National training workshop on census and survey data processing, analysis and dissemination using RedatamX

Introduction

REDATAM is a software programme developed and supported by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) for the processing, analysis and dissemination of data from censuses and household surveys. The REDATAM software makes it possible for statistical offices to provide online access to their census and survey microdata in a way which permits interactive tabulation, calculation of indicators, and creation of maps, while still protecting the confidentiality of individual statistical records. It has been used primarily to disseminate population and housing census data but can also be used to provide online access to surveys of living conditions and other household surveys. In the long term, improved online access to these data sources will encourage their use in research, development planning and evidence-based policymaking.

REDATAM has been widely used by national statistical offices in Latin America for many years and is increasingly being used by statistical offices in the Caribbean as well as some countries in Africa, Asia and the Pacific. Since it was first introduced to statistical offices in the Caribbean in the 1990s, the number of countries using REDATAM for online dissemination of census data has grown to ten: Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Belize, Cayman Islands, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago. ECLAC continues to work with a number of other countries to make more datasets available online.

The Central Statistical Office (CSO) of Saint Lucia have completed the implementation of their 2022 Population and Housing Census, which culminated in the publication of a census report in 2024. To promote wider use and analysis of the data, the statistical office now plans to provide controlled online access to their census microdata using the REDATAM software. In order to prepare for this, back in 2023, ECLAC provided a substantive training in the REDATAM software in the form of a two-week workshop for CSO staff in November/December of that year. Once the census dataset was finalised, in 2024, ECLAC supported the creation of a census database in the REDATAM format. This leaves, as the final remaining step, the creation of a web application providing public access to this dataset. 

Since the 2023 workshop, a new version of REDATAM, RedatamX has been released which replaces the old version, Redatam7, which has been used since 2014. This new version differs quite significantly from the previous version, particularly in respect of the module for web application development. RedatamX streamlines application development and modernises the appearance of the applications themselves. This follow-up workshop will provide training in the new RedatamX and will enable development of a web application for online access to the Saint Lucia Census 2022 microdata.

Objectives

The primary objectives of this national workshop are to train staff from the Central Statistical Office of Saint Lucia in the use of RedatamX and to enable the development of a web application for online dissemination of the 2022 census microdata. In addition, the workshop will consider the possibility of using RedatamX for the dissemination of household survey datasets.

Format of the workshop 

The workshop will be conducted over a period of three days, from 17–19 March 2025. The first day will provide an introduction to the new version of REDATAM, RedatamX. ECLAC will present a prototype web application for the 2022 census data which can be further developed in collaboration with the CSO. On the second day, participants will learn how to use RedatamX’s “Redline” module for the development of web applications. On the third day, participants will have an opportunity to practice using Redline with Saint Lucia’s 2022 census data. On the afternoon of the third day ECLAC will also present a web application for Saint Lucia’s Survey of Living Conditions 2016 dataset and there will be a discussion about how to protect the confidentiality of individual microdata records. The workshop will close with a discussion on next steps to finalize the Census 2022 web application and, dependent on discussions with CSO, an application for the Survey of Living Conditions 2016 dataset.

Workshop Facilitators

The sessions will be conducted by Francis Jones and Nyasha Skerrette from the ECLAC subregional headquarters for the Caribbean in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.

Participants

The target participants are from the Central Statistical Office of Saint Lucia (approximately 10 participants). All will be staff involved in statistical data collection, analysis and dissemination and/or statistical computing. 

Expected outcomes

(a)        Increased capacity of participants to use RedatamX for the dissemination of census and survey data

(b)        A web application for dissemination of microdata from the Saint Lucia Census 2022 and (subject to discussions with CSO) a web application for the Survey of Living Conditions 2016.