Page 281 - Invited Paper Session (IPS) - Volume 1

IPS153 Christine B. et al.
3. The 2018 Census
The 2018 Census strategy (Statistics NZ, 2016) set out an ambitious
modernisation programme across all components of census taking. This
followed several censuses of minimal content change, and limited innovation.
Improvements to adjust for missing census characteristics data were signalled
in the 2018 Census strategy. These included the use of alternative sources (the
previous 2013 Census and good quality administrative sources), and more
extensive use of statistical imputation.
While some aspects of the 2018 modernisation have been successful,
major challenges were faced when implementing the new collection model,
and the overall level of response was lower than expected. Once these
collection issues became clear in mid-2018, Stats NZ embarked on
development of new methods for including people in the 2018 Census dataset
based on administrative data. The new methods have built on the research
undertaken by the longer-term census transformation investigations, and fast-
forwarded their development for use in the context of a full enumeration
census.
The use of alternative sources for census characteristics has taken on
greater significance than originally anticipated given an increased number of
partial census responses and the contribution of administrative records to the
final census dataset.

4. Methods for administrative enumerations in the 2018 Census
The admin NZ resident population, the IDI-ERP described above, is the
source for including administrative records in the 2018 Census dataset. The IDI-
ERP provides an initial admin list of people who can be considered for inclusion
in the census dataset. We first remove NZ residents temporarily overseas on
census night, as they are not included in the NZ census population definition,
and remove those for whom we already have a census response. We also
recognise limitations in the quality of administrative sources when determining
who should be placed into the census file. When faced with choices of how to
implement methods and where to set model parameters, decisions have been
conservative.
Admin enumerations have been added to the census dataset when they
will improve the overall quality of the census data. Administrative households
are formed when have good evidence for improving census household
information. Otherwise, admin enumerations are not placed in dwellings, but
are placed within a small geographic area (a meshblock, up to 100 people),
when we can do so while improving the quality of census small area data. We
now outline the statistical methodologies used to include high quality admin
enumerations in the census file.

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