Our activities

The Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo-Information Services (LISGIS) as the national repository of statistics has been at the forefront of studies and surveys capturing various aspects of Liberia’s population. In the past two years, a comprehensive Food and Nutrition Survey (FNS), a Demographic Health Survey (DHS) as well as a Core Welfare Indicators Questionnaire (CWIQ) survey have all been carried out throughout the length and breadth of the country. The information gleaned is already being used to service plans and proposals of Government Ministries, Departments, and Agencies in addition to the private sector and development partners. From 2007 to the present, LISGIS has carried out the follwing activities:

2007 Liberia Demographic and Health Surveys (2007 LDHS),
2007 Core Welfare Indicators Survey(CWIQ),
2007 Participatory Poverty Assessment Survey (PPA)
2007 National Establishment Census (NEC), Community
Health Financing Survey and the
2008 National Population and Housing Census.
other activities are
documentation,
dissemination, and
preservation of micro-data and related metadata.

(2007 LDHS):

The Government of Liberia was keen to measure the extent of health-related changes in the Liberian society, especially to determine the basic profile of the population by age, sex, and education; fertility and child mortality rates; maternal and child health indicators; knowledge and attitudes of women and men about sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS; patterns of recent behaviour regarding the use of condoms and other contraceptive methods; and the prevalence of HIV infection.

However, the 2007 LDHS was undertaken to provide information to address the monitoring and evaluation of health, family planning and HIV/AIDS programs and to provide program managers and policy makers involved in these programs with the information that they need to effectively plan and implement future interventions. It is envisaged that the survey provides the basis to define the targets for the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) and the Poverty Reduction Strategy Plan (PRSP), data for measuring performance since 2000 when the last population based Demographic and Health Survey was conducted and estimates of key demographic indicator until the 2008 NPHC results are published.

Researcher (s) interested in this information are invited to contact us.

(2007 CWIQ):

The Core Welfare Indicators Questionnaires (CWIQ) survey is an innovated household survey package developed collaboratively by the World Bank with other international partners, including UNDP, for rapid monitoring of effective delivering of development programmes and services to different population groups. The generic survey provides information on patterns of access, utilization and satisfaction with the provision of services, anthropometric data-a useful proxy indicator for poverty level and data on employment. The information collected in this single survey includes an additional module to cover household income, expenditure and consumption. This is intended to have access to information needed to estimate welfare level and poverty incidence; and the analyses shall served as a valuable asset to fit into the full PRSP. The PRSP needs to have indicators that will respond quickly to policy and programme interventions and system that collects and reports the basis of the indicators.

MAIN OBJECTIVES

The main objectives of the CWIQ are:Provide statistical data on the living conditions of the Liberian population for the Government as well as numerous national and international institutions, NGOs and the public in general;Provide timely information for monitoring the implementation of the Liberia Poverty reduction Strategic and to begin a process of capacity building for the design, implementation, processing and analysis of household surveys;

2007 Participatory Poverty Assessment Survey (PPA),

..... INFORMATION ON THIS SURVEY WILL BE PROVIDED LATER.

2007 National Establishment Census (NEC): 2008 National Population and Housing Census (2008 NPHC)

The (NEC) is a complete enumeration of all local units/establishments (all existing establishments, public and private establishments including NGOs and other related organizations) in Liberia.

The variables captured by the NEC include the following:To provide benchmark information for sound development planning, in making administrative decisions;

Provide sample frame for National Accounts Survey;

Size, composition and spatial distribution of the formal and informal sectors of the economy;

Scope of the private and public sector, Non-private Institutions;

Ownership of establishment;

Legal status;

Major activities by ISIC and

Labor force composition and distribution in the country

Liberia spent over twenty years without participating in any censuses due to the disruptive impact of the civil crisis. During the past years, developments planned were being taken based on speculation/projection on total size of the population of Liberia, its characteristics and distribution. Therefore, the country lacks basic reliable and updated data for planning and development of policies. In accordance with the Constitution of Liberia, the National Legislature passed an Act in April 21, 2007 mandating the Executive Branch of Government to conduct the National Population and Housing Census in 2008. LISGIS, together with her development partners, worked tirelessly to meet the target date indicated.

The 2008 National Population and Housing Census was undertaken to re-build population database that was destroyed as a result of civil war, for use in formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of population programmes. In the long term, the 2008 National Population and Housing Census will contribute towards the following:

a) Improve knowledge on the social, demographic and economic characteristics of population, and

b) Arriving at better understanding of population and development inter relationship in order to elaborate coherent social and economic development programme.

The 2008 National Population and Housing Census was conducted against the background of an almost complete lack of timely, accurate, sufficient and time series data for socio-economic, political and physical development planning. In addition, although government of Liberia exhibited very high commitment of political will and put in considerable amounts of resources, the required levels of financial and other inputs could not have been provided given the overcrowding of demands from other equally important sectors of the economy.

