A test of the updated census collection model is scheduled to run on 9 March 2021, Stats NZ said today.
The test, which will be conducted in Hamilton East and West and in Raahui Pookeka/Huntly, will investigate the effectiveness of changes made to the census collection model.
A number of changes have been made to the model since 2018, including increasing:
- the number of staff who’ll be visiting participants in the lead-up to and after the test day
- the level of assistance collectors can provide
- the numbers of paper forms provided.
The staff visiting households and distributing and collecting forms will be primarily recruited from within the communities they’ll be working in, using their local knowledge and existing community presence – another change from the 2018 model.
Many of these changes are focused on increasing response rates in Māori communities, Pacific communities, and other communities that had low collection rates in 2018.
The test’s core objectives are to understand:
- how changes to the collection model affect people’s experiences and how they participate
- the impact of implementing a community-led engagement model (Raahui Pookeka/Huntly only)
- how people interact and participate when staff are able to provide assistance with filling in test forms (only available in some areas)
- the accuracy of predictions around timings and costs associated with the updated model.
The results of the test will be used to refine the census collection model. Participation in the test is voluntary, but the more people who participate, the better the information gathered about how well the new collection model works will be.
Everyone living in the selected test locations will be notified in advance via pre-notification postcards and will receive paper forms, delivered to them ahead of the test day. Participants will also have the option of completing their forms online.
Both English and bilingual (English and te reo Māori) forms will be available to participants. Some participants will be provided bilingual forms to begin with, while others will be provided English-only forms. Both sets of forms will be available to all participants on request.
The questions on the forms being used for the test are mostly the same as the forms used in 2018. The key difference with the test forms is that they will contain versions of the new questions on gender and sexual identity that are being added to the census. These questions are still being tested, and their format may change slightly between the census test in 2021 and the census proper in 2023.
In Raahui Pookeka/Huntly, a community-led engagement model called ‘Community Counts’ is being trialled. Community Counts involves Stats NZ taking direction from local representatives, influencers, and decision makers in co-designing engagement and promotion initiatives for the census test. It’s being spearheaded by the local marae hapuu and Raahui Pookeka community, with support from Waikato Tainui and close involvement of local iwi-led service organisations, including koohanga reo, kura kaupapa, and youth groups. This work has already begun.
Residents of Hamilton East and West and of Raahui Pookeka/Huntly can expect to start seeing Stats NZ collectors in their areas from mid-February.
A further test will run in March 2022 ahead of the next census in March 2023.
