Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee meeting: during this autumn's population census, Belarusians will have to answer 49 questions
To organize the campaign efficiently, it is important to select personnel of high quality. More than 1400 enumerators, as well as supervisors and their assistants for 69 census districts, will be required. Temporary census staff will work for 28 working days – from September 27 to November 5.
– Citizens involved in conducting the population census are exempted from work for the period of participation in the campaign, with retention of their job (position) and average earnings at the expense of employers, – noted Yuri Moskaliev.
Local authorities will select responsible individuals who are proficient in computers, taking into account their health status and current position, so that they are not distracted by official duties during the census.
City and district executive committees must provide premises free of charge for the work of temporary census staff and stationary sites, where oral interviews of respondents who wish to undergo them outside their place of residence will be conducted throughout the entire census period – from October 4 to 30. In addition, from October 4 to 18, one can independently fill out census forms online at any time, and from October 21 to 30, enumerators will visit respondents' homes for interviews; interviews at stationary sites will also continue.
Simultaneously with the online census, mobile groups will be organized at enterprises with a staff of over 150 people.
During the census period, a "hotline" will be organized for the public to answer all questions of interest.
Yury Moskalyov reported that the 2019 population census program includes 49 questions, while 10 years ago there were 37. The new ones concern migration processes, employment, additional education, and family planning. But the main innovation is the "Agricultural Questionnaire".
The use of tablet computers instead of traditional paper forms in the current campaign will significantly increase the speed of registrars' work and the quality of census forms completion.