Enthusiasm, excitement and pride marked the start of data collection, last Monday (Sep 6th), from housing units on Paquetá Island, in Rio de Janeiro, as a test for the 2022 Population Census. In his speech at the local Yacht Club, Eduardo Rios Neto, president of the Institute, showed how optimistic and confident he is about the operation. "A positive wave is sweeping over Paquetá, and it will spread all over Brazil by land, sea and air," said Mr. Rios Neto, as he explained data collection in the city is a model to be replicated in other 26 Federation Units in November.

The IBGE Director of Surveys, Cimar Azeredo, thanked all the Institute's servants who worked hard to promote the test and wished luck to all the team in charge of the operation in Paquetá. Cimar recalled being a enumerator himself in 1980. "A census is a stimulating challenge. Do your best so that this test will be a success that can inspire us and make the IBGE proud." In the same supportive and motivating mood, Maria Vilma Salles Garcia, Operational Coordinator for the Censuses, Claudio Stenner, Director of Geosciences, and Carlos Cotovio, Director of Data Processing, spoke to the audience. The Human Resources Coordinator, Bruno Malheiros, and the Occupational Safety Manager, Cézar Steinhorst, made a presentation about prevention and precautions related to safety and sanitary protocols.

Under the guidance of Luiz Felipe Pinto, representatives of the Municipal Health Secretariat of Rio de Janeiro also attended the event. Among other measures taken by the Secretariat, the Integrated Healthcare Unit Manoel Arthur Villaboim was turned into a  comfortable and adequate facility prepared to host the data collection center in Paquetá. The IBGE also counts on support from the Islands Sub-Municipal Governement and the Resident Association of Paquetá - Morena.

Full coverage

The event got full media coverage. Either onsite or by means of video links and phone calls, journalists had the chance of interviewing the president and the director of surveys of the IBGE. That added to the positive repercussions planned and expected by the Social Communication Department (CCS). Globo communication segment alone sent three different teams to attend the event - from O Globo, Globonews and TV Globo. The test in Paquetá was given special attention in all seven TV news editions by the Globo Group (Bom Dia Rio, Bom dia Brasil, Jornal Hoje, RJTV1, RJTV2, Jornal Nacional and Jornal da Globo). Bandnews, Record, SBT, TV Cultura and EBC (Brazil Agency, a governmental channel) besides radio stations, newspapers and web portals did the same.

Reporters, camera operators, and photographers followed some of the 12 IBGE enumerators as they started walking the 40 and more streets of Paquetá to conduct the household surveys - a phase that will end on September 24. The press could witness how careful the field team was about protocols against Covid-19. Besides a vest and a cap with the IBGE logo, the enumerators wear masks and face shields during their interviews with the informants (residents). President Eduardo Rios Neto also took the opportunity to reaffirm the IBGE's position in favor of the R$ 2.3 billion budget allocated for the census operation. "Under no circumstances would we be able to have a lower budget. That is the amount we need to carry out the Census in technical and operational terms".

Systems and equipment

Paquetá Island was chosen to host the test because more than 85% of its population has already been fully vaccinated against Covid-19. Proximity to the IBGE headquarters (a 50 minute trip by boat) also influenced the choice, since that reduces operational costs. Alternative and complementary data collection methods will be adopted there: face-to-face, by telephone and on the Internet. The three forms of collection will also be available in the official Census operation, which starts in June next year. 

The operation on Paquetá Island will also be an opportunity to test all the systems and equipment to be used in the Census, such as the Mobile Data Collection Devices (DMCs, which are similar to a smartphone and keep the electronic questionnaires), in order to evaluate some specificities and functionalities in the field. Professionals taking part in the test were trained throughout August, thanks to an initiative by the State Branch of Rio de Janeiro, headed by José Francisco Teixeira de Carvalho.

The Urbanistic Survey of Surroundings, which takes place before household are enumerated and collects data about urban infrastructure, started in Paquetá on September 1st and ended on the 3rd. In this step, professionals observed items such as public lighting, address identification, street paving, existence of sidewalks, of bike lanes and of bus stops, and even information on accessibility and afforestation. The supervision period will take place from the 24th of September up to the 01st of October. Activities in Paquetá will end after the Post-Enumeration Survey (PPE), used to evaluate coverage and quality of data in the census study that will last up to October 30th.

How to check IBGE enumerators' identity

The enumerators work in uniform, wearing a cap and vest with the IBGE logo. In the vest, there is also the identification badge, with a photo and identity number of the interviewer. They will be using a DMC, a device similar to a smartphone, to collect information. Residents can verify the identity of all IBGE interviewers on the website respondendo.ibge.gov.br or by calling 0800 721 8181, from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm, every day. As in all IBGE surveys, the information provided by residents to the enumerators is confidential and secrecy is guaranteed.