Preparing for the Census Enumeration areas and mapping

1
Preparing for the Census(Enumeration areas and
mapping)

• Alfred Camilleri
• Director General (NSO)
• Herald Bonnici
• Manager Research Methodology (NSO)
• Matthew Gatt
• Director Corporate Services (MEPA)

2
Preparations

• The National Census will require a visit to every
  household in the Maltese Islands.
• One of the success measures of the census is the
  degree of completeness. This requires detailed
  preparation.
• NSO will be working closely with MEPA to use best
  practice in the use of digital mapping planning
  the Census.

3
Enumeration areas

• Malta will be divided into around 1,000 small
  areas ? enumeration areas.
• Each enumeration area will consist of a number of
  streets, or parts of, within a locality.
• All Malta and Gozo will be covered.

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Enumeration areas structured in a hierarchy
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Enumeration areas

• Each enumeration area will be assigned to an
  enumerator.
• Enumerators will collect and/or assist households
  fill in the questionnaires.
• Each enumeration area will contain an average of
  130 private households plus vacant dwellings.

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Collection of questionnaires

• Census questionnaires will be collected between
  21 November and 11 December 2005.
• Monday - Friday 3.00pm 8.30pm
• Saturday Sunday 9.00am 12.00pm
• Participation is obligatory in terms of the
  Census Act of 1948.
• Legal safeguards of confidentiality provide
  assurance against disclosure of personal
  information.

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Supervision

• Around 90 supervisors will be responsible to
  supervise the enumerators.
• A number of area managers will be responsible for
  a number of localities.

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Mapping

• Each enumerator will be provided with a map,
  detailing the allocated enumeration area.
• Maps are being produced by the Malta Environment
  and Planning Authority (MEPA).

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Planning for completeness

• Ensuring completeness is the key.

The set of households in the Electoral Register
The set of households identified by the
Enumerators
A set(s) of households used to test completeness.
The complete set of Households
10
Planning an enumeration route

• The planning of a route for each interviewer has
  already started.
• The process starts with a target number of
  approximately 130 households identified in the
  latest electoral register.
• A database of streets containing these households
  is used to generate a map for every enumeration
  area.

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Sample Enumerator Map
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During the Census

• The Census exercise will run for three weeks.
• During this period it is essential to manage the
  ongoing work to ensure smooth progress.
• The level of completeness will be monitored by
  visualising progress on maps.

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After the Census Period

• The detailed preparations will allow the results
  to be visualised and analysed geographically.