Sterling Chadee Director of Statistics

The processing of the data from the field enumeration began in July 2011 until September All data processors were field personnel who performed creditably on the census and were recommended by their Technical Area Supervisors. Two groups were recruited; one group key punched data from the Visitation Record and another group was responsible for the scanning and verification of census questionnaires using TELEform software.

The Data Entry and editing of over 3000 Visitation Records was handled by a staff of 18 persons. This activity began in July 2011 after a week of training and was completed at the end of the first week in January 2012.

This activity began in July 2011 after two weeks of training. Two shifts of five scanners per shift supervised by one supervisor. The work included: – stripping and batching of questionnaires – entering batch slips, – rewriting questionnaires – servicing the scanners.

Capture data using scanning technology (TELEform scan station module) Verify and edit data of scanned questionnaires (TELEform verifier module) Export data into Microsoft SQL database Prepare ASCII files by Enumeration District (ED) (Microsoft SQL Server) Run editing and validation program (CSPro) Generate error report using editing and validation program (CSPro) Run frequency distribution tabulations (CSPro/SPSS) Prepare datasets for tabulations (Microsoft SQL Server) Generate tabulations using SPSS.

Verification of census questionnaires was done in two shifts of 18 persons each and was completed in September The work required was to: – Identify, analyze and process the scanned batches before correction – Identify the number of missing pages in the batch and fix the missing pages accordingly – Query badly scanned questionnaires – Query those questionnaires that contain two (2) different barcodes – Verify and edit scanned Census questionnaires using the verifying module of the software

Network – which caused the Readers to shut down or become idle for long periods of time. This was due to a break in connection between the SQL Server and the TELEform server TELEform Verfier Workstations: – OLEDB Error – caused the workstations to shut down without officers being able to save their work. (This again was caused by a break in connection between the SQL Server and the TELEform server) Initially data had to be manually exported instead of auto exported to prevent loss of data and loss of images because of the functioning of the workstations.

◦ Verifying process slowed by bad handwriting, poor work. ◦ Level of no contact significant in certain areas ◦ The verification process did not take care of all the editing and cleaning that were necessary to produce a clean data set. Two teams of editing staff had to be organized- Team A handled all errors identified by TELEFORM and team B dealt with the errors made by enumerators, supervisors and scanners that were ignored by the verifiers

An electronic edit programme was written by an external consultant. The completed edits and imputations were sent to the IT Specialist, then to subject matter for examination. Detailed examination was done and any recommendations for change was discussed with the IT Specialist who then liaised with the consultant. This process of reviewing the edits was a lengthy and iterative one which lasted about 2 months.

 Complete the editing and coding of occupation and industry data  maintain consistency of the census data set when corrections are made

 Simplify the census questionnaire in order to reduce the amount of handwriting on the forms  TELEform system should be placed on a private network.  More readers should be acquired  The database server should be upgraded to a more powerful performing one since this server was the most problematic.

 The intercensal years must be used to update the manuals for all classifications to be used in the census  Must strengthen the capacity of IT professionals within the CSO. The 2011 census suffered for a lack of human resources in this area and undue stress was placed on the sole IT specialist responsible for processing the questionnaires.

 Is scanning the way? In the 2000 census, 370,000 twenty two-page questionnaires were completely edited and key-punched in 18 months from the end of the census. For the 2011 census, work is still ongoing in terms of the occupation and industry codes almost 36 months at the end of the last census. Was there a savings in time? Did the cost of this technology outweigh the benefit?

 Multiple Data methods  ‘Stress Pilot test of processing operations

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