Part 3 - b:
Census Geography and Contemporary Technologies
Data Collection and Data Conversion
CAPI (Windows-based)
2020 World Round of Population and Housing Censuses –
Pacific Island countries’ census planning meeting
International recommendations/standards, contemporary technologies
and regional cooperation
Noumea, New Caledonia, 27 July – 31 July 2015
Contents
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Introduction
Achievements and Highlights
Challenges
Conclusion
Introduction
• CAPI – Computer Assisted Personal Interview. Computer-based
questionnaire where enumerators record people’s response
straight into laptops/notebook
• Field testing done during the 2012 Tuvalu Census
– Main objective was to test its comparative effectiveness
/strengths relative to traditional paper-based interview
– Purchased four notebooks for the test @ $500USD each
– Assistance of a consultant who had vast experience in the
technology
– Tested in two EAs in Funafuti of about 40-50 households each
• The application was designed in CSPro.
Achievements/Highlights
• The most notable feature of CAPI is the QUALITY of data being
captured.
a) All required logics and consistency checks, filtering and skips are
included in the application which ensures a high degree of accuracy in
the information collected.
b) Questions and instructions for each question are shown on screen.
Reference to listing data really assist in the data capture.
c) Batch edit program is executed after the completion of each
household, hence data are verified in real-time (while enumerator is
still in the household).
• Timeliness in data processing. Fast to complete a household compared to
manual filling of questionnaires (paper interview).
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Achievements/Highlights – con’t
• No DOUBLE ENTRY which saves a lot of time.
• Minimum IMPUTATIONS on missing variables.
This is
minimised as verification of data is done in the household
where information could be verified by the members of the
household.
• Summary information and cross-tabulations for provisional
results can be easily generated after the completion of each EA
• Costing
– Cost per project is higher in CAPI but can be cheaper in the long run
– Need to do a cost-benefit analysis to evaluate this cost.
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Major challenges
• IT capacity in terms of :
a) Networking and internet access for transferring data and updating of files.
b) IT personnel readily available for support
• Power Access as computer batteries need to be recharged…. a bit difficult
with remote areas with no electricity.
• Backup and Storage of data. Need to access internet to transfer data or
use USB / External drives.
• Coding for variables like occupation and industry. CSPro does not have the
capability for automatic coding, hence need to train on coding variables.
• Remoteness of EAs. This will always be an issue when using technologies
where RISK is high. A dual mode could be used due to this.
• Vulnerability of the machines
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Conclusion
• Demonstrated gains in data quality
• Overall gains in enumeration effectiveness and efficiency
• Enumerators quickly adapting to this new technology
• This technology could be readily implemented in the 2020 round of
censuses, pending a careful country-by-country consideration of costbenefits and risks involved compared to traditional paper-based interviews.
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