1. How to make progress:

To fill out the household sheet, you must leave from the structure that you would have marked number 001 and question all the households living in that structure. Next you move on to structure 002 and so on, always following the numbering of the structures.

The private households, like the collective households, have an order number, determined based on the idea that visiting the structures in their numbering order you should find the households in the same order.

Then fill out the questionnaire RG 2 based on the identification of the structure and note 'unoccupied structure' in 'observations of RG 2': this with show that none of the numbered structures were forgotten. Then file this questionnaire with the others.

Who to interview?

Whenever possible, speak to the head of household. After the greetings, you will always explain the goal of your visit. If the head of household is momentarily absent, wait and come back when he is there.

If he is absent for several days or if you must waste too much time waiting for his return, talk to the most qualified (educated) member of the household. Then you must make an effort to ask each member of the household for the information that he is best able to provide (for example, you ask the mother of a young child the child's age).

Do not worry about the answers you could obtain from children who are too young, household servants, or neighbors. Talk to them as a last resort only (after the third visit).

2. The form on structures and households

(Model form RG1)

Model form RG1 serves to number all the structures and all the households located in your counting zone and was part of the testing of coverage at the end of counting.

Consequentially, if once in a structure you cannot immediately survey the household because of the absence of a qualified person to answer your questions, you must assign this household the same order number that you would had you surveyed them at that time. The questionnaire with the corresponding structure and household number will then be reserved and filled out later during your next visits: take care to ask the neighbors to inform the head of household of your later visit.

Important: If after having numbered a structure, you notice that it is unoccupied, mark 'unoccupied' in column (3) on the form RG1.

After having made contact with the head of the town once the head's household survey has been done, you will number all the inhabited structures in the counting zone from 001 to 999 as you go forward (cf. paragraph IV. 1) always starting if possible with the head of the town. You will mark a number in chalk (chalk will be provided to you by your team leader) on each structure, this number should be placed on the outside of the structure and in a visible manner, if possible sheltered from rain and out of reach of children. Precede this number by the abbreviation RG, the abbreviation of the general survey, to distinguish it from other numbers that could already be on the doors, for example like the number marked by Public health for its' malaria eradication programs.

Column 1: Structure number Once a structure has been marked with an order number, take care to mark this number on the model form RG1; you will mark this number on each household sheet used in the structure.

Column 2: Household number: A structure can house only one household: in this case the household number will always be number 1.

In situations where one structure houses several households, the households will have successive numbers following the structure number.

[Example omitted]

When there are structures not used for living (shops, stores, lofts, kitchens, sheds (warehouses), offices, churches, etc?), mark an X on the structure. The numbering of the structures must be unique for all the numbering zones: the numbers must follow from 001 to 999 and follow the itinerary that you borrow to take the population census. Make sure that all the housing locations have received a number.

N.B. Floating structures used as housing (principal or secondary) must also be numbered like the other structures (boats, canoes, etc?)

Column 3: Name of head of household or name and type of unit:

Column 4, 5, 6: Dates of visit: Mark the date of the first visit in column 4. If the household was not completely surveyed, mark in column 5 the day of your next visit, and if during the next visit, the survey still isn't completed, mark the date of your third visit in column 6. If after this third visit the household is still not completely surveyed for one reason or another, take care to collect the information you can find from a third party or neighbors (if the household is absent for a period exceeding the counting period).

Column 7: Mark with an X once you have finished the survey in the household.

Column 8: People living in the household: Once the survey in completed, mark the number of people living in the household. This excludes visitors.

IV. 3. 'Household-housing unit' sheet

(Model form RG2)

Presentation:
The 'Household-housing unit' sheet is the main questionnaire of the general survey. It is made up of 4 pages:

[Italics omitted]

Before surveying the household:

Mark the name of the province, the department, the district, and the village of the location that you are surveying, as well as the corresponding codes except for the villages: if the village has a neighborhood, mark the name of the neighborhood as well; in the opposite situation, draw a line in the corresponding space.

Next mark the code of your 'counting zone'; the number of the structure (of the building) which holds the housing unit (or the household) that you are surveying; the number of the household which you are surveying inside the structure.

If a household has more than 10 residents or more than 4 visitors, it is necessary to use one or more extra household sheets. The information regarding the location are available on each sheet.

