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CENSUS PUBLICITY
The main purpose of census publicity is to ensure the
cooperation of holders to provide the requested data. This
is an essential part of the census preparations which has
to be planned, taking into account, local conditions.
This chapter provides some suggestions and examples
on possible media for publicity and on the timing of the publicity
campaign. Related chapters are Chapter 1
where census legislation guarantees confidentiality of data
by the government and publicity of such an important aspect
of ensuring holders' cooperation, and Chapter
18, where the census dissemination programme can be used
as a promotional campaign on the use of census data.
Organization of publicity campaign
10.1 Conducting an agricultural census is a complex operation
in which all governmental agencies dealing with the rural
sectors of the economy are involved. Items of information
collected in the census deal directly with the agricultural
economy. There are some items, such as the extent of cultivation,
land tenure, etc., which may be of a very sensitive nature
and the holders will generally be reluctant to answer such
questions and supply correct information unless they are fully
convinced that the information supplied by them will not be
used for tax purposes or used against them in any way. Such
reluctance on the part of the holders is likely to be stronger
in countries where an agricultural census is being conducted
for the first time.
10.2 The success of the census and the quality of the information
will largely depend on the cooperation of the holders and
their willingness to provide the requested information. Every
effort has to be made, particularly in countries where agricultural
census taking is not a regular event, to seek the cooperation
of the holders and their organizations and governmental agencies
dealing with rural development programmes. The census publicity
campaign should be designed to sensitize the public about
the purpose of the census as well as to inform them of the
type of information to be collected and its use, primarily
to achieve full cooperation of respondents. Another important
purpose of census publicity is the promotion of census results
at the time they become available (see also Chapter
18 on this topic).
10.3 A primary function of the Agricultural Census Steering
Committee, as already mentioned in Chapter
2, should be to undertake the responsibility of preparing
a coordinated work plan and time-table for census publicity
in connection with the agricultural census in all aspects
and at all levels, with the aid of publicity experts. In many
cases a special sub-committee will be set up to manage the
census publicity campaign. The regional and local census committees
would also normally be involved as agents for publicity in
their respective areas. These committees should make use of
all publicity media in their individual provinces.
10.4 These committees can help in planning an effective publicity
campaign for the census taking into account the prevailing
social and economic background, the means of communication
available, etc. Publicity has to be directed at educating
the holders, who are to supply the information to be collected
through the census. They are frequently illiterate, have their
own prejudices and often do not perceive the objectives and
relevance of the various inquiries. They may connect the purpose
of an agricultural census, which is a comprehensive technical
inquiry, with a possible increase of agricultural taxes, the
compulsory procurement of agricultural produce and even changes
in land tenure. To dispel these fears and to assure them that
the inquiry is primarily for their own benefit is the purpose
of the census publicity programme. It should be explained,
through an appropriate communication medium that can easily
be understood by respondents, how the agricultural census
is an essential basis for formulation and implementation of
various development programmes, such as irrigation projects,
soil conservation, use of fertilizers, introduction of improved
varieties of crops and animals, modern agricultural implements,
marketing and storage facilities, etc. These programmes aim
at increasing the production of their enterprises and thereby
contribute to raising their standard of living. It should
also be explained, in simple language, how inaccurate information
supplied by them will adversely affect the planning of various
programmes intended to improve their living conditions. In
other words, it may be emphasized how accurate data help the
holders and the government in planning the economic programmes
for the holders' betterment, and how planning based on inaccurate
data can harm them, as well as their country.
10.5 It is important also to convince the holders of the
confidential treatment of the data they supply and assure
them that this information is for statistical purposes only
and will not be used against them by any organization or law
for any purposes such as levying taxes, procurement of produce,
etc. They should also be told that individual information
will not be made available to anyone outside the census organization,
which will release the census information only in an aggregate
form or in such a way that individual data cannot be identified.
10.6 If the agricultural census is taken on a sampling basis,
only a small proportion of holders will be interviewed. This
fact is likely to cause suspicion in the minds of both groups
of holders, those interviewed and those not interviewed. It
is essential that this suspicion be removed. The holders must
understand through simple language why a particular holder
was selected for interview and not the neighbour and why only
a sample of holders was being interviewed.
10.7 The agricultural census cannot succeed in collecting
the facts about a country's agriculture unless the respondents
view it in a favourable light and are prepared to cooperate
wholeheartedly by providing correct information. A well-planned
publicity campaign is therefore essential to create a favourable
environment for the census.
Types of media
10.8 The types of publicity media used will largely depend
on availability and on a country's socio-economic structure.
In most countries wide use is made of local and national newspapers,
radio and television. If there is a well organized agricultural
extension agency concerned with agricultural operations and
in close contact with the farming community, it can be a very
good publicity medium for sensitizing holders about the agricultural
census. Educated holders can be supplied with a pamphlet indicating
the purpose of the census. To reach illiterate and remote
populations, radio and television talks and messages broadcast
by important personalities (President, Minister of Agriculture,
etc.) well known to the holders can be extremely valuable.
