Census 2016 an opportunity to speed up grants and procurement?

The next Census to be held on 9th August, 2016 is the first digital-by-default survey, so how will this benefit government spending in the long run?

Image: GovNews

It happens every five years, but everyone needs to allocate some time from their Tuesday night routine to get the dreaded Census out of the way.

But a lot has changed since the last time the Australian government conducted its national statistics update in 2011, where it’s encouraging citizens to supply their details online rather than the traditional paper form that’s been a staple of the Census since its inception.

It’s a major step forward in the government’s wider arching agenda to ensure that all information is digitally native. Not all the data collected on 9^th August, 2016 will be digitally native, however, as the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has allowed people the option to request a paper form if they really want it.

This time, it’s a lot like the phone book delivery. No-one is ever delivered a set of phone books annually anymore, but they can request printed versions if they really want them.

But if they really want it to be entirely digitally native, the ABS might have to wait until the next Census is conducted in 2021, and then it becomes a question of whether those guillotines that were purchased last year will still be of any use or whether they’ll be assets to be sold off.

Of course, the big advantage of this Census will be a quicker response time in filing the data collected, which will give the federal government more time to prepare funding for needed infrastructure in growing areas. This will include roads, rail, water, electricity, gas and other utilities.

As a result, local and state governments across Australia might be able to expect more accurate funding allocations in federal government programs like Roads to Recovery and Financial Assistance Grants because the data more accurately reflects the nation’s population and its needs.

As far as the private sector is concerned, that will mean opportunities in the near future to compete for and secure contracts in the fields of transport, infrastructure, ICT, sustainability and many other different initiatives that governments will require support and knowledge.