Integration of Statistical and Geospatial Information

Innovative Approaches to Examining Inequality through the Integration of Different Data Sources in Latin America and the Caribbean

Component II: Capacity-Building for the Integration of Statistical and Geospatial Information

This project is financially supported by the United Nations Development Account, Tranche 13, and has been implemented by the Statistics Division of ECLAC.

The project consists of three main components addressing different aspects of data source integration that can be used to measure inequalities. The first component aims to strengthen national capacities to improve income and wealth inequality measurement; the second focuses on enhancing capacities for integrating geospatial and statistical data; and the third aims to strengthen capacities to produce disaggregated statistics for relevant population groups.

Description

Component II: Capacity-Building for the Integration of Statistical and Geospatial Information

Geospatial data and geographic information systems are essential not only for mapping and georeferencing information, but also for producing new statistics with high levels of disaggregation and frequency. However, in the region, these data and systems have developed separately from national statistical offices, and the process has generally been characterized by a lack of dialogue and integrated work between geospatial and statistical agencies within each country.

Only in recent years have geographically referenced information systems begun to be integrated with population census frameworks and household surveys, highlighting the need to foster coordination among institutions with different mandates and objectives.

To address this challenge, Component II of the project focuses on developing methodological guidelines to strengthen the technical capacities of National Geospatial Information Agencies and National Statistical Offices in the integration of geospatial and statistical data and information, based on the principles of the Global Statistical Geospatial Framework (GSGF) developed by the United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM).

Component II has a strong innovative character, as it promotes the linkage of statistical and geospatial data through geocoding methods, the management of these data within interoperable database environments, and their subsequent dissemination through web platforms based on geographic information systems. The availability of georeferenced or geocoded statistical data enables analysts and policymakers to explore relationships among different phenomena in ways that were previously not possible. The growing availability of geospatial information and advancements in information technology make it possible to innovate not only in how statistics are displayed, but also in generating new statistics from geographic data sources.

Objective

The objective of Component II is to strengthen capacities for the integration of statistical and geospatial information through collaborative work between National Statistical Offices/National Statistical Systems and National Geospatial Agencies/National Spatial Data Infrastructures.

Within this collaborative framework, the geospatial community is expected to contribute data on administrative units, georeferenced postal addresses, land parcels, building identifiers, transportation networks, as well as geocoding standards and metadata, among others.

In turn, the statistical community is expected to contribute to integration processes through census geographies and disaggregated statistical data in social, economic, agricultural, and environmental fields; demographic and census data; administrative records; statistical business process models; and national and international privacy protocols, among others.

Expected Results

As a result of the project, selected countries are expected to strengthen their capacities to integrate geospatial and statistical data and information through the adoption of regional and global frameworks, standards, and methodologies to support decision-making based on geographically disaggregated geo-statistical data. Enhanced capacities in these areas are expected to be reflected in the following outcomes:

Adoption of geocoding methodologies supported by the use of fundamental geospatial data to geocode geo-statistical information, such as administrative geographies, census geographies, georeferenced postal addresses, cadastral parcels, and others.
Use of common geographies for the dissemination of geocoded statistical data.
Agreements between National Statistical Offices and National Geospatial Agencies to collaborate on the integration of statistical and geospatial information.
Roadmaps outlining actions to integrate statistical and geospatial information in accordance with the five principles of the UN-GGIM Global Statistical Geospatial Framework.
Use of geospatial platforms to disseminate geographically disaggregated statistical data.

