information is collected on each vital event? Review the organizational structure for CRVS. Is it decentralized or centralized? What mechanisms are in place to ensure coordination and legal oversight? What is the involvement of he health sector? At which level? How is cause of death ascertained?