Evaluating the Completeness of the Civil Registration System

1
Evaluating the Completeness of the Civil
Registration System
2
Civil registration Quality control

• Level of registration completeness
• - All local registration areas carried the
  procedures
• - Every vital event has a record on the system
• - All local offices transmit the records up the
  ladder

3
Direct methods

• Direct methods
• Matching Using civil registration records as
  independent source
• Matching Using administrative and social
  records
• Matching Using population censuses and surveys
  lists
• Dual records system

4
M1. Civil registration records as independent
source

• Evaluating birth register using death register
• Consists of matching the death record with the
  birth record
• Up to 30 years of age
• Not really a good measure mobility of
  population
• Useful for infant deaths
• Accuracy increases if births occur in medical
  facilities

5
M1. Civil registration records as independent
source

• Hand matching
• If the number of infant deaths is small
• If both events (birth and death) occur in the
  same health facility
• In the local registrar office, given the small
  numbers, a feasible option

6
M1. Civil registration records as independent
source

• Electronic matching
• Fast, effective approach
• Having a PIN - advantage
• Requirements
• Computerized records
• Developing applications
• Hardware

7
M1. Civil registration records as independent
source

• Edit method
• Identify, for example, record with low
  birth-weights
• Match with death record
• If not found, check with the facility to confirm
  child is alive

8
M2. Administrative and social records

• Involves other organizations
• Matching birth and death records with
• School enrolment
• Hospital records
• Baptism
• Burial records
• Newborn screening programs
• Reporting of HIV

9
M3. Population census and survey records

• Lists of births and deaths
• Census enumeration areas
• Census questions
• Matching with civil registration records

10
M4. Dual record system

• Matching civil registration system (CVS) and
  periodical retrospective survey (PRS)
• When information from two sources are matched,
  four mutually exclusive sets of records emerge
• Events recorded by both exercises
• Recorded by CVS but not PRS
• Recorded by PRS but not CVS
• Not recorded by either source

11
M4. Dual record system

• Not recorded by either source
• NCN1N2((N1xN2)/C)
• Where
• C the number of vital events recorded by both
  methods
• N1 the number of events recorded by the first
  method but not the second
• N2 the number of events recorded by the second
  method but not the first
• Thus, the events omitted by both
• Y((N1xN2)/C)

12
Advantages and limitations of direct methods

• Advantages
• Two sources for matching
• If both are quality sources and independent
  accurate
• Pointing to the cause
• Feasible at all levels
• Limitations
• Really independent?
• Population movements undermine accuracy
• Costs

13
Indirect methods

• These methods were developed to assess the
  completeness and quality of vital statistics
• Statistics is coming from civil registration
• Statistics of low quality ? most likely
  consequence of errors in registering events
• Comparison of trends

14
Indirect methods

• These methods were developed to assess the
  completeness and quality of vital statistics
• Statistics is coming from civil registration
• Statistics of low quality ? most likely
  consequence of errors in registering events
• Comparison of trends
• Delayed registration
• Patterns in the sex ratio of births
• Comparison with census data
• Comparison of rates observed in similar
  population or previous periods
• Incomplete data methods indirect techniques

15
Comparison of trends

• At small area level
• Expected values established by previous trends
• Unexpected current values
• Large proportion of unknown answers

16
Delayed registration

• Monitoring difference between date of occurrence
  and date of registration
• of events not registered in prescribed period
  of time indicator of possible deficiency
• Excessive proportion of delayed registration in
  health facilities indicates overburden
  inadequate infrastructure

17
Comparison with census data

• Quality of the census itself
• Census content
• If all basic components of population are
  accurately captured by census birth, deaths,
  immigrants, emigrants, then
• Intercensal population growth of population
  equals the sum of intercensal births and
  immigrants minus intercensal deaths and emigrants
• Major obstacle reliable migration statistics

18
Comparison of rates

• Useful, but requires caution
• Many factors, not necessarily linked to
  registration errors
• Differences in age structures
• Population estimates
• Skewed population

19
Indirect techniques

• Technical approach
• Long history of use
• Complex
• Require specific training

20
Summary

• Checks and balances - crucial
• A list of techniques
• Best approach a combination of direct and
  indirect assessment
• Computerization increases checking opportunities