Beneficiary Countries

Argentina
Costa Rica
Ecuador
Paraguay
Dominican Republic

Project Phases

1. Assessment	The first phase of the project involved assessing the current situation in the target countries regarding the integration of statistical and geospatial information, including institutional arrangements, management of statistical and geospatial data, and technological platforms. This assessment was based on the results of a global survey conducted by the UN-GGIM Expert Group on the Integration of Statistical and Geospatial Information (Capacity-Building Subgroup). The findings were analyzed and discussed in meetings with technical teams from National Statistical Offices and National Geospatial Agencies. As a result, a diagnostic report was prepared for each country, summarizing progress and challenges in the areas identified above. Additionally, a proposal for an institutional agreement was developed to establish general principles of collaboration between National Statistical Offices and National Geospatial Agencies for integrating geospatial information. This proposal was submitted to the legal departments of the respective institutions for review and potential formalization.
2. Technical Assistance	Initially, the project included technical assistance missions to the target countries to bring together technical staff from National Geospatial Information Agencies and National Statistical Offices. The goal was to facilitate knowledge exchange, raise awareness, share best practices, evaluate options, and develop and implement approaches for integrating statistical and geospatial information. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, these missions could not be conducted in person. As a result, a virtual training platform was established, and six training courses were designed and delivered on topics identified as priorities during the assessment phase: 1) Georeferencing and geocoding; 2) Geospatial standards; 3) Geospatial web services; 4) Use of satellite imagery for statistical production; 5) Geographic Information Systems (GIS) – Basic; y 6) Geographic Information Systems (GIS) – Advanced. The six courses combined theoretical and practical components. Participants received reference materials, videos, tutorials, deliverable exercises, and personalized support. A total of 160 technical professionals from National Statistical Offices and National Geospatial Agencies across the five target countries participated in the training. The training materials are available on the virtual campus.l campus virtual.
3. National Workshops	The third phase of the project involved conducting national workshops with representatives from National Geospatial Information Agencies and National Statistical Offices in the target countries. The purpose of these workshops was to develop roadmaps for integrating statistical and geospatial information while also updating the initial assessments conducted in 2021.
4. Regional Workshops	This phase included the organization of three regional workshops to share project results and provide technical examples and approaches regarding the implementation of the Global Statistical Geospatial Framework principles and data integration between National Geospatial Information Agencies and National Statistical Offices. The workshops provided a forum for discussing lessons learned during the project period and how to ensure the sustainability of collaboration between statistical and geospatial communities at the national level once the project concluded. The First Regional Workshop on the Integration of Statistical and Geospatial Information was held in November 2022 in Santiago, Chile, as part of the agenda of the Ninth Session of UN-GGIM: Americas. Experts from the national geospatial agencies of the five beneficiary countries—Argentina, Paraguay, Ecuador, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic—participated in the event. In addition, on the sidelines of the Ninth Session, the Seventh Meeting of the UN-GGIM Expert Group on the Integration of Statistical and Geospatial Information was held, with participation from representatives of the same countries. The Second Regional Workshop was held in October 2023 in Santiago, Chile, as part of the agenda of the Tenth Session of UN-GGIM: Americas. Discussions focused on progress in implementing the five principles of the Global Statistical Geospatial Framework (GSGF), with particular emphasis on the experiences of the project’s beneficiary countries. The Third Regional Workshop on the United Nations Global Guidance for Geospatial Information Management and Its Integration with Statistical Information was held in March 2024 in Havana, Cuba. The event was organized by ECLAC in coordination with Cuba’s National Office of Hydrography and Geodesy, with the collaboration of the National Office of Statistics and Information (ONEI). The workshop was conducted within the framework of the XIII International Geomatics Congress and the XIX International Convention and Fair Informatics 2024, and brought together representatives from National Statistical Offices and National Geospatial Agencies of the five beneficiary countries participating in the project.

Activities:

17 - 20 Oct 2023 | Event | Commitees

Tenth Session of UN-GGIM: Americas

The tenth Session of the United Nations Regional Committee for Global Geospatial Information Management for the Americas (UN-GGIM: Americas), as well ...
1 - 02 Dec 2022 | Event | Meetings and technical symposiums

Seventh meeting of the Expert Group on the Integration of Statistical and Geospatial Information

This team of specialists, created in 2013 under the auspices of the United Nations Statistical Commission and UN-GGIM, proposes guidelines, methodolog...
28 - 30 Nov 2022 | Event | Commitees

Ninth Session of UN-GGIM: Americas

The Ninth Session of the United Nations Regional Committee for Global Geospatial Information Management for the Americas (UN-GGIM: Americas) was held ...