After having surveyed the household:

Mark the total number of sheets used in the household and the number of the sheet.
Examples:

[Subsequent examples omitted]

Then mark the number of nuclear family members of the household.

[Examples omitted]

N.B. Once several sheets have been used in the same household, you will file the extra sheets inside the first sheet. Only mark the number of nuclear family members on the first sheet by marking a line in the corresponding space on the extra sheets.

The second and third pages of the questionnaire

a) Columns 1 to 16:

Fill out for each person.

First take inventory of all the people to mark by filling out columns 1 to 6 for each person. Next ask the other individual questions (columns 7 to 25), filling out line by line.

Column 1: Order number.

Mark the order number for each member of the household. The head of household will always have number 1, the person marked after him, number 2, and so on. If a household is made up of more than 10 residents, the first resident on the second sheet will have 11 as an order number, the first resident on the third sheet will have number 21, etc.

For visitors, also give them number 1 for the first person visiting the household, number 2 for the second person, and so on. The recording of the visitors starts on the first sheet as with the residents.

If a household is made up of more than 4 visitors, the first visitor on the second sheet will be assigned number 5, and so on.

Column 2: Last names and first names:

Ask the head of household to list for you the different members of the household (all the people normally living the household, whether they are present or absent for at least 6 months) and mark their name in the following order:

All these related and unrelated people will be followed eventually by their partners and their children if they all live in the same household together.

Next, ask the head of household if there are visitors (all the people who do not normally live in the household, but have spent the night before the interview in the household) Mark their names on the appropriate list in logical order as for the residents.

N.B. If a child has not yet received a name or if a person flatly refuses to give their name and you cannot obtain it from neighbors, mark the letter 'X' in column 2 and fill out the rest of the columns normally.

Column 3: Family connection with the head of household.

The head of household is recognized as such by the other members of the household; it's the person who has the responsibility of taking care of the economic needs of the household.

The family connection between the members of the household should only be determined in relation to the head of household and you should only mark one of the following indications:

Example: For a brother of the head of household, mark 'other'

Column 4: sex

Mark:

Column 5: living situation:

Mark, for the members of the household, if they are present or absent:

(see definition paragraph II 6)

Column 6: Length of absence or visit

Mark how long ago the absent residents left the household and the length of time since the visitors arrived. For the present residents, mark a line.

This length of time should be marked in months passed.

[Example omitted]

N.B. Residents who have been absent for more than 6 months do not need to be surveyed with the household who declares them absent, they will be surveyed where they are staying.

On the other hand, visitors present for more than 6 moths should be surveyed as residents.

Column 7 and 8: Date of birth:

Mark the month of birth in numbers in column 7 and the year of birth in numbers in the column 8.

[Month numbers and examples omitted]

If someone doesn't know their month of birth, mark a line in column 7 and mark their year of birth in column 8.

If someone doesn't know either their month of birth or their year of birth, mark a line in column 7 and 8 and go on to column 9

Column 9: age:

Mark the age in years passed (age at last birthday)

[Example omitted]

If someone doesn't know his or her age, do you best to estimate their age based on the other people whose ages you know, the age of his or her children, or other information that they can give you.

You can also use historic events.
[Example omitted]

Column 10 and 11: place of birth:

For those born in Cameroon, mark the name of the town in which the person was born in column 10 and the name of the district of the town in column 11.

For those born abroad, mark a line in column 10 and mark the name of the country of birth in column 11.

Column 12: Usual residence (location):

The usual location of residence is the district in which the person normally lives, meaning at least for 6 months, or else the district where the individual decides to stay if she has lived there for less than 6 months.

The usual location of residence is already marked on the first page of the questionnaire, so the column 12 is only for visitors for whom you mark the name of the district, if their usual location of residence is in Cameroon or the name of the country if the usual location of residence is outside of Cameroon.

Column 13, 14a, 14b: Usual residence (length of time):

Column 13-ask if the person has already lived for more than 6 months in another district than the district that is his or her usual residence, meaning if she already lived in another district. Mark YES or NO.

Column 15: Former residence:

For those who already lived in another district (for the others, you have marked a line).

The location of former residence is the district where the person lived for more than 6 months immediately before having moved to the district where she is now usually living. Mark the name of the district if the former residence is in Cameroon or country if it is outside of Cameroon.

Column 16: Nationality:

Nationality designates the legal nationality of an individual. All people in possession of the legal nationality of Cameroon are considered as "Cameroonian."

