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National Statistics Offices - New Technologies: Part One
Our research team has uncovered several techniques such as the use of handheld devices (tablets, personal computers, smartphones as well as personal digital assistants), CAPI (Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing) technique, and electronic questionnaires as innovations utilized within the past twelve months for data collection by national statistical agencies/offices.
METHODOLOGY
To gain insights into new technologies that are being used by national statistical offices to deploy or gather data, our research team combed through various national statistical agency reports, research journals, white papers, and United Nations reports regarding national statistics among other articles. We researched for pre-compiled articles/reports on new technologies utilized by federal/national statistical offices to collect data. Unfortunately, there are no such wide-scoped recently compiled reports. However, we unearthed a 2019 United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD) guidelines on the advances in information & communication technology that are currently revolutionizing how data (particular emphasis on census data), is collected from the field. The UNSD document describes techniques to be utilized in 2019 and beyond with inputs from Statistics Canada, Statistics Estonia, Department of Statistics of Jordan, Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics and the United States Census Bureau, among other national offices of statistics.
We then researched for granular details, specific innovation/new technology that has been used within the past 12 months by any national statistical office to deploy or gather national data. We uncovered a 2019 academic document that listed some innovations regarding the collection of federal statistics such as the use of big data sources in creating national statistics. This innovation (the use of big data) was implemented in 2016 by Statistics Netherlands and in 2015 by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). We could not include these in our study due to a timeline difference of about four years (2015 to 2019).
Finally, we researched through national databases, event databases and training programs of various countries and statistical agencies. We examined the most recent training on technologies being used by federal/national statistical agencies/offices to deploy or gather data. Insights obtained from the training schedule of the United States Census Bureau, Washington, DC and the Federated States of Micronesia Office of National Statistics revealed that the use of the CAPI technique, handheld devices, and electronic questionnaires are among new technologies being used by national statistical offices to deploy or gather data. Details of our finding are as follows.
1. Use of Handheld Devices (Tablets, PCs, smartphones as well as personal digital assistants)
According to the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD), one of the technologies revolutionizing how data (particularly census data) gets captured from the field is the use of handheld electronic devices. The use of handheld electronic devices, including tablets, PCs, smartphones as well as Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), has proven to improve data quality while reducing data collection time. The use of handheld device technology enhances data quality and the speed of data collection. The technology is rapidly becoming a standard across field-based data collection procedures.
An example of a national statistical agency that has recently trained its staff on the use of handheld devices in data collection is the Federated States of Micronesia National Statistics Office (FSM NSO). Between November 27 and December 8, 2018, a workshop/training on the use of handheld devices (for a CAPI project) for national survey/census took place in Weno, Chuuk, Weno. The workshop was the brainchild of the FSM National Statistics Office (NSO) as well as the Pacific Community (SPC). Handheld devices will be utilized in FSM's 2020 Population and Housing Census (PHC).
2. Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI)
According to the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD), another technology revolutionizing how data (particularly census data) gets captured from the field is the use of the Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI) technique. The advantage of CAPI includes the "digitization of data at the point of collection." The use of the CAPI technique also allows for a rapid and automated process of data aggregation. CAPI is replacing the traditional paper and pencil (PAPI) method of data collection.
The International Labour Organization ILO reveals that CAPI is a face-to-face personal method of interviewing where a handheld device is used to display the questions on a screen. The interviewer then obtains the response from a respondent and feeds them into the handheld device.
An example of a national statistical agency that has recently trained its staff on the use of Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI) is the Federated States of Micronesia National Statistics Office (FSM NSO). Between November 27 and December 8, 2018, a workshop/training on the use of CAPI for survey/census took place in Weno, Chuuk, Weno. The CAPI technique will be utilized in the 2020 Population and Housing Census (PHC).
3. ELECTRONIC QUESTIONNAIRES
Insights obtained from a 2019 publication of the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD) reveals that one of the technologies revolutionizing how national data (particularly census data) gets captured from the field include the use of electronic questionnaires. The use of electronic questionnaires along with CAPI is becoming the new standard for national data collection and replacing the traditional paper and pencil (PAPI) technique.
The Federated States of Micronesia recently (in December 2018) trained data collectors on the use of electronic (also known as remotely transmitted) questionnaires and the process of electronic questionnaire transmission utilizing the 3G wireless mobile band. In another report according to Jason Bradbury the program director for the United Kingdom's Office for National Statistics (ONS) on data collection and transformation, way back in 2017, there were efforts aimed at transitioning ONS's surveys to digital (electronic) platforms. This transitioning to digital (electronic) platforms was aimed at transforming the way data would be collected by the United Kingdom's Office for National Statistics (ONS) in the future (from 2017 going forward).