[p. 1]
[Switzerland]
Census 2000
Instructions for the communities
Collection variation CLASSIC
[This is a translation from German of extracts from the comprehensive instructions to communities for the collection process of the 2000 Census in Switzerland which had been issued in German, French and Italian. In German, there are 6 different documents available which are mostly the same but cover the different variations of collection methods used in 2000. The collection variations will be outlined in this document.
This document is based the "leitfaden-CLASSIC.pdf" document in German. The page numbers given in this translation are the page numbers of the above PDF document as the original documents do not have consistent page numbers but are a collection of various census support documents.]
[p. 3]
Federal population census 2000
This document is meant to ease the work of the census management and staff in the various communities. It contains all relevant information necessary for the preparation and execution of the federal census 2000. Not included are the instructions for the software LOCO'2000 which were already provided separately.
Because the census organisation is significantly different from community to community, each community receives its custom made set of documents [in one or several of the official languages German, French, Italian]
[p. 4]
Census 2000 is based on the following laws and orders:
Census Act (1998)
Administrative Order on the Census 2000 (1999)
Data protection [and privacy] is covered in the above laws and in the Data Protection Act (1992).
Census 2000 is based on the following principals:
2. Census data can only be used for statistical purposes with some exceptions: corrections marked by the respondents on the questionnaires can be transferred to the population registers or into the future registers of buildings and dwellings.
3. Census results can only be published such that individual persons cannot be identified.
4. All census staff are subject to the obligation of confidentiality.
5. All census work and procedures are under the supervision of the data protection organisations of the Cantons and federal government.
[p. 6]
Federal law concerning the Federal Census (June 26, 1998)
Article 1: Every 10 years data will be ascertained about the structure of population, households, dwellings, buildings, places of work, as well as commuting.
[Pp. 7-9 of the original document are not presented here.]
[p. 10]
Administrative order on the Federal Population Census 2000 (13 January 1999)
Article 1:
The census is to provide insights on
b. the demographic and socio-economic structure of the population
c. the stock, geographic distribution and structure of dwellings and residential buildings
d. the housing conditions of the population
e. the places of work and schools, and commuting
The census covers;
b. all dwellings
c. all buildings used fully or partly for housing
Persons are counted as part of the residential population in those communities where they reside economically.
[Pp. 11-14 of the original document are not presented here.]
[p. 15]
Article 14:
The census is conducted under the leadership of the federal statistical office.
Cantons assign an organisation responsible for the census in their respective areas and for the liaison between the communities and the federal level.
The collection will be conducted by the administrative communities.
The communities are responsible for the comprehensive collections in their respective areas.
Communities assign one person or body as being responsible for conducting the census.
The census of persons from international organisations and their families will be conducted by the federal statistical office with the aid of the register ORDIPRO of EDA.
The same will be done for members and their families of foreign embassies.
[Pp. 16-28 of the original document are not presented here.]
[p. 29]
Rules to determine the civic place of residence
1. The civic place of residence is that community in which the person resides with the intention of permanency.
2. For Swiss nationals this is normally the community in which a person is registered, pays taxes and exercises political rights.
3. For other nationals it is the community which issued the respective permit.
Rules to determine the economic place of residence
1. The economic place of residence is normally the same as the civic place of residence.
2. Persons have their economic place of residence in the community in which they work or attend school for at least four days per week if they do not return every day to their civic place of residence.
3. Persons who are not working nor attending school and who report two places of residence, have their economic place of residence in that community in which they have been living for the past 6 months. Exceptions: Persons in old age and care homes, orphanages, special education homes and cloisters have their economic place of residence in the communities where the homes are located even if they have been in the home for less than 6 months.
4. Other persons who report two places of residence have their economic place of residence there where they are located most of the times at the time of the census.
5. Asylum seekers as well as persons without permanent residence have their economic place of residence where they are located at census day.
[p. 30]
2.1 Distribution of tasks
[Distribution of tasks between Federal Statistical Office, communities and enumerators is not presented here]
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Census day is December 5, 2000
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2.3 Important addresses and telephone numbers
[Address and telephone details are not presented here.]
[p. 33]
1st phase, until October 2000:
To inform broadly the public about the census.
2nd phase, November-December 2000:
To motivate the largest number of persons to complete the questionnaires timely.
3rd phase, from 2001:
Inform the population about the results of the census and thank for its participation.
[Pp. 35-39 from original document are not presented here.]
[p. 40]
The census encompasses two collections:
census of buildings and dwellings
A household questionnaire to be completed by all households (address, name of all persons living in household) and used to assemble all persons living in a household.
A building questionnaire to be completed by owners or their representatives for information about residential buildings (address, purpose and age of building, renovations, number of dwellings, number of floors, type of ownership, heating system etc.) and information about dwellings (number of rooms, floor space, rents, etc.).
[p. 41]
One of the major innovations for census 2000 is the increased use of data from the communal and cantonal registers. Because of the large differences between these registers and the fact that some communities do not maintain computerized population registers, the federal statistical office offers four collection variations for the census 2000.
Classic:
This method is targeted for communities which do not have computerized population registers. In these communities the census 2000 follows the methods of the previous census in 1990. Enumerators distribute questionnaires and collect them later.
Applies to 674 (25%) of the communities covering just under 4% of the population.
Semi-classic:
In this variation, the computerized population registers are used to pre-print household and person questionnaires which then are sent by mail. Enumerators collect the completed questionnaires.
