14
Population & Housing Census-2023 tagging of structures. For this purpose, PBS held several meetings with SUPARCO, the National Space Agency of Pakistan specializing in GIS and Space Science research, to discuss and determine the imagery and GIS requirements. After extensive discussions be tween the technical experts from both sides, the following services were decided to be acquired from the SUPARCO. • High resolution digital satellite imagery of 0.3 -meter resolution for 18 districts and 0.98 -meter resolution for remaining areas for reconciliation and ground reference (not more than 6 months old). • Support in terms of infrastructure and human development for hosting of Digital Enumeration Area Maps on PBS server. 1.2.6 Provision of Call Center Services A call center by the NTC was established at the PBS headquarters to facilitate smooth communication between the public and the Census administration during and after the census exercise. This call center served as a central hub of information, handling not only general complaints but also inquiries from the public regarding the census process, on-field activities, and frequently asked questions about the census. Additionally, it was utilized for Computer -Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) approach after the census field operation. A call center was set up by the NTC within the premises of PBS headquarter to serve as an information hub for a seamless interface between Public and Census administration, during and after the census exercise. It was used not only for general complaint re solution, but also for enquiries generated by the public for PBS about the census process, on -field activities and other census frequently asked questions. It was also used for Computer -assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) approach after the census field operation. 1.2.7 Deployment of Census Field Staff As per the previous practices, the field operation of 7 th Population and Housing Census was conducted and supervised through the respective provincial government’s machinery. The Provincial Chief Secretaries being the administrative heads of the provinces implemented the census plan prepared by the Federal Government, and all the orders and instructions in this respect were issued from their offices down to the level of Divisional Commissioners, Deputy Commissioners and Assistant Commissioners. Similarly, from administrative and organizational point of view, Census Districts were established all over the country, including Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu & Kashmir, for effective coordination and implementation of Digital Census activities. In Pun jab, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, tehsils were declared as Census Districts, whereas in the rest of the country including Gilgit -Baltistan and Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Admn. districts were declared as Census Districts. The respective administrative heads of the admn. districts and tehsils were notified as Census District Officers (CDOs). These Census Districts were divided into Census Charges, Census Circles, and Census Blocks.
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Population & Housing Census-2023
PBS ensured effective coordination with provincial and regional administration by deploying its own
staff members, including Statistical and Geographical assistants, to work alongside Census District
Officers at 495 Census Districts. These staff members ac ted as a crucial link between PBS
administrations, provincial and regional administration, and local field staff. They facilitated timely and
efficient communication regarding census instructions, complaints and suggestions, as well as logistic
support.
1.2.8 Establishment of Census Support Centers
Since the Digital Census was being carried out first time in the country, therefore, to keep the process
smooth and ensure availability of system alive 24/7, dedicated Census Support Centers on the
recommendation of Census Advisory Committee were establish ed at the Tehsil/Census District level.
These centers played a vital role in facilitating the census field operation. They were responsible for a
range of tasks, including the distribution and collection of tablet devices, as well as installation and
configuration of census applications. Moreover, they performed as Control Room and Complaint Inquiry
Office in each Census District. These centers were equipped with all the necessary IT equipment,
furniture, fixtures, and technical staff. The technical staff, mostly from PBS, were assigned to provide
support to the technical field staff, enumerators, and supervisors.
1.2.9 Training of Census Staff
In order to provide comprehensive training both on the subject matter and IT related aspects of the Digital
Census to the census field staff, supervisors and enumerators, a three -tiered plan was devised. The first
tier involved training Master Trainers in Islamabad; the second tier consisted of training Trainers at the
Divisional level; and finally, the third tier involved training supervisors and enumerators at the Tehsil
level. The training for 328 Master Trainers took place at NIBAF in 5 batches during 5th - 15th December,
2022. These Master Trainers then imparted training to 3460 Trainers in 94 batches during 18 th - 23rd
December, 2022. Subsequently, the Trainers trained a total of 121,000 census field staff in 2000 batches
during 7th - 20th January, 2023. To provide a glimpse of the master training sessions, a selection of photos
is shown in Figure 1.5.
16
Population & Housing Census-2023 Figure 1.5: Training of Master Trainers for the Digital Census Field Activities
1.3 Pilot Census of Digital Census-2023 Pilot census serves as a thorough assessment of all the census procedures. Its primary objective is to evaluate effectiveness and suitability of the complete census plan and its organizational framework by conducting a trial run. This entails ensuring comp rehensive coverage of both geographic areas and population segments. More specifically, pilot census aims to test the accuracy of cartography, methodology, data collection methods, questionnaires, logistical planning, as well as the interaction and coordination among all the resources involved in the census. The pilot census of Digital Census -2023 encompassed twelve specific objectives aimed at rigorously testing the following aspects.
17
Population & Housing Census-2023
i.
