National online conference on the 2019 Population and Housing Census

To implement the Decision No. 772/QD-TTg dated June 26, 2018 of the Prime Minister on the organization of Population and Housing 2019 Census (hereafter called the 2019 Census) and Notice No. 441/TB-VPCP dated November 30, 2018 of the Government Office of Vietnam on the conclusion of the Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue, Head of the Central Steering Committee for Population and Housing Census on the implementation of the 2019 Census, on the afternoon of March 13, 2019, in Hanoi, the Central Steering Committee of the Census held the National Online Conference on Population and Housing 2019 Census to continue reviewing and completing preparations for the Census starting from 0 am on April 1, 2019. Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue, Politburo Member, Head of the Central Steering Committee for the 2019 Census chaired the Conference. The co-chairmen of the Conference were Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Duc Trung; Director General of General Statistics Office (GSO) Nguyen Bich Lam, Deputy Head of the Central Steering Committee for the Census.

Attending the Conference were representatives of leadership of ministries, line-ministries which are members of the Central Steering Committee for the Census; members of the office of the Central Steering Committee for the Census; representatives of 3 ministries which directly conduct their own census including Ministry of Public Security, Ministry of National Defence and Ministry of Foreign Affairs; representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Vietnam; and press agencies.

In addition, there were over 36,000 participants at 775 online bridgeheads in 63 provinces and cities throughout the country, including: representatives of the People’s Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities who are heads of provincial steering committees for the Census, members of provincial steering committees for the Census; representatives of provincial committees of the Party, the leadership of provincial statistical offices of provinces and centrally-run cities; representatives of the leadership of the district People Committees who are heads of the District Steering Committees of the Census, members of the District Steering Committees for the Census; representatives of the district committees of the Party; members of the Steering Committees of over 4160 communes, wards and towns throughout the country.

In directing the Conference, Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue emphasized that the 2019 Census was one of Vietnam’s largest statistical censuses with a large scale covering 712 districts and 11,165 communes, wards and towns in 63 provinces and centrally-run cities and 3 ministries with important specific characteristics consisting of the Ministry of National Defence, the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In the past 2 years, the preparation for the 2019 Census has been carried out with the issuance of many guiding documents, as well as the establishment of the Steering Committees at all levels from the central to provincial, district, commune and the Steering Committees at 3 particular ministries. With the main content of the Conference is to review and complete the preparation work, ready for the starting day of the Census, the Prime Minister proposed the central and local agencies to report and clarify the preparation and implementation of the Census, mainly focusing on the following major issues: (1) The recruitment, training in profession and use of information technology (IT) for enumerators, team leaders and supervisors at all levels; (2) Reviewing the preparation of IT infrastructure for the Census such as servers, internet transmission lines … due to the high risk of IT system; (3) Publicity and mobilization of people to participate in the Census as well as the preparation for the Census in localities; (4) The work of ensuring safety for the Census, especially in remote and border areas and the places with risks of instability in social order and safety; (5) Direction, assignment of tasks and coordination among departments and agencies to collect information in localities; (6) Mobilizing the whole political system from the central to local levels to implement the work of preparation for collecting statistical survey information, as well as synthesizing and announcing the results of statistical survey, in which close direction of the executive committees of the Party, local authorities at all levels and the Central Steering Committee is needed.

After the directing speech of the Deputy Prime Minister, the participants watched the video clip of the preparation work for the 2019 Census and heard the Director General of GSO Nguyen Bich Lam report on the situation of implementation of the Census. Accordingly, the preparation for the Census has been carried out carefully with many tasks such as: Preparation of professional competence and IT infrastructure (Organizing training workshops at provincial and district levels; Completing questionnaires; Completing compilation of guidance documents; Establishing the network for implementation of the Census; Developing applied software programs and upgrading IT infrastructure); The propaganda for the Census has been promoted by various forms such as publicity on mass media and provincial websites, publishing special issues, production of hoarding and poster, etc. Ministry of National Defence, Ministry of Public Security and Ministry of Foreign Affairs also have finished preparations for the Census according to their own plan. At the Conference, participants also heard the report on the situation of preparation for the Census of ministries, line-ministries and some localities.

In his closing remarks, Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue highly appreciated the positive, thoughtful, scientific and methodical preparation with the great workload of all levels for the 2019 Census. Deputy Prime Minister required in the coming time:

Firstly, ministries, line-ministries, executive committees of the Party, authorities and steering committees of the Census at all levels continue to thoroughly grasp the purpose, requirements and issues related to the context, scale and characteristics of the 2019 Census, thereby determine the responsibilities of the Central Steering Committee of the Census, ministries, branches, local authorities, and Steering Committees at district and commune levels.

Secondly, to promote the publicity for the Census, implement various forms of propaganda to achieve the highest efficiency, with the participation of the whole political system from the central to local, organizations, mobilize all people to actively participate in providing complete and accurate information. Steering Committees at local level should focus on the organization of propaganda to areas with difficulties in geography, difficulties caused by factors affecting political stability and security, etc.

Thirdly, to continue to prepare forces for the Census (enumerators, supervisors, team leaders) especially need to carefully prepare IT applications for the Census.

Fourthly, regarding the preparation work in the areas, the communal Steering Committee should pay special attention to the areas that have the change in administrative boundaries and fully arrange forces for the survey using tablets and smart phones (CAPI survey – Computer-assisted personal interviewing). Steering Committees at all levels in localities review difficulties, problems that may arise to develop risk prevention plans, at the same time, coordinate with public security and army forces to develop protection plans for the Census. The Ministry of Information and Communications should ensure smooth communication system and transmission line during the Census’s process of collecting information at all stages.

Fifthly, about the organization of information collection, ministries, line-ministries and localities simultaneously held the opening ceremony of the Census on the morning of April 1, 2019 according to the guidance of the Central Steering Committee of the Census. The Steering Committees at communal level conduct the collection of information at households from April 1 to 25, 2019. The Steering Committees of the three ministries of National Defence, Public Security and Foreign Affairs carry out the survey according to their approved own plans.

Sixthly, regarding the inspection and supervision, it is necessary to strengthen the monitoring and checking of the process of performing the investigation in order to ensure the quality of the Census’s information. In addition, it is needed to monitor and inspect the implementation of financial regulations to ensure the compliance with current regulations in order to spend effectively and economically.

Seventhly, on the information and reporting regime, to ensure the plan of announcing the Census’s results, on April 26, 2019 at the latest, the Steering Committees of the provinces and cities quickly report the results of the Census organization at localities so that the Central Steering Committee aggregate and then report to the Government, the Prime Minister, Party and State leaders. If there are unexpected problems needing to be solved, especially the issues related to IT, Steering Committees at all levels should quickly report to timely handle. The Ministry of Planning and Investment, the GSO should arrange officers to be on duty 24/24 during the Census.

Based on the conclusions of the Deputy Prime Minister and the results of the Conference, Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue asked the Government Office to coordinate with the Central Steering Committee of the Census in the promulgation of conclusion report, sending to the ministries, line-ministries, agencies and Steering Committees at all levels.

With the determination of all levels, sectors and localities, the Deputy Prime Minister expressed the belief in the successful implementation of the 2019 Census, achieving the goals and requirements proposed.

Responding to the direction of Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue, Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Duc Trung thanked the Deputy Prime Minister for his close guidance in the implementation of the 2019 Census and promised to fully and seriously acquire the directions given by the Deputy Prime Minister and coordinate with ministries, line-ministries and localities to successfully organize the 2019 Census.

Sources from the Figures and Events Journal