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Government GIS

HK Leverages Digital Mapping System in 2011 Census

By Clarice Africa | 7 September 2011

The Hong Kong SAR Government invested an estimated amount of HK$0.52 billion (US$67 million) for the 2011 population census, including a total of HK$1.5 million (US$192, 000) for the enhancement of the Digital Mapping System (DMS) – a tool developed in order to facilitate pre-census planning work, to streamline field operations during the census period and to disseminate census data by geographical area in a more flexible way.

With the DMS in place, the Census and Statistics Department is able to shorten the required time for activities and tasks in various stages of the census operation – something which Li says was not possible in the past due to various constraints.

“Flexibility is very important in this fast changing world, the 2011 District Council Boundaries, for example, which will be ready this year, can be used for aggregating the data collected in the 2011 Population Census and for subsequent data dissemination in a timely manner,” he said.

The DMS supports various activities of the census, including the updating of the sampling frame, the allocation of assignments to enumerators, the provision of required maps for supporting fieldwork operations, and the monitoring and controlling of progress in fieldwork.

Updating of the sampling frame

Given the importance of sampling frame in census activities, the DMS enables linkages between textual and spatial records thus making various geographical boundaries easily aligned with the address records.

Allocation of assignments to enumerators

“With the network analysis function of the DMS, the shortest path in visiting targeted buildings is worked out in the most efficient way possible. Through this method we are able to improve the work itinerary of field officers by providing them with more accurate estimates of the time and workload for each assignment.”

Provision of required maps for supporting fieldwork operation

Over 100,000 maps of different scales pertaining to different parts of the territory have to be produced for the census fieldwork operation. Prior to the introduction of the DMS, all maps were prepared in a labour-intensive manner by photocopying paper maps and using cut-and-paste approach.

“The DMS has significantly reduced manual efforts involved in fieldwork assignments,” he said.

Monitoring and controlling of fieldwork progress

The DMS enables the creation of maps showing the fieldwork progress. These maps can facilitate the management in comparing progresses across different fieldwork regions or centres.

Plans for the future

Owing to the differences in geography, the practices and needs of GIS varies in different countries which is why local needs should be carefully considered first when adopting GIS technologies.

“We have sought advice from our system developer and maintenance contractor, a worldwide leader in GIS, in the creation of a digital mapping system that fits the local circumstance,” Li said.

He added that for future Census and By-Census the Department is hoping to adopt new technologies which could significantly help in aspects of frame updating and data collection.

“Technologies in mobile GIS and 3D GIS are now growing fast. It might be possible to facilitate the frame updating exercise with the mobile GIS and further integrate the Register of Quarters System, a textual address database for the Census, with the DMS.”

Also, the self-enumeration mode of data collection is well-received by households participating in the 2011 Population Census, with 1.1 million households, over 40 per cent of all households in Hong Kong, returning postal questionnaires and another 0.3 million, or over 10 per cent, submitting e-Questionnaires – an area which Li says deserves further exploration in future Population census and by-census.

He added that the advancement in mobile technologies, particularly mobile GIS technologies, may enable the shift from pen-and-paper based data collection to a more extensive, if not full scale, implementation of computer-assisted personal interviews.

The full details on the 2011 Hong Kong Population Census will appear in the next issue of FutureGov Asia Pacific Magazine.

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