Effectiveness and comprehensibility of training materials and procedures to impart trainings to
the master trainers and enumerators.
ii.
Capabilities of enumerators to comprehend the census concepts within a short span of time and
implement in the field with maximum efficiency and accuracy.
iii.
Applicability and suitability of census questionnaire, clarity of its wording, sequence of
questions, and response biases.
iv.
The enumeration workload and time required to carry out the enumeration.
v.
Suitability of coordination mechanism for logistic support in the field and necessary
communication to and from PBS representatives in the field and other field staff such as
enumerators/ supervisors etc. to devise effective strategy to deal with day to day issues.
vi.
Census tablets and other hardware for their suitability in the field, especially durability of tablet
battery and charge banks to keep tablets alive during the whole enumeration time of a day.
vii.
Census software and GIS for their reliability, accuracy, efficiency and security.
viii.
Digital block maps with high-resolution imagery and capability to properly identify to the
enumerators their assigned blocks and to help recognize block overlapping/ non-coverage etc.
ix.
Compatibility between the hardware and different census software and to sort out issues prior
to start of full scale census enumeration.
x.
Network availability and proper and easy log-in capability of the devices.
xi.
Proper, effective and secure data synchronization and transmission to the central database.
xii.
Real-time monitoring in the field and at PBS headquarter to deal with block identification/
overlapping, non-coverage and other issues requiring regular and immediate action from the
concerned in the field and at PBS headquarter.
In light of the objectives of the pilot census, which was to thoroughly test all the new technologies
adopted for the Digital Census, the PBS Technical Committee decided that instead of utilizing a
representative sample, the main focus should be on evaluating the entire process of the Digital Census
under diverse conditions. In order to accomplish this, a study was conducted on the block-wise
information and after detailed deliberation it was decided to select a sample of around 500 blocks from
clusters of districts keeping in view factors such as density, accessibility, and topography of the area.
Consequently, a total of 417 blocks were selected from 33 administrative districts for the pilot census.
The selected administrative districts for Pilot Census can be seen in Figure 1.6, whereas breakdown of
the selected blocks, both by province/district and rural-urban areas, is given in Table 1.3 and Figure 1.7,
respectively.
Field operation of the pilot census was carried out from July 20, 2022 to August 3, 2022 in 33
selected Administrative Districts across Pakistan, including Azad Jammu & Kashmir and Gilgit
Baltistan. For the pilot census field operation, a three-day training session for the Master Trainers was
held at the PBS headquarters from July 5 to July 7, 2022. The Master Trainers then imparted training to
the enumerators in the field at the selected 27 stations from July 13 to July 17, 2022. The district
administration of each province/district provided the enumeration and supervisory staff. The
enumerators were selected from various provincial departments, and the enumeration was conducted
under the supervision of the tehsil and district administration in their respective jurisdictions. As the pilot
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Population & Housing Census-2023
census was digital, tablet devices were used, and two software modules were developed and utilized for
this purpose.
Several key issues were identified during the pilot census. Firstly, the tablets used during the
process experienced fast battery drainage, resulting in frequent interruptions. The SIM cards provided
did not always match the local network, causing connecti vity problems. Another challenge was the
technical deficiency of the staff deputed at the Census Support Centers in each census district. This
hindered smooth execution of the data collection process. Moreover, the enumeration blocks in
Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were situated far away from the Census Support Centers, leading
to delays and logistic difficulties. Furthermore, there were delays in resolving technical problems that
arose during the enumeration. Adverse weather conditions also posed a challenge in conducting the field
operation effectively. Lastly, there were compatibility issues between the SUPARCO satellite imagery
and PBS maps, which impacted accuracy of the data collection process.
The issues identified during the pilot census were assessed thoroughly and appropriate corrective
measures were taken prior to commencement of the main census activities and field operation for the
census data collection.
Figure 1.6: Map Showing Admn. Districts Selected for the Pilot Census
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Population & Housing Census-2023
Table 1.3: Province/ District-wise Blocks Selection for the Pilot Census
Province/
Region
Selected Districts
No. of
Blocks
Visual Presentation of No. of
Blocks Selected from each
District
Islamabad
Islamabad
20
Punjab Bahawalnagar 16
Rahim Yar Khan 36
Jhang 16
Multan 20
Jhelum 12
Rawalpindi 26
Khushab 12 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Dera Ismail Khan 24 Abbottabad 4
Mansehra 4
Lower Kohistan 8
Upper Kohistan 12
Kohistan 8
Kohat 4
Nowshera 4 Sindh Dadu 12
Jamshoro 18
Karachi Central 16
Karachi East 21
Tharparkar 14
Sanghar 16
Sukkur 4 Balochistan Kalat 10
Mastung 8
Khuzdar 14
Washuk 4
Gwadar 12 Azad Jammu and Kashmir Jhelum Valley 8 Mirpur 16 Gilgit-Baltistan Baltistan 4
Gilgit 8
Nagar 6 Total 417 0 10 20 30 40
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Population & Housing Census-2023 Figure 1.7: Rural/ Urban Breakdown of the Blocks Selected for the Pilot Census
1.4 Enumeration Method and Field Operation
The 6 th Population and Housing Census -2017 of Pakistan, similar to earlier censuses, was conducted
using a mixed approach, defecto cum dejure. The census mainly followed the dejure concept, which
considers the usual place of residence for counting the population. However, only the "homeless"
population was counted using a defacto basis. This mixed approach is also commonly used in other
countries of the sub-continent.
