Sex imputation in the New Zealand Census

P. Lamborn made this Official Information request to Statistics New Zealand

Response to this request is long overdue. By law Statistics New Zealand should have responded by now (details and exceptions). The requester can complain to the Ombudsman.

From: P. Lamborn

Dear Statistics New Zealand,

I am writing in regards to the sex and fertility (or "Number of children born alive") questions as included in the New Zealand censuses held from 1996 to 2018. Please answer the following questions, in a searchable and accessible format:

1. In how many instances in each census has a missing or invalid response to the sex question been imputed a) from other information provided in the survey form where the datum is missing; b) from information in other forms filled out in the same dwelling; c) stochastically; or d) by other methods?

2. Where the fertility question is present, is the information given ever used, in whole or in part, to impute the value of a missing or invalid response to the sex question? If yes, for each of the census years from 1996 to 2018 as above, how many times did this occur? If yes or no, please provide any and all guidelines, decisions, or internal correspondence pertaining to this subject.

3. When a clear and valid selection of "male" or "female" has been given to the sex question, is other information provided in that or another survey form in the same dwelling (e.g. name, marital status) ever used to change the answer to the sex question as recorded, and how many times has this occurred in the above census years? If yes, is the answer to the fertility question ever used in this decision, and how often?

4. In the case of a transgender man who has given birth to two live children filling out the 2018 census, how should he answer a) the sex question; and b) the fertility question? If he answered "male" to the first and "2" to the second, would any substitution or imputation occur?

5. In the case of a transgender person who identifies as non-binary and who has given birth to two live children filling out the 2018 census, how should they answer a) the sex question; and b) the fertility question? If they gave no answer to the first or indicated both boxes, and "2" to the second, would any substitution or imputation occur?

6. Please provide any and all internal correspondence pertaining to the fertility question in the 2018 census and the LGBTI population.

If any part of this question is unclear, or asks for information that cannot be provided, please feel free to contact me for clarification or refinements.

Yours faithfully,

P. Lamborn

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From: Info Mailin - Shared Mailbox
Statistics New Zealand

 

Thank you for contacting Statistics New Zealand.

We will respond to your enquiry within 2 working days.
If your enquiry is urgent, please call us on 0508 525 525.

Regards

Information Centre Team
Statistics New Zealand Tatauranga Aotearoa

 

Kind regards,

Information Centre.  

Statistics New Zealand Tatauranga Aotearoa

 

 

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From: Jarrod Williams
Statistics New Zealand

Good morning,

I am writing to acknowledge receipt of your official information request dated 3 March 2018 requesting the sex and fertility (or "Number of children born alive") questions as included in the New Zealand censuses held from 1996 to 2018.

We received your request on 3 March 2018. We will endeavour to respond to your request as soon as possible and in any event no later than 3 April 2018, being 20 working days after the day your request was received. If we are unable to respond to your request by then, we will notify you of an extension of that timeframe.

Your request is being handled by myself, Jarrod Williams, in the Office of the Government Statistician and Chief Executive. If you have any queries, please feel free to contact me using the details in the signature below. If any additional factors come to light which are relevant to your request, please do not hesitate to contact us so that these can be taken into account.

Nāku iti noa, nā,

Jarrod Williams
Advisor – Office of the Government Statistician and Chief Executive | Kaiwhakamaherehere – Tari o te Kaitatau a te Kāwanatanga me te Tumuaki
Stats NZ Tatauranga Aotearoa
DDI +64 4 931 4943 | +64 21 731 316 | stats.govt.nz

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From: Jarrod Williams
Statistics New Zealand


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Good evening,

 

I refer to your official information request dated 3 March for information
regarding to the sex and fertility (or "Number of children born alive")
questions as included in the New Zealand censuses held from 1996 to 2018.

 

The OIA requires that we advise you of our decision on your request no
later than 20 working days after the day we received your request. After
initial investigation, Stats NZ will be able to provide responses to
questions 1, 2, and 3 for the most recent census within 20 working days.
For questions 1, 2, and 3, this will be the 2013 Census. Data from the
2018 Census will not be available until later in the year as processing
has not yet been completed.

 

Unfortunately, it will not be possible to meet that time limit for the
answers relating to the earlier censuses, and we are therefore writing to
notify you of an extension of the time to make our decision, to 30 April
2018.

 

This extension is necessary because collating the information and meeting
the original time limit would unreasonably interfere with the operations
of the 2018 Census. The 2018 Census is now in operational mode and the
team are fully occupied running the operation and reporting for
operational purposes. Furthermore, the information you have requested is
not collectively held, and requires significant technical collation and
research.

 

Please note that responses to questions 4, 5, and 6 will be provided
within the initial 20 working days.

 

You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of
this decision. Information about how to make a complaint is available at
[1]www.ombudsman.parliament.nz.  

 

If you wish to discuss any aspect of your request with us, including this
decision, please feel free to get in touch. 

 

Nāku iti noa, nā,

 

Jarrod Williams
Advisor – Office of the Government Statistician and Chief Executive |
Kaiwhakamaherehere – Tari o te Kaitatau a te Kāwanatanga me te Tumuaki
Stats NZ Tatauranga Aotearoa
DDI +64 4 931 4943 | +64 21 731 316 | [2]stats.govt.nz

 

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From: Matthew Bloomer
Statistics New Zealand


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Attachment Lamborn Census OIA.PDF.pdf
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Dear P Lamborn

 

Please find attached a letter and attachment in response to your OIA
request.

 

Regards

 

Matthew Bloomer
Manager (Acting) – Office of the Government Statistician and Chief
Executive

Stats NZ Tatauranga Aotearoa
DDI +64 4 931 4870 M +64 21 822 438 [1]stats.govt.nz

 

References

Visible links
1. http://www.stats.govt.nz/

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From: Jarrod Williams
Statistics New Zealand


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Good afternoon,

 

Following our initial response in early March, you have been provided a
part response to your OIA dated 3 March 2018. Responses to questions to 1,
2, and 3 are still outstanding.

 

Unfortunately, we will be unable to provide a response to these questions
within the additional timeframe indicated. The process for producing the
answers to these has been more complex than originally thought, and there
are limited staff available who were here at the time of those censuses.
This complexity combined with limited resources available due to the 2018
Census means staff are still processing your request.

 

If you have any questions regarding your request at this stage, please
contact Gareth Meech (Senior Manager – Customer Focus (2018 Census)) at
[1][email address]. His team is responsible for responding to
your request, and will be best placed to answer any queries.

 

We apologise for the delay in responding.

 

Nāku iti noa, nā,

 

Jarrod Williams
Senior Advisor – Office of the Government Statistician and Chief Executive
| Kaiwhakamaherehere Matua – Tari o te Kaitatau a te Kāwanatanga me te
Tumuaki
Stats NZ Tatauranga Aotearoa

 

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From: Jarrod Williams
Sent: Monday, 5 March 2018 6:02 PM
To: '[FOI #7369 email]'
<[FOI #7369 email]>
Subject: RE: Official Information request - Sex imputation in the New
Zealand Census

 

Good evening,

 

I refer to your official information request dated 3 March for information
regarding to the sex and fertility (or "Number of children born alive")
questions as included in the New Zealand censuses held from 1996 to 2018.

 

The OIA requires that we advise you of our decision on your request no
later than 20 working days after the day we received your request. After
initial investigation, Stats NZ will be able to provide responses to
questions 1, 2, and 3 for the most recent census within 20 working days.
For questions 1, 2, and 3, this will be the 2013 Census. Data from the
2018 Census will not be available until later in the year as processing
has not yet been completed.

 

Unfortunately, it will not be possible to meet that time limit for the
answers relating to the earlier censuses, and we are therefore writing to
notify you of an extension of the time to make our decision, to 30 April
2018.

 

This extension is necessary because collating the information and meeting
the original time limit would unreasonably interfere with the operations
of the 2018 Census. The 2018 Census is now in operational mode and the
team are fully occupied running the operation and reporting for
operational purposes. Furthermore, the information you have requested is
not collectively held, and requires significant technical collation and
research.

 

Please note that responses to questions 4, 5, and 6 will be provided
within the initial 20 working days.

 

You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of
this decision. Information about how to make a complaint is available at
[5]www.ombudsman.parliament.nz.  

 

If you wish to discuss any aspect of your request with us, including this
decision, please feel free to get in touch. 

 

Nāku iti noa, nā,

 

Jarrod Williams
Advisor – Office of the Government Statistician and Chief Executive |
Kaiwhakamaherehere – Tari o te Kaitatau a te Kāwanatanga me te Tumuaki
Stats NZ Tatauranga Aotearoa

 

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