07thJanuary 2013

UK based global data capture specialist DRS Data Services Ltd, was delighted once again to support the 8th Africa Symposia on Statistical Development (ASSD) which took place at the end of November 2012 in Yammousoukro, capital city of the Ivory Coast Republic.

Following on from last January's event in Cape Town, high on the agenda for discussion was processes and procedures for conducting civil registrations and vital statistics (CRVS) systems. Currently most African countries are being challenged with the inadequate nature of birth, death, marriage and divorce registrations and incomplete vital statistics that are negatively affecting development endeavours in building modern public administration, promoting decentralisation and democratisation programmes and measurement and monitoring of development initiatives, including the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

It is acknowledged that with the exception of two or three African countries, the coverage and accuracy of CRVS systems in Africa remains inadequate and below international standards.
DRS is able to share more than 40 years of tried and tested data capture expertise with a dedicated global team with experience of numerous national population projects worldwide, including African countries such as Nigeria, Ethiopia, Malawi and most recently Zambia.

As a trusted advisor, DRS is regularly called upon to offer advice and best practice techniques on census capture methodologies and technologies to National Statistics Offices around the world. The company is therefore pleased to be able to support the ASSD, particularly as it was widely reported that the 2nd CRVS Ministers Conference hosted in Durban recently raised the bar for international collaboration to tackle CRVS challenges.

DRS' representative attending the November event, Gary Brighton, comments; "The ASSD has made great progress since inception and acknowledges the significant role that global partners are playing. DRS is delighted to continue to be one of these partners, for example contributing to improving population and housing censuses."
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Additional information
Established in 1969, DRS has a highly respected global reputation for tried and tested large scale data capture expertise. DRS has the experience and skills, combined with proven innovative data capture methods and technology, to guide governments and organisations through processes with flexibility, efficiency and security for reliable results.

As a trusted advisor to the United Nations, DRS implements complete solutions for logistically challenging projects and in 2009 managed the Malawi census which was critical for UN funding because all feeding stations and healthcare are dependent on census results. In 2011 DRS undertook the planning and development for the process and capture of data for the 2011 Pakistan census, including the printing and delivery of over 42 million census questionnaires designed to enable the swift and accurate capture of hand-written data.

Visit www.drs.co.ukfor more details.

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Jane Da Costa or Sue McBreen
Friday's Media Group, 18 Soho Square, London, W1D 3QL
Telephone: 0845 500 1140 
janed@fridays-group.co.ukor suem@fridays-group.co.uk

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