The Census Advisory Committee after detailed deliberations on the advantages and disadvantages
of both defacto and de -jure methodologies, taking into account the practical realities on the ground,
evaluating effectiveness of the de-jure method, as well as considering the significant financial and human
resource requirements of the defacto method, recommended the de -jure method of enumeration for the
7th Population and Housing Census -2023. The de -jure method of enumeration involves counting
individuals based on their usual residence, which was defined as the place where they have continuously
lived for at least six months (excluding temporary absences for holidays or work). Additionally, the
intention to live in a particular place for at least six months was also considered when determining usual
place of residence. Individuals who were temporarily residing in a place were not counted, as they were
enumerated at their usual places of residence. Likewise, individuals who were temporarily out of the
country or city to attend religious events, weddings, or trainings for less than six months were counted
at their usual places of residence.
The data collection process of the Digital Census-2023 began with the deployment of a web portal
for self-enumeration on 20th February, 2023. This marked a significant milestone, as only a few countries
worldwide have attempted and achieved such an endeavor for their population. Around 2,600,000
individuals submitted their data through the self -enumeration portal till its closing date on 10th March,
2023. The process of listing houses and structures took place between 1st – 10th March, 2023, while the
census field enumeration began on 12th March, 2023, with an initial completion date of 4 th April, 2023.
However, based on the requests from provincial governments for complete enumeration, the field
Punjab
Sindh
KP
Balochistan
GB
AJK
Islamabad
Urban Blocks
59
61
12
18
6
8
12
Rural Blocks
79
40
56
30
12
16
8
Total Blocks
138
101
68
48
18
24
20
0
40
80
120
160
Number of blocks
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Population & Housing Census-2023
operation was extended four times by the Census Monitoring Committee until 30th April, 2023. In certain
districts, the census field operation was further extended until 21st May, 2023, mainly due to under-
enumeration.
1.5 Post Enumeration Survey
One of the main recommendations made by the Census Advisory Committee was to conduct Post
Enumeration Survey (PES) of the 7th Population and Housing Census-2023. The recommendation was
approved by the CCI during its 49th meeting held on 13th January, 2022. Moreover, during the census
field operation, PBS constituted two Committees: Technical/ Expert Committee on Census-2023 for
periodic review with provincial and district stakeholders to ensure credible census field operation and
committee on Trend Analysis of Census Data for 7th Population and Housing Census (Digital Census)
to analyze trends and determine suitability of the census data prior to placing it before the competent
forum for approval. The Committee held several meetings and after detailed review of the census data
recommended to conduct Post Enumeration Survey to address the issues of over- or under-enumeration
identified through demographic techniques in certain areas of the county.
Therefore, during the 15th meeting of the Census Monitoring Committee chaired by the Minister
for PD&SI on 7th June, 2023, it was decided that Post Enumeration Survey may be conducted in order
to assess accuracy and the coverage extent of the Digital Census-2023. The methodology for conducting
the PES and incorporating its findings into the final Digital Census-2023 results was approved in the
subsequent 16th meeting of the Census Monitoring Committee held on 27th June, 2023. Accordingly, the
Post Enumeration Survey (PES) of Digital Census-2023 was conducted from 8th to 19th July, 2023, in
accordance with the decision made in the 49th meeting of CCI and 15th -16th meetings of Census
Monitoring Committee.
For the PES, a sample of 2500 Enumeration Blocks was selected from 48 administrative districts
(overall level) with relative margin of error (RMOE) of 1.1%. The sample was selected using stratified
random sampling where strata within provinces were made on the basis of similar characteristics like
growth rates, population etc. Each stratum represented distinct districts. The 48 selected districts
represented their respective stratum from which the sample was selected. The sample size was further
proportionally allocated to urban and rural part of each district. Provincial and rural/urban breakdown of
the PES sample is given in Table 1.4.
Table 1.4: PES Sample Allocation with Provincial and Rural/Urban Breakdown
Province Rural Urban Total Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 287 93 380 Punjab 471 586 1057 Sindh 313 538 851 Balochistan 124 43 167 Islamabad 23 22 45 Total 1218 1282 2500