A population census is the total process of collecting, compiling, evaluating, analyzing as well as publishing, disseminating demographic, economic and social data pertaining, at a specified time, to all persons in a country. The essential features of a population census are individual enumeration, universality within a defined territory simultaneity and defined periodicity.
As indicated above, the population census is the largest data collection undertaking in a country by a government. Not only does it cover the whole country, but it also provides information on every person, from the newly born babies to the oldest person in the country as well as for nationals and non-nationals.
The census process involves several components which can be grouped into five broad stages:
I. Planning and Management
II. Preparatory Work
III. Field Operations
IV. Data Processing; and
V. Census Products and Dissemination
The census process will require enormous resources: personnel, materials and equipment, finance, transport, etc. For this reason, Government commitment and support is essential. Timely disbursement of resources is also essential to ensure adherence to the very tight census schedule of activities.
A summary of the major activities with timelines is provided in the table below. This is only a general work plan. Census milestones are specified with red letters. Annex I presents a complete work plan for the Myanmar 2014 Population and Housing Census
Summary of the PHC work plan and timelines
No. |
Components and Items |
Starting date |
Ending date |
Duration |
I. |
Planning and Management |
|
|
|
|
Census legal act |
12-09-11 |
31-08-12 |
1 year |
|
Formation of census supervisory committees |
01-12-11 |
29-02-12 |
3 months |
|
Establishment of the census management structure |
01-12-11 |
31-03-12 |
4 months |
II. |
Preparatory Work |
|
|
|
|
Develop a census operation strategy |
01-03-11 |
01-04-12 |
1year |
|
Procurement of data processing equipment |
01-01-12 |
31-12-13 |
2 years |
|
Procurement of general office equipment |
01-01-12 |
31-12-13 |
2 years |
|
Listing |
02-05-11 |
31-12-13 |
32 months |
|
Census cartography |
02-05-11 |
28-02-14 |
34 months |
|
Quality control of listing and cartography |
01-05-12 |
30-03-14 |
23 months |
|
Census communications, publicity and advocacy |
01-03-12 |
30-04-14 |
26 months |
|
Preparation of questionnaires, manuals and other documents and validation by stakeholders |
01-08-11 |
30-06-12 |
10 months |
|
Test of questionnaires and revision |
15-07-12 |
15-08-12 |
1 months |
|
Tabulation plan and validation by stakeholders |
01-05-13 |
30-06-13 |
2 months |
|
Printing of questionnaires, manuals and other documents for the pilot census |
01-01-13 |
31-03-13 |
3 months |
|
Selection of the sample for the pilot census |
01-02-13 |
28-02-13 |
1 month |
|
Training of interviewers and supervisors for the pilot census |
01-03-13 |
31-03-13 |
1 month |
|
Pilot census |
01-04-13 |
07-04-13 |
1 week |
|
Setting up data processing equipment (ICR, computers, printers, etc. |
01-01-12 |
31-05-13 |
17 months |
|
Training of IT staff and testing equipment |
01-06-12 |
31-05-13 |
12 months |
|
Pilot census data processing |
15-04-13 |
30-06-13 |
2.5 months |
|
Planning post-enumeration survey (PES) |
01-01-14 |
28-02-14 |
2 months |
|
General evaluation of the pilot census, including questionnaires, field work, data processing, tabulations as well as equipment and conduct modifications |
01-07-13 |
31-08-13 |
2 months |
|
Printing of final questionnaires, manuals and other materials for the final census |
01-09-13 |
28-02-14 |
6 months |
|
Establishment of EA including list and maps |
01-01-13 |
28-02-14 |
14 months |
III. |
Field Operations |
|
|
|
|
Recruitment of field staff |
01-11-13 |
31-03-14 |
5 months |
|
Training of HQ, ST, Region and field staff |
01-12-13 |
31-03-14 |
4 months |
|
Storage and distribution of questionnaires and other material in the field |
01-01-14 |
31-03-14 |
3 months |
|
Assignment of tasks and deployment of field staff |
01-01-14 |
31-03-14 |
3 months |
|
Census enumeration |
01-04-14 |
12-04-14 |
12 days |
|
Retrieval and storage of questionnaires from the field |
01-04-14 |
31-08-14 |
4 months |
|
Post-enumeration survey |
01-05-14 |
31-05-14 |
1 month |
|
Compilation of provisional figures |
01-04-14 |
31-06-14 |
3 months |
|
Announcement of preliminary figures |
01-07-14 |
1 day |
|
IV. |
Data Processing |
|
|
|
|
Develop data processing strategy |
01-03-12 |
31-12-13 |
22 months |
|
Develop data processing operations and cycles |
01-01-14 |
31-03-14 |
3 months |
|
Data capture and editing |
01-05-14 |
31-10-14 |
6 months |
|
Preparation and evaluation of priority tables |
01-09-14 |
30-11-14 |
4 months |
|
Validation of results |
01-12-14 |
31-12-14 |
1 month |
|
Final data file |
01-01-15 |
31-01-15 |
1 month |
V. |
Census Products and Dissemination |
|
|
|
|
Publication and distribution of priority tables |
01-02-15 |
31-02-15 |
2 months |
|
Develop and distribute diverse census products |
01-05-15 |
31-04-16 |
1 year |
|
Preparation of census thematic monographs |
01-05-15 |
31-10-15 |
6 months |
|
Census atlas |
01-05-15 |
31-10-15 |
6 months |
|
Census administrative report |
01-11-15 |
31-01-16 |
3 months |