Notwithstanding, the census programme is adjudged to have been executed within acceptable limits of the highest international standards, using-of-the-art technology and expertise at all stages of the census operations. The extra resources and other support have been coming from a plethora of organizations whose contributions and moral support are hereunder acknowledged.

Dissemination...Development of the concept still in progress

Data dissemination increases the quality, use and potential impact of data, by:

1. Making it possible for analytical work to be replicated, a critical step to good science;

2. Creating the potential to use old data to test new ideas;

3. Reducing the costs of data collection and the burden on respondents, by avoiding the need for reasearchers to undertake their own surveys;

4. Demonstrating transparency and credibility in data production, which are at the heart of good governance; and

5. Improving the relevance and quality of data by incorporating users feedback in future data collection.

Obviously, making microdata available also has down sides. It exposes data producers to criticism, it increases the risk of breach to confidentiality, and it can result in conflicting outputs being generated. Having faith in the ethical consuct of data users and in their willingness to contribute to the quality and usefulness of the data, the National Data Archive considers that the benefits outweigh the disadvantages. We insist however that access to microdata must not be seen as a right. Access will only be permitted to bona fide users, and for statistical and research purposes only.

Preservation.....Development of the concept still in progress

Micro-datasets can be damaged or lost because of human error, because of technical problems, or because of disasters such as fire or flood. New technologies can also render old data unreadable, because of either hardware or software advances. The Liberia Data Archive is implementing standard procedures for ensuring the physical security and long-term usability of its resources, together with associated backup arrangements for minimizing the impact of adverse events.

Strengthen the Poverty Reduction Strategy Monitoring and Evaluation System.,

The preliminary result of the CWIQ indicates that Liberia is one of the poorest countries in the world in the aftermath of the civil conflict, with GDP per capital estimated at $190. The survey calculated rural and urban poverty lines based on the cost of basic needs, in two parts. First, it estimated urban and rural food poverty lines based on the cost of a food basket providing 2,400 Kcal per day per adult equivalent. Second, it computed non-food poverty lines by estimating the non-food spending of households whose food expenditures were within 5 percent of the food poverty line. The total poverty line is the sum of the two, while the food poverty line is the basis for measuring “extreme” poverty. For full detail, please contact us.

