1996 Census communications evaluation = évaluation des communications du recensement de 1996.

614 Pages·1997·17.3 MB·English

by  Statistics Canada = Statistique Canada.

CENSUS'199 6'RECENSEMENT}
1996Census Evaluationdes
Communications Communications
Evaluation duRecensementde1996
VOLUME
1
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STATISTICS STATISTIQUE
CANADA CANADA
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LIBRARY
BIBLIOTH^QUE
1996 Census
Communications Evaluation
Evaluation des Communications
du Recensement de 1996
May/Mai1997

TABLEOFCONTENTS/TABLEDESMATIERES
1996CENSUSCOMMUNICATIONS/
COMMUNICATIONSDURECENSEMENTDE1996
Introduction
Overviewofthe1996CensusCommunicationsProgram/
AperguduProgrammedecommunications
duRecensementde1996 SECTION1
Whatwelearnedin1996/Cequ'onaapprisen1996
DecisionRecord/Registredesdecisions
1996CensusCommunicationsStaffList/Communicationsdu
Recensementde1996-Listedupersonnel
ExecutiveSummary-Regions/Evaluationsregionales
PlanningandImplementation/
Planiflcationetmiseenoeuvre SECTION2
StrategicandOperationalFramework/Cadresstrategiqueetoperationnel
MeetingsandConferenceCalls/Reunionsetconferencestelephoniques
ConceptandDesign/Conceptetgraphisme
ChallengesandIssues/Defisetenjeux
AwarenessSurveys/Enquetesdesensibilisation
Commissions/Commissaires
CabinetDocument/DocumentduCabinet
Gazetting/ParutiondanslaGazette
Administration SECTION3
ProjectResources/Ressourcesduprojet
Staffing/Dotation
SpaceandEquipmentRequirements/Besoinsd'espaceetd'equipement
1996CensusCommunicationsEvaluation EvaluationdesCommunicationsduRecensementde1996
MaterialsProductionandDistribution/
Productionetdistributiondumateriel SECTION4
Materials-DesignandProduction/Materiel.-Conceptionetproduction
Materialsforotherprojects/Materielpourd'autresprojets
Warehousing/Entreposage
Distribution
PaidAdvertising/
Publicitespayees SECTION5
PromotionalandReferenceMaterials/
Outilsdepromotionetdocumentsdereference SECTION6
WritingUnit/Sous-sectiondelaredaction
PromotionalMaterials/Outilsdepromotion
ReferenceMaterials/Documentsdereference
AltemativeFormats/Mediassubstituts
Translation/Traduction
PublicRelationsActivities/
Activitesderelationspubliques SECTION7
CensusSupportProgram/Programmedeparrainagedurecensement
NationalCorporations/Societesnationales
NationalAssociations/Associationsnationales
MediaRelations/Relationsaveclesmedias
GovernmentRelations/Relationsgouvemementales
EducationProgram/Programmed'education
SpecialGroups/Groupesspeciaux
CensusHelpLine/Assistancetelephoniquedurecensement
InternalCommunications/Conmiunicationsinternes
Agriculture
1996CensusCommunicationsEvaluation EvaluationdesCommunicationsduRecensementde1996
Ill
CentralizedEditTestProject/
ProjetdeI'Essaiducontrolecentralise SECTION8
Overview/Apergu
CollectionProgram/ProgrammedelacoUecte
PublicRelationsactivities/Activitesderelationspubliques
OutaouaisRegion/RegiondeI'Outaouais
1996CensusCommunicationsEvaluation EvaluationdesCommunicationsduRecensementde1996

