FIJI: REDATAM+SP REGIONAL TRAINING WORKSHOP IN DATABASE CREATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF DISSEMINATION APPLICTIONS

In cooperation with the UNFPA subregional office for Asia Pacific the REDATAM+SP regional training workshop in database creation and development of dissemination applications was carried out in November 2012 in Suva, Fiji. The workshop targeted fifteen statisticians and database experts from the national statistical offices and ministries of eight countries form South Pacific region: Samoa, Kiribati, Papa New Guinea, Tonga, Cook Islands, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Fiji.

Of the total participants, 10 (66 %) were males and 5 (33 %) were females. 

The workshop objectives were:

• To introduce the participants in the use of REDATAM as a tool for census data analysis and dissemination, aiming the timely dissemination of census results.
• To promote the use of the REDATAM computer package among South Pacific countries for the processing and dissemination of their censuses and surveys;
• To develop the capacity of the NSO of the participants countries to utilize REDATAM as a validation tool for census management and database creation
• To develop capacity of the NSO of the participant’s countries for the development of dissemination applications based in Redatam Web Server to upload their population datasets allowing on line processing and tabulations.

Each country brought their own census database or household survey in its original format (SPSS, CSPro, or DBF) to work during the workshop and at the end they develop a web application to access the data online. The facilitator for the workshop was Ms Alejandra Silva from CELADE, Population Division of UN ECLAC.  Funding for this technical assistance mission was provided by UNFPA sub regional office for the Pacific region.