Methodological Refinement

No definitive guidance on measuring the end of internal displacement currently exists, meaning practices to capture progress towards durable solutions are varied. Statistically, this gap creates questions concerning when to stop counting people as IDPs or how to fully determine the outflow from the IDP stock.

As proposed in the IRIS, EGRISS is working to complete the “composite measure for overcoming key displacement-related vulnerabilities”, intended to support the production of official statistics on internal displacement by measuring exits from the IDP stock. Technical Subgroup 2 has produced an initial paper to assess the remaining methodological challenge to make it a fully workable statistical instrument. Work will continue through a dedicated IDP statistics sub-group. 

In 2023, EGRISS published a methodological paper that proposed a standardised approach for identifying IDPs, refugees, and related populations through household surveys. This paper introduced specific questions and metadata designed to identify different statistical categories from the IRIS and IRRS frameworks. Since this release, EGRISS members actively involved in survey implementation have been collecting lessons learned from practical applications of these questions. These insights will inform future methodological refinements, ensuring the questions remain effective and relevant for capturing accurate data in various contexts. 

The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aim to create a better future for everyone, everywhere. This includes refugees, IDPs, and stateless populations. But how do we know how these groups are faring? That’s where statistical inclusion, and subsequent, data disaggregation, comes in. Building on the 12 priority SDG indicators identified for disaggregation by displacement status, as well as the additional indicators identified as relevant for stateless populations in the IROSS, we are working to promote their use and provide guidance to assess the identified indicators.

EGRISS published in October 2024 a Methodological Paper on capturing priority SDG indicators in refugee, internal displacement and statelessness contexts.

As outlined in both the IRRS and the IRIS, several measures rely on comparing the situation of refugees or IDPs with their “host communities”. This is particularly relevant to set the targets or thresholds for measures related to integration and durable solutions, hence crucial for evidence-based decision making and shaping key integration policies.

However, there’s no agreed-upon definition despite the term being used increasingly for different purposes, with definitions varying from the national resident population to much more local/specific sub-groups. EGRISS members through Technical Subgroup 2 are developing a methodological paper that will review different examples to propose options for a robust statistical definition of “host community” in the context of forced displacement statistics.

The EGRISS Compiler’s Manual (CM) is a critical resource for improving statistics on refugees and IDPs. As an “ongoing document,” it is continually updated to reflect the latest advancements in the field. Following the endorsement of the International Recommendations on Statelessness Statistics (IROSS), EGRISS plans to expand its coverage to include statelessness.

This process ensures the CM remains comprehensive relevant for national statistical offices and other institutions, furthering EGRISS’ commitment to providing the tools and resources necessary for compiling accurate and comprehensive displacement statistics.