After sending letters to everyone and anyone I receive the following email from the chief statistician for the government. It was CC'ed to two other people so I guess it got somebody's attention. He provides a very good explaination for things but I still don't buy it.

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Statistics Canada would like to clarify and provide additional information concerning the contracting out portion of the 2006 Census with private industry. First of all, I would like to emphasize that only 20% of the work for the 2006 Census will be contracted out while the remaining 80% is being done by Statistics Canada. The distribution, collection, follow-up and storage of questionnaires will be done strictly by Statistics Canada.

Important improvements and significant changes in the way census data are collected and captured are required for the 2006 Census. These changes will move the census from what is now a highly decentralised, manual collection operation, to a more centralised and automated approach while addressing the issues of privacy, security, confidentiality and the provisions of an Internet response option for Canadians. However, these and other improvements require the implementation of a very complex logistics and control system.

Why did we decide to contract out a portion of the software development for the 2006 Census? Simply because, after a painstaking review, we concluded that we lacked the expertise needed. The 2006 Census clearly has to offer the option of Internet filing of census returns, and this has to be integrated with the traditional paper filing option which, of course, must also be offered. Further complicating the logistics is the fact that we will be mailing, for the first time, the census questionnaires to about 65% of all households in Canada. This, together with the need to know at all times who completed and who did not their census forms (in order to initiate timely follow-up of those who did not do so) leads to exceptionally complex logistics.

Traditionally census returns have been key-entered but that option will no longer be available in 2006. As a result, it will be necessary to introduce the scanning of the paper returns into the 2006 Census - and, again, integrate all of that with the Internet-filed returns. The complexity of these highly technical operations was entirely outside our range of past experience. When one considers the fact that the census must go almost flawlessly (because we do not have a second chance), it became abundantly clear that contracting out was the only realistic option. In addition to the technical complexities, we also conducted a very thorough cost benefit analysis of the "buy or make" option, to determine the appropriate approach for undertaking the significant systems development and operational activities required for the 2006 Census. The factors considered included cost, timeliness, integration, risk and the availability of resources/expertise and while not the only factor in our decision, the business case was clearly in favour for the private sector. Incidentally, the same conclusion was reached not only by our US counterpart, but also by the Office of National Statistics in the UK for their census systems development and processing activities.

After a lengthy consultation process with industry, proposals were invited by Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) through a Request for Proposal (RFP). Critical security and confidentiality requirements were built into the RFP to ensure the protection of census returns. Indeed, these safeguards will be even higher in 2006 than they were in 2001 or in earlier censuses.

Under the North American Free Trade Agreement and World Trade Organization Agreement regulations that governed this procurement, non-Canadian based firms were eligible to submit a bid. All of the bidders were Canadian firms, although several were US owned. The evaluation of proposals was very rigorous, with no opportunity for biasing the results either in favour of, or against, any one bidder. In addition, an independent fairness monitor certified that the selection process followed the terms of the RFP and that the process was fair and objective to all bidders. Through this process, PWGSC awarded the contract to Lockheed Martin Canada Inc. to carry out activities in support of the 2006 Census. The firm will be leading a consortium consisting of IBM Canada and Transcontinental Printing Inc. Canada and ADECCO Employment Services Ltd Canada.

Lockheed Martin specifically has a successful track record in developing and implementing solutions in a census context and has access to international expertise based on lessons learned in the United States and United Kingdom censuses. Statistics Canada is capitalizing on this existing experience and investment.

Statistics Canada will maintain full control of all aspects of the census. Indeed, the data collected from Canadians will, at all times, be under the care and full control of Statistics Canada and everyone working on the census will, as always, be subject to the provisions and penalties of the Statistics Act. Only census agents who are sworn to secrecy under the Statistics Act - and subject to considerable penalties should their oath be violated (including imprisonment of up to six months) - will have access to individual census information. Career employees will at all times be in charge of every aspect of census operations

All contractors will be security screened, and sworn in under the Statistics Act. As such, they will become Statistics Canada employees, subject to all the sanctions of the Act.

Stringent safeguards will be in place to ensure that only information required for the processing operation is accessible by the contractor. The census processing site will be strictly isolated from external networks, so unauthorised transmission of census data would be physically impossible. In addition, all sites will be subject to 24-hour supervision by our career employees. Needless to say, data will never be processed or stored outside the country. Processed data will be stored at Statistics Canada premises.


Statistics Canada has a well-earned reputation for quality statistics, which in turn depends on the trust of Canadians. It would never endanger that reputation by exposing to the slightest risk the confidential data that its respondents provide - let alone exposing it to access by any foreign country. The confidentiality of 2006 Census returns will be as stringently guarded as in the past; in fact, technology allows us to implement even better safeguards. We are ready to expose our plans to any expert scrutiny.

Ivan P. Fellegi
Chief Statistician of Canada

Fellegi sent that out to everybody who wrote him. I have still not gotten replies from the PMO, Allan Rock, Paul Martin, the PCs or the Alliance. They are incredibly silent on the issue. I guess all I can do now is refuse to take part in the next census. So be it.