17,400 and ... now where was I?

THE four yearly Defence Census is rapidly approaching when all permanent and active reserve members of the ADF as well as all Defence APS personnel will be asked to complete Census questionnaires.

This article aims to clarify some of the commonly asked questions about the Census.

When is Census Day? Tuesday, March 18.

Why do we have a census? The census is held to provide policy makers with an accurate demographic profile of the Defence population, including its composition, skills and personal life circumstances. Defence values its people and aims to formulate policies that target their greatest areas of concern.

Participation in the census allows all Defence personnel to contribute to the decisions made in their work environment.

How has the Census benefited Defence in the past? The information from past Censuses has been used extensively to improve conditions of service and overall lifestyle of Defence personnel.

This includes the provision of childcare facilities in many Defence establishments and the procurement of housing and other accommodation in regional areas.

The data is also used to compare life in the ADF with that in the wider Australian community in identifying attractive and unattractive localities, housing ownership and family income levels.

Which questionnaire should I complete? There are separate questionnaires for permanent ADF members, active reserve members and Defence APS. Reserve members who are on continuous full-time service should complete the reserve questionnaire. A Defence APS person who is also a reservist is asked to complete both relevant questionnaires.

How will I get this questionnaire? Permanent ADF members, members on CFTS and Defence APS personnel will receive their questionnaires in the workplace through a nominated Unit Census Coordinator (UCC). Reservists will receive their questionnaires at their home address.

Exceptions to this are reservists deployed in East Timor or Butterworth and Army RFSUs who will receive their questionnaires through their units.

What if I don’t receive a questionnaire? You should contact your UCC. If you don’t know who this is, you should approach your unit or organisation administrative staff.

Is it compulsory to complete the questionnaire? Unlike the national census that is completed by all Australians, the Defence Census is not compulsory. You are, however, strongly encouraged to complete the questionnaire as the larger the response, the more accurate will be the information provided to policy makers.

What about my privacy? The protection of your privacy is guaranteed. The census management team has consulted with the Federal Privacy Commissioner and the census will be conducted in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 and relevant information privacy principles. An external consultant will enter all data from the questionnaires and will then destroy all questionnaires. No individual can be identified through the data.

What if I am absent on Census Day? Notify your UCC so that you can receive a questionnaire. In some cases it will not be physically possible to complete the questionnaire on Census Day due to operational deployment or other duty-related reasons.

The questionnaire should be completed as close to Census Day as possible, reflecting your personal situation on March 18.

The final date for return of questionnaires is April 18.

Will I have access to the results of the census? A series of reports will be made available on the census website and in hard copy. This will include public reports. Persons requiring specific census information will be able to obtain this through a procedure to be advised after the census.

How can I obtain more information? Visit the census web site at http://defweb.cbr.defence.gov.au/dpe/defencecensus2003 or on the Internet at www.defence.gov.au/dpe/defencecensus2003

The web site includes a short PowerPoint presentation that can be used by UCC, commanders and managers, as well as an e-mail facility to the census management team. The Census Manager, Roger Wainwright, can be contacted on (02) 6266 3268.