Introduction i Introduction
Introduction
AlthoughCanadianshavealongtraditionofbeingcooperativeinthecompletionoftheirCensus
forms,StatisticsCanadawentintothe1996Censuscollectionperiodawarethattheyarenot
immunetotheanti-Census/anti-surveysentimentsexperiencedinmanyothercountries. We
expectedtoencountergreaterdifficultythaneverbeforeinconvincingpeopletoaccurately
completeandpromptlyreturntheirCensusforms. Suchwasnotthecase. Therewas
overwhelmingpublicsupportforCensusinformationforinformeddecision-makingbyboth
governmentsandtheprivatesector,andtohelpindividualCanadianstounderstandthesocial
andeconomicchangesoccurringthroughouttheircoimtry. Ourmailresponseratesincreased
from1991althoughallaccumulatedwisdomtoldusthatratesshouldgodown. Indeed,thevast
majorityofformswereinourhandswithintendaysoftheCensus. Collectionoperationswere
completedsomesixweeksaheadofthedateachievedinthe1991Census,withinbudget,and
withtheexpectationofimprovementsindataquality.
Duringourpreparations,wewereencouragedbytheextraordinarysupportandcooperationwe
onceagainreceivedfromtheprivatesectorandalllevelsofgovernment. TheCensusreliesvery
heavilyonthepubliccommunicationssupportprovided,withoutremuneration,bygovernments,
businesses,ethnicandculturalgroupsandconmiunityorganizationsofallkinds. Infact,our
estimatesindicatethatCanadiansreceivedabout350millionmessagesabouttheCensusfrom
supporters. Thiswidespreadsupportisinvaluable,bothindollarssavedandcredibilitygained.
ItisclearlyareflectionoftheimportancethatisattachedtoCensusdata.
Publiccommunicationsactivities,combinedwithapaidadvertisingcampaign,targetedmedia
relationsandcarefiiloperationalpreparations,provedsuccessfiil. Althoughtherewassome
limitedresistancebecauseofthetimerequiredtoanswerthequestiormaireandthenatureof
someofthequestions,some86%ofhouseholdscompletedandmailedbacktheirhousehold
formswithinthreeweeks.
Themediawerealsoverysupportivethroughoutthecountry. NotonlydidtheQuebecmedianot
soundaseparatistnoteagainsttheCensus,we,infact,receivedstrongsupportfromsuchwell
knownjournalistsasClaudePicher. Thenewquestiontoenumeratethevisibleminority
populationbecamethemostpublicizedissueinthe1996Census,particularlyinthewestern
provinces. Asmallnumberofjournalistsandpoliticiansencouragedpeopletowritein
1996CensusCommunicationsEvaluation EvaluationdesCommunicationsduRecensementde1996
.
Introduction Introduction
inappropriateresponses,suchas"martian",tothisquestion. However,initialassessmentof
responsesindicatesthatnegativemediacoverageappearstohavehadveryUttleimpactondata
quality.
In1996,wedrewattentionforthefirsttimetothefactthatpeoplehadtofillintheirCensus
formsbecauseitwasthelaw. InpastCensuses,weemphasizedthattheCensuswasacivic
responsibilityofbenefittoallCanadiansandonlyexplicitlyspecifiedthelegalrequirementin
dealingwithdelinquentrespondents. Ourchangeinstrategywasbasedontheadviceoffocus
groups,whotoldusthattheywantedtoknowup-frontaboutthelegalrequirements. We
includedthatinformationintheChiefStatistician'smessageonthefrontofthequestionnaireand
inallthepublicrelationsmaterials. Althoughwereceivedafewcomplaintsabout"threats",
overall,thismessageseemedtohaveapositiveeffectonourhighresponserates.
StatisticsCanadaiskeenlyawareoftheconcernsofrespondentsaboutprivacyand
confidentiality. Inthe1996Census,wetestedanewcollectionmethodwhichsawCensus
formsmailedtorespondentsinurbanareasanddeliveredbyCensusRepresentativesinrural
areas. AllcompletedCensusformswerethenmailedbacktoaDistrictofficeratherthantothe
localCensusRepresentative. Thetest-siteforthisnewmethod(CentralizedEdit)wasEastern
Ontario,andtodate,resultsarepromising. Ifallworkswell,thismethodcouldbeintroduced
nationallyforthenextCensusin2001
Mandate
TheCensusCommunicationsgroup,whichwascomposedofstaffsituatedinOttawaand
ineachofthefiveregionaloffices,wasresponsibleforprovidingaproactive
communicationsprogramtogeneratewidepublicsupportforthecensusduringthe
enumerationstage. Theprogramwasbothcreativeandcost-effective,whilemaintaining
apositiveandnon-partisancorporateimageofStatisticsCanada.
2. Objectives
Widepublicsupportforthecensuswasessentialtoachieveagoaloftimelyandprecise
returns(Appendix1). Non-responserepresentsamajorfinancialburdentocensus
collections. TheCensusCommunicationsprogramgeneratedpublicsupportforthe
collectionactivitiesthroughactivitieswhich:
1996CensusCommunicationsEvaluation EvaluationdesCommunicationsduRecensementde1996