Information Gathering and Information Access
Information for the civil registry in some instances comes from a dedicated civil registry
development exercise. This means that the information is generated by the civil registry
administrative infrastructure, and is then used in the development of the civil registry database. In
other instances, the manner of gathering information for the civil registry is less a matter of a civil
registration exercise of its own. Rather, it involves the merging of information from a number of
information sources. In this way, the administrative organisation overseeing the civil register may
concentrate more on overseeing the integrity of information provided by other groups or agencies
than on initiating new information gathering procedures.
Understanding the Quality of Existing Information
One first step in the development of a civil register, and in deciding on the method to use in
providing information to the register, is to conduct an assessment of the quality (again using the
three performance measures of completeness, currency, and accuracy) of the information that is
currently available. This assessment should provide an indication of whether important changes
must be integrated into the current information gathering exercises, and the challenges to be faced
in implementing such changes.
Steps in the Planning Process
After the initial assessment is completed, a detailed plan for developing a civil registry can be
designed and implemented. Topics that should be considered in such a plan, and are addressed in
other sections, include the following:
Adhering to these detailed guidelines will help ensure that the civil registry system being developed
is sustainable over time, perhaps with a clear expectation of the meaning of sustainability of the
system.
Identification of Voter and Place of Residence
In Kazakhstan, the local executive body maintains a civil register from which the names of eligible
voters are supplied to the election commission not later than 10 days after an election is called. All
eligible voters are issued a stamp in their passport that indicates their official place of residence for
electoral purposes, and thus their electoral district. The stamp then becomes the official instrument
that determines a voter's eligibility to vote in a district. If a voter changes residences between
elections, it is necessary to obtain a stamp for the new electoral district.94
