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57 NATIONAL CENSUS REPORT
Secretaries, Divisional Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners were invited for these
workshops. Chief Secretaries of the respective governments were chief guests of these events.
The detail of the workshops conducted at six cities is as under:
Table 2.5: Sensitization workshops with government functionaries
Sensitization
workshops
Province
No. of
divisions
Venue
Date
1st
Punjab
9
Lahore
May 23, 2022
2nd
Sindh
7
Karachi
May 25, 2022
3rd
Balochistan
8
Quetta
May 27, 2022
4th
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
7
Peshawar
May 30, 2022
5th
Azad Jammu and Kashmir
3
Muzaffarabad
June 6, 2022
6th
Gilgit Baltistan
3
Gilgit
June 11, 2022
Lahore: 23rd May, 2022
Karachi: 25th May, 2022 Muzaffarabad: 6th June, 2022
Gilgit: 11th June, 2022 Quetta: 27th May, 2022 Peshawar: 30th May, 2022
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NATIONAL CENSUS REPORT 58
2.2.2 Role of Service Providing Agencies
After approval of the recommendations of Census Advisory Committee and work plan of 18
months to conduct 7 th Population and Housing Census -2023 by the CCI in its 49 th meeting,
PBS, keeping in view the challenging timelines, engaged for the Government to Government
(G2G) solution National Database and Registration Authority ( NADRA), Space and Upper
Atmosphere Research Commission ( SUPARCO) and National Telecom Corporation ( NTC)
for provision of software, hardware, latest high resolution imagery and allied services required
for successful completion of the digital census field operation.The following Table 2.6
summarizes the role of consulting agencies, NADRA, SUPARCO and NTC regarding
provision of hardware and software during the conduct of 7th Population and Housing Census-
2023.
Table 2.6: Role of Consulting Agencies during the Digital Census-2023.
Task Description Responsibility
Tablet device
and allied
accessories
Provision of 126000 tablet devices and allied accessories
Provision of 126000 secure data SIMs
Hardening and preparation of tablet devices
Dispatching and retrieval of tablet devices
NADRA
Datacenter
and
Infrastructure
Compute storage and network resources
Two sites, one primary site at NTC Islamabad and one disaster
recovery site at NTC Lahore
Intranet and internet connectivity of sites
Software licenses required for the datacenter
NTC
Census
Support
Centers
IT support to field staff
Provision of internet devices
NADRA,
NTC & PBS
Call center Establishment of call center at PBS HQ
Operationalization of call center for 6 months
Technology transfer to PBS
NTC & PBS
Census
Software
Provision of complete turnkey solution
Hosting of census software solutions at infrastructure provided
by NTC
Syncing of data and data security
NADRA,
NTC & PBS
GIS imagery Provision of GIS imagery SUPARCO
2.2.3 Census Software
For the Digital Census-2023, initially eighteen software modules were considered to facilitate
various tasks in a digital format. However, upon careful internal discussion s and
considerations, it was determined that some of these modules share d similar features. As a
result, the Supervisor Dashboard and Data Synchronization modules were combined with the
Indicator and Trend Analysis and Android House Listing and Enumeration Data Collection
modules, respectively. The final list of modules, comprising sixteen in total, can be seen in
Table 2.7.
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59 NATIONAL CENSUS REPORT
Table 2.7: Software Modules Finalized for Digital Census-2023
S.
No.
Software Modules
S.
No.
Software Modules
1
Self-enumeration web portal
9
GIS based Dashboard Monitoring
System
2
HR & Task Assignment Web Portal
10
Dashboard for Trend Analysis
3
Training Web portal
11
Data Cleaning Module
4
Inventory Management
12
Complaint Management System
5
Android House listing App
13
Reporting Module
6
Android Enumerator Data Collection
app
14
Public Data Dissemination Portal
7
Communication application
15
CATI support module
8
Area Frame Updation Application
16
MDM
2.2.4 Census Hardware and IT Infrastructure
PBS has its own datacenter, but unfortunately, the existing infrastructure was not reliable
enough to support the extensive census operation. As a result, it was necessary to upgrade the
entire datacenter to meet the necessary standards for power backups, precision cooling,
network and server security, environmental monitoring and control, fire suppression systems,
and access control systems. Additionally, a secondary site with disaster recovery capabilities
had to be introduced. However, given the tight schedule for the census, procuring and
completing the necessary upgrades for the datacenter was not feasible. Therefore, the well-
established tier-III Datacenter Infrastructure of National Telecom Corporation (NTC) suitable
for this exercise was utilized to provide round-the-clock support, with multiple active sites
including a dedicated disaster recovery site.
The hardware and IT related requirements chalked out for the Digital Census-2023 included 126000 tablet devices with allied accessories, hardening and preparation of tablet devices, internet SIMs from Telco’s, compute storage and network resources, two sites one primary site and one disaster recovery site, intranet and internet connectivity of sites, data security, IT support to field staff from Census Support Centers, and establishment of call centers. PBS accordingly engaged National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) for provision of 126000 tablets with allied accessories (secured, hardened devices), Census Software Solution (Enterprise Resource Planning - ERP), Data SIMs and secure data connectivity, and census field support services.
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NATIONAL CENSUS REPORT 60
Figure 2.5: Digital Architecture Used in Census-2023
2.2.5 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.
2.2.6 Acquisition of High Resolution Imagery
Digital maps of area frame are at the crux of digital enumeration. PBS had already digitized its
area frame, which consisted of approximately 182,000 blocks and conducting surveys through
tablets using the digitized block boundaries. However, due to the sensitivity and magnitude of
the census project, PBS decided to acquire the latest satellite imagery accurate to a level that
does not affect the accuracy of geo-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 requirement s. After
extensive discussions between 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.
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61 NATIONAL CENSUS REPORT
2.2.7 Deployment of Census Field Staff
As per the previous practices, the field operation of 7th Population and Housing Census was
conducted and supervised through the respective provincial government’s machinery . T he
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 Punjab, 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.
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 acted as a crucial link
between PBS administration, provincial and regional administration, and local field staff. They
facilitated timely and efficient communication regarding census instructions, compla ints and
suggestions, as well as logistic support.
2.2.8 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 established 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.
2.2.9 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 comprehensive coverage of both
geographic areas and population segments. More specifically, p ilot census aims to test the
accuracy of cartography, methodology, data collection methods, questionnaires, logistical
Pakistan Bureau of Statistics
NATIONAL CENSUS REPORT 62
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.
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 2.7, whereas district-wise breakdown of the selected blocks
is given in the subsequent Figure 2.8.