Conducting a Municipal Census

Best Practices

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To be covered:• Planning• Execution• Delivery and Evaluation• Results and Analysis

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Planning Stage

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Creating your master address list• Map out your landbase

– Dedicated census landbase OR– Census inclusion flag in your master address

database• Modify based on feedback from

enumerators

• If you can’t map it you can’t enumerate it!

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Polygons vs Points• How do you want to use the resultant data?• St Albert uses polygons to facilitate

mapping of the results.• Polygons can easily be converted to points.

Points cannot be easily converted to polygons.

• Multi-story suites CAN be still mapped as polygons!

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Enumeration Boundaries• Pick a target number of residences per

enumerator.• Use GIS to analyze and refine

enumeration boundaries.• Match boundaries to your neighbourhoods• Make your enumeration areas walkable.• Take into consideration the census

technology used

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Design Your Deliverable Database• Pre-identify your known census analysis

questions.• Include the address information in the template

database. Parse it out. Make it properly sortable.

• Include stratification information (e.g. neighbourhood) with each record.

• Consider including person summary information in dwelling table.

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Database Design• Dwelling table• Person table• Linked via Residence ID• Ensure GIS table includes Residence ID

or dwelling table includes GIS ID

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Execution Stage

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Paper Forms• Use scannable forms instead of hand

written entries• Design for all questions to fit on a single

side of a page• Use a standard page size: letter or legal• Make the questions easy to fill in• Pre-print forms by address• Pre-populate known information

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Maps for Enumerators• Provide your enumerators with maps that

clearly identify residences they are responsible

• Consider also supplying with the aerial photo for that area

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Automate Your Processes• PIN number generation• Use something like FME• Map production• Table generation:

– Blank census database– Mail merge table (for PIN letter mailout)– PIN letter hand delivery– Institutional enumerations

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Census 2012 FME Model

•PIN Generation•PIN QC•Blank database•Mail Merge tables•PIN delivery tables

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On-Line Enumeration• Make it secure – use unique PIN access• Use pick lists• Avoid free text entry (except for

comments)• Include date/time stamps with each record

entry• Incorporate logic rules to control data entry

irregularities

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PIN Numbers• Use all characters or all numbers: don’t mix!• Check for duplicates• Check for offensive phrases• Don’t make them case sensitive• Generate backup PINs in case the original

PIN is lost, doesn’t work, etc.• Consider PIN generation on the fly or a pre-

generated spare PIN list

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Using Mobile Technology

• To store or not to store on mobile devices• Ensure processes to deal with

connectivity issues• Pick a cost effective solution• Leasing vs buying• Who runs the backend receiving the data?

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Monitor (and Control) Your Progress• Monitor on-line enumeration uptake• Monitor mobile enumeration patterns• Provide control parameters for in person

enumeration• Communicate completion status via maps

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Communicate!• Advertise widely and via different media• Do reinforce why the census is important• Don’t advertise that it’s optional• Mailouts, banners, TV ads, cash register dividers,

billboards, newspapers, bus advertising…

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Delivery and Evaluation

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Final Database Delivery• Ask for interim deliveries if you are

concerned• If doing an On-Line / In Person split, get

an interim On-Line delivery• An easy-to-use format – don’t be afraid of

Excel (Pivot tables are your friend!)• Check, check and check again!

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Quality Checks• Check and recheck your numbers• Compare to previous census numbers• Compare municipal census trends to federal

census trends• Spatially compare census population results• Compare trends to other municipalities• Understand what you are seeing!

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Execution Metrics• Evaluate On-Line response

– Temporal– Spatial– Demographic

• Evaluate enumerator entry pattern

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Results and Analysis

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Basic Uses• The big number: what’s your population?• What’s your demographics curve?• What are your demographics trends?

– Seniors?– Children?

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Creative Display• Address-level

mapping (to suite level)

• Hotspots – 2D or 3D• Graduated point maps• Euclidean distance –

demographic group vs provided services

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Advanced Analysis• Demographics profiles:

– Renters– Single parent families– Seniors in their own homes

• Analytics:– Who is moving to St Albert?– Who is moving into our new housing?– What type of family lives in each assessment

class?

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Wrapping Up...• A census is expensive to conduct.• You census is a goldmine of valuable

information!

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QUESTIONS?

Tammy KobliukGIS CoordinatorCity of St Albert780-459-1730

tkobliuk@st-albert.net