Transcript StatisticsCanada-2006Census.(UNSC presentation Feb. 2007)

STATISTICS CANADA – 2006 CENSUS
Internet Response Option
Presentation at
UN Statistical Commission
February 28, 2007
Census in Canada
• Legal requirement every 5 years, De Jure basis
• Last Census May 16th, 2006; 13 million dwellings
• 80%-short form (8 questions); 20%-long form (53
questions + 8 dwelling questions )
• Confidentiality is paramount
• Combined collection for Census of Population and
Census of Agriculture
• Development and integration of Internet application and
processing systems was outsourced to private sector
• Targeted 20% of initial response from the internet
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Census 2006 – Drivers for change
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Privacy concerns – local enumerator issue
Government On-Line (GOL) initiative
Data Entry Capability/Manual Coding
Recruitment and retention of staff
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Radical Change
• Most radical changes since 1970’s
• Mail-out via Canada Post for 73% of
households (Address register critical)
• List leave for remainder
• Unique dwelling identifier and internet
access code for each questionnaire
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Radical Change
• Mail-back or Internet option
(canvasser method for a few areas)
• One Data Processing Centre (CATI or
Field Follow-up initiated from it)
–Intelligent Character Recognition
(ICR)
–Master Control List
–Automated coding
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Internet mode of collection
– Nothing left on respondent’s computer (Zero footprint)
– Log-on using internet access code printed on
questionnaire
– Innovative Security Solution using GOC “Secure
Channel” (PKI “light”, secure “islands”)
– One-time recyclable certificates
– Multiple sessions for long form (user can assign own
password)
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How did we do - Results
• Metrics
– 22% of initial response was by Internet
– Overall internet represented 18% of all
responses
• Graceful Deferral Contingency Procedure
seldom used, except on Census night
• Data Quality better for internet response
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How did we do - Results
• Internet available and used (on a gradually
declining basis) until end of follow-up period
(end of August)
• “Push Strategy” experiment (no questionnaire
sent, only a letter asking to respond via internet)
yielded very good results
• Successful use of a reminder letter to nonrespondents asking to reply by internet (no
questionnaire sent)
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Implementation Issues
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Operational/development plan
Sizing, technical, integration issues
Testing strategies
Support (technical and respondent)
Security and public perception (independent
validations)
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Lessons Learned
• Integrating with Secure Channel was harder and
took longer than expected
• Difficult to exercise volume tests that accurately
reflected production
• Being able to monitor and control the number of
respondents accessing the system was critical
• Not mailing paper questionnaires increases the
internet take up rate
• Testing every aspect and linkage is crucial
• True partnership with contractors was critical
success factor
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Going forward - 2011
• Basic methodology will be retained
• Aggressive assumption regarding Internet takeup Rate. Significant Potential Savings
– Return postage
– Paper handling and data capture
– Follow-up for edit-failures
• Security approach to be determined (availability
of Secure Channel? Should we adopt a less
customized security method, e.g. SSL?)
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Going forward - 2011
• Census Day versus Census Week to
spread system load?
• In-house, outsourced or hybrid
development approach a critical decision
– Integration
– Competency profile
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Going forward - 2011
• Expanding Mail-out (MO) opportunities - currently
assessing an approach that will make better use of Mailout tools as well as encourage response by Internet as
opposed to paper questionnaire
Wave 1 - Initial MO - 90% of all dwellings;
 80% of MO dwellings will receive an invitation to
use Internet only - no paper questionnaire will be
provided;
 20% of MO dwellings will receive paper
questionnaire package (areas of low connectivity);
 Approximately two weeks before Census Day.
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Going forward - 2011
• Wave 2 - All dwellings will receive a mailed "pre-addressed
reminder" to complete questionnaire via Internet or paper
questionnaire received during Wave 1;
 Mailed around Census Day.
• Wave 3 - one week after Census Day determine mail-out
universe that did not reply - A paper questionnaire package will be
prepared and mail-out to each dwelling which did not reply;
 Approximately two weeks allowed for package preparation and
postal delivery. An additional week will be allowed for
households to respond.
• Wave 4 - Start Non- Response Follow-up (NRFU) approximately
4 weeks after census Day.
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Going forward - 2011
2006 Collection Process Methodology
Wait Time until 80% responses accounted
Census Reference Day – May 10, 2011
NRFU
WAVE 1
WAVE 2
Census Week
May 2011
WAVE 3
ENRFU
NRFU
BEGINS
WAVE 4
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NRFU
WAVE 5
ENDS
07/29/11
Deadline