Statsbank hackathon for Students
The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) in partnership with Statistics Denmark is organizing a hackathon for university students. The GSS Statsbank Hackathon will be an intensive 36-hour session where 25 selected participants from each campus will work directly with data on the StatsBank to develop a statistical product (e.g. a data visualization, dashboard, policy paper, or infographic). The GSS StatsBank is an online data repository that allows data users to directly access disaggregated data from the 2021 Population and Housing Census including generating customized quantitative information using tables, and significantly shaping the future of graduate/research training. The hackathon presents unique opportunities for mentorship, collaboration, and the development of team-building skills for students.
The university hackathons aim to raise awareness of the StatsBank and promote the use of the census data for policy-relevant research and is being hosted by the University of Ghana, the University of Cape Coast, the University of Health and Allied Sciences , the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, and the University for Development Studies.
The winning team from each university will compete with winners from other universities at the national hackathon scheduled for 5th and 6th of October 2023.
Eligible applicants should have advanced skills in at least one of the following areas: data analysis, data visualization, and coding. Interested persons.
Key dates and link to application links
University of Ghana: bit.ly/ughack2023
University of Cape Coast: bit.ly/ucchack2023
University of Health and Allied Sciences: bit.ly/uhashack2023
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology: bit.ly/knusthack2023
University for Development Studies: bit.ly/udshack2023
You Should Know
A Population Census is the complete enumeration of all persons in a country at a specified time. The enumeration implies the collection, compilation, evaluation, analysis, publication and dissemination of demographic, social and economic statistics relating to the population.
A Housing Census is the complete enumeration of all living quarters (occupied and vacant) in a country at a specified time. This enumeration also implies the collection, compilation, evaluation, analysis, publication, and dissemination of statistical data pertaining to these living quarters and the occupants.
A Population and Housing Census consists of a population census and a housing census as one operation. The two censuses, though separate, constitute one statistical operation and they are not completely independent of each other because of the essential elements of each census which are common to both and are also with well-coordinated activities.
The information on the population and living quarters can be more readily matched, and processing is facilitated, and extensive analysis can be carried out. This also makes it possible to relate to the housing census data, the information on demographic and economic characteristics of each household member that is routinely collected in the population census.
A Population and Housing Census (PHC) has many uses. In the first place, it will give us the total number of persons and housing types and their characteristics in every town or village or a given small area in the country. This information will be of great help to the Central and Local Governments in planning various educational, health, housing and other social services. The information that will be derived from the census will also help the private sector, including businesses to plan their activities, which will be of benefit to the economic development of this country. In addition, international bodies, including Development Partners (DPs) and Non-Governmental Organizations will also utilize the Population and Housing Census data when planning for Ghana.