A national census can be a complex and wide-ranging task that creates many logistical and administrative challenges, especially in countries recovering from conflict or natural disasters.

UNOPS has experience delivering a wide range of census support services, including:

• Large-scale procurement activities, such as the printing of forms and lease or purchase of equipment, including computers, temporary office space, communication apparatus, vehicles and new technologies in accordance with public sector standards 
• Identification and management of field workers and headquarters staff, including vetting, selection, recruitment, training and payment, as well as support to establish or enhance administrative systems for recruitment and payment 
• Infrastructure, for example the development of new sites such as data processing centres, the renovation of offices or the arranging of temporary leases

UNOPS works in close coordination with UNFPA and according to the guidelines promulgated by the United Nations Statistical Commission (UNSC) – the highest authority of the global statistical system – and under the qualitative oversight and coordination of the United Nations Statistics Division.

Sudan

In  2007, the Sudan Multi-Donor Trust Fund, administered by the World Bank, employed UNOPS to procure and deliver essential services to support the $70 million census operation in Sudan that followed the conclusion of years of war.

Faced with immense logistical challenges, UNOPS provided the operations and logistical planning, construction of logistical offices and procurement of equipment, including boats and vehicles to reach remote villages. It also provided training to local staff in the use and maintenance of equipment as well as project and operations support processes.

The census is expected to provide benchmarks for development planning and monitoring, and detailed information for the national elections.