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Home Our mission Our activities Policies and procedures Data catalog Acknowledgements Contact us		Our activities The Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo-Information Services (LISGIS) as the national repository of statistics has been at the forefront of studies and surveys capturing various aspects of Liberia’s population. In the past two years, a comprehensive Food and Nutrition Survey (FNS), a Demographic Health Survey (DHS) as well as a Core Welfare Indicators Questionnaire (CWIQ) survey have all been carried out throughout the length and breadth of the country. The information gleaned is already being used to service plans and proposals of Government Ministries, Departments, and Agencies in addition to the private sector and development partners. From 2007 to the present, LISGIS has carried out the follwing activities: 2007 Liberia Demographic and Health Surveys (2007 LDHS), 2007 Core Welfare Indicators Survey(CWIQ), 2007 Participatory Poverty Assessment Survey (PPA) 2007 National Establishment Census (NEC), Community Health Financing Survey and the 2008 National Population and Housing Census. other activities are documentation, dissemination, and preservation of micro-data and related metadata. (2007 LDHS): The Government of Liberia was keen to measure the extent of health-related changes in the Liberian society, especially to determine the basic profile of the population by age, sex, and education; fertility and child mortality rates; maternal and child health indicators; knowledge and attitudes of women and men about sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS; patterns of recent behaviour regarding the use of condoms and other contraceptive methods; and the prevalence of HIV infection. However, the 2007 LDHS was undertaken to provide information to address the monitoring and evaluation of health, family planning and HIV/AIDS programs and to provide program managers and policy makers involved in these programs with the information that they need to effectively plan and implement future interventions. It is envisaged that the survey provides the basis to define the targets for the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) and the Poverty Reduction Strategy Plan (PRSP), data for measuring performance since 2000 when the last population based Demographic and Health Survey was conducted and estimates of key demographic indicator until the 2008 NPHC results are published. Researcher (s) interested in this information are invited to contact us. (2007 CWIQ): The Core Welfare Indicators Questionnaires (CWIQ) survey is an innovated household survey package developed collaboratively by the World Bank with other international partners, including UNDP, for rapid monitoring of effective delivering of development programmes and services to different population groups. The generic survey provides information on patterns of access, utilization and satisfaction with the provision of services, anthropometric data-a useful proxy indicator for poverty level and data on employment. The information collected in this single survey includes an additional module to cover household income, expenditure and consumption. This is intended to have access to information needed to estimate welfare level and poverty incidence; and the analyses shall served as a valuable asset to fit into the full PRSP. The PRSP needs to have indicators that will respond quickly to policy and programme interventions and system that collects and reports the basis of the indicators. *MAIN OBJECTIVES* The main objectives of the CWIQ are:Provide statistical data on the living conditions of the Liberian population for the Government as well as numerous national and international institutions, NGOs and the public in general;Provide timely information for monitoring the implementation of the Liberia Poverty reduction Strategic and to begin a process of capacity building for the design, implementation, processing and analysis of household surveys; 2007 Participatory Poverty Assessment Survey (PPA), ..... INFORMATION ON THIS SURVEY WILL BE PROVIDED LATER. 2007 National Establishment Census (NEC): 2008 National Population and Housing Census (2008 NPHC) The (NEC) is a complete enumeration of all local units/establishments (all existing establishments, public and private establishments including NGOs and other related organizations) in Liberia. The variables captured by the NEC include the following:To provide benchmark information for sound development planning, in making administrative decisions; Provide sample frame for National Accounts Survey; Size, composition and spatial distribution of the formal and informal sectors of the economy; Scope of the private and public sector, Non-private Institutions; Ownership of establishment; Legal status; Major activities by ISIC and Labor force composition and distribution in the country Liberia spent over twenty years without participating in any censuses due to the disruptive impact of the civil crisis. During the past years, developments planned were being taken based on speculation/projection on total size of the population of Liberia, its characteristics and distribution. Therefore, the country lacks basic reliable and updated data for planning and development of policies. In accordance with the Constitution of Liberia, the National Legislature passed an Act in April 21, 2007 mandating the Executive Branch of Government to conduct the National Population and Housing Census in 2008. LISGIS, together with her development partners, worked tirelessly to meet the target date indicated. The 2008 National Population and Housing Census was undertaken to re-build population database that was destroyed as a result of civil war, for use in formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of population programmes. In the long term, the 2008 National Population and Housing Census will contribute towards the following: a) Improve knowledge on the social, demographic and economic characteristics of population, and b) Arriving at better understanding of population and development inter relationship in order to elaborate coherent social and economic development programme. The 2008 National Population and Housing Census was conducted against the background of an almost complete lack of timely, accurate, sufficient and time series data for socio-economic, political and physical development planning. In addition, although government of Liberia exhibited very high commitment of political will and put in considerable amounts of resources, the required levels of financial and other inputs could not have been provided given the overcrowding of demands from other equally important sectors of the economy. Notwithstanding, the census programme is adjudged to have been executed within acceptable limits of the highest international standards, using-of-the-art technology and expertise at all stages of the census operations. The extra resources and other support have been coming from a plethora of organizations whose contributions and moral support are hereunder acknowledged. Dissemination...Development of the concept still in progress Data dissemination increases the quality, use and potential impact of data, by: 1. Making it possible for analytical work to be replicated, a critical step to good science; 2. Creating the potential to use old data to test new ideas; 3. Reducing the costs of data collection and the burden on respondents, by avoiding the need for reasearchers to undertake their own surveys; 4. Demonstrating transparency and credibility in data production, which are at the heart of good governance; and 5. Improving the relevance and quality of data by incorporating users feedback in future data collection. Obviously, making microdata available also has down sides. It exposes data producers to criticism, it increases the risk of breach to confidentiality, and it can result in conflicting outputs being generated. Having faith in the ethical consuct of data users and in their willingness to contribute to the quality and usefulness of the data, the National Data Archive considers that the benefits outweigh the disadvantages. We insist however that access to microdata must not be seen as a right. Access will only be permitted to bona fide users, and for statistical and research purposes only. Preservation.....Development of the concept still in progress Micro-datasets can be damaged or lost because of human error, because of technical problems, or because of disasters such as fire or flood. New technologies can also render old data unreadable, because of either hardware or software advances. The Liberia Data Archive is implementing standard procedures for ensuring the physical security and long-term usability of its resources, together with associated backup arrangements for minimizing the impact of adverse events. Strengthen the Poverty Reduction Strategy Monitoring and Evaluation System., The preliminary result of the CWIQ indicates that Liberia is one of the poorest countries in the world in the aftermath of the civil conflict, with GDP per capital estimated at $190. The survey calculated rural and urban poverty lines based on the cost of basic needs, in two parts. First, it estimated urban and rural food poverty lines based on the cost of a food basket providing 2,400 Kcal per day per adult equivalent. Second, it computed non-food poverty lines by estimating the non-food spending of households whose food expenditures were within 5 percent of the food poverty line. The total poverty line is the sum of the two, while the food poverty line is the basis for measuring “extreme” poverty. For full detail, please contact us.
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