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Experiences and Lessons▶
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
Case Studies▶
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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Recommendations​

  • It is recommended that the pre-enumeration listing of households is done soon after the training, completed the day before enumeration starts, and should have the community well informed. It should be done electronically for quick results.

  • It was noted that although it is a digital census, the hard copy map print outs may need to be available to the enumerators depending on the circumstances and findings from the pilot census. Therefore, a budget for printing maps should be put into consideration especially for urban areas.

  • The cartographic mapping process should be done well in advance of the enumeration and the pilot census should target the likely problematic boundary areas and test the map reading application thoroughly so that a uniform solution is achieved before the census enumeration is carried out.

In terms of logistics management before, during and after enumeration, it is recommended:

  • For integrated logistics, a comprehensive logistics plan is needed for the secure distribution of the data collection devices (tablets, phones etc) to every enumerator across the country and a reverse logistics plan for their collection post-enumeration.

  • To effectively manage census logistics, there should be strong partnerships and collaboration both within and out of the country. For instance, in Kenya, other government departments with good infrastructure assisted in movement of materials such as the disciplined forces (Army and Police) for provision of transport and security. This collaboration can also continue for future censuses.

  • The constitution of a census logistics team is good practice but should be done early in the census planning cycle, at least one year to census enumeration and the team should be part of the pilot census. The operations at the sub-national level should be given attention in terms of staffing and training on logistical operations.

  • It is ideal to have a separate warehouse that should be ready at least three months before census enumeration. The material handling should be computerised and integrated into Enterprise Resource Planning systems. However, to minimise costs and in the event of a lack of proper planning, the logistics team should be in a position to improvise within the available resources. For instance, Kenya did not have proper storage space at the national level, and it utilised the unfinished office space that was to be used by library at KNBS headquarters as storage space and logistics operation centre. Other offices within KNBS headquarters were also used as storage facilities.

  • The required fleet should be planned for and acquired in good time. Petrol stations should be identified and fueling mechanisms should be established to take care of refueling in all areas of the country.

Based on the country experiences and lessons learnt from the data collection processes, countries should develop a risk management plan for the enumeration phase, and the following recommendations are made:

  • In case of some gadgets failing to send data to the server, there should be a clear strategy on alternative ways of how data can be sent such as: utilizing Bluetooth sharing with supervisors or manually extracting data from the tablets - although the latter has a risk of total loss in case the tablet is lost. The ICT programmers come in handy for possible solutions and should always be available in sufficient numbers as well as the local administrators who can arbitrate in case of respondent refusals.

  • A toll-free line provided to the public to make calls to the census call centre at headquarters should be in place to easy communicate between the office and the community during enumeration.

  • For refusals in enumeration, be clear about the mandatory nature of the census, about why it's important to be counted etc. – use a mixture of convincing messaging and legal aspects.