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Stand
up, be counted next year
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Representing
the ADF tri-Service and Defence APS nature of Defence Census
2003. L-R: BRIG Chris Appleton, AIRCDRE John Clarkson, Manager,
Defence Census 2003, Roger Wainwright CDRE Louis Rago, and
Director General Personnel Policy and Employment Conditions
Sue Parr.
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Defence
Census Day will be Tuesday March 18 next year. At the official launch
of the census on November 6, the Minister Assisting the Minister
for Defence, Danna Vale said the census will provide Defence planners
with authoritative and up to date data on which to base personnel
strategic plans and policies.
For the first time the census will embrace the total Defence workforce
with the inclusion of Defence APS personnel. This means the census
will reach about 88 000 Defence personnel.
Policy makers and planners need a good understanding of the make-up
of the total workforce, and a census is the most effective way of
obtaining this information. The census is voluntary and anonymous,
but all Defence personnel will be encouraged to participate.
The key requirements to ensuring a successful census are:
- The
development of valid, simple and useable questionnaire;
- An
active and focused communications campaign aimed at encouraging
the maximum possible response rate;
- An
efficient method of distributing and collecting questionnaires
from all personnel; and
- Providing
post-census, reliable data and reports for use by Defence policy
makers and other interested agencies.
Roy
Morgan Research has been engaged to develop and distribute the
census questionnaires, process the data, update the census database
and provide various reports (two of these reports will provide
feedback to ADF members and their families, and Defence APS members).
The 2003 census will consist of three separate forms, for Defence
APS, Reserve members and permanent members.
Reservists who are on Continuous Full-Time Service will complete
the Reserves form. Defence APS members who are also active reservists
will be asked to complete both the APS and the Reserves forms.
The Reserves form will be relatively short, as duplication of
questions asked in the 2001 ADF Reserves Survey has been avoided
where possible.
The questionnaires will also include short statements explaining
why particular questions are being asked.
The questionnaires will be distributed to permanent and APS members
through the functional chain, whilst reservists will receive their
questionnaires at their home addresses. Unit census coordinators
have been appointed to assist in the process and to assist in
census administration. Arrangements are being made to ensure that
all ADF and APS personnel deployed overseas also receive the questionnaires.
Special arrangements will be made for reserve units on duty overseas
including in East Timor and Butterworth.
A new census website has been established which provides background
information on the census and information to assist UCC. The site
is at:
http://defweb.cbr.defence.gov.au/dpe/defencecensus2003 (on the
Defweb), or
www.defence.gov.au/dpe/defencecensus2003 (on the internet).
Point of contact is Roger Wainwright, the Manager Defence Census
2003 on (02) 6266 3268 or Roger.Wainwright@defence.gov.au.
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