COLLECTION OPERATIONS
Objectives
The objective of the collection operation is to achieve a high quality Census in a cost-effective manner. This involves the recruitment, training, supervision and payment associated with a temporary workforce of some 37,000 people. It also includes the logistics associated with designing and preparing maps, and the printing, packing, distribution and return of over 1,800 tonnes of material.
Census date
The 2011 Census will be held during August in 2011, on a date yet to be determined.
Scope
The scope of the Census is all people in Australia on Census Night, excluding foreign diplomats and their families. Visitors to Australia are counted regardless of how long they have been in the country or how long they plan to stay. Australian residents out of the country on Census Night are out of the scope of the Census.
People outside Australia who are not required to undertake migration formalities, such as those on oil and gas rigs off the Australian coast, are included.
The Territories of Cocos (Keeling) Islands and Christmas Island will be included in the 2011 Census. Following the enactment of the Territories Law Reform Act 1992, the results for these Territories were included in the counts for Australia for the first time in 1996.
People will be counted where they are on Census Night. This Census count is referred to as one conducted on an actual location or place of enumeration basis (often referred to as a defacto Census).
Mapping
A Census Collector will be responsible for taking the Census in a clearly bounded local area, to be known as a collector workload (CW). CWs were previously known as collection districts (CDs). CWs will cover Australia without overlap or omission. The design and mapping of these areas is a most important preliminary task to the Census as they represent the basic unit of collection.
With the introduction of mesh blocks (MBs) as the smallest building block for Census dissemination purposes, from the 2011 Census, CWs will no longer form part of the geography used for Census dissemination purposes. The geography used for dissemination purposes is discussed further in the section on 'Geographic Outputs', page 10.
For the 2011 Census, the ABS will use computer-based mapping systems similar to those used for the 2006 Census for the design of CWs and for the production of maps used by Census Collectors. MBs will form the basis for the design of CWs. The main benefits of this mapping system are:
- a common map base for both collection and dissemination purposes
- more detailed and appropriately scaled maps for use by Census Collectors, leading to better coverage of the population
- increased ABS control over the design of CWs and dissemination of data.
Public awareness and assistance
Public cooperation and acceptance of the Census is essential for production of high quality statistics. For this reason a public awareness campaign will be conducted prior to and during the Census. The aims of the campaign are to maintain the cooperation of the public and the high quality of the responses to the Census by informing the public of the usefulness of the statistics obtained and the confidentiality of the information provided. Provisions will be made for those who may, for language or other reasons, have difficulty in completing the form and these will also be made known and advertised in the public awareness campaign.
At the time of the 2011 Census the ABS will make available answers to commonly asked questions about the purpose of the Census.
A telephone inquiry service will be available to answer questions about the Census. The Census Inquiry Service will also include facilities for the hard of hearing. In addition, there will be a telephone interpreter service to assist people who have difficulty with the English language to complete their Census forms. A helpline for those with vision impairments will also be available.
Delivery and collection of Census forms
Most of the temporary field staff recruited will be Area Supervisors and Census Collectors. An Area Supervisor will be responsible for about 8 Census Collectors who will each be responsible for an average of about 600 dwellings. However, the number of dwellings covered by an individual Census Collector will vary depending on a range of factors such as whether the area is urban or rural. In addition, Special Collectors will be recruited where necessary to undertake Census duties in large non-private dwellings (such as hospitals and hotels).
The Census will be conducted by a Census Collector drop off approach, where Census Collectors will deliver, to each dwelling, materials that allow respondents to complete their form online or on the paper form. Where the online form has not been used for all people in a dwelling, the Census Collector will then return and pick up the forms after Census Night.
eCensus
An electronic Census form will be offered online. This option will be widely advertised and details provided by Census Collectors.
Enumeration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, ethnic groups and the homeless
Targeted procedures will be implemented to ensure that the coverage of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, ethnic groups and the homeless is as complete as possible. These procedures will be further developed from those used successfully in the 2006 Census and are discussed in Chapter 4
Non cooperation
It is expected that the public awareness campaign on the nature of the Census, the assurances of confidentiality and the uses of the resulting statistics will ensure maximum cooperation. People who do not cooperate with the Census Collector will usually be approached by the Area Supervisor in an endeavour to overcome their problems or objections. If necessary, this approach will be followed up by a letter from the ABS explaining the purposes and value of the Census and its legal status, and seeking the householder’s cooperation. Further action, including legal action, will be considered only where these measures have failed.
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