IMPACT OF COVID19 PANDEMIC ON THE CONDUCTING OF

IMPACT OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON THE CONDUCTING OF THE SECOND POPULATION AND HOUSING CENSUS IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO KAZADI MUTOMBO Henri Marie Deputy Coordinator in charge of technical issues Central Bureau of Census Expert Group Meeting on the Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Conducting Population and Housing Censuses and Data Quality Concerns, 912 February 2021

PRESENTATION PLAN 1. INTRODUCTION 2. STATUS OF THE 2 nd PHC PROCESS IN DRC 3. IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON THE 2 nd PHC PROCESS 4. POSSIBLE METHODOLOGICAL CHANGES 5. CONCLUSION

1. INTRODUCTION The DRC carried out only one population census more than 35 years ago; This country has experienced several years of political instability since the 1990 s; After the 2006 elections, the country acquired democratic institutions and its reconstruction process was relaunched; the Government signed in August 2009 the Decree organizing the second General Population and Housing Census after that one of 1984.

2. STATUS OF THE 2 nd PHC PROCESS IN DRC (1/2) The Central Census Bureau is in the final step of planning the census mapping IT equipment and materials of census mapping work (servers, tablets, satellite phones, desktops, GPS, etc. ) have been acquired Census mapping methodology, technical documents, budget and timetable were updated after the pilot cartography done in 2017 Administrative boundaries for rural areas have been shown using satellite images Recruitment of the staff involved in carrying out census mapping work also done

2. STATUS OF THE 2 nd PHC PROCESS IN DRC (2/2) A final stage of pilot mapping is scheduled before the major campaign of census cartography planned for 2021. For 2021, the next steps focus on: - The mobilization of financial resources through the organization of the round table of donors; - The optimized mapping test; - The launch of the field mapping work; - The pilot census; - The acquisition of tablets for the enumeration phase planned for 2022

3. IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON THE 2 nd PHC PROCESS (1/4) The 2 nd Population and Housing census in the DRC has been affected either directly or indirectly by the covid-19 pandemic. Impact of Covid-19 on the 2 nd Population and housing census activities § Census activities slowed down during the period from March to July 2020 due to the state of health emergency declared by the Government § Central Bureau of census operated with minimum service as all staff were forced to stay at home § The preparation of the census mapping work was delayed by more or less 5 months

3. IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON THE 2 nd PHC PROCESS (2/4) Impact of Covid-19 on the mobilization of financial resources for the 2 nd Population and housing census § The Covid-19 pandemic in the DRC has had a negative impact on the mobilization of financial resources planning. § Because of Covid-19, the round table of donors planned in june 2020 in order to complete budget was not carried out § Main reason: the evaluation of the 2 nd Population and housing census process by an independent team of international consultants, was delayed due to covid-19

3. IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON THE 2 nd PHC PROCESS (3/4) Impact of covid-19 on the acquisition of materials and equipment for the 2 nd Population and housing census § In the DRC, the COVID-19 pandemic, through mobility restrictions, was at the root of the delay recorded in the acquisition of computer equipment by UNFPA in favor of the 2 nd Population and housing census in 2020; § The security measures taken by the Most governments, such as closing borders, banning international flights, confinement, etc. , have had the impact of delaying the delivery of materials acquired for the census mapping work.

3. IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON THE 2 nd PHC PROCESS (4/4) Impact of Covid-19 on South-South collaboration § The DRC has not organized the Population and housing census for more than three decades. § For facing the challenges related to the organization of a digital census, one of the strategies is the strengthen of technical staff capacities by using experience exchange trips with african countries having successfully completed their digital census § The experience exchange trip for Brazzaville planned for the end of 2020 did not take place because of the closure of borders by the Brazzaville authorities. § The financial resources allocated to this activity were redirected to other statistical activities

4. POSSIBLE METHODOLOGICAL CHANGES The DRC has not considered the possibility of replacing the face-to-face interviews with other approaches for the current Population and Housing census, for reasons such as: § The lack of a reliable and recent reference of the population structure due to the number of years since the last Population census of 1984 and the massive displacements of the population following the civil war; § The Population data from administrative sources are almost non-existent; § The lack of a telephone directory for all households living in the DRC; § The low household access to an internet connection; § The high rate of illiteracy in rural areas, wich represent more than 60% of the population.

5. CONCLUSION In addition of having negative impact on the economy of the countries around the world, the Covid-19 pandemic has affected and disrupted the process of carrying out the 2020 round Population and Housing censuses. In DRC, the implementation process of the 2 nd Population and Housing census has not escaped the effects of the pandemic, such as: § § Low funding of activities; Delay in the procurement of materials and equipment; Postponement of missions and support from international consultants; Etc. the DRC do not favor the use of simplified data collection techniques aimed at limiting physical contact during interviews, such as: telephone interview and self-interview methods with online questionnaire or benefiting from administrative records because of the lack of reliable population statistics over the past thirty years and the socio-political and administrative context.

MERCI BEAUCOUP THANKS A LOT AKSANTI SANA MATONDO MINGI