Applies to 247 (10%) of the communities covering about 3% of the population.
Transit:
In this variation as well, the computerized population registers are used to pre-print household and person questionnaires which then are sent by mail. The completed questionnaires are mailed back. Enumerators are not used.
Applies to 1,711 (66%) of the communities covering over 90% of the population.
Future:
This variation is oriented towards the future. Communities maintain computerized and inter-linked population and dwelling registers where each person has assigned a dwelling identification number. Thus, in principle the household questionnaire is not required. For census 2000, household questionnaires are still sent out in order to further develop this collection method for the future. Questionnaires are mailed out and mailed back.
Applies to 25 communities (1%) covering about 1% of the population.
[p. 42]
Collection via Internet:
A collection system offering to answer the census questions via the Internet is being developed by the federal statistical office.
[Pp. 42-44 of the original document are not presented here.]
[p. 45]
To increase efficiency for future censuses, the existing registers need to be used optimally. That requires the harmonization of the population registers with the building and dwelling registers such that every person has assigned a dwelling identifier. The elaborate forming of household structures and thus the household questionnaire would be eliminated.
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Questions and answers on census 2000
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1.1 In connection with the census 2000 the term "structural collection" [Strukturerhebung] is used. Why this new name?
A census has always counted the number of persons residing in Switzerland. Today more information is collected on persons, households and buildings as well as places of work and schools. The new name is to reflect this new fact.
The additional name "Strukturerhebung" indicates that demographic, economic, social and cultural data are meshed. This connection creates a better and realistic picture of the social and economic structure of Switzerland.
[Sections 1.2 through 3.3 of the original document are not presented here.]
[p. 54]
4. Questions on specific topics:
4.1 Why do I have to fill out two questionnaires if I have more than one regular place of residence?
In the case of two places, two questionnaires have to filled out because a distinction is made between a civic place of residence and an economic place of residence. For the purpose of the census, the economic place of residence (the place where the persons resides predominantly) counts. The civic place of residence (the place where the person can vote and pays taxes) is administratively important and forms the basis for population statistics [between censuses].
[Sections 4.2 through 6.2 of the original document are not presented here.]
[p. 63]
5.1 Instructions for the communities
[Technical instructions from the original document are not presented here.]
[p. 83]
Household and place of residence: definitions
A1 Household definitions
1. Private households
All persons living in the same dwelling (apartment or single family house) form a private household. Thus persons belonging to one family plus all other persons living in the same dwelling (such as maids, other domestic personnel, care children, sub-tenants, permanent guests, care givers) form one household. Persons living alone also form a household. A further criterion is the fact of a "closed" dwelling (apartment of house). The presence of a kitchen or a kitchenette is the characteristic for a private household (e.g. old age apartments, dwelling of the manager in a hotel).
2. Collective household
All households which are not private households are considered collective households.
Such households are hotels, pensions, boarding schools, workers dormitories, long term care homes.
The continuing pluralization of society and its new forms of households (e.g. smaller and smallest homes) represents a methodological problem for the census. Specifically, homes for caring for old and feeble persons cannot be distinguished clearly from the outside as "institutions".
To collect census data for persons who are registered in the population registers but do not have a physical addresses in the community, the federal statistical office has created a special category of collective households, so-called "aggregated" households [Sammelhaushalte]. For collection purposes, two types of aggregated households are distinguished:
[p. 84]
A2 Definition of place of residence
A person has her/his civic place of residence in that community, where the identification documents are placed, or, in the case of foreign nationality, where the community has issued a residence permit. All other places are considered (domestic) place of residence. As a rule, a civic place of residence is the community where the person pays taxes and has the right to vote.
[Figures from original document are not presented here.]
[p. 87]
For the purpose of the census a building is counted if it is free standing or if it is separated by a fire wall from other buildings, and it is occupied, or can be occupied, on December 5, 2000. In the case of row houses, duplexes and other grouped houses, each building part is considered a building, if a fire wall exists.
[Figures and technical information from the original document are not presented here.]
[Appendices 1 and 2 from the original document are not presented here.]
[p. 99]
Special cases where buildings are not counted
In the building and dwelling census, all buildings are counted if they are fully or partly used for residential purposes.
The following are not included and counted:
[Appendices 4 and 5 from the original document is not presented here.]
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Definition of collective dwelling
The census uses the following main categories of collective dwellings:
boarding schools
hospitals
welfare homes
cloisters and other religious institutions
hotels, pensions
other
[Pp. 119-142 of the original document are not presented here.]
6.6 Instructions for enumerators
[p. 143]
Each enumerator covers one enumeration area.
An enumeration area has about 60-70 households.
[p. 144]
The person and household questionnaires will be distributed between November 24 and December 4.
The household questionnaire and the person questionnaires - as many as there are persons in the household - must be handed over in person to an adult of the household.
[p. 150]
Included are sub-tenants and persons, which normally live in the household but are absent (e.g. vacation, etc.).
[p. 151]
Hospitals, homes, hotels etc. are called collective households. They are enumerated separately by special enumerators.
[Pp. 152-203 of the original document are not presented here.]
8.1 Instructions for special enumerators
[p. 204]
1 Duties and tasks
[Pp. 205-297 not presented here]
[p. 298]
Personal Questionnaire
[Image copy of Personal Questionnaire in English not presented here]
[p.302]
Household Questionnaire
[Image copy of Household Questionnaire in English not presented here]