Field Operations Distribution and Return of Material

1. Field OperationsDistribution and Return of Material Angela Me, Chief Social and Demographic Statistics Section

2. What does it mean? • Materials are supplied to a packing centre • Materials are distributed to field staff • Materials are picked up from field staff • Materials are processed to data processing centre(s)

3. These include …. • Receive the material from manufactures • Bulk storage during packing operations • Packing • Preparation for delivery • Bulk transport outward • Pick up from enumeration staff • Bulk transport in ward to processing centre(s) • Close-down operations

4. Decisions that need to be taken • Who has the central responsibility for the distribution and return operations? • How will the deliveries be organized? • Will deliveries be made to regional managers or supervisors? • Will enumerators be required to collect material from a more centralized depot? • How will the transport by organized? Who will make the transport?

5. Decisions that need to be taken • What office is responsible for each activity • How can the distribution and return of material be monitored? • At central level • In the field The Census Office maintains responsibility for: • Monitoring • Liaison with the field if a contractor is engaged in the distribution

6. Decisions that need to be taken • How can the distribution and return of material be monitored? • At central level • In the field • The Census Office maintains responsibility for: • Monitoring • Liaison with the field if a contractor is engaged in the distribution

7. Keeping in mind ……. • The huge amount of material that need to be distributed • Transport available to field staff • Conditions of roads and transport tools

8. Information needed • From the mapping: workload estimates • From the recruitment office: name and address details to establish details on delivery and pick ups

9. An important decision: Estimating quantities • Not too little (no time to re-print during the enumeration) • Not too much (cost-effective)

10. An important decision: Estimating quantities • The key is to establish how many items are needed for each person in the field structure (regional managers, supervisors, enumerators) Based on the work load (mapping and design of enumeration areas) + reserve factor

11. An important decision: Estimating quantities Unforeseen circumstances: • Questionnaires in different languages (how many and where are they needed?) • Phone cards?

12. Material • Need to establish WHAT items are needed • Example: for an enumerator to enumerate 100 households: 110 questionnaire, 110 information brochures, 5 objection report forms, 1 manual, 1 clipboard, 2 pencils, 1 pencil sharpener, 1 identification card

13. Enumeration Material • The material can be packed centrally • Transported in bulk to the region • Transported from regional offices to supervisors Where the enumerator will keep the material? • At the completion, material can be picked up by supervisors • Returned to the regional offices • Returned from regional offices to processing centre(s)

14. Supervisor Material It includes: administrative and training material, enumerator record book, training and procedural manuals

15. Supervisor Material • The material can be packed centrally (separately from the enumeration material) • Transported in bulk to the region • Transported from regional offices to supervisors (together with the enumeration material) • At the completion, material should be returned to the regional offices together with enumerator material • Returned from regional offices to processing centre(s)

16. Regional Director Material It includes: administrative and training material

17. Regional Director Material • The material can be packed centrally (separately from the other material) • Transported directly to the regional offices • At the completion, material should be returned to the central office (administrative reports) or to processing centre(s)

18. Packing • Boxes should be shaped according to the census forms • Census forms be packed into groups of 50 forms (easier to be counted) • Sealed boxes • Avoid damage of census forms • Use of boxes that could be re-used for storage and moving census forms during data processing • Bulk supply or pre-packing?

19. Packing: Instructions • What to do: • Receipt of material • Storage and handling • Packing and labelling • Quality assurance • Dispatching • Detailed timetable • Specifications: • Type of packs • Content of each pack • Quantities • Reporting requirements

20. Dispatch: Instructions • What to do: • Receipt material • Storage • Quality assurance • Delivery • Detailed timetable • Specifications: • Drop-off method • Control documentation • Delivery details and volume • Obtainment of addresses • Control documentation • Handling of shortfalls and surpluses • Reporting requirements

21. Return: Instructions • What to do: • Pick up material • Security • Storage and handling • Delivery to processing centre(s) • Reconciliation of materials • Detailed timetable • Specifications: • Pick up method • Control documentation • Handling of shortfalls and surpluses • Reporting requirements

22. Field OperationsMonitoring Field Operations Angela Me, Chief Social and Demographic Statistics Section

23. Monitoring Filed Operations Develop an efficient and relevant management information system Collecting information that can be used to constructively manage field operations at the right time

24. Why? • To ensure the field operations proceed smoothly • To respond to public relations issues • To manage the budget • To evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of the operations

25. Where to start? • List all potentially useful items of information (ex: applications received for field positions, number of households enumerated) • Consider how and when the items can be collected • Review the usefulness of each item and reduce the list • Incorporate the final list into relevant work plans

26. What could be included? • Time: dates when activities have started or completed • Piece rates or amounts: ex. Number/Percentage of households enumerated • Volume: ex.: percentage of enumeration completed • Status: completed, started, or finished • Type and number of calls to inquiry service Different information for different levels in the management hierarchy

27. What could be included? • Budget: to assure that sufficient funds are available to do the field work • Mapping and household listings: to plan the enumeration (ex.: size and number of Enumeration Areas, information about problem areas) • Logistics: Material acquisition and preparation, delivery of materials, return of materials from the field • Recruitment: to assure there are sufficient applicants (number of positions available, number of applications received, number of applications accepted • Training: date training has finished, number of personnel trained

28. What could be included? • Operation: to support and later evaluate the field operations (important to collected only if it is used!) • Public relations and inquiry service: to provide valuable information to detect emerging problems requiring corrective actions

29. How can the information be collected? • Electronically (e-mail, fax, telephone) • By postal service • With the return of the bulk census material Depending on the urgency of the information Use of standard report forms