Introduction​
Development of the questionnaires and manuals is among the initial preparatory activities that should be well planned to ensure the census captures the intended quality data to meet the global, regional, and national data requirements. The main tools to be developed include the questionnaires for cartographic mapping, pilot census, the enumeration as well as the Post-Enumeration Survey (PES) and their corresponding instructions manuals.
It is important to note that the implications of a poorly designed questionnaire cannot be rectified during and after enumeration, thus successful implementation of tools development has a significant impact on the quality of data and census outputs.
Census tools development during the non-digital vs digital era​
A digital census requires additional efforts during the development of tools and instruments. In addition to the traditional paper questionnaire and instructions manual, a digital census will require a modified paper questionnaire to be programmed for face-to-face data collection (CAPI), together with an instruction manual. The planning stage should therefore be started earlier than for a paper questionnaire.
For a digital census, the post-enumeration editing is reduced compared to a non-digital census. This is achieved through programming of consistency and data validation checks that are implemented during enumeration by the CAPI application.
For a digital census, the tools development process has additional tasks after finalizing the questionnaire content that go along with the development of the CAPI application. There is an iterative process which involves development of the application, testing it, revising after testing, and then testing the revised version again until the implementors are comfortable with the application. Hence, several small-scale tests are done before and after the pilot census and this makes the tools development process for a digital census more expensive and should be budgeted for appropriately.
Documentation of the development process in a digital census is more detailed compared to the paper questionnaire because data validation checks, and error messages need to be documented so that they can be part of the metadata.
Considerations for development of digital census tools​
The following considerations must be made during the development of digital census tools:
Extensive stakeholders’ engagement
Development of the questionnaires must take into consideration the national priorities and the core topics discussed in part five of the UN Principles and Recommendations (P&R) for Population and Housing Censuses (Revision 4).
Complex stakeholder needs
When taking on stakeholder data needs, consider factors such as respondent fatigue, respondent privacy, time and cost needed. To take care of some of the needs, a short and long questionnaire can be adopted (see details in the UN P&R Rev 4, para. 1.153-1.154 and para. 3.9 – 3.17)
Quality of previous census data
During tools development, an assessment of the previous census quality of data, enumeration time taken, stakeholder feedback and available resources should be considered to inform the process.
Timeliness
It is essential for the census managers to ensure that questionnaire specifications are done in time in close collaborations with the subject matter specialists and the CAPI developers. It is important to note that development of the CAPI application cannot be done until the questionnaire content and specifications have been completed. Adequate time should be provided for programming and multiple tests of the CAPI application.
Questionnaire versioning
During the CAPI development process, programmers are required to keep clear versioning of the applications, and this should be done together with the subject matter specialists who should also keep and label the versions appropriately.