BEST PRACTICES IN CENSUS IMPLEMENTATION: The Case of The 2009 Kenya Population and Housing Census

1. BEST PRACTICES IN CENSUS IMPLEMENTATION:The Case of The 2009 Kenya Population and Housing Census Collins O. Opiyo Director for Population & Social Statistics Kenya National Bureau of Statistics Presented at the UN Regional Seminar on Census Data Dissemination and Spatial Analysis in Nairobi, Kenya: 14-17 September 2010

2. OUTLINE • INTRODUCTION • HISTORY OF CENSUS-TAKING IN KENYA • 2009 CENSUS OBJECTIVES • 2009 CENSUS METHODOLOGY • BEST PRACTICES • CHALLENGES • BASIC REPORTS CONTENTS • THOUGHTS ON ANALYSIS PLANS • CONCLUSIONS

3. INTRODUCTION Each census is presents unique challenges Census conducted against the backdrop of: International financial meltdown Drought / Famine Post-election violence High public awareness Fragmented and liberal media Insecurity concerns Rapid creation on new administrative Share best practices based on the challenges

4. CENSUS-TAKING IN KENYA: A century of success & experience Evolution from head-counts to complex inquiries: 1897- 2.5m 1948- 5.4m 1962- 8.6m 1969- 10.9m 1979- 15.3m 1989- 21.4m 1999- 28.7m 2009- 38.6m

5. OBJECTIVES OF THE 2009 CENSUS • Overall: collect demographic and socio-economic data for decision-making • Specific: Ascertain- • Size, composition, spatial distribution • Population dynamics • Social, economic and other characteristics • Housing conditions and amenities

6. OVERVIEW OF THE 2009 CENSUS METHODOLOGY • UN Principles & Recommendations observed • Census Night: 24th/25th August 2009 • De Facto, Canvasser methods used • Main questionnaire & 4 short questionnaires (extensive user consultation) • Questions - for implementing Vision 2030 & global dev’t agenda (MDGs) • Admin & political units (districts, constituencies, counties) • New Technology to ensure efficiency & accuracy (GIS, scanning using US Census Bureau supported ICADE) • PES conducted • External M&E of census process undertaken

7. QUESTIONNAIRE HIGHLIGHTS Administrative, political, informal units Disability Maternal deaths Employment sector (formal, informal) Livestock census (stock, variety) Use of ICT (computer/internet, mobile phones) Emigrants (characteristics, remittances)

8. NUMBERS IN 2009 CENSUS Budget: Ksh. 7.4 billion, revised to Ksh. 8 billion (100 million USD); Government funding 95% Cost per capita: USD 2.5 Slightly more than half (Ksh.4.5 billion) pays recruited personnel Field personnel Senior Supervisors: 6,000 Supervisors: 22,000 Enumerators: 115,000 Village elders: 100,000 Security personnel: 45,000 Questionnaires: 12 million

9. BEST PRACTICES • Strict adherence to UN Principles and Recommendations • Regularity (decennial periodicity) • Simultaneity • Universality • Pilot census undertaken • Post Enumeration Survey (PES) conducted • External monitoring and evaluation undertaken • Risk Analysis Matrix developed

10. BEST PRACTICES… EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE KNBS Board of Directors National Census Steering Committee (NCSC) National Census Officer / PS - Planning Census Secretariat National Census Coordinator / Director General KNBS Technical Working Committee (TWC) District Census Committees (DCCs) Sub-Committees (Logistics, Publicity & Advocacy, Finance & Administration, Recruitment) DONOR FORUM coordinated by UNFPA-Kenya

11. BEST PRACTICES… POLITICAL LEADERSHIP AND COMMITMENT AT HIGHEST LEVEL Gov’t commitment to funding the census National Census Launch by the President and other dignitaries Advocacy/sensitization meetings for key opinion influencers Chaired by Minister

12. BEST PRACTICES… EFFECTIVE USE OF NEW TECHNOLOGY IN CARTOGRAPHIC MAPPING GPS (Global Positioning System) Satellite/Aerial images GIS database Maps digitized, verified

13. BEST PRACTICES… EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION STRATEGY • Communication strategy developed and implemented; Census logo developed • Marketed census as national exercise, linked to national and global dev’t goals • 25-day countdown to enumeration, launched by the President • Sensitized key opinion influencers – IEC materials (FAQs, posters, brochures, docu-drama, documentary) • Message focused on individual – That it is in their best interest to be enumerated • Census process divorced from politics.

14. BEST PRACTICES… COMPETITIVE RECRUITMENT & EFFECTIVE TRAINING • Field positions advertised • Clear guidelines issued • Transparent Interviews conducted • Trainers (TOT) drawn among technical collaborating institutions & national experts • Attractive field allowances

15. BEST PRACTICES… SECURITY CONCERNS ADDRESSED • Adequate security arrangements • Security Chiefs provided with lists of census personnel by village • Meeting with security council • Meeting with police Commissioner and Operations Chiefs • Meeting with other security operatives (Police, NSIS, OP) on insecurity hotspots • Security operation plan for each District

16. BEST PRACTICES… EXTERNAL M&E OF CENSUS PROCESS TASKS • Observe, monitor & document: • Recruitment & Training • Adequacy, dispatch of materials • Preparedness of District offices • Enumeration • Readiness of data processing center • General Administration and Logistics

17. BEST PRACTICES… ENUMERATION Public sensitized on importance of being counted (public, business, research uses of data) Census/Public holiday; limited social activity and travel VIPs zoned and enumerated on Census Night; media coverage Proactive media management – daily media briefings on progress Communication Center/hotlines set up

18. BEST PRACTICES… PRUDENT TRANSPORT STRATEGY Mobilized from government Ministries / Departments / Public institutions (HQs, Districts) Mobilised from Donors, Private Sector Encouraged Snr. Supervisors to use own vehicles for a fee Out-sourced material dispatch

19. BEST PRACTICES… OTHERS Partnership with commercial banks facilitated setting up of census accounts for every district Census personnel encouraged to open bank accounts where necessary for free; Money for personnel wired directly to their accounts Use of ICT – mobile phones, internet – increased real-time response Printing of questionnaires based on comprehensive specs and quality-controlled by senior ICT staff

20. BEST PRACTICES… OTHERS Provision of insurance cover for all census personnel Publication of results at both administrative and political units Splitting of census basic volumes to accommodate more details Undertaking of preliminary validation of the results Short message service (SMS) query system (3151 on zain or Safaricom)

21. CHALLENGES / CONSTRAINTS Competing national interests: Famine/hunger, drought, resettlement of IDPs Insecurity concerns Post-election violence Delays in mapping; sensitivity to certain questions Enumeration of Pastoralists and border populations Boundary Disputes Transport & Logistics Creation of new districts (from 70 in 1999 to nearly 300 currently) Increasingly fragmented (liberal) media Resource mobilization

22. BASIC REPORTS CONTENTS • 4 Basic Volumes • Volume IA • Volume IB • Volume IC • Volume II

23. BASIC REPORTS … • Vol. IA:Population Distribution by Administrative Units • Vol. IB:Population Distribution by Political units (Const. & counties) • Vol. IC:Population Distribution by Age and Sex • Vol. II:Population & Household Distribution by Socio-Economic Characteristics

24. CONTENTS: Volume IA • 5 Tables: (1, 1a, 1b, 2 and 3) • Shows population distribution by sex, number of households, land area in KM2 and population density • Table 1:Summary population at National, provincial and district level for the 158 census districts • Tables 1a &1b: Rural/Urban-By sex, HHlds, area and density • Table 2:Presents data up to Sub-Location

25. CONTENTS: Volume IBPolitical Units: • Four tables (1,1a, 2 and 2a) • Two levels: Constituency and County • Tables 1 and 1a • Present population distributed by sex, number of households, area and density at Constituency and County levels respectively • Tables 1 and 1a: • Show population distribution in single years of age by Constituency and County.

26. CONTENTS: Volume IC • Three tables (1,2 and 3) • At National, Provincial and District levels. • Tables 1 • Present population distributed by single years of age • Tables 2 and 3: • Population distribution by single years of age by Rural and Urban.

27. CONTENTS: Volume II • At National, Provincial and District levels. • First Tables: Education • Two tables on Labour Force • Nine on Housing • One table each on water, sanitation, lighting, tribe, religion, livestock and asset ownership.

28. [SOME] THOUGHTS ON ANALYSIS PLANS Several products can be “harvested” from census data – thoughtful analysis plans required Collaboration with different stakeholders and research institutions is encouraged; Adds a lot of value Market segmentation and stakeholder involvement in analysis and dissemination helps to tone down “Jargon” and “professional arrogance” that is commonplace in technical reports, and creates ownership across board Analysis should be guided by the principle of “distilling data for policy”.

29. CONCLUSIONS CENSUS IMPLEMENTATION IS A NECESSARY EVIL MASSIVE investment requiring mobilization of national resources MUST guarantee CREDIBILITY of the exercise to enlist public cooperation Requires SACRIFICE - good public service

30. THANK YOU 2009 CENSUS A HUGE SUCCESS!!! Can we do it all over, again?