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1. Project Planning and Management2. Geospatial Mapping and EA Database3. Enumeration Instruments and Tools4. Data Capture and Management5. Census Testing and Pilots6. Recruitment and Training7. Deployment and Supervision8. Enumeration and Logistics9. Quality Assurance and Risk Management10. Census Analysis and Products11. Partnerships and Collaboration12. Advocacy and Publicity13. Procurement and Financial Management14. Post-Enumeration Survey15. Alternative Approaches16. Planning Checklist
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1. Project Planning and Management2. Geospatial Mapping3. Enumeration Instruments4. Data Capture5. Census Testing6. Recruitment and Training7. Deployment and Supervision8. Enumeration and Logistics9. Quality Assurance10. Census Analysis11. Partnerships12. Advocacy13. Procurement14. Post-Enumeration Survey15. Alternative Approaches16. Planning Checklist
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Key Aspects of Census Planning and Management​

This subsection highlights the key aspects of concern during the 2020 round regarding planning management. The detailed census planning aspects for the 2030 round can be accessed in the UN P&R, Rev 4, part two on planning, organisation and management. Further information is available in the UN Handbook on the Management of Population and Housing Censuses, Rev 2, p. 11-25. A planning checklist to help guide your planning is included in this e-census handbook.

Census project document​

A census project document outlines how a country intends to execute all the PHC processes. It includes the methodology to be used, implementation structure, budget, work plan, and information on how each activity will be implemented and how each activity contributes to a successful census with fit-for-purpose outputs. It also includes how each activity will be planned, tested, evaluated, and honed for the final operation. The census proposal is also referred to as a census master plan.

Given the long-life span of census operations, planning should be flexible to incorporate changes as they occur. A census plan should provide details for each of the census phases explicitly:

  1. Pre-enumeration operations such as development of project documents, mapping, publicity, questionnaire development, testing, and piloting.
  2. Field enumeration
  3. Post-enumeration operations such as data processing, data analysis and dissemination, evaluation, and post-enumeration survey.

Census Budget​

While a universal system for census budgeting is not feasible due to varying financial practices, some important budgeting and planning best practices for a digital census include among others:

  • A digital census budget plan should be in line with the Nation’s public finance management framework with consistent regulations as well as those regarding procurement and ownership of some digital tools like servers etc.
  • Adopt a performance-based framework that ensures that resources are allocated to specific activities within the census phases and are measurable. NSOs should create a comprehensive list of census activities and their costs, no matter how small.
  • Develop key budget performance indicators and undertake periodic analysis of budgets against actual cash inflows and expenditures as the census phases progress.
  • A census budget should contain both planning and reporting structures within the implementing agency given that often the resources come from multiple sources.
  • Budget plans must be updated as necessary to reflect the current situation and for it to constantly remain relevant and useful. Census plans are not static. For example, budgets may need to be revised after the pilot census or if the programme is unsuccessful in securing the full budget.
  • Have a resource mobilisation plan in place to be implemented by the census steering committee.
  • Allowing for contingency within the budget is essential, particularly as the life-cycle cost of technology alongside more traditional operational costs may be more uncertain. Contingency funding should be included within the overall costs, possibly 15% of the annual budget.

For detailed guidelines for census budget and cost control refer to the UN P&R, Rev 4, para. 2.97 to 2.108.

Census Implementation Committees​

Some of the identified best practices from selected countries in Africa regarding census implementation committees include that there should be a census secretariat with a designated national census coordinator; committees should be formed at the national and sub national level including a steering and technical committee (which should have more specific sub committees). Outsourcing technical services should be an integral decision within the implementation committees and be made part of the census plan and budget.

The leadership of the census organisation should be guided to undertake their respective activities as outlined in the UN P&R, Rev 4, para. 2.171 and 2.172.