Lectures and lessons in rural schools on census topics are
also helpful. Well designed and colourful posters of various
sizes suitable for being exhibited inside and outside buildings
are effective in attracting the rural people. Cinema films,
videos and slides exhibited in mobile vans in rural areas
are also a very useful, although somewhat costly, means of
familiarizing holders with the aims and purposes of the agricultural
census. Holders can also be informed through village meetings,
conferences of grower or producer associations, etc. Educating
and informing local leaders, village headmen, and elders and
other persons of influence is also an important first stage
in reaching the holders and securing their cooperation.
10.9 The use of a census 'theme' and 'slogan' has proved
very effective in many publicity campaigns and it is important
to identify these at an early stage in the campaign.
Timing, duration and frequency of campaign
10.10 The publicity for the agricultural census should start
slowly and reach a climax at the time of the census enumeration.
Some of the early publicity can take the form of news items,
contributions to the regular agricultural radio/TV programmes,
etc. This publicity can explain the general aims and purposes
of the census and cover the broader issues. The pre-test and
pilot censuses can also be useful components of the publicity
campaign. The procedure for conducting the census and details
of the information being collected should be explained near
the beginning of the actual census. The primary contacts in
a census operation are the holders; they have to be convinced
of the importance of their answers to the census. Any campaign
considerably in advance of the actual interview will have
limited influence on the holders' understanding of the questions
and the importance of correct answers.
10.11 Once the holders are convinced of the usefulness of
the census, they are usually interested in the final results.
It is desirable to keep them informed about the findings of
the census undertaking. This should be done through the radio,
television and newspaper media when the final results of the
census are released for general use (see Chapter
18).
Other possible action to obtain support and cooperation
of holders
10.12 In addition to the holders, the aim of the census publicity
should be to create a general awareness among the population
at large. Cooperation of local government officials, i.e.,
agricultural extension agents, land record officials, school
teachers, etc., can be enlisted for this purpose. Cooperation
of an educated public can be obtained through the media of
newspapers, magazines, clubs and periodicals on a variety
of topics connected with an agricultural census. Distribution
of pamphlets and leaflets about the census and printing new
series of picture postcards and postage stamps prominently
mentioning the census date are also useful. Preparation of
a small pocket census manual and distribution of copies to
all government officials concerned with rural development
activities will also be useful. Dropping leaflets and candies
with suitable messages from an airplane has also been tried
in some countries. A well-publicized census will make its
implementation much smoother and more successful.
Examples of media
10.13 Different countries adopt different media for publicity
depending on what is available, effective and cost efficient.
In some countries of Latin America, the publicity for the
agricultural census was given through free distributions of
comic literature among the schoolchildren. The theme of the
comic was a conversation between the schoolboy and his father
explaining what the agricultural census was about and how
it could benefit them.
10.14 In the 1987 agricultural census in the United States
of America, which was conducted basically as a mail-out\mail-back
survey, the pre-enumeration awareness programme had three
major goals:
- Make the agricultural community (holders, ranchers and
agri-business data users) aware of the census.
- Encourage everyone to respond (to increase overall response
rate).
- Increase the response during the early days of the census.
| 10.15 The Bureau of the Census
selected the slogan "America counts on Agriculture" which
was reproduced on posters, press releases and other publicity
materials. The Bureau also developed a census logo depicting
a barn and a silo with the words "AG CENSUS USA" below
it (see Frame 10.1). This logo was reproduced on posters,
T-shirts, baseball hats, etc., as well as on all census
instruments, questionnaires, manuals, and publications.
10.16 The main publicity campaign relied mostly on
traditional media: radio, television, newspapers and
magazines as well as on the distribution of printed
material. Special presentations were made at grower
and producer organizations' meetings at both national
and local levels.
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Frame 10.1 Logo (example) |
10.17 After the census, there was a publicity campaign to
inform potential data users of the kinds of data being published
and their availability. Part of this publicity was a 38-page
publication Guide to the 1987 Agricultural Census and related
statistics, providing details of the publication plan
of the census data and a description of other related information
available.
10.18 In Vanuatu (1993) the publicity campaign was mainly
conducted with radio talk shows, a census song and distribution
of posters (see example in Frame 10.2), tee-shirts and brochures.
Suggested reading
UN (1992). Handbook of population and housing censuses:
Part I, Planning, organization and administration of population
and housing censuses. Studies in methods, Series F, No. 54.
Hamas?
Man Blong
Senses I Kam Blong
Kaontem
Evri Samting We Yu Gat
Senses
'93 Planem Fuija Blong Yumi
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Frame 10.2 POSTER EXAMPLE
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