Transcript Priority Operational Research For Census Cost Saving

PRIORITY OPERATIONAL RESEARCH
FOR
CENSUS COST SAVING STRATEGIES:
CO-OPERATIVE RELAY CENSUSES
Harry A. Freedman
Statistics Canada & Central Statistics Office of Zambia
CENSUS REQUIREMENTS
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Meticulous planning
Adequate financing
Adequate time to operationalise plans
Well-trained, disciplined & dedicated personnel
Detailed geographic intelligence
Logistical expertise & equipment
Good questionnaire
Sound processing system
Flexible tabulation and dissemination system
DIFFICULTIES
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Time between Censuses
Competition for financing
Spiraling costs
Scarcity of skilled personnel
Tendency to underestimate time and
training required
SOLUTION
• Innovative ways of cutting costs while
maintaining or improving quality and
timeliness
• How?
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Improve planning
Improve training
Introduce economies of scale
Recycle
CONSORTIUM OF ROLLING
CENSUSES
• The more countries that pool their census
efforts the greater the potential for savings
• The greater the similarity at each census
phase, the fewer surprises and the greater
the savings
• Each iteration of a process that a statistician
participates in re-enforces skill and
increases the probability of skill retention
ROLLING CENSUS SCHEMA
Country A
Census Planning
Questionnaire Design
Frame Development & Mapping
Field Operations
Data Capture Editing & Validatio
Country B
Census Planning
Questionnaire Design
Frame Development & Mapping
Field Operations
Country C
Census Planning
Questionnaire Design
Frame Development &
Country D
Census Planning
Questionnaire Des
Frame Developme
TRAINING MODEL
• Master (skilled in specific census operation)
• Journeyman (knowledgeable)
• Apprentice (unskilled but keen to learn)
TRAINING MODEL - 2
• Each census phase managed by a Master
• if country does not have a Master for a stage it
will have a Journeyman or several Apprentices
who will be the senior country person/people
and responsible for phase execution
• When phase completed, preparations made
to shift to next country; if Journeyman has
mastered the operation, (s)he replaces
former Master, etc.
TOOLS AND MATERIAL
• Tools and materials developed for Country
A would be adapted for Country B rather
than re-developed; lessons learned from A
would be incorporated into strategy for B
(e.g. Questionnaire, Procedures, Manuals)
• Expensive specialty hardware could be
shared
POTENTIAL IMPEDIMENTS
– Model needs research and development
– Potential consortia members need to have some
things in common (e.g. language, culture,
proximity)
– Statistical offices need to agree to form
consortia
– Donors have to provide incentives for consortia
OUTCOME
• More skill development and retention
• Better quality censuses
• Lower cost per census