STATISTICS CANADA

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STATISTICS CANADA 2006 CENSUSInternet Response
Option Presentation at UN Statistical
Commission

• February 28, 2007

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Census in Canada

• Legal requirement every 5 years, De Jure basis
• Last Census May 16th, 2006 13 million dwellings
• 80-short form (8 questions) 20-long form (53
  questions 8 dwelling questions )
• Confidentiality is paramount
• Combined collection for Census of Population and
  Census of Agriculture
• Development and integration of Internet
  application and processing systems was outsourced
  to private sector
• Targeted 20 of initial response from the internet

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Census 2006 Drivers for change

• Privacy concerns local enumerator issue
• Government On-Line (GOL) initiative
• Data Entry Capability/Manual Coding
• Recruitment and retention of staff

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Radical Change

• Most radical changes since 1970s
• Mail-out via Canada Post for 73 of households
  (Address register critical)
• List leave for remainder
• Unique dwelling identifier and internet access
  code for each questionnaire

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Radical Change

• Mail-back or Internet option (canvasser
  method for a few areas)
• One Data Processing Centre (CATI or Field
  Follow-up initiated from it)
• Intelligent Character Recognition (ICR)
• Master Control List
• Automated coding

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Internet mode of collection

• Nothing left on respondents computer (Zero
  footprint)
• Log-on using internet access code printed on
  questionnaire
• Innovative Security Solution using GOC Secure
  Channel (PKI light, secure islands)
• One-time recyclable certificates
• Multiple sessions for long form (user can assign
  own password)

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How did we do - Results

• Metrics
• 22 of initial response was by Internet
• Overall internet represented 18 of all responses
• Graceful Deferral Contingency Procedure seldom
  used, except on Census night
• Data Quality better for internet response

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How did we do - Results

• Internet available and used (on a gradually
  declining basis) until end of follow-up period
  (end of August)
• Push Strategy experiment (no questionnaire
  sent, only a letter asking to respond via
  internet) yielded very good results
• Successful use of a reminder letter to
  non-respondents asking to reply by internet (no
  questionnaire sent)

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Implementation Issues

• Operational/development plan
• Sizing, technical, integration issues
• Testing strategies
• Support (technical and respondent)
• Security and public perception (independent
  validations)

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Lessons Learned

• Integrating with Secure Channel was harder and
  took longer than expected
• Difficult to exercise volume tests that
  accurately reflected production
• Being able to monitor and control the number of
  respondents accessing the system was critical
• Not mailing paper questionnaires increases the
  internet take up rate
• Testing every aspect and linkage is crucial
• True partnership with contractors was critical
  success factor

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Going forward - 2011

• Basic methodology will be retained
• Aggressive assumption regarding Internet take-up
  Rate. Significant Potential Savings
• Return postage
• Paper handling and data capture
• Follow-up for edit-failures
• Security approach to be determined (availability
  of Secure Channel? Should we adopt a less
  customized security method, e.g. SSL?)

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Going forward - 2011

• Census Day versus Census Week to spread system
  load?
• In-house, outsourced or hybrid development
  approach a critical decision
• Integration
• Competency profile

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Going forward - 2011

• Expanding Mail-out (MO) opportunities - currently
  assessing an approach that will make better use
  of Mail-out tools as well as encourage response
  by Internet as opposed to paper questionnaire
• Wave 1 - Initial MO - 90 of all dwellings
• 80 of MO dwellings will receive an invitation to
  use Internet only - no paper questionnaire will
  be provided
• 20 of MO dwellings will receive paper
  questionnaire package (areas of low
  connectivity)
• Approximately two weeks before Census Day.

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Going forward - 2011

• Wave 2 - All dwellings will receive a mailed
  "pre-addressed reminder" to complete
  questionnaire via Internet or paper questionnaire
  received during Wave 1
• Mailed around Census Day.
• Wave 3 - one week after Census Day determine
  mail-out universe that did not reply - A paper
  questionnaire package will be prepared and
  mail-out to each dwelling which did not reply
• Approximately two weeks allowed for package
  preparation and postal delivery. An additional
  week will be allowed for households to respond.
• Wave 4 - Start Non- Response Follow-up (NRFU)
  approximately 4 weeks after census Day.

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Going forward - 2011

• 2006 Collection Process Methodology

Census Reference Day May 10, 2011
Wait Time until 80 responses accounted
NRFU
NRFU ENDS 07/29/11
NRFU BEGINS
WAVE 1
WAVE 3
WAVE 2
WAVE 5
Deadline
Census Week May 2011
ENRFU
WAVE 4