How a Census Can Drive Sustainable Development in Africa
In 2020 the West African Country of Ghana will conduct a census. This is a massive undertaking. Some 60,000 people will be deployed across the country in an effort to count every single person in Ghana on what is known as "census night." This is expected next March.
In a recent reporting trip to Ghana, I got a sense of what this process entails. Along with a few other journalists, I shadowed census takers, known as enumerators, as they tested their systems in a few places around Accra. This included a mental health hospital and an urban slum. The idea is to ensure that even marginalized groups are counted in this census, so enumerators are designing strategies to count people who have no fixed address or might be in institutions, like hospitals.
The enumerators were also field-testing their tablets. Unlike in previous census rounds in 2010 and 2000, in 2020 census data will be collected using tablets, which provides for a far quicker turnaround time than conventional paper processing.
On the line with me to discuss how the census will be conducted, the kinds of questions that will be asked, and how census data can be harnessed to advance national goals around sustainable development is Omar Seidu. He is the Head of Demographic Statistics and Coordinator for the Sustainable Development Goals at the Ghana Statistical Service, a government agency.
This conversation offers a unique perspective on the kind of herculean effort that is required to conduct a census in a developing country like Ghana. We also offers a really good grounding in why a census is such a valuable undertaking to advance development goals. As Omar Seidu explains, better data adds increased efficiency and informs government interventions intended to advance the sustainable development goals.
If you have 20 minutes and want to learn how census data is both collected and put to use in the service of sustainable development, have a listen.
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Shownotes
About the 2020 Census in Ghana
This will be the third time Ghana attempts to do a combined housing and population census. A census is a huge undertaking in terms of cost, the number of people engaged, and the resources required. As a result of the logistical demand, conducting a census is a particular challenge in developing countries. The government and people of Ghana have committed to conducting a census every decade since the year 2000. The work begins years before the publication date. Currently, there are several teams on the ground demarcating the country into smaller areas.
How will tablets be used to collect the data?
Seidu states that Ghana has been using tablets since 2014, but this is the first time they are being used for the housing and population census. They have about 60,000 people staffed, which means they would need more than 60,000 tablets. Tablets are beneficial because they reduce the time between the end of data collection and the data publication, and further, they reduce human error associated with data collection. Therefore, the data produced would be of higher quality. There are serious challenges, though. Firstly, people would need to be trained to use the tablets properly. Secondly, staff would need electricity to charge these tablets. Furthermore, the census will be conducted during the dry season, and people will need to go far away from most structures to count people and this presents a range of security issues.
What efforts are underway to hone your office’s strategy to target and fine population’s that may otherwise be missed?
Seidu states that this is a de facto census, so every individual within Ghana’s borders must be counted, irrespective of their social status. The census is the single most important statistical investigation, providing information on all individuals. Every effort must be made to capture everyone. Most people live in households, but others live in institutions. For example, Goldberg accompanied an enumerator to a mental hospital who was trying out a survey of patients.These people must be accounted for as well. Another difficulty is that some people are constantly in transit.
What questions will be included in the census survey?
The census survey will take the social demographic details of the individual and information on the households. This includes name, age, sex, educational background, literacy, nationality, religion, economic activity, migration, fertility of females, and mortality within households. It will also take note of any individual who has a disability.
Goldberg notes that the Ghanaian census goes far more in depth than that of a US census. Seidu responds noting that in many developing countries, the administrative system is not robust enough to provide information on individuals, so the census provides a great opportunity. A country like the US has other sources of data, like the DMV.
How can this data help inform policy?
The census is used to demarcate the districts, which helps break up local governments and administration accordingly. Further, the census tells us who needs better access to educational services, potable water, who has a disability, and who is living below the poverty line. This helps locate people who need social protection. The census is able to disaggregate data by location, gender, age, income, and more, which helps target interventions.
The census night will probably be March 19th, 2020.
This night serves as a reference point and helps ensure people are not double counted or missed. Whoever is within the territory of Ghana is expected to have been counted. This night is treated like a holiday, and celebrations take place including carnivals, bonfires, church bells, police sirens, to help people remember this night.
Obtaining the tablets is a huge challenge, and this could affect the census being carried out in time.
The cost associated with procuring these tablets is huge. Not many countries in Africa have done this, so Ghana cannot borrow enough tablets either. Malawi completed a census, but they are a smaller country so they used fewer tablets. Further, Ghana would need tablets that are in adequate shape for data collection. The equipment cannot be defective, so they really need more than 60,000 to account for any technical difficulties.
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Shownotes by Lydia DeFelice