Modern approach to censuses in the case of Poland -- Advantages and constraints

Abstract

The Agricultural Census 2010, as well as the National Census of Population and Housing 2011 were carried out in Poland in the framework of a common project aiming at the implementation of a mix-mode approach. The purpose of the paper is to contribute to the discussions on the future of censuses. It contains a presentation of the Polish experience on the adaptation of the method based on data from administrative records combined with sample survey, as well as on the use of modern technologies for data collection, monitoring, data processing and elaboration of the results. Main features of the mentioned project, highlighting its innovative character, are discussed. The essence of the adopted approach was to use registers of public administration and some other information systems existing in Poland to the highest possible extent. Those were used not only for the purposes of constructing censuses' frames, but also – as it was the case of the population and housing census – as the source of principal information that was completed by a survey conducted on a random sample of 20% of dwellings in the country. Different techniques of data gathering were applied, including acquisition of administrative records transformed to statistical data sets and various computer assisted modes of interview (CAII, CATI and CAPI). Paper forms have been entirely eliminated. The census implementation in the modern framework required the setting up of an appropriate IT architecture and organizational structure adapted to the new approach, the preparation of the staff for the completion of census tasks in the new technological and organizational circumstances, the development of a coordination and quality management system, as well as of the system for the integration of data drawn from various sources and suitable processing technology.