Representatives of National Statistical Offices (NSOs) across the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) are participating in a Regional Training Workshop on Methods and Techniques for the Analysis of Population and Housing Census, to enhance technical capacity in census data analysis and dissemination.
The five-day workshop from November 17-21 in St George’s, Grenada, is funded under the Eleventh European Development Fund (11th EDF) as part of the Strengthening the Framework for CARICOM Integration and Cooperation Process (SFCICP) Programme.
It focuses on equipping NSOs with practical skills in editing and validating census data, constructing compound variables, designing meaningful census tables, using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for spatial analysis, producing graphs and infographics for public communication, and writing thematic reports for policymakers, researchers, and citizens.
Participants are working with their own census datasets using tools such as SPSS, Excel, and GIS platforms to apply statistical techniques, generate indicators, and produce development metrics, including those linked to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Director of the CARICOM Regional Statistics Programme, Mr. Halim Brizan, highlighted the critical role of census data, stating,
“The Population and Housing Census is a direct source of SDG data and a key input to many SDG indicators. It also provides the statistical frame on which numerous household surveys rely to track national and regional development progress.”
Mr. Brizan commended the European Union for its support under the 11th EDF, noting that several Member States including The Bahamas, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, and St. Kitts and Nevis have already benefitted from in-country technical assistance in census data cleaning and analysis.
Mr. Junior Alexis of the Statistics Office, Grenada, underscored the importance of the initiative, noting that some Member States are in the final stages of their 2020 Round of Population and Housing Censuses and are engaged in analysis, interpretation, and dissemination.
With Member States facing varying levels of technical capacity in these areas, he said that the workshop addresses the challenges Statistical Offices may be experiencing.
“This,” he added, “is not only a technical priority, but also a developmental imperative that supports climate resilience planning, social policy, education, labour force strategies, agricultural development, and economic transformation.”
The workshop features two experts in statistics, Dr. Frank Eelens and Dr. Bart de Bruijn, who are renowned demographers and consultants in population and development of the IBF International Consulting Firm.
