NATIONAL Statistical Offices (NSOs) from across the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) are participating in a regional training workshop aimed at improving the analysis and reporting of population and housing census data.
The five-day workshop, held from November 17–21 in Grenada, is funded under the European Union’s Eleventh Development Fund (11th EDF) through the Strengthening the Framework for CARICOM Integration and Cooperation Process (SFCICP) Programme.
It focuses on enhancing technical capacity in editing, validating, and interpreting census data, as well as producing policy-relevant reports, visualisations, and development indicators.
Participants are using tools such as SPSS, Excel, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to work with their own census datasets, generate indicators linked to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and produce graphics and tables for public communication.
Halim Brizan, Director of the CARICOM Regional Statistics Programme, highlighted the importance of accurate census data for development planning. “The Population and Housing Census is a direct source of SDG data and a key input to many SDG indicators. It also provides the statistical frame on which numerous household surveys rely to track national and regional development progress,” he said.
Junior Alexis of Grenada’s Statistics Office noted that several Member States are in the final stages of their 2020 census round, emphasising that the workshop addresses gaps in technical capacity. “This is not only a technical priority, but also a developmental imperative that supports climate resilience planning, social policy, education, labour force strategies, agricultural development, and economic transformation,” Alexis said.
Experts leading the workshop include Dr. Frank Eelens and Dr. Bart de Bruijn from IBF International Consulting Firm, who specialise in population and development. Several CARICOM Member States, including The Bahamas, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, Dominica, and Montserrat, have previously benefitted from in-country technical assistance funded under the 11th EDF.
The initiative is part of broader efforts to strengthen the region’s capacity to produce accurate, timely, and actionable statistical data for policymakers, researchers, and citizens.