2007 Test
On 13 May 2007, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) conducted the first major field test for the next census. The purpose of conducting the voluntary test was to assess a wide range of different aspects in planning, testing and evaluating the census operation and to feed these into the design of the 2011 Census.
The 2007 Test included approximately 100,000 households from within the five local authority areas of Bath and North East Somerset, Camden, Carmarthenshire, Liverpool and Stoke-on-Trent. The respective areas were chosen to provide a diverse cross section of the population and types of housing that would be covered in the full census.
The key aims of the test were to:
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assess the feasibility of the major innovations in the proposed 2011 Census design
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assess the effectiveness of new address questions and residence definitions to capture multi-residence information
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further advance understanding of the drivers of, and barriers to, public response, in particular to assess the effect on response of the inclusion of a question on income
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assess the effectiveness of different enumeration approaches in maximising response for different population and area types
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develop a detailed understanding of the requirements of business systems to support the census operation and the interfaces between them
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assess the performance of alternative suppliers as part of the procurement of services for the 2011 Census
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develop effective ways of working with local authorities to improve the enumeration process
The 2007 Census Test was voluntary. Information returned on the forms is treated as confidential and only used for the evaluation of the test and carrying out any subsequent further research. No information that could identify individuals will be passed outside ONS.
Conduct of the Test
Out of the 101,976 households in total, some 43,998 questionnaires were delivered by hand.
Post-out of forms, using the Royal Mail, was adopted for delivery of the questionnaires to the other half of the sample households. If this proves to be successful it could be adopted throughout the majority of Enumeraton Districts in the 2011 Census.
The numbers of questionnaires delivered within each Test area were:
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Bath and NE Somerset 9,749
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Camden 30,273
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Carmarthenshire 8,983
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Liverpool 37,932
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Stoke 14,859
A Contact Centre (CC), with staff trained in the use of the Census Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) was functional between 23 April and 25 June and answered a total of 2,271 enquiries.
Follow-up activity commenced as planned on the 23 May and extended to 22 June. During this period three attempts were made to contact households in order to maximise return rate of questionnaires.
Evaluation of the Test
The Census Test Evaluation Survey (CTES) started on 1 June 2007 to re-interview a sample of both respondents and non-respondents to assess the quality of responses and reasons for non-response. The results and conclusions drawn from the survey are contributing to the overall 2007 Test evaluation.
Initial findings and key lessons learned from evaluation of the 2007 CensusTest are detailed in the Census Advisory Group paper (08)01 '2007 Census Test Evaluation – Key lessons learned' available to download.
Key areas covered in summary include
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Address Checking
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Field Work – delivery and follow-up
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Recruitment
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Training - delivery and follow-up
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Pay
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Coverage
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Public Interface
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Publicity and Communication
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Operational Intelligence
A revised timetable for production of the full 2007 Test evaluation means that the report is scheduled for completion and addition to the website in Autumn 2008. The report will include a summary of main findings and recommendations, and more detailed information about fieldwork, data capture, statistical analysis, and project governance.
2007 Test support material
FAQs were produced for the public during the Test and are available to download.
Further information about the 2007 Test can be found in the factsheets which cover topics such as census history, questions and a timeline of the processes within the Test.
2007 CensusTest seminar at the Royal Statistical Society (RSS) (April 2008)
A seminar 'Census Test Analysis: the methodology behind the decisions' was held in April 2008 at the RSS which addressed the conduct and challenges posed during the 2007 CensusTest, together with analysis of the test and initial findings. The seminar was presented by representatives of the Census project from ONS and the General Register Office for Scotland. A draft agenda for the seminar, and extensive slides presentation are available in the link above.
Testing in other parts of the UK
A Census Test in parts of Northern Ireland was simultaneously undertaken by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency.
A Census Test in parts of Scotland was carried out by the General Register Office for Scotland in May 2006, and an evaluation of the Test has now been published. The report reviews the 2006 Census Test operation in Scotland and includes a number of recommendations that will be taken forward into strategies and procedures for the Census Rehearsal in 2009 and the full Census in 2011.
