[LINK] iPad and Census

[Mike Shearer]

On 10/08/11 11:10 AM, Greg Taylor wrote:
> The blue "Census Guide" says the census collector won't return if you submit online.
>
> I was intrigued that the 13-character Census Form Number was handwritten, both on the manual form and on the eCensus
> sealed envelope. Maybe it's cheaper to print the main form without unique identifiers, but then there must be a cost for
> the collectors to transcribe numbers by hand, with accompanied risk of data integrity errors.
>
> And is there a better way to provide "two factor" identification/security than a sealed envelope containing another number?
>
>
I am a Census collector...  Very impressed with the organisation of the 
data collection.  The census form number (CFN) is in two parts, the 
first identifies the collector who is allocated a "workload" of about 
400 residences.  The numbers reflect a hierarchy of geographic areas.  
The second part identifies the "Record number" which is unique to a 
residence/flat/motel room etc and is assigned to an address by the 
Collector when distributing the census forms.

The numbers hold the system together.  When an eCensus is submitted the 
number identifies to which collector an SMS message is sent 
automatically with sufficient information for the Collector to record 
that that return has been submitted, and can record that there is no 
need to return to the residence.  If a person mails back to the Bureau a 
paper form in a reply-paid envelope (provided under certain conditions) 
then the CFN number that had been written onto the back of the envelope 
by the Collector is used to also send an SMS message so there is no need 
to return to that address.  Prior to the census all Collectors had their 
mobile phone numbers recorded.  There are several data backups in place 
so if a mobile phone with unread SMS messages is lost or stolen the next 
person up in the hierarchy has them.

The system is dependent on a lot of manual recording in Collector Record 
Books.  But the pages lend themselves to OCR for the "housekeeping data" 
needed to track whether returns in one form or another have been 
received, and under what circumstance.  In the event that a Collector 
has to pull out for someone else to take over would be very easy.

I think it's an excellent example of systems design.  I have one 
criticism only - the 12 digit "eCensus Number" should be printed and 
entered as three 4-digit strings rather than a single 12-digit string.


Mike