The Higher Population Council, sponsored by the United Nations Population Fund, held a fourth consultative meeting on Thursday, February 22  for key producers of administrative data in the Jordanian national statistical system.

This meeting is one of many activities held under the auspices of HPC being the national reference body for information on the current situation and on the annual demographic and vital movement in Jordan.

The meeting is a continuance of undertakings HPC carried out last year with counterpart ministries, departments and directorates that have administrative records concerned with data on the population reserve and the vital movement resulting from it.

The meeting aimed to follow up on national efforts to improve and ensure the fulfilment of administrative records data in light of the recommendations of previous consultative meetings, discuss the mechanism for producing vital indicators according to internationally acknowledged methodologies, and discuss the structure and contents of the annual statistical reports of the participating bodies. Participating in the meeting were representatives of the main institutions constituting the Jordanian statistical system:

• Department of General Statistics
• The Civil Status and Passports Department/Ministry of Interior
• The Chief Justice Department
• Ministry of Health
• Ministry of Labour
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Affairs
• Social Security Corporation
• Residency and Borders Administration/ Directorate of Syrian Refugee Affairs
• Public Security Department/ Ministry of Interior
• Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship
• National Council for Family Affairs.

Professor Dr. Issa Al-Masarwa, HPC Secretary-General, briefed the audience on the methodology through which HPC employs data obtained from the admin records of participating institutions in boosting knowledge on the demographic and health situation in Jordan, and assessing the changes achieved in this regard in an effort to gain support for population policies and programs and reproductive health programs. All this was undertaken in an attempt to steer the demographic, vital and health variables in the direction of serving national interests.

 The meeting included a discourse and discussion with representatives of the relevant institutions to highlight the gaps in the data and additional information proposed to be provided by the participating institutions, as well as discuss potential arising difficulties faced by these institutions, if any.

Mrs. Rania Al-Abbadi, HPC Assistant Secretary-General, also contributed by giving a presentation on the mechanism of generating vital and demographic indicators and estimating the population in mid-year in accordance with internationally recognized methodologies, their approval and recommendation for adoption by directors of relevant departments attending the meeting.

Also under discussion were the ‘timing and contents’ of the annual statistical reports issued by the participating institutions. Participants from various entities expressed their resolve and determination to continue national efforts to improve administrative records data and address existing gaps to meet the needs of all users. Participants also pointed out the exerted efforts currently underway to boost coordination and networking between parties of admin records, in addition to continuing efforts to link the data of these entities electronically through the Ministry of Digital economy and Entrepreneurship.