A special training course on population information topics was held in Viet Nam recently as part of the human resources development activities carried out by the ESCAP secretariat.
The Workshop on Selected Population Topics was organized under the aegis of Asia-Pacific POPIN in collaboration with Viet Nam's Centre for Population Studies and Information (CPSI) of the National Committee for Population and Family Planning (NCPFP).
Held at Hanoi from 8 to 20 May 1995, the Workshop involved the training of 16 professionals from three major population centres: Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang.
The Workshop was divided into three parts, each of which was taught by an ESCAP staff member.
The first activity, which was conducted by Mr. Jerrold W. Huguet, ESCAP Population Affairs Officer, concerned basic demographic measures and techniques.
The second activity was focused on information "repackaging"; it was conducted by Mr. John P. Loftus, Population Information Expert. In his presentation, the participants learned about the reasons why population information centres repackage information and the types of "packages" they produce based on the audiences they serve and their information needs.
The third part of the course was conducted by Ms. JaKyung Yoo, Population Information Expert. She lectured on (a) the organization of information, (b) evaluation of information products and services, and (c) computer applications for information work. The lectures covered various cataloguing and classification systems, survey methods and analysis, and software packages. CPSI is the focal point for Viet Nam in Asia-Pacific POPIN; previously that function was carried out by the Population Documentation and Information Centre (PDIC).
Because of Viet Nam's position as the second largest country in South-East Asia, the Government is giving strong support to the formulation of effective population policies and the implementation of its population programme.
The country's current population of 74.5 million people would increase to almost 100 million in 15 years if the current growth rate remains unchanged.
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) provided funding for the Workshop as it does for the majority of Viet Nam's population activities.