Issues paper: session 3.2. Electronic civil and vital statistics systems: what countries need to consider in the modernization process

Abstract

The objective of the Fifth Conference of African Ministers Responsible for Civil Registration is to discuss possible ways of adopting a holistic and integrated approach for the innovative and accelerated improvement of civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) systems and national identification management in order to close the identity gap in Africa and contribute to the achievement of target 16.9 of the Sustainable Development Goals. Modern electronic CRVS systems can interface with management information systems in several sectors to enable more efficient and easier access to critical public services, such as education, health, social welfare and financial services. In so doing, they can produce real-time vital statistics for the planning and monitoring of programmes at national and lower administrative levels. While most countries in Africa are in the process of modernizing their CRVS systems, many factors will determine which CRVS system they choose. These include whether to build tailor-made software or procure a commercial off-the-shelf CRVS software; whether to use a local data center (server) or a cloud service; and the process involved in digitizing existing paper records.