ABS Helping Papua New Guinea with its Census
The ABS Census, Demography, and Geography Branch has recently provided assistance to Papua New Guinea (PNG) in preparing for its next census to be held in July 2000.
Three ABS Central Office staff with census expertise, Anthony Davis, Paul Lowe and Andrew Lamb, have provided expert advice and assistance to the PNG National Statistical Office following a formal request made by the Government of PNG to AusAID in 1998.
Following this request, a small AusAID team was sent to assess the needs of the Government of PNG in coordinating and conducting its next census. This assessment was then used to prepare project specification documents, and ultimately determine the level of financial assistance provided by AusAID.
The ABS involvement to date has primarily been in the areas of mapping, form design, logistics, planning, training and project management - all of which take into account the unique nature of a project like the census.
The ABS' expertise in census taking has proved a valuable tool in working to overcome various challenges associated with census taking in PNG:
- the geography of the country includes some of the most inaccessible places in the world.
- transport is difficult - and at best often relies heavily on air, boat, and foot;
- voice communication in many areas is non-existent;
- most government controls and authority are divided into 20 provincial governments;
- field staff need to be aware of cultural sensitivities when collecting census data.
Despite these challenges, the PNG National Statistical Office remains dedicated to achieving the task with as high quality results as possible. With the continued involvement of the ABS and AusAid, the PNG National Statistical Office stands a good chance of achieving such results.
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