Carol Coy | Census workers should utilise established channels to raise concerns

On Friday, May 12, 2023, The Gleaner published two articles titled ‘Census workers restive’ and ‘I feel like a slave’, which highlighted concerns of census workers about their conditions of work. The Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN) would like to clarify the conditions of employment and the criteria for payment for work done on the Population and Housing Census.

Data collection is a critical component of the census, and STATIN has instituted measures to ensure that the data collection staff are compensated in a timely manner. This, however, has to be balanced by the fact that the data collected must be of a standard that will provide credible data for policymakers and the general public. STATIN employs two main categories of census data collection staff: census takers and census supervisors.

Census takers are responsible for taking the census of every household in an Enumeration District (ED), which is the geographic region for which they are assigned. They are required to list all buildings in an ED, locate the households, administer the questionnaires (household and individual) and upload these daily.

Census supervisors are responsible for a ‘zone’, which comprises, on average, six EDs. They are required to guide the census taker in data collection, undertake quality checks of the census taker’s work, and review and approve submitted questionnaires.

Tables 1 and 2 below show the compensation to census workers at the start of the project and that following the increase granted by the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service in March 2023.

Table 1. Current Compensation

Post Travelling Allowance Salary

Census Supervisor (Urban) $125,000 $160,000 for the completion of a supervisory zone.

Census Supervisor (Rural) $140,000 $160,000 for the completion of a supervisory zone.

Census Taker (Urban) $30,000 $200 per household questionnaire completed;

$400 per individual questionnaire completed.

Census Taker (Rural) $35,000 $200 per household questionnaire completed;

$400 per individual questionnaire completed.

Table 2. Increased Compensation

Post Travelling Allowance Salary

Census Supervisor (Urban) $151,000 $170,000 for the completion of a supervisory zone.

Census Supervisor (Rural) $166,000 $170,000 for the completion of a supervisory zone.

Census Taker (Urban) $56,000 $400 per household questionnaire completed;

$800 per individual questionnaire completed.

Census Taker (Rural) $61,000 $400 per household questionnaire completed;

$800 per individual questionnaire completed

Census takers are paid half of the travelling allowance if they have completed at least 40.0 per cent of the average ED size, which in the case of a rural ED is 40 households and for an urban ED, 60 households. The second half of the travelling allowance is paid on the completion of the ED. Questionnaires are paid when they are approved, that is, they have met the criteria for completion.

Census supervisors are paid half of the travelling allowance if at least 200 questionnaires have been completed in their assigned zone and they have checked at least 50.0 per cent of those questionnaires. In instances where this criterion has not been met, census supervisors are paid a quarter of the travelling allowance if they have completed at least three approved supervisory questionnaires.

The increase granted by the ministry is paid on the successful completion of the assigned ED, and not on the completion of the census. In an instance where a census taker does not complete his/her assignment, the additional payment for approved questionnaires will be pro-rated.

All census workers were advised of the criteria for payment as per their employment contract. By correspondence sent on March 3, 2023, census workers were also advised of the increased compensation and the conditions under which this would be paid.

STATIN generates a census payroll every fortnight, but a census worker must satisfy the criteria for payment at least one week before the cut-off period to meet the payroll. This additional time is required for STATIN to complete its internal processes.

Payment for work done is based on the approval of census questionnaires. This is a two-step process. Supervisors are required to review the questionnaire to ensure the quality of the work undertaken by the census worker. If issues are found, the questionnaire is returned to the census taker for corrections. Once the supervisor is satisfied with the questionnaire, it is submitted to the census office for review and final approval. At this point, the questionnaire can be returned if it does not meet the quality criteria. Census takers are also required to submit the Visitation Record, or the listing of all buildings within the ED. This forms part of the quality check for data collection. Approval at the census office is undertaken by approximately 90 persons. Data collection staff can speed up this process with a timely return of rejected questionnaires and the submission of the Visitation Record, with all buildings within the ED listed correctly.

Support to census workers is also provided by 49 technical support officers across the island, who are responsible for providing hands-on demonstration on how to navigate the tablet and software. A messaging service is also available on the tablets, through which support can be sought.

The field operations include regional coordinators and area managers, through which support can also be accessed. The technical and administrative staff at STATIN have also been providing support to census workers who have sought clarification regarding their status and update on their payments. STATIN acknowledges that there were some administrative issues that adversely impacted the early stages of the project. These have been addressed and effective solutions have been implemented. We continue to monitor the situation and will make the necessary adjustments should issues arise. Census workers are encouraged to utilise the channels that have been established to raise their concerns.

Carol Coy is director general of the Statistical Institute of Jamaica. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com.