In all cases, mark the declared nationality of each person.

Mark "C" for the Cameroonians and the full name of the nationality of the non-Cameroonians.

[Examples omitted]

b) Column 17 to 25:

To be filled out individually for the people ages 4 and over (mark a line in column 17 to 25 for children under 4.

Column 17: Education (type)
Mark one of the following abbreviations, corresponding to the last type of education received:

For all education systems other than Francophone and Anglophone, mark PR for elementary school education, GE for high school education, and TF for technical high school education.

Column 18: Education (class)

N.B. Only worry about the individuals who went to school; for the others (NO in column 17) mark a line. Mark the last grade level in the type of institution indicated in column 17 according to the following instructions:

Simple cases:

Mark the number of the last year spent in the institution. [Example omitted]

N.B. This applies to nursery school (MAT), to Anglophone elementary school (PE), to a private elementary school (EPS) and to a teacher training college (EN) and to systems other than Francophone or Anglophone.

Special cases:

[Levels omitted]

Column 19: Education (degree):

N.B. This is only about people who went to school, for the others (NO in column 17), mark a line.

Mark 'WITHOUT" for the people who never received a degree, the abbreviation of the diploma in cases where they did received one, using the following list:

If the highest attained diploma isn't on the list, write it out in column 19.

Column 20: School Attendance:

Ask if the person currently goes to the learning establishment, whether it is full time or part time, whether the person works or not.

Mark 'YES' or 'NO'

A learning establishment is an establishment whose function is to dispense learning. This means that it must exclude all courses or formations, professional or not, that provide job training. Conversely, it is necessary to count establishments that do learning by correspondence.

Column 21: Employment status (1)

The purpose of this question is to determine the economic activity of each person aged 4 and over during the week preceding the beginning of the surveying (week of April 2 to 8 1976).

First mark the dates below on the instruction insert in column 19 under the following form: "period from April 2 to April 8." Then mark

N.B. Columns on employment (columns 22 to 24)

These columns are only to be filled out for people having worked during the reference week (WK in column 21) and for people without employment already having worked, in search of a new job (UN in column 21). For all others, mark a line from column 22 to column 24.

Column 22: Employment:

For people having worked during the week of reference (WK), mark the job done during this period.

For people without jobs, having already worked and looking for another job (UN), mark the last job done.

The response to column 22 (what job do you do?) should specify the nature of the task accomplished by the person.

Generally, the best description of the occupation of the person is the name of the task; for example, "auto mechanic". When the title of the occupation or the job is vague, do not hesitate to ask for more information to better mark his job: for example if the person tells you he or she is a doctor, ask him if he is a medical doctor, a veterinarian, or a dentist.

If you do not know a job title that you are given by a person you are interviewing or if you find it strange, you should mark it as such, if the person is certain that the title is correct.

Clearly mark the job of each person. Example: coffee planter (for a person who gets a large part of their income from the cultivation of coffee);

N.B. Responses like the responses below should not be allowed.

Column 23: Employment status

This is the situation of a person (his status) relating to his current or former employment.

[Examples omitted]

Column 24: Industry

The economic business sector corresponds to the activity of the establishment or the enterprise where the person worked during the week of reference (WK) or the last place he/she worked if he/she was out of work and looking for work (UN).

Clearly mark what the business or employer mainly does (for example, making shoes, fixing bikes, fabric retail sales, self-sufficiency farming, etc?)

For all State employees, mark "government"

In cases where the employee is a household servant in a private home, mark "domestic services"

[Example omitted]

Column 25: Marital status
Mark:

In all cases you should consider statements from the concerned party: a married person is someone who declares himself/herself as such

The number of wives to mark for each married man is the number of current wives.

[Example omitted]

The fourth page of the questionnaire: to be filled out for each household.

N.B. These questions should be asked once per household. In cases where several sheets are used for the same household, only fill out the back of the first sheet and mark a line on the back of the extra sheets that are already filed on the inside of the first sheet once the household has been surveyed.

Events occurring in the household over the last 12 months.

These questions are meant to create an inventory of the births and deaths that occurred in the household over the course of the 12 months that came before the first day of surveying, meaning from April 9 1975 to April 8 1976.

Mark this period once in its reserved space, under the following form: "period from 4/9/75 to 4/8/76".

Column 26: Births:

Ask if there were any births in this household from April 9, 1975 to April 8, 1976 (make an effort to respect this period), whether the child is currently present or absent, living or deceased. Only consider live births (children who cried after birth).

Mark a cross in the square corresponding to the correct answer (if a cross was inadvertently marked in the wrong square, black out this square completely and mark the cross in the square corresponding to the correct response.)

The other number of the mother is the number marked in column 1 of the questionnaire and the age of the mother is the age marked in column 9.

[Example omitted]

N.B. A birth should only be marked on the household sheet where the mother was living during the event.

Meanwhile, if the mother and her baby no longer live in the household where the birth took place at the time of the survey, they will not be surveyed in this household, but in the household where they currently live.

Column 27: Deaths.

Ask if there has been a death in this household over the course of the period from April 9 1975 to April 8 1976 (take care to respect this period).

Mark a cross in the square corresponding to the correct answer.

N.B. If a child is born during the period of reference and died between the moment of his or her birth and the beginning of the survey period, he or she must count both in 'births' and 'deaths'.

If a child is born during the period of reference and he or she doesn't count among the deceased or among the household members, this means either he left the household, or he died between April 9 1976 and the time of the your visit to this household. In this case, mark him in "observations": this will show that you didn't make an error in filling out the questionnaire.

Questions on housing

Columns 28 to 36:

To answer these questions on housing, in each column circle the number of the characteristic corresponding to the structure and the housing unit which you are visiting. Only circle one number per column.

[Example omitted]

If the structure is a religious structure, you additionally mark the number of accommodations of the concession in column 28.

If it is a religious space, the physical characteristics to reveal are those in the main accommodation (materials of the walls, the roof, floor, and lighting). Yet, the number of rooms to mark in column 32 is the total number of rooms used by the household, all accommodations included. As such, in the case of a religious space composed only of round accommodations/huts, the number of rooms (column 32) is most frequently equal to the number of accommodations (column 28).

Some definitions to remember

Total number of rooms

Wall materials

Water supply

Type of toilet

This is about the type of toilet used by the household that can be different from installations used by other households in the same structure as the first.

IV. 4. Collective household sheet

(Form RG 3)

Members of collective households as defined in paragraph III. 3 are marked on the special form RG 3.

This is regarding a simplified form RG 2. The instructions are exactly the same.

Exception: Residents and visitors are to be marked on the same list: they will be separated based on the data from column 6 on the length of stay.

In column 22, you will mark the profession declared by the relevant party or marked on the register.

IV. 5. Wrap-up notebook

The population survey is an extremely complex operation: between 1.5 million and 2 million filled out questionnaires will reach the Central census bureau. We therefore need a lot of time (close to a year) to run all these questionnaires and to count the people who are enrolled. [Rest of the paragraph omitted]

-Before starting the surveying

Mark, on the first page of the notebook the name of the province, of the department, and of the district you are surveying, with the corresponding codes.

Then mark the names of the villages (or of the city) that you surveyed and who is marked on the card for your counting zone.

Finally mark the number of your counting zone.

During the surveying

You fill out the wrap-up notebook one line per household in the order of the structures numbers starting at the end of the surveying of each household, except in grouped housing where you survey the household without stopping in order to not make people wait and where you complete the surveying at the end of each day or over the course of down time.

Column 1: Mark the number of the structure (it's the same number that you marked on the first page of the household questionnaire): 001 for the first structure in your zone; --2 for the second structure?; 015 for the fifteenth structure and so on.

Column 2: Mark the number of the household in the structure (this number is also on the first page of the questionnaire): for the households of one structure with only one household mark 01; for the households of one structure with several households, mark 01 for the first household, 02 for the second household, and so on.

Column 3 to 13: Count the number of household residents (do not count the visitors). When a column has 0 people, do not mark 0 but mark with a line.

Column 3: Mark the total number of residents in the household.

Column 4: Mark the number of men among these residents.

Column 5: Mark the number of women among these residents.

Column 6: Among the men, mark the number of children less than one year old.

Column 7: Among the men, mark the number of those who are between 1 and 14 years old.

Column 8: Among the men, mark the number of those who are between 15 and 54 years old.

Column 9: Among the men, mark the number of those who are 55 years old or more.

Verification: the number of men who are less than a year plus those who are between 1 and 14 years old, plus those who are between 15 and 54, plus those who are 55 years old or more should be equal to the total number of men (column 4).