|
CENSUS COMMITTEE
In many countries the agricultural census is organized
only once in ten years, and a permanent census organization
does not exist. The agricultural census, being a major operation,
involves different national ministries or agencies, and considerable
financial and personnel resources. An inter-ministerial committee
is considered essential to guide and coordinate all census
activities.
The purpose of this chapter is to provide a broad outline
of the composition of the committee, a tentative description
of its responsibilities, and its possible extension to provincial
and lower levels. Details in this respect will vary greatly
from country to country, depending also whether a committee
for statistics already exists in the country.
Composition of the committee
2.1 The establishment of a committee to act as a steering
group is essential for the successful implementation of the
census. This committee may be known as the "Agricultural Census
Steering Committee". It has to be established well ahead of
time, invested with the necessary authority, provided with
material support and staffed with high-level personnel. It
should be an organ created by the regulatory text establishing
the census. It should start functioning at least two years
ahead of the actual operations of the field work of the census
and cease to function after the dissemination of the final
census report.
2.2 While the composition of the committee would depend
on the head of the census office, as a general rule all the
various aspects of the operation should be represented. This
Committee should consist of representatives from all important
federal government agencies directly or indirectly concerned
with census taking or are possible users of census results,
as well as non-governmental organizations interested in the
census. Ministries responsible for agriculture, cooperation
and district administrations, the Ministry of Finance or Budget,
and the statistical agencies entrusted with the task of carrying
out the census. Farmers' organizations, industry and trade
associations particularly concerned with agricultural products,
should also be represented on the committee. It is essential
that the committee members be high-ranking officials who are
in a position to take decisions and direct the census operation.
Its chairperson could be the chief of the agriculture department
or Central Bureau of Statistics with the national agricultural
census coordinator acting as secretary to facilitate coordination
among members. The number of members will vary depending on
the scope and coverage of the census, but care should be taken
that the group is not so large as to become unmanageable.
An example of an Agricultural Census Committee is given in
frame 2.1.
| Chairmanship: State Institute of Statistics
(SIS)
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs
Ministry of Forestry
Ministry of Interior
State Planning Organization
General Directorate of Soil and Agricul-tural Reform
National Productivity Centre
General Directorate of Soil Products Office
Scientific and Technical Research Council of Turkey
Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of UN
Union of Turkish Chamber of Agriculture
Turkish Milk Industry
Meat and Fish Industry
Meat and Fish Organization
General Commandership of Cartography
General Directorate of Title Deeds and Cadaster
General Directorate of Protection and Con-trol
Ziraat Bank of Turkish Republic
Ankara University, Faculty of Agriculture
Ankara University, Faculty of Veterinary
Middle East Technical University, Depart-ments of Statistics
and Economics
Hacettepe University, Departments of Stat-istics and
Economics
Gazi University, Departments of Statistics and Economics
Source: General Agricultural Census results of the
agricul-tural holdings (households) survey, State Institute
of Statistics, Prime Ministry, Republic of Turkey, 1991
|
Frame 2.1 Example of Census Committee: Composition
of the Committee for the Census of Agriculture in Turkey (1991)
Main responsibilities and functions
2.3 The main responsibilities and functions of the committee
would depend on the particular purpose of its creation. Generally,
the main responsibility would be the overall planning and
direction of the census, subject to review by the head of
the statistical office. It is expected that the committee
would evaluate past censuses and study recommendations made
to solve problems encountered. The committee would also liaise
with other agencies involved in agriculture or which may be
called upon to participate in the operation. The committee
would approve the census workplan, scope and coverage, methodology,
questionnaires, manuals, budgetary and personnel requirements,
plans for the publicity campaign, logistical needs, pre-test
and pilot censuses, post-enumeration survey plans, tabulation
plan, data processing and data dissemination. Meetings should
be held at least once every three months and should follow
a well-defined agenda. Members should be given sufficient
time to study the meeting documentation in advance.
Establishment of sub-committees and working groups
2.4 Due to the broad functions and activities of the Steering
Committee, it may be appropriate to establish sub-committees.
Sub-committees and working groups may be created, each under
the area of coordination or supervision of a member of the
Steering Committee. Sub-committees can be formed to advise
on technical matters (technical sub-committee) such as concepts
and definitions, methodological aspects, questionnaire design,
data processing, etc., or on more general aspects of the census
operation such as communications, transportation, logistics,
recruitment, training, publicity, data dissemination, etc.
These sub-committees would normally consist of a small group
of subject matter specialists and would report on a regular
basis to the Steering Committee.
Establishment of provincial¹ committees
2.5 For administrative reasons, countries are usually divided
into several administrative divisions and these divisions
have their own agro-economic characteristics. In large countries
it may be desirable to establish provincial census committees
in broad administrative divisions. The main functions of such
provincial committees would be to coordinate the census activities
at the provincial level, to make recommendations for items
of information specific to the province to be included in
the questionnaires and to advise on provincial tabulations.
Other boards/committees
2.6 Where various agencies are called upon to participate
in the census effort, coordinating boards would be necessary
to effect an efficient operation. Such boards may have to
be established for the field operations phase at the district
administrative sub-divisions. It may also be desirable for
a national coordinating board to have its local counterparts
where plans from the top are filtered down to the lowest level.
The national coordinating board's membership should be at
the departmental level or its equivalent, because such a board
should be responsible for committing the department's participation
in the census operation and in ensuring that its field branches
carry out the policies and plans as laid out. The local counterparts
can be at the provincial level down to the lowest administrative
unit. Primarily, their function is to coordinate the implementation
of the policies and guidelines adopted by the national board
and to provide the assistance required by the census field
office. These boards would be useful in resolving boundary
disputes, providing protection to the enumerators, providing
transportation and communication facilities, and in publicizing
the operation. An added fringe benefit to the census organization
would be the sense of participation acquired by the agencies
and the awareness of statistics.
____________________
¹In this publication the names province and district
are used to indicate 1st and 2nd level country sub-division
units respectevely.
|
