Online-first census to revamp 'unsustainable' pen and paper model

Thursday, 22 February 2018

Statistics New Zealand hope around 70 per cent of New Zealanders will take part in the census online this year.

Gone are the days of door-knockers toting paper forms come census day.

This year, Statistics New Zealand is taking a 'digital-first' approach, in the hopes at least 70 per cent of New Zealanders will take part online.

The form itself may be completed online, but you'll still need to check your letterbox for you access code.

While this isn't the first time that there has been an online option, it's the first time Stats NZ is prioritising online participation.

Instead of people delivering paper forms to every household and coming back after census day to collect them, Stats NZ will be sending or delivering online access codes to each household.

**READ MORE:

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* Next Census to be 'online-first'

2018 Census general manager Denise McGregor said the old census model, involving pen and paper and door-knockers, is no longer sustainable.

* Third of census forms completed online**

They will only be following up with the households that haven't taken part after census day.

Paper forms will still be available for those who prefer them.

Census 2018 general manager Denise McGregor said the move to digital-first was necessary as the old census model was becoming increasingly unsustainable over time.

The cost increases as the population grows and it is becoming harder to get people to complete a census, she said.

'We need to make it as easy and quick as possible.'

In 2006, New Zealand was one of the first countries in the world to test-run an online census. There was a seven per cent online completion rate.

By the 2013 census, just over a third of New Zealanders - 34 per cent - took part online.

That same year Stats NZ ran an online census participation trial in Oamaru and saw a 65 per cent response.

'That was a real indication of what we can do going forward,' she said.

Therefore, taking advantage of technical advances to carry out this year's census was a no-brainer.

The move to a digital-first census meant building a new system: one designed to be secure, resilient and able to cope with high volumes of attention and information.

McGregor said the platform was built by scratch and designed to 'more than cope' with high volumes of traffic securely.

Personal data was encrypted from the minute it left people's browsers until it arrived at Stats NZ, she said.

Only when it reached Stats NZ could it be decoded.

In previous years Stats NZ adopted a 'one-size fits all approach,' with the same level of effort made across the country.

They hope that by putting the onus back on New Zealanders - by relying on them to fill out their forms online - they'll be able to free up resources to help those who really need it, she said.

She said they were aware that the digital-first approach may cause barriers for some people and were taking steps to ensure it was 'as easy as possible' for all.

'Lack of access and people missing out is something that's always been important to us, and something we consider in any census for many different reasons.'

This included partnering with community groups who don't have English as their first language and the Royal Foundation of the Blind, McGregor said.

'We want to put help where it is needed so people can do it in the best way they can,' she said.

SeniorNet executive officer Grant Sidaway said anything 'new' that directed people online would be a challenge for some.

The organisation has been helping older people - between 50 and 99 - learn computer and social media skills since 1992.

They had paired up with Statistics NZ to ensure older people were able to take part in the census online, Sidaway said.

'Older people may still prefer to have people knocking on their doors for the census, but I would give every encouragement to people of whatever age to do it online,' Sidaway said.

There are more than 70 SeniorNet learning centres around the country able to assist should an older person be struggling with their online census forms, he said.

The arrangements were yet to be finalised, but Sidaway said he was confident they could help people make the adjustment.

'We're well positioned to help people.'

* If you do not wish to take part online, you can contact 0800 CENSUS (0800 236 787) once your household access code has arrived to request paper forms. These will be posted to you.