OPM
12010 MINISTRY PAPER Population and Housing Census 2011
1.
Background
Preparations are underway for a population and housing census to be
conducted during the period April to July 2011 with Census Day being declared
to be April 4, 2011.
This is being done within the framework of the United
Nations World Population and Housing Census Programme 2005-2014. The UN
recommends that such a census be taken every 10 years in or as close as
possible to the year ending in "0".
Jamaica has had a long history of census taking with the first modern census
being conducted in 1943. The last census was taken in 2001.
The Population and Housing Census is designed not only to measure
accurately our population but to capture critical data on the demographic,
economic and social conditions of the people.
The results provide vital
information used in policymaking, administration and devising programmes to
address identified needs and challenges. Census data are also critical in the
decision-making process of the private sector as they help to identify and define
the market for their goods and services.
Additionally, the census provides important data for the analysis and
appraisal of the changing patterns of rural/urban movement and concentration,
the development of urbanized areas, the geographical distribution of the
population according to such variables as occupation and education as well as
the socio-economic characteristics of the population and the labour force. These
variables provide the basis for both questions of scientific interest relevant to
pure research as well as solving practical problems arising from industrial and
commercial activity and the social responses thereto.
2. Planning and Preparation
2.1 In preparing for Census 2011, the Statistical Institute of Jamaica
established two committees:
(a) A Steering Committee comprised of representatives from
several Ministries, Departments and Agencies to develop the
topics to be included in the questionnaires having regard to
national, regional and international perspectives.
(b) A Technical Committee to coordinate all aspects of the
planning and implementation of the census. This Committee
will continue to function until the data collection process is
completed.
2.2 The factors which influenced the choice of topics and questions for
Census 2011 are:
• User needs
• Regional and international comparability
• Willingness and ability of the public to give adequate
information on the topics, and
• Resources available for conducting the census.
The timing of the fieldwork for data collection is influenced by
climatic conditions and the availability of the households:
a. Climatic conditions - it is important that the data
collections is completed before the onslaught of the
rainy season or the hurricane season as door-to-door
data collection is severely affected by bad weather
conditions.
If this occurs, the data collection period
2
may have to be extended and additional costs are
incurred, as experienced in Census 2001.
b. Availability of the households - the school holiday
season is not usually a good time for census taking as
families are often away from home on vacation, either
in resorts locally or abroad.
Failure to collect data
from these households could have an adverse effect
on the results of the Census.
2.3 The Census Questionnaires
There are two questionnaires to be administered to the population:
(a) The Household Questionnaire - Form PC011A; and
(b) The Individual Questionnaire - Form PC011 B
The details of the Questionnaires are attached at Appendices 1 and
2.
The Household Questionnaire consists of 4 pages with 26
questions divided into 4 sections:
Section 1 - Identification
Section 2 - Characteristics of the Housing Unit
Section 3 - Characteristics of the Household
Section 4 - Migration and Mortality
Form PC011A will be completed for each household.
These
questions will be directed to the head of the household or, in his/her
absence, to any responsible member of the household.
3
The Individual Questionnaire contains 9 pages with a total of 60
questions and is divided into 10 sections:
Section 1 - Characteristics of the Individual
Section 2 - Education
Section 3 - Training
Section 4 - Birthplace and Residence
Section 5 - Economic Activity
Section 6 - Social Welfare
Section 7 - Union Status
Section 8 - Fertility
Section 9 - Transport
Section 10 - Information and Communication Technology
Form PC011 B will be completed for every person in the household
who is alive and is a usual resident in Jamaica on Census Day.
2.4
Mapping
The geographic mapping of the island is one of the critical aspects
of the planning stages of the Census. During this phase the island
is divided into smaller units called Enumeration Districts (EDs). EDs
are designed to interlock with each other to ensure that there are
no data gaps.
The EDs must nest together to fall within the
administrative boundaries of the Parishes and within the electoral
constituencies.
Each ED is classified as either urban or rural.
Urban EDs possess, on average, 150 dwellings and rural EDs an
average of 100 dwellings since dwellings are more widely spaced in
rural areas.
For Census 2011 Jamaica will be divided into
approximately 5,700 EDs, compared to 5,232 for Census 2001.
4
The work of the Electoral Office of Jamaica (EOJ) associated with
the review of existing constituency boundaries and the demarcation
of new constituencies has impacted the completion of the mapping
exercise.
2.5 Administration of the Data Collection Process
The management of staff and data quality are important features of
the data collection process.
Accordingly, for administrative
purposes the following organization structure will be effected:
(a) Supervisory Zones - approximately five to six EDs
will be clustered to form a Supervisory Zones and
there will be approximately 1200;
(b) Coordinator Areas - the Supervisory Zones are also
grouped together for another level of supervision with
approximately twenty (20) Zones to a Coordinator
Area, resulting in sixty (60) Coordinator Areas.
(c) Regions - the Parishes have been grouped together
to form seven (7) Regions.
Each administrative unit and each ED will have to be manned.
The main census office will be established in Kingston Metropolitan
Area with other offices being established in centrally located areas
in the other parishes.
STATIN's offices which are located in 11
parishes will be utilized for aI/ regional managers and some areas
coordinators. It is expected that the offices of some Government
agencies will be able to provide space for accommodating the staff.
In other areas it will be necessary to rent additional office space.
These offices will also have to be equipped and furnished.
5
2.6 Recruitment, Training and Selection of Census Personnel
Over 7,000 persons will be employed, on a temporary basis, to
carry out the enumeration exercise. The temporary personnel will
include the following:
•
7 Area Managers;
•
60 Area Coordinators;
•
1,140 Zone Supervisors;
•
5,700 census takers; and
•
217 field editors.
All applicants are required to undergo a period of training and
orientation followed by a written test which is aimed at assessing
their ability to read a map, to reason, and do simple mathematical
calculations. The training of the temporary staff will be conducted
in clusters island-wide.
The Field Services Division will be responsible for the recruitment
of the Area Managers and the Area Coordinators who will then
assist with the recruitment and training of the other staff.
The
recruitment of these personnel will commence in December and
selected individuals will be trained during the week of December
13-17,2010.
In addition to the staff required in the field operation, staff will be
employed in other areas where additional support is required such
as the Accounts and the HRM units.
6
2.7 The Legal Framework
The Census will be conducted under the provision of Statistics Act
(Section 4) which require that a Census Order and Regulations be
promulgated and gazetted. Section 4 of the Statistics Act stipulates
that:
'The Ministry may by order direct that a census shall be taken for
Jamaica or for any part thereof and any order under this section
may prescribe ­
(a) The date on which such census is to be taken;
(b) The persons by whom and with respect to whom the returns
for the purpose of such census are to be made; and
(c) The particulars to be stated in the returns."
The Census Order provides the legal framework for the conduct of
the census and an outline of the questions that are included in the
questionnaires.
The Census Regulation provides the structure
and organization hierarchy of the personnel employed to conduct
the census.
Information is also provided
on their roles,
responsibilities and their remuneration.
2.8 The Public Education Campaign
The Public Education Campaign aims are to build awareness of the
importance and the need to participate in the census taking
process.
The campaign has been informed by the issues and
challenges identified in the 2001 Census and other national
surveys. The campaign is to be implemented in four phases:
Phase 1 - Building awareness - October through to March 2011
During this phase the focus is on stimulating the awareness and
interest in participating in this exercise of national importance.
7
Phase 2 - Inspired Action - April 2011
Census Day is April 4, and the data collection process begins on
April 5. Everyone, by this date, should be inspired to be counted
and thereby allow the Census Taker access to their homes.
Phase 3 - Follow-up - May through to July 2011
Maintenance and follow up are essential as reminders that the
process is continuing.
Phase 4 - Publication and dissemination of the Census results ­
April 2012
Census Slogan and Logo
The Census Slogan is: "Everyone Counts - You, Met All a WW t
3. The Data Collection Timetable
The Census 2011 is the fourteenth modern census to be taken in
Jamaica.
Census Day is Monday, April 4, 2011 and thereafter data
collection will begin on Tuesday, April 5 when about 5,700 interviewers will
be deployed island-wide to visit each household, private and non-private,
to collect data on every person who is alive and resident within the shores
of the island on Census Day. Data collection is scheduled to continue for
four months until July 2011 but all the data is referenced back to Census
Day. Special arrangements are being made to enumerate the institutional
population and persons of no fixed abode (Street People) during this
period.
8
A post enumeration survey, which has been designed as part of the
evaluation of the Census coverage, will be conducted in September and
October 2011 on a sample of the population.
4. Data Confidentiality
Concerns are usually raised about the confidentiality of the information
provided during the Census taking process.
The Statistics Act requires
that information be published in an aggregated format that prevents the
publication of information that will identify any individual or business.
Accordingly, each employee is required to take the Oath of Secrecy as
prescribed by the Statistics Act.
Bruce Golding M.P. Prime Minister October 26, 2010 9
APPENDIX I The Individual Questionnaire - PCOIIB
Characteristics
(a) Name
(b) Relationship to head of household
(c) Age
(d) Date of birth
(e) Sex
(f) Race or ethnicity
(g) Religious affiliation/denomination
(h) Usual place of residence
(i) Birthplace
0) Social welfare and pension benefits received
Jamaican born residents
(a) Parish lived in before present parish of residence
(b) Year of entry into present parish of residence
Foreign born residents
(a) Year of immigration
Resident persons who have lived outside 0/Jamaica/or one year or more continuously
(a) Number of years spent abroad
(b) Last country lived in
(c) Year of return to Jamaica
Resident persons 3 years old or over
(a) Type of school or educational programme currently enrolled in or last enrolled in and
the highest class, grade or form
(b) Highest examination passed
(c) Usual mode of transport and frequency of use in past six months
(d) Use of cellular telephone during the past three months
(e) Use of computer and internet during the past six months
Resident persons ofages between 3 and 17 years
(a) Days attended school in past week
Resident persons 5 years old or over
(a) Level of difficulty in performing physical activities and if aid or medication used
Resident persons 15 years old or older
(a) Specific job or occupation for which currently being trained or trained in the past
(b) Institution or place where training received
(c) Qualifications received or to be received on completion of training
(d) If married, if currently living with wife or husband or if currently living with
common law partner
(e) If not married, if currently living with common law partner
(f) If currently living with wife, husband or common law partner: number of years living
together
Resident persons 16 years or older
(a) Marital status
Resident females between the ages of 15 and 49 years
(a) Whether she is the mother of children born alive and if so, how many
(b) The number of children still alive
(c) The number of children living in the household
(d) Age at first live birth
(e) Age at last live birth
(f) The number oflive births since January 1,2010, the sex of each and the number who
have died
Resident persons 14 years old or over
(a) The main economic activity during the week preceding census day
(b) The main economic activity in the twelve months preceding census day and the
number of months worked for those who worked
Resident persons 14 years old or over who worked during the week preceding census day
(a) The number of hours worked during the week
(b) The main job or occupation and the industry in which the job was performed
(c) The status in employment
(d) The number of persons employed at the workplace
(e) Income from employment for any period not exceeding the twelve months preceding
census day
Resident persons 14 years old and over who did not work during the week preceding
census day but who had worked in the past
(a) The main job or occupation and the industry in which the job was performed.
APPENDIX II The Household Questionnaire - PCOIIA
Inhabited housing units
(a) Type of unit
(b) Material of roofing
(c) Material of outer walls
Households
(a) Form of tenure of dwelling
(b) Form of tenure ofland
(c) Number of rooms
(d) Number of bedrooms
(e) Availability of kitchen or kitchenette and whether sink and waste pipe permanently
connected
(f) Availability of bathroom and whether fixed bath or shower in place
(g) Availability and type of toilet facilities
(h) Type of lighting
(i) Type of fuel used for cooking
(j) Type of water supply for domestic purposes
(k) Type of water for drinking (I) Method of garbage disposal (m)Access to telephone and other communication devices (radio, television, computer) (n) Availability of internet connection to computer (0) Number, age and sex of persons usually resident in the household leaving to live
abroad since January 1, 2010
(p) Number, date of death, age and sex of persons usually resident in the household who
died since January 1,2010.