BRAINSTORMING SESSION ON 7^th POPULATION AND HOUSING CENSUS “FIRST EVER DIGITAL CENUS”

PBS Conduct 3-days brain storming session with subject expert on 29-30 November and on 1^st December, 2022 in Pakistan Bureau of Statistics headquarter, under the chairman ship of chief statistician, to refresh the understanding of super trainers who will be involved the training of Master Trainers.

Day-1

On November 29, 2022, a meeting was held in the committee room under the chairmanship of the chief statistician to discuss the training contents and related matters. The list of participants is attached at Annex-1.

2. Dr. Amjad Javaid Sandhu, DG (Admin), raised the question of how to check the validity of the data, given by the respondent. Several members of the group responded differently, as follows:

Mr. Saeed Ahmed, (ACC) responded that there is no proper measure to check the validity of the data, given by the respondent. Mr. Rafique Hussain Talpur, Director, (FS) said, that we can use probing techniques/ethical manuals to mitigate respondent bias. Similarly, MS. Kanwal Murtaza CSO, (FS) responded that the enumerator can easily capture the respondent’s bias if he/she belongs to the same area. Mr. Sarfaraz Ahmed, CSO, emphasized sensitizing the enumerator to resolve the problem instead.

3. While discussing the content, it was also decided that enumerators must have cards to easily identify themselves. Mr. Sarfaraz Ahmed, CSO, also said that the PBS website alert about the ongoing census work is being made.

Ms. Rabia Awan, DDG, PBS, directed to clarify the concept, instead of explaining each and every term in the manual. She emphasized that the main goal of a meeting is to clarify concepts so that super trainers will provide the same concept during training, and she also added that every question raised here must be resolved in order for the audience (trainers) to receive the same concept. She also directed that we should focus on clearing up the concept of listing in today’s meeting.

4. Mr. Rafique Hussain Talpur, Director, (FS), asked why stalls are not accounting for economic activity while huts, etc. are part of house listing. Ms. Rabia Awan, DDG, PBS, clarified that each and every individual should be counted in the population and housing census, which is the main objective of the census activity, whereas only those economic activities should be accounted for that are documented and having fixed/immovable structures.
5. Mr. Muhammad Sarwar Gondal Member (SS/RM) suggested making the presentation more visually appealing by including links of videos and images; he also suggested including footnotes in the case of exceptional cases and key points and attempting to simply define the concepts.  .

• The chairman concluded the meeting with a vote of thanks. 

After precise deliberation, the following decisions were made:

Decisions:

• Will take one-day pause between the completion of house listing and the inception of enumeration.

• Highlighted the mistake in the video, like using the word “very often” for multi-story buildings in big cities.

• It was suggested that PBS should show on its website that the census activity is going on.
• Four or more story building will be regarded as multistorey buildings.

Day-2

On November 30^th, 2022, 2^nd brain stroking session was held in the training wing with a view to discuss the training contents and related matters. The list of participants is attached at Annex-II.

Meeting was started by Ms. Rabia Awan, DDG, PBS Who briefed the session by census methodology (De-jure approach).

Highlights of the meeting are as follows:

• If any family member/ family head resides in another city far from family (e.g., Islamabad) then he/she will be enumerated in that city where he/she usually lives (Islamabad) in case of family head  some other member of the household will be considered as the head (Age should be greater than 10 years) of the household.
• In multistory buildings (economic and residential), one number will be assigned to the building, and sub-numbers will be assigned to the flats, while the tablet will keep a record of shops and other economic activities automatically without assigning any number.
• Double counting will be avoided by adopting probing techniques, for this purpose proper briefing and development of good support is necessary between respondent and enumerator.
• The first day of the enumeration will be regarded as the census day; the date will be written as the date of the census is officially decided instead.
• Schedule casts should be attached with the Hindu.
• Virtual and open universities will be counted as part of regular universities, but during the meeting, it was decided to reconsider whether the virtual university should be counted as part of the regular university or as an online university. Give a specific instance of a university that offers online courses.
• This time, the resource person will be carefully instructed to ensure the accuracy of the data.

Day-3

The meeting was started with recitation of few verses from the Holy Quran.

1. Chief Statistician welcomed the participants and briefly highlighted the aim of the 7th population in lights of international standard, digital transformation, involvement of Provincial governments and District management. He further explained that digital transformation will provide a wealth of information for future planning. Also share the experience of pilot census and inform the experts that all problem has been addressed which we faced during the pilot census.
2. Member (RM/SS)briefed the experts about the activities/steps taken so far for conduct of the 7^th population & housing census i.eestablishment of Census monitoring Committee and its TOR, Finalization of Census Questionnaire, Census work plan, establishment of N3C, working groups etc.
3. G.M.Arif asked that in Pilot census all type of testing has been done?Member (RM/SS) replied yes, all type of testing has been done. In pilot our focus was in parameter checking/testing i.e checking of software applications, logistic, connectivity, security etc. On basis of enumeration blocks characteristics we conduct pilot in 33 districts.
4. Dr, Ayesha asked that pilot has been made in all provinces and PBS can share report of pilot census reports with experts. Member (RM/SS) replied that report has been prepared and can be share with experts. GM Arif further asked that results of Pilot census has been shared with Census Monitoring Committee. Member (RM/SS) replied that report has been shared with CMC and after approval of committee we are going for complete enumeration.
5. Member (RM/SS) brief the session with timeline/time frame of census that self-enumeration will be start from 15th January, 2022. GM Arif ask that January is very near, did PBS start any advertisement. Member (RM/SS) explained that no advertisement has been made publically, for explanation of self-enumeration steps, PBS has prepared video which is available on PBS website.  Chief Statistician has added that we have observed in the pilot census that digital device literacy is very high in Pakistan, therefore, self-enumeration output will be very high.
6. GM Arif proposed that PDHS has prepared tabulation plan which create tables within a week of enumeration. PBS can get benefit from the experience of PDHS.
7. Dr. Samia asked about location and time management during enumeration. Member (RM/SS) explained that this issue has been tackled now. Location issue has been tackled during PSLM & LFS Survey earlier as well. He further added that Tablet worked on online mode as well as offline mode. so location should not be problem.
8. Dr. Niazullah asked that during enumeration enumerator will ask for CNIC from respondent, it will minimize of double counting. Ms. Rabia Awan told that proper training & probing will minimize duplication. Member (RM/SS) added that contact number will taken from respondent and later on the data will be verify through phone call.
9. Dr. Ayesha asked that what is the minimum qualification of enumerator. Member (SS&RM) replied that most of the enumerator are master degree holder some are of them have Phd & M.phil degree. Minimum criteria of the enumerators is graduation & having IT knowledge. 
10. Ms. Rabia Awan added that for creating uniformity in training and clarity in concepts,  manual of instructions has been prepared in five languages, along with video, audio. These video and audio will be available on each tablet. Enumerator can watch these videos for clarity in concepts. Manual of instructions has been improved in the light of problems faced in the pilot census.  She further added that case studies, FAQ has been added in the manual in the light of problems faced in the pilot census. sixteen working groups has been prepared for monitoring various activities during field enumeration i.e Trend Analysis, CATI, physical monitoring, tabulation, etc.
11. Dr. GM Arif asked that special focus should be given during training in migration concepts i.e if a girl married 10days before the enumeration and now living in other city. she should be considered migrants. he further added that those people who visited abroad for performing Umra or some other business trip for period less than six months. they should be member of household and should not be considered as migrants.
12. Dr. Ayesha pointed that due to BISP, most of the people count each married couple a separate household. Due to which the number of household can be increased and average household size can be decreased. Special concentration is needed during training that enumerator should properly prob the household.
13. Dr. Samia asked that if a family visited abroad for 15-20 days in the census period. Then what will be the procedure for enumerating such family. Ms. Rabia Awan explained that in such case the phone number will be asked from near neighbor or other relatives living in other household. The data will taken though phone call. In case of non-contact the data of such family will be collected from near neighbor.
14. Dr. Amjad Javaid Sindho DDG explained that for under estimation or over estimation post enumeration survey will be conducted as well data will be verify through CATI.
15. Ms. Rabia Awan explained that a frame for economic census will be prepared though census with Geo tagging of each economic unit. Through this process we will collect information about schools, colleges, mosques, shops at block level which will be very helpful for future planning.
16. Dr. GM Arif asked that due recent flood in the country, many people has been internally displaced in Sindh and Balochistan. In which place these people will be enumerated/counted. Ms. Rabia Awan replied that this matter will be discuss with government. Dr. GM Arif suggest that these people may be counted through defacto, because people are not able to return back. Those who shifted to cities should be counted in cities and those who shifted nearby villages should be counted in their villages. Defacto method can be use for IDPs. Dr. Niazullah further added that information about IDPs can be collected from NDMA.
17. Ms. Rabia Awan shed light on conduct of random pre & post test on tablet, these test will be used for checking the knowledge of the enumerators.
18. Dr. Niazullah asked that in case of multiple sources of drinking water, emphasis should be given in training that main source should be considered.
19. In the end Dr GM Arif, Dr. Ayesha, Dr. Samia and other experts appreciated the efforts of PBS. Dr. Niazullah says that it is expected that there will be a paradigm shift due to results of upcoming census. Inclusion of Economic data is also a very good initiative.
20. Chief Statistician told the session that all media will be used for publicity. Dr. Ayesha says that try to avoid fake news during census operation.
21. Dr. GM Arif suggested that all efforts/material you have prepared should be share with Census advisory committee, with all other experts who are outside Islamabad. Self-enumeration, verification, lesson learnt from pilot, monitoring procedure should be shared with committee. He further added that make a tree for working groups including the Minister.
22. Mr. Ayazuddin, member (C & S) also pointed out about the challenges of data collection if the situation is not normalized by the time of data collection, as it may significantly affect the results. This issue is also realized by Mr. Niazullah.

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