Events archive

2011 Census methodology workshops: June - July 2012

From process to publication: understanding your census estimates - 2012

In June/July 2012 the Office for National Statistics ran a series of methodology workshops to explain the methods used to arrive at census estimates. The one day workshops were designed to enable the delegates to:

• Understand how local authority estimates are created and the key components in the methods including estimation methods, adjustments for communal establishments and adjustments for bias and overcount

• See the quality assurance processes, data sources used, and examples of the investigations conducted

• Discover what will be in local authority’s quality assurance information.

Using anonymised real examples, the workshops took delegates through processes and aimed to give them the confidence needed to explain the census estimates to key policy makers and finance leaders within their organisations. They covered the background on the methods, to build confidence that local authority’s census estimates will be robust, fit for purpose and accurate.

Presentation slides are now available to download.

The workshops were held at the following locations:

• Nottingham 25 June Park Plaza Hotel

• Titchfield 27 June ONS Titchfield, Hampshire

• Manchester 29June St Thomas Conference Centre

• Newport 02 July ONS Newport, Wales

• London 04 July RSS, London

• London 14 June, GLA (mop-up event)

2011 Census outputs and web dissemination roadshows

The Office for National Statistics ran a series of roadshows in April 2012, at six venues throughout England and Wales.

The first outputs from the 2011 Census will be the population estimates by age and sex for England and Wales and local authorities. Further details on the content and timetable for each of the census releases, as well as the availability of the commissioned table service and UK data, have been made available through an online census outputs prospectus

Each event included:

• an update on progress to produce the 2011 Census population estimates

• a detailed explanation of the 2011 Census outputs prospectus

• an explanation of the planned new online tools and functionality to help users access and exploit 2011 Census data, and other specific datasets

• a workshop to discuss the challenges and opportunities presented by the online dissemination tools under development. This will help shape the ONS data and web dissemination strategy and meet user needs

The roadshows were held at venues across England and Wales:

• 17 April: Manchester, City Hall

• 18 April: York, St William’s College

• 19 April: London, Royal Statistical Society

• 25 April: Birmingham, Thistle Hotel

• 26 April: Newport, Office for National Statistics

• 27 April: London, Civil Service Club

2011 Census design workshops

To date consultations on the design of 2011 Census Outputs have concentrated on the main statistical series of outputs. The 2011 Census design team are now planning to hold four workshops on more specialised products and services.

Small populations - 24th October 2011

The main body of statistical outputs are designed for complete coverage across England and Wales and on all topics carried by the 2011 Census. The design has been influenced by the complex relationship between disclosure control, geographical levels, and the format and type of data produced. This means that populations of people with a shared minority characteristic have been assessed for disclosure on the basis of where they are least concentrated (since the chances of disclosure is highest in such areas).

In regions where a particular characteristic is more common, outputs have been restricted beyond what would be considered necessary for that particular region for that particular characteristic. In the past, censuses have not produced regionally based outputs on smaller populations, and left the design to individual commissioned outputs. This has led to a lack of readily available information for minority groups in areas of the country where they are most concentrated.

The workshop on small regionally based populations will discuss with users ONS plans to improve outputs relating to minority groups and provide a series of regionally based outputs, within disclosure constraints.

Analytical products -25th October 2011

ONS has conducted an extensive consultation exercise on the outputs users require from the 2011 Census. To ensure maximum benefit from the Census, ONS is now in the process of developing a wider analytical work programme to supplement the outputs. The usefulness of the analysis will be limited, however, if it does not meet the needs of the user.

The workshop on analytical products presented to users ONS' current proposals and plans for analytical products including:

• initial thoughts on analytical reports and articles that draw on Census, survey and administrative statistics, building on the 'Focus On' series produced after the 2001 Census

• providing a Census analysis centre of excellence to promote wider analytical use of census data, promote best practice and provide a one-stop website for access to analyses drawing on Census 2011, covering both government and academic research

Users had the opportunity to:

• comment on the current proposals

• stimulate discussions on what analysis users would like to see produced (and indeed the analysis they have planned)

• discuss the relative priorities of these to help shape ONS census analysis work programme

Origin and Destination outputs -26th October 2011

The 2011 census gathers address information relating to the enumeration address and:

• residence one year ago

• visitors address

• workplace address

• second address

From such information ONS intends to produce a wide range of specialist origin-destination products based on these addresses in a similar fashion to that produced in 2001. The workshop discussed with users the design and dissemination of such data, as well as the disclosure control practices adopted in relation to such products.

Microdata - November 11th 2011

Microdata samples have formed an integral part of the previous census output products and services and this will continue to be the case for the 2011Census. Having evaluated the relationship between microdata samples, disclosure control, data access arrangements and dissemination mechanisms ONS discussed with users plans for a full range of microdata products and services, and the specification of their content.

2011 Census Roadshows - from operations to outputs - September 2011

“I am confident that we have achieved a response rate of 94 per cent nationally and over 80 per cent in every local authority. Across London, the estimated response rate in most London boroughs is between 5 and 15 percentage points better than in 2001, and across the capital as a whole I am also confident we have reached a response rate of over 90 per cent.” - Glen Watson, 2011 Census Director - July 2011

This headline message will be welcome news to all local authorities and census data users. How this was achieved, what happened in the field operations, and what happens between September 2011 and the delivery of the statistics were all questions answered in a series of nationwide roadshows held in September 2011.

Topics included:

• the field operations challenges and successes

• from questionnaire to datasets - ensuring the quality of census information

• delivering the census data: how, when and what; what's next?

Presentation slides are now available in the downloads section on this page.

If you have any queries relating to the roadshows, or require the full presentation as a single file, please email us at >2011.census.la.liaison@ons.gov.uk>

2011 Census and Migration Statistics Improvement Programme roadshows

ONS held a series of joint roadshows in December 2009 to communicate the latest work being carried out to improve population statistics through the 2011 Census and the Improving Migration and Population Statistics projects.

The seminars outlined progress on planning and executing the 2011 Census and focused on the methodology for assessing coverage and subsequent quality assurance of the census estimates.

The Improvements to Migration and Population Statistics seminars served to present the indicative impacts of improvements to migration and population statistics published on 30 November, and to publicise the formal consultation process on the improvements that ran from 30 November 2009 to 18 January 2010.

The presentations from these events can be found in the downloads section of this page.