B. Technical support and training
27. The Statistics Division, in collaboration with the regional commissions and
other relevant regional and international organizations, plans to undertake a variety
of activities aimed at strengthening national capacities to undertake census
operations. Taking into account new developments in the census field, the activities,
which will be based on the assessed needs of countries, will include:
(a) Organizing regional technical training workshops. Workshops will be
organized to train participants on the implementation of census methodological
guidelines and on different topics related to the census process, and to enhance
sharing and exchange of national census experiences;
(b) Providing direct technical assistance to countries. At their request, the
Division will provide technical assistance (including training) to countries targeting
a specific area in which guidance is required;
(c) Organizing study visits (South-South cooperation) for countries to
learn from one another. In its decision 43/101, the Statistical Commission noted
the importance of country-to-country assistance, particularly South-South
cooperation, in the conduct of censuses, and urged the Statistics Division and the
regional commissions to continue to promote the exchange of country experience
through regional and international workshops.
28. The Statistics Division plans to organize regional workshops that will cover
such areas/topics as: census planning and management, including on managing
outsourcing of census operation and setting and measuring quality targets; census
cartography, using advanced technology; census data processing, using advanced
technology (for example, scanning and automated coding); census evaluation (postenumeration
surveys and demographic analysis of data), in accordance with
Statistical Commission decision 43/101; use of technology (the Internet, personal
digital assistants, monitoring systems) for data collection; data dissemination and
utilization (including advocacy, in cooperation with the United Nations Population
Fund); census documentation and archiving; and the new ILO conceptual
framework for work statistics. Additional areas/topics may be covered in response
to regional interests and requests.