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Introduction​

Communication and publicity are key for the successful implementation of a population and housing census. During implementation of preparatory activities, effective communication is key to mobilizing the required support from all the stakeholders. Effective communication and publicity results in high data quality as the campaigns encourage people to open their doors to enumerators and promote understanding of the content and purpose of the census. Additionally, it reduces the cost of census enumeration because of the increased understanding and reception to interviewers as it also reduces the time per interview and nonresponse. The specific objectives of census communication and publicity include:

  • To create awareness among the public on the conduct of population and housing census (including the date, methodology and questions to be asked).

  • To promote public understanding of the significance of census data as a veritable tool for socio-economic planning.

  • To neutralise possible misconceptions, suspicion and tensions that could be generated while planning and conducting the census.

  • To solicit the understanding and cooperation of the public in all census activities.

  • To solicit the support of all stakeholders, influential/pressure groups (e.g., women, youth groups, persons with disability groups) and civil society groups in the conduct of census enumeration.

  • To promote wider utilisation of census products.

The United Nations and other international organisations advocate for the census as a public good that contributes to improving people’s wellbeing and advocate for evidence-based policy making. Civil society organisations (CSOs) advocate for the data needs and awareness for specific population groups to ensure inclusiveness in the census.

Resource mobilisation for a digital census may need to go beyond financial and personnel resources that are not available within the NSO, such as technology, data infrastructure, and cybersecurity.

This chapter focuses on census advocacy, publicity and resource mobilisation in the digital era.

Comparison of advocacy, publicity and resource mobilisation in the non-digital versus digital census era​

In the non-digital era, advocacy was about getting the "go-ahead" from the powerful. Success meant the Minister of Finance signed off on the budget. In the digital era, advocacy is about building a broad social contract. Success means citizens understand why the census is important and demand its successful completion. Digital tools allow advocacy to become a tool for accountability.

The biggest change in publicity is the move from a monologue to a dialogue using various media to convey the same message to the same person unlike before where one channel was authentic enough. The digital era's greatest publicity challenge is also its greatest opportunity. Misinformation and disinformation (e.g., "the census data will be used for taxes") can spread like wildfire on platforms like WhatsApp. However, the same platforms allow census bodies to rapidly deploy "truth squads" to debunk these rumors in real-time, preventing them from derailing the entire operation. The digital era is not without its challenges, for instance due to a digital divide, publicity campaigns may fail to reach populations without mobile access or internet connectivity, requiring a hybrid approach that still includes radio and community meetings.

The non-digital census was seen as a massive, one-off operational expense. The digital census is increasingly viewed as an investment in national data infrastructure. In the digital era, the ability to solicit in-kind support is a game-changer that diversifies the resource base beyond the strained national budget.

The digital census era has transformed advocacy, publicity, and resource mobilisation from linear, top-down processes into dynamic, multi-stakeholder ecosystems. It has introduced new efficiencies and opportunities for engagement while also demanding new skills and vigilance against new risks.

Considerations for advocacy, publicity and resource mobilisation in a digital census​

Some key considerations for advocacy in a digital census include:

  • Frame the census as the bedrock for all other national developments. For instance, create targeted policy briefs for the Ministry of Finance showing the return on investment of good data. Develop presentations for sector ministries (Health, Education, Agriculture) demonstrating how census data will improve their own planning and efficiency.

  • Emphasise efficiency, transparency, and speed in advocacy. For instance, advocate to finance ministries and anti-corruption bodies by highlighting how digital tools especially mobile money for paying enumerators create a transparent audit trail and reduce fraud. Emphasise that preliminary results can be available in weeks, not years, allowing for more timely, evidence-based policy.

  • Frame the census as a flagship project in the national digital transformation strategy. This can build political pride and will, and align the project with broader national goals, making it harder to de-prioritise.

  • While traditional partners remain vital, a digital census requires a much broader coalition of support. Engage the technology and telecom sector early, empower civil society and the media as "Trust Brokers" from the beginning.

  • Redefine the role of international partners. Advocate for technical assistance in niche, high-skill areas like cybersecurity, data processing architecture, and geospatial analysis. Ask them to act as brokers for technology partnerships and to provide independent quality assurance, which boosts the credibility of the final data.

  • Advocacy must include a clear, simple, and public commitment to data security. This means advocating for a strong legal framework for data protection before the census begins. Publicly explain the anonymisation and encryption measures being taken. This is non-negotiable for building public trust.

  • The advocacy budget and plan must include a major component for upskilling the staff of the National Statistical Office (NSO). Advocate for investment in training on project management, device management, data science, and cybersecurity.

  • The advocacy strategy must clearly articulate the plan for offline data capture. Explain how enumerators will work offline for days and upload data later. Reassure stakeholders that traditional methods (community engagement, radio) will still be used for publicity in these areas, demonstrating a hybrid approach that leaves no one behind.

  • Use digital tools for digital advocacy, methods of advocacy must reflect the digital nature of the project itself to make the case. Build a real time advocacy channel.

For census resource mobilisation, consider the following and see UN P&R, Rev 4, para. 2.109 to 2.111 for further guidance on communication and publicity. Resource mobilisation should be rooted in seeking funding that is supported by a solid legal basis to ensure effective census operations especially when lobbying government support. Set up a resource mobilisation committee in advance.

The high cost of digital censuses necessitates creative approaches to resource mobilisation to save costs. Consider collaborating with private sector firms, through public-private partnerships, especially technology and telecommunication companies that can provide access to expertise and resources. As demonstrated by the loan of tablets from South Africa to Eswatini, inter-country cooperation can lead to significant cost savings in procurement. Leveraging Donor Funding while striving for national ownership, strategic partnerships with international donors like the World Bank and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) remain crucial for many African nations to cover funding gaps, especially for technology acquisition and technical assistance.

For census communication and publicity, consider the following and see UN P&R, Rev 4, para. 2.183 to 2.202 for further guidance on communication and publicity.

  • During census planning to ensure adequate resources for census communication activities should be mobilised.

  • A document outlining the strategic plan for communication, publicity and advocacy should be developed. The strategic document should contain a list of stakeholders, target communication channels/media to be used. implementation plan for the various activities, collaborations, required resources, budget for the implementation, and a monitoring and evaluation plan.

  • The strategy should have a description of the statement of purpose, current situation (SWOT, PEST, and good practices), organisational and communications objectives, identifying stakeholders, key messages, key communications methods, work plan, outcomes and key performance indicators, and evaluation plan. This is an important input to the census planning process.

  • Establish a rumor control or myth-busting team that monitors social media (especially WhatsApp and Facebook) and works with CSOs and media to rapidly debunk misinformation before it can derail public participation.

Consider stakeholder engagement for successful advocacy, publicity and resource mobilisation. See UN P&R, Rev 4, para. 2.175 to 2.182 for further guidance on user consultation.

  • Map and engage all stakeholders during all census phases (pre-enumeration, enumeration, and post-enumeration) to build public trust in every step, increase use of census products and avoid resistance during enumeration and dissemination of census products.

  • Census implementing agencies must understand the data needs of all stakeholders, segment the users, develop appropriate tailored messages, and identify appropriate communication channels. This raises awareness, modernises communication, and puts in place mechanisms to increase access and use of census products. When planning for stakeholders’ engagement there is need to identify: Who to talk to?  What do we want to say to them? Who should say it? How should we say it? When to talk to them?

  • The characteristics used to segment an audience will vary between countries, however a quantitative approach to audience segmentation is preferred. The process can also be applied through qualitative consideration of the subgroups found in a population. While segmenting take into consideration, the stages of the census implementation activities.

  • Some of the stakeholders that should be reached out to include: government departments and ministries, universities and other research institutions, the private sector, organisations (or individuals) representing the economic, social, educational, cultural or other sectors of a country, representatives of special groups –ethnic communities, religious and faith groups, persons with disabilities, etc., donors/development partners, NGOs, sub-national government authorities and institutions, civil society organisations like disability society, political leaders, media/journalists, businessmen, the public, investors, faith-based organisations, other statistical organisations, schools, other statisticians who use census data, students etc.

For effective communication, appropriate communication channels and messages for specific stakeholders need to be identified and used.  Some of the communication channels that have been used include:

  • Print: these include reports, policy briefs, brochures, articles, newspaper supplements, posters, fact sheets, wall charts and fliers.

  • Radio: adverts, interviews in studio and recorded interviews.

  • Television: adverts, live coverage of national launches, interviews in studio, recorded interviews and talk shows

  • Digital Media: website, dissemination portal.

  • Social media: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

  • Mass Media: Press releases, press briefings and press conferences.

  • In person engagements: Participatory seminars, workshops, breakfast meetings, public barazas/launches, public speeches, road shows, webinars.

  • Interactive Media: Podcasts, short video clips, memes.