CNMI Census partnership specialist Kathryn Barry, who was yesterday’s speaker at the Rotary Club of Saipan meeting at the Hyatt Regency, said starting Monday next week, they will begin the Census campaign in schools all over the CNMI.
“Visiting the schools to educate everyone on the importance of participating and filling up the census forms is just one of our ways of reaching out to everybody in the island,” Barry said.
She assured visibility in events such as the Red Cross walkathon on March 27, the Flame Tree Arts Festival next month, and all other upcoming events to get in touch with everybody.
From April 1 up to the middle of May, Barry said the Local Census Office staff and enumerators will have a full schedule visiting homes, and gathering census forms and assisting individuals who need help in filling out the forms.
Language will not be a barrier because the Census Office has hired multi-lingual staff.
Unlike the U.S. Census forms which has only 10 questions, the CNMI has a total of 75 questions — 48 questions for population characteristics and 27 for housing characteristics.
“The CNMI Census is conducted every 10 years so we need to get more information from the residents,” she said.
Confidentiality assurance
In all the campaigns and past public appearances, Barry assures everyone of the confidentiality of data that will be collected from the questionnaires.
“To set everyone’s mind at ease, all responses to the Census questionnaires are confidential and protected under Title 13 of the U.S. Code,” Barry said.
Under this law, no individual or agency, whether federal, state or local can have access to any of the information, she added.
The confidentiality of the records stays in effect for 72 years. Wrongful disclosure carries a penalty of up to five years jail term and or a fine of $250,000.
Barry said they will submit the results of the data from the questionnaires in statistical forms.
She urged every business organization to be a Census partner and help spread the word to remind everyone to participate in Census 2010. The completed forms will be sent to Washington, D.C. in August and the Census office will close on Aug. 31.
Visit the Local Census Office at the International Terminal Loop next to the Saipan international airport, check the census Web site at www.commerce.gov.mp or call 288-3